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Honestly, he didn’t think he could ever grow tired of watching the woman look at his country. There was admiration in those warm eyes that he couldn’t help but admire himself.

She caught him staring in the next moment, giving him an innocent smile with those soft, pink lips, but he tore his gaze away. He needed to be careful. Aye, he kept the rules of the company—maintaining a proper distance from passengers, keeping his hands to himself, doing nothing inappropriate. Aside from a little harmless flirting, there was nothing else between him and Maisie.

But if he kept looking at her like that, admiring her like that…Well, he could easily see himself bending the rules—rules that were in place for him and his family’s security. Best to keep his wits about him.

He faced the sea again, stretching out his arms and removing his knapsack to give his back a break, when the crumpling of paper inside stole his attention.

He’d forgotten he’d brought the package from his ma today.

“Now don’t go eatin’ them all at once, Finny boy,” she’d told him.

How glad he was that he’d finally listened to his ma’s advice.

“Fancy a bite?” he asked, digging into his knapsack.

“Oh, yes, please.”

“Even without knowin’ what it is I’m offerin’? What if I held up anchovies?”

“I’d eat it even if they were your own personal fish.”

He pulled on a look of horror, and she laughed.

A minute later, he extracted the package, then unfolded the brown paper in front of Maisie, extending it toward her.

“So…what are they?” she asked, intrigue in her eyes.

“A wee delicacy, they are. Straight from me ma’s kitchen. Fifteens.”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

“Fifteens,” Maisie repeated, staring at the food Finn held out for her on parchment paper.

At a half-an-inch thick, the two cookie-sized desserts resembled the rocky road refrigerator bakes her mom always made Maisie when she was young, though these had less chocolate and were coated with coconut and speckled with white, red, and pink spots.

“They’re not the prettiest things to look at,” Finn said, “but you’re not in Norn Iron ’til you’ve tried Fifteens.”

Maisie had seen them in the bakery the morning before but had admittedly judged them by their appearance. But now, how could she say no to Finn—or Finn’s mom?

She accepted the one closest to her, the texture soft as she brought it to her nose. Overall, the scent was warm and inviting, slightly similar to Graham crackers but with less honey.

She whipped out her notebook, grateful for the lack of rain in that moment so she could jot down her thoughts. She took another whiff of the dessert, then nibbled a small bite of the food, closing her eyes and allowing the taste to infuse her tongue.

These weren’t half-bad, really. Perhaps made better by childhood nostalgia like cotton candy or caramel popcorn. But she could certainly see the appeal.

Taking a final bite with a satisfied nod, she scribbled down a few notes, then closed her notebook. As she tucked the book away, she felt Finn’s eyes on her.

“What?” she asked, licking a bit of the crumbs left on her fingertips.

He shook his head, taking a bite of his own Fifteen and chewing with an amused grin, his jaw working with every move of his mouth.

Maisie usually wanted to encourage people to chew slower, to allow themselves to taste the food before they swallowed. But Finn? She might tell him to chew that way all day long, just so she could stare at those muscles shifting over and over again.

As his eyes remained on hers, however, she was once again distracted by the humor in them.

“What?” she asked again.

“Nothin’,” he said between chews. “I just didn’t know you took notes on things other than soup and bread. Unless you’re researchin’ desserts for your menu, too?”