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Finn hadn’t been able to respond. He was too overcome with worry about if he was doing the right thing. In the moment, walking her home, he’d been unable to stop himself from inviting her to his ma’s house. She needed to taste the stew. It was for her job.

At least, that’s what he kept telling himself. Truth be told, he just wanted the excuse to see her again, and he figured going to his folks’ house would be the safest bet.

Still, he couldn’t help but worry that what he was doing would get him into trouble. He wasn’t on duty. There was nothing about the rules that dictated he couldn’t bring a passenger to his parents’ home. But what if he was making the wrong choice again? What if his stupid decision making would lead to him losing his job and risking the livelihood of his family?

“Are you nervous for her to meet your parents?” Matthew asked, sweat dripping down his temples.

“She’ll make a cracker impression. They’ll have no problem fallin’ for her.”

“Like you?”

Finn glanced at him sidelong. “I’m not denyin’ it.”

“Then you plan on staying in contact with her after the tour?”

Finn hesitated. “I want to. If things turn out for me da, I’ll get to.”

“How are they holding up?” Matthew asked. “Your parents.”

Finn had told his friends that he was supporting his parents at the moment. Each one of them had volunteered their own funds, but there was no chance Finn would accept the charity—nor would Da. He did appreciate the offers, though.

“They’re alright.”

“And you?”

He shrugged. “Same. Happy to help them, ’course.”

What he hadn’t told his friends was how he was going to lose his flat if he didn’t get this bonus and how, if he lost this job, his parents would lose their home.

“The offer still stands, you know,” Matthew said. “From all of us.”

Finn nodded his gratitude, but he’d have to be dying to accept it.

“It’ll be fine,” Finn said. “I’ll be gettin’ this bonus, and me job is payin’ well enough.”

Matthew fell silent for a minute, and Finn knew it wasn’t due to their heavy running.

“This thing with Maisie,” Matthew began a minute later. “You’re not worried about it getting you into trouble?”

“Why should it?” Finn asked casually, though his stomach grew unsettled. “You know me and followin’ rules. It never suited.”

“No,” Matthew agreed. “But I know deep down you care about your family—and I think, Maisie, too.”

Finn nodded. “I do. But don’t worry ’bout me. If I get into trouble, it’ll just take a wee bit of charm, and it’ll be right.”

Matthew shook his head. “Well, I wish you all the luck. If it runs out, you know where to find your friends.”

Finn wanted to thank him, share with him how much that meant to him, but a nod and a look sufficed for their friendship.

The two of them continued through the streets, then, and Maisie’s image in Finn’s eye dangled before him like a carrot in front of a donkey.

How he hoped he was smarter than that donkey.

Maisie sat in the Uber five minutes away from Finn’s parents’ house, her head spinning. What on earth was she doing?

She’d called her mom and dad that afternoon—their morning—and told them what she was doing and all that had happened. While they were still slightly concerned with her traveling alone, they trusted her, which was more than could be said of Daphne—who still hadn’t responded back to Maisie.

Her silence was part of the reason Maisie had pushed herself to go to Finn’s parents’ house. She wanted to show her aunt that even though Daphne had fallen silent—either because she really couldn’t handle anything right now or because she was trying to guilt trip Maisie—Maisie wasn’t going to be stopped from living her real dreams.