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Finn didn’t know why, but now more than ever, he needed to see inside those pages. In fact, he was more than ready to make that his next life’s mission.

“Boys a dear. D’you know who you’re talkin’ to? I just admitted to callin’ me bus Bob. Why’d I ever think you’re the mad one?”

She laughed. “You have a point.”

“So…when do I get to see those notes, then?”

“Um, I⁠—”

“Maisie?”

Finn and Maisie both turned their gazes to where Daphne appeared at Maisie’s side. Apparently, neither one of them had noticed her approach until that moment.

“Daphne,” Maisie said, her eyes nervously shifting to Finn, though her smile remained. “This is Finn O’Meara. He’s the bus driver and tour guide.”

Daphne’s laser-like focus fell on Finn again, and though she smiled, the suspicion in her narrowed eyes and tightened lips was unmistakable.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. O’Meara,” she said stiffly, though she was clearly doing her best to smile. “I’m Daphne Parker.”

She had obviously already made up her mind not to trust him, though he had no idea why. Did she just disapprove of the flirting that was going on between him and Maisie? If it was one-sided, sure, but Maisie was clearly enjoying herself, too.

Ach, well. It was nothing he hadn’t dealt with before. Time to turn up the charm. Soon she’d see that there would be no trouble between him and her niece.

Not real trouble, anyway.

He set aside his cheeky grin and faced Daphne with a respectable nod, then peered up at her on the bridge. “Pleasure meetin’ you,” he said. “I was just havin’ a blether with your niece here ’bout your restaurant over in the states. Sounds like a cracker of an idea, it does.”

“Thank you,” Daphne said. “We’re really excited about it.”

Her eyes flitted toward Maisie’s with knit brows, and Maisie’s smile faltered for the first time that day.

Finn looked between them. Should he leave? Naw, might as well have one more go.

“I hear you’ve been all around Europe,” he offered.

“Yes,” Daphne responded, her features softening as she continued looking at her niece. “It has been wonderful traveling together.”

Finn looked between them. Aye, this wasn’t working. “Well, I hope your time here will be a craic, too.”

Daphne drew a deep breath, her eyes remaining on Maisie’s. “Thank you, but…I’m afraid that won’t be possible.”

Finn paused, and Maisie did the same.

“Wait, what? What’s wrong?” she asked her aunt.

Daphne was already shaking her head. “It’s not going to work. They need us back in Boston. Now.”

Finn’s stomach knotted like Gran’s ball of yarn he had to continuously unwind as a child. Maisie was leaving? The place she’d said she’d been looking forward to going the most—and she was leaving?

He glanced over at her, the shock and disappointment snatching the smile from her lips and the light from her eyes in an instant.

“But…we just got here,” Maisie said.

Finn could hear the deflation in her tone. He was feeling it himself.

Surely whatever trouble they were having could wait until after the tour. Surely her aunt would put her niece first. Or would she leave Maisie on her own for the next two weeks like she’d done today?

His mind continued coming up with solutions to a problem that wasn’t even his until he saw Daphne’s needle-eyed gaze dip on him again.