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Matthew

I don’t believe it.

Graham

You got to give us more than that, Finn.

Matthew

I’m calling his bluff right now.

Cedric

I bet he’s not going to respond for hours now, just to annoy us.

With a cheeky grin, Finn swiped out of his messages and pocketed his phone.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Maisie leaned against the edge of the ferry as it traveled slowly across the Sea of Moyle, her eyes lingering on the pearl-gray mist that draped heavily across the choppy waves.

That morning, she’d said goodbye to Daphne, waving after the black taxi, though her aunt hadn’t waved back, her head lowered as she stared at her phone. Shortly after, Maisie had headed for the ferry, determined to be as easy going as she had been the day before, though her stomach was rolling.

Seeing Finn’s smile had lifted her spirits, as did Pearl, Renee, and Joyce as they welcomed her aboard the ferry. Trifle had licked her fingertips, and afterwards, the Schäfers from Germany had officially introduced themselves to her with a welcoming conversation. The young couple with the baby—the Dünsers—had also greeted her with polite nods, as had the Taylors.

Everyone was so kind and generous with their time. Even now, Finn was providing her with a distraction, watching her across the ferry where he stood with the Waterstones, his eyes continually flitting toward Maisie between the many faces of the fully loaded ferry.

And yet, something still bothered her. Something niggled at her peace, disturbed her focus, and unsettled her firm footing. She’d been fine yesterday, knowing she would end the day with Daphne. But today, with the next two weeks stretching out on the long road before her, apprehension—not anticipation—took the reins of her emotions.

If Daphne were there, Maisie would no doubt have been left alone by everyone on board. They wouldn’t have to speak with her if she had a companion of her own.

But if she were being honest, Maisie was relieved that her aunt wasn’t there. She wanted to be free to chat with strangers and make new friends instead of just tagging along at Daphne’s side. She wanted to listen to the waves slapping the side of the ferry instead of hearing Daphne going on and on and on about this supplier and that investor. She wanted to walk at a slower pace than her aunt’s pumping pumps. Breathe in the smells around her instead of Daphne’s professional perfume. Experience the beautiful vibes Northern Ireland had to offer—instead of Daphne’s corporate, fast-paced energy permeating Maisie’s spirits.

In short, she wanted a day like yesterday. But that was exactly the problem. She could have that same type of day for the next two weeks if she wanted to. But she was too busy drowning with guilt.

She was being selfish, after all. Daphne had paid for their entire trip and had first come up with the idea of the restaurant so the two of them could work together. How ungrateful was Maisie to be relieved about their time apart?

Then again, maybe they needed that time apart as a breather from spending the last four months together. Maybe, after the two weeks were up, Maisie would be just fine living with her aunt again and spending every day with her.

Or maybe…she was kidding herself.

A heavy pressure settled atop her chest, though she tried to ignore it. She’d been looking forward to this trip to Rathlin Island for a long time. She’d be silly to let it pass her by.

With deep, cleansing breaths of the sea air, she cleared her mind as best she could just in time to see the island only slightly emerging from the thick fog as the ferry docked and the passengers filed onto stable ground.

Maisie took a minute to look around for Finn, but with no sight of him, she pushed herself to stick to her plan for the day. There was no guided itinerary on the island like the usual bus tour, so she’d mapped out each hour to ensure she saw as much of Rathlin Island as possible.

Of course, seeing it with Finn would have been ideal, but he probably had his own plans already. Best to keep her focus on her own vacation instead of spending the entire thing waiting around for someone else—like what she had often done with Daphne.

First on her agenda was to visit one of the three lighthouses on the island. Taking a small shuttle, she reached Rathlin West Lighthouse, exploring the unique upside-down structure—the light at the bottom of the house instead of at the top—then admiring the spectacular views of the misty cliffsides.

Finding a spot alone on a bench near the cliff’s edge where the herring gulls cried above, she pulled out her phone, ensuring her umbrella protected both the screen and her from the rain as she made a FaceTime call to her mom.

Only one ring sounded before Mom’s face appeared on the screen, her eyes shining.

“Maisie!” she said with a warm smile. Her chin was cut off at the bottom of the screen due to the angle of her camera, revealing a few potted plants behind her and the family cat, Abu, lounging in the sunshine nearby. “Sweetheart, how are you?”

Before Maisie had the chance to answer, Dad appeared beside Mom as he took off his Stetson. His tanned, weathered features—also cut off at the bottom—wrinkled with his smile.