Mr. Cottrell stood, offering his assistance, and within a few seconds, mom and baby settled into the boat with the rest of them, and Finn dropped in beside them.
Boat full. Time to get them to safety.
They pushed off.
The baby let out a small, indignant wail. Finn looked down, breath catching.
It was one of the most hopeful sounds Finn had heard all day.
Even surrounded by devastation, life cried out.
Jack was shining the spotlight ahead, sweeping past another house, when a shout broke the quiet.
“Hey, pub guy!”
Finn squinted. A man on a nearby roof waved both arms like he was hailing a taxi. Was that—?
“Tad Akers,” Jack said, confirming it.
Finn grinned. He’d been called “pub guy” more than once today.It always pulled a laugh from someone. A dozen people had promised to stop by The Green Dragon once it reopened. A few had asked if Lucy was okay.
They’dknownto ask.
“One more?” Finn looked to Jack, even as Jack steered in the man’s direction.
Tad climbed in, soaked and grinning like he’d just won a raffle. “I owe you a pint when this is over, Dashwood.” He nodded to Jack. “You too, Austen. I might even throw in a steak or two.”
And it hit him—the warmth that swelled in his chest wasn’t just from being useful. It was from being known.
These people had started to know him. They saw him. He mattered here.
Not just in the storm, but even before.
He hadn’t just opened a pub. He’d started putting down roots.
Little Laney Parks had cried on his shoulder a couple of weeks ago when her dog had run away. Mr. Clark’s grandson had asked him to taste test his baking project. Old Mr. Harper had fixed his front step and refused to charge. The entire town had shown up to vote on whether he or Daphne would win a contest over a wedding.A wedding!
He almost laughed.
And the realization took hold. This wasn’t just where he worked.
It was where he belonged.
Not just for Lucy. Not just because of Daphne—though, heaven help him, she was stitched into his thoughts like she belonged there.
No matter what the morning revealed about this town or his pub, this was where hewantedto stay.
Because somehow, without him realizing, Wisteria had become home.
And now, he was going to fight for it.
Poor little Lucy missed her dad.
And she wasn’t the only one.
As the clock ticked past 10:00 p.m. and Finn still hadn’t shown up, Daphne had set aside the clipboard she’d been using to coordinate cots and casseroles and spent a little cuddle time on the velvet love seat near the front desk, Lucy curled beside her. She’d readTangledto Lucy—again—and sometime between Rapunzel healing Flynn’s hand and the part with the floating lights, the little girl had fallen fast asleep with her head on Daphne’s lap.
Daphne’s fingers moved absently through Lucy’s curls. The weight of the child, the warmth of her small hand curled against Daphne’s thigh, calmed her. The comfort went both ways.
