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“Me da got another job, and I quit mine.”

“What?” she breathed. “I’m so happy for your dad, but…your job. You loved it. How could you just quit?”

“I did love it,” he said, “but I couldn’t bear stayin’ on after they told me I couldn’t see you.”

She listened intently as he continued, still not quite believing that this was, in reality, happening.

“Even though we’ve known each other for only a short amount of time,” he said, closing the distance between them and taking her hand in his, “it’s been long enough for me to know that whatever this is between us is worth pursuin’. ’Cause I’ve never known anyone quite like you, Maisie. And I’ve never felt anythin’ for anyone more than I feel for you. So quittin’ me job was worth it. Because you are worth it.”

Tears welled in her eyes. “I don’t know what to say,” she began, then another thought occurred. She looked around them at the disheveled construction zone and would-be restaurant. “Do you want a job?”

Finn laughed. “At this point, I’ll take any job I can get if it allows me to date you.” Then he looked around them and lowered his voice. “Although, I have it on good authority that your aunt would never hire me. I get the feelin’ she doesn’t like me.”

Maisie smiled. “She’ll come around. I did.”

He scoffed. “Ach, you liked me the minute you saw me, love.”

She smiled up at him, then released his hand and wrapped her arms around his neck. “How could I not, when you sacrificed Bob’s tire by running over a curb to stare at me?”

He chuckled again, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer. “Ah, I missed you.” He stared into her eyes, his gaze flickering to her lips. “You never answered me question, though.”

“About you working here?”

“Naw, if you want to go on a date with me.”

“Ah, of course,” she said. She stared up at him. “Yes, I’ll go on a date with you, Finn.”

He breathed an exaggerated sigh of relief. “Boys a dear, I’m glad. I was worried this was goin’ to be the most expensive rejection I’d ever received.”

She laughed before he continued.

“Now,” he said, “I hope you won’t find me too forward, as we haven’t officially had our first date yet, but I was wonderin’ if I have to wait to kiss you, ’cause I’ve traveled nearly three thousand miles and waited over three hundred hours, and I don’t want to wait a moment more.”

She shook her head. “Then don’t.”

He drew closer, then paused. “Just do me one favor?” he asked in a whisper, his breath on her lips.

She nodded in silence.

“Will you tell me if I taste like Fifteens and Heaven?”

Laughter bubbled up inside her.

“Because I’ll tell you,” he continued, “I’ve just had some on the flight here for this purpose alone. I’d hate for them to go to waste.”

She smiled in amusement, looking down at his firm lips and wanting nothing more in that moment but for them to be hers again.

“So…” he urged.

“So, what?”

“Will you tell me, then?”

She laughed, knowing he wasn’t going to let it go. “You drive me crazy sometimes, you know that?”

“Aye, I do.”

And as he flashed that charming grin at her again, Maisie couldn’t help herself. She stood on the tips of her toes and pulled Finn toward her until his lips met with hers.