Page 20 of Sometimes You Stay

Maybe this was the home of Mama Cheese Sandwich—and the cheese that had melted not only in her sandwich but also in her mouth. Cretia could still taste the sharp cheddarand spicy pepper jack combination. She needed to stop by the dairy store too.

Across the street, right where Marie had told her it would be, sat a square two-story farmhouse. The green exterior didn’t match the grass or blend in with the tree in the front yard. It wasn’t teal like the bowl she’d eaten out of the day before. It was softer than that. Quieter than the island’s natural hues. It wasn’t harsh or hard on the eyes. The front boasted white trim and sweet shutters. It was ... serene.

She took a deep breath and realized she was smiling.

For absolutely no reason. Other than that it was a pretty house.

At least on the outside.

Her gut twisted hard, the muscles in her face falling as she strode down the gravel driveway. She had no business assuming anything about the interior of Finn’s home, but her mind still pictured the worst. Always.

Not that she’d seen the inside of any personal homes in a while. Hotels. Inns. B and Bs. Train stations. Airports. Those were the spaces she’d occupied. But homes were ... different.

Homes were private.

Homes were places where secrets were never thrown away.

Her shoulders tensed as memories of her childhood flooded through her.

Finn had said he had kids. Maybe he’d made a home for them that he was proud of. A home where they could invite friends over. A home filled with the scent of lavender potpourri or home-cooked meals.

Finn and his ... wife?

She hadn’t bothered to ask the day before. To be fair, she’d been recovering from a dunk in the harbor and had a fewother things on her mind. But still. She should have asked. Marie hadn’t mentioned a partner that morning—only that Finn would help her.

Maybe he was a single father.

Plenty of single fathers ran around pulling strangers from the water and carrying them like they weighed nothing. With strong arms. And a warm smile that seemed to come from his core. Dripping in seawater, she’d needed that warmth. And he hadn’t disappointed.

Yeah, there were lots of single dads like that.

Probably.

Cretia let out a loud sigh, ready to bang her forehead against the dark wood of the front door. She was overthinking this. Per usual.

Finn’s life was none of her business. What was on the other side of the door didn’t matter either. She needed to get off this island and back to her regularly scheduled life.

It was just a house. A boxy farmhouse.

She didn’t have to live there. Whatever it looked like on the inside, it wasn’t her problem.

She didn’t even have to go inside.

There. Easy enough. She’d just stay on this side of the threshold. She’d hand Finn his shirt through the open door. And then she’d walk away.

A little voice inside her whispered a not-so-gentle reminder that this plan conveniently failed to account for replacing her electronics and calling the rental car company—and the help Finn might offer.

Maybe he had a laptop that he’d bring out to the front stoop so they could enjoy the sunshine.

Sure. That was a totally normal idea. But she wasn’t goingto know how this would play out until she talked with him. And that required getting him to the door.

Forcing her hand into a fist, she knocked twice and waited. The house was still. No children’s voices, no barked greeting from Joe Jr.

She knocked again, louder and longer this time.

Still nothing. Maybe the kids were at school. Maybe Finn was at the same awards ceremony that Marie had hurried off to.

“Come on, boys! Go get it!” The voice was unmistakably Finn’s, though Cretia couldn’t figure out exactly where it was coming from. Or who he was talking to. Until a chorus of high-pitched barks followed.

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