“Are you sure you can trust them, after they failed earlier?”
“If not, I’ll make other arrangements.”
“You’re sure? I don’t mind waiting.” Maisy wasn’t in any rush to get home. She didn’t have any plans for the evening other than checking in with her family. If time allowed later, she’d stop by and visit her grandmother before dinner.
“I’m good,” he assured her, and withdrew his wallet from his jacket. “I insist on paying you.”
“I’d be insulted if you did. Just pay it forward.” She didn’t give him time to argue. “Now go, you’re already late for your appointment.”
“If you say so,” he said, as he attempted to open the car door. It stuck, as it often did. With effort he managed to push it openwith his shoulder. He climbed out and then leaned back in to say, “Maisy Gallagher, thank you. You’re quite a woman.”
She blushed. “You’re welcome. I hope you find closure when it comes to your mother. You might think she meant nothing to you, but she clearly did.”
His eyes held hers for the longest moment before he stepped away, and again, with effort, he slammed the door closed. As she eased forward, Maisy glanced in her rearview mirror to discover Chase Furst, standing in front of the funeral home, watching her drive away.
Chapter Three
After checking in with her mother, Maisy called Laura to let her know she’d landed safely and thank her again for a lovely time. Chicago was a great place to visit. This time away was exactly what Maisy had needed emotionally.
“You’ll never guess who I sat next to on the plane,” she said.
“Someone famous, I hope.”
“Someone infamous, for sure. Remember that grumpy guy who made such a fuss?”
Laura snorted. “I’ll likely lose my job because of him. He was rude, arrogant, and a total jerk. Lucky you. I can’t imagine it was a pleasant flight home.”
“It was a great flight. I got upgraded to first class.”
“What about the grump?”
“He mostly kept to himself, which was fine by me, but thenlater he mentioned that the reason he was heading to Seattle was to bury his mother.”
Laura was quiet for a moment. “That explains a lot, doesn’t it?”
“It does. I ended up giving him a ride to the funeral home when the car service canceled.”
“You didn’t!” Laura sounded shocked. “Never mind, I know you and your big heart. I hope he had the decency to pay you.”
Maisy smiled. “I told him to pay it forward. I hope he does, although I’ll likely never know.”
They spoke for a couple of minutes more before Maisy ended the call and headed off to visit her grandmother at the senior housing complex where she currently lived. Eileen Gallagher was the rock that held the family together after the death of Maisy’s father. She had always felt close to her Grams and often sought her advice.
It was as if her grandmother had been awaiting her arrival. When Maisy walked into the small apartment, the teapot was on the table along with a plate of shortbread cookies, Maisy’s favorite. After a gentle hug, her grandmother said, “You’re later than I expected.”
“Sorry…I helped someone who needed a ride.” She continued, relaying her experience of meeting Chase Furst and how she’d driven him to his appointment.
“You did well,” Grams said, sounding pleased with Maisy.
“I thought of him as a big grump, but then I remembered what you said about someone who is unreasonably angry.” Maisy was uncomfortable accepting praise when all she’d done was listen to the wisdom of her grandmother.
Grams sipped her tea and set the delicate cup back on itssaucer. “You’re right about his response to the death of his mother. He’s refusing to own up to the fact that he has any feelings for the woman who abandoned him, when he clearly does.”
“He was awful, Grams, sniping out at everyone. He even threatened to report Laura to her supervisor. She could lose her job because of him.” It angered Maisy when she thought about the way Chase had spoken to Laura and the flight attendant, too.
Her grandmother nodded. “I’m sure once he has time to think about the way he behaved, he’ll regret his actions.”
Maisy wasn’t convinced that it was true, but she hoped so.
