Page 49 of Sometimes You Stay

Instead, he shoved his hands into his pockets and shrugged. “Sure. Thanks.”

As they walked toward the bed of the truck, Joe barked again, the sound pure joy. Three silhouettes appeared against the morning sun, Cretia in the middle and a smaller one on either side.

He knew it was Cretia without even seeing her face. The soft lines of her form and her gait were more than enough to identify her.

And the way his heart slammed into his ribs. Just because.

A genuine smile tugged at his face just before Jack launched himself at Joe. The dog slobbered all over the kid, and there could have been no more excited recipient. “Joe Jr.” The two fell to the grass, wrestling and playing, and Jack nearly disappeared under the coat of black fur. But his giggles continued.

“One of these days, that kid is going to get bigger than the dog.” Justin laughed. “What’s Joe going to do when he’s outmatched?”

“Same thing as always.” Finn crossed his arms. “Play dumb. Though I don’t know how much of it is playing.”

As Cretia and Julia Mae strolled up the drive, the little girl clung to Cretia’s arm, hiding behind her leg and warily eyeing the dog.

Justin shot him a questioning look out of the side of his eye. “Is this the girl who gave you a black eye for throwing her in the harbor? She’s tougher than she looks.”

One of the facts of living in a town the size of a postage stamp. Everyone knew everyone and heard everything. Even if the truth morphed the more the story was told.

“You have no idea,” Cretia said by way of introduction, stretching out her free hand. “Cretia Martin.”

Justin’s eyes grew wide—probably surprised by her directness. Then laughter broke across his features. “Justin Kane.”

“Of Kane’s Dairy?”

He nodded.

“I met your mom yesterday. She treated me to the best cheddar and pepper jack from your dairy. It was even better than the cheese I tasted in Italy.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” Justin rocked back on his heels, a satisfied smile in place. “Mom said she had a visitor, but she didn’t tell me it was someone so famous. You’re the most exciting addition to our town in years.”

Justin kept going, but Finn noticed the tight lines forming around Cretia’s mouth and the way she hugged herself a little bit harder. He opened his mouth to step in when Justin added one more thought.

“My little sister Brooke is a big fan of yours. She said she watches all of your videos and is even trying to get her husband Chuck to take her on your recommended tour of Greece.”

“Oh, they should. It’s a lovely country!”

Justin motioned down the road toward the shoreline. “You should do some videos of town before you leave.”

Cretia beamed. Finn felt seasick.

Something green and nasty boiled inside him, and no number of deep breaths made it simmer down. Maybe it was the way Justin made Cretia smile—which was ridiculous since Justin had been happily married for almost a decade and Natalie was expecting their fourth child.

So what if Finn wanted to be the source of those perfect smiles.

Perhaps it was the simple reminder that Cretia would be leaving.

Soon.

He rubbed a hand to his belly as his gut twisted. It didn’t help, and he couldn’t fight off the scowl he knew was falling into place. Before he could turn away, Cretia caught his eye. Her mouth opened, and for a second he thought she was going to ask him what was wrong. Then she shook her head and closed her mouth, and he let out a silent sigh.

This was neither the time nor the place to unpack whatever was going on in the depths of his brain—or his stomach.

“Can we pet your goats, Mr. Finn?”

Julia Mae’s voice broke through his mental fog, and he squatted down in front of her, scrunching up his eyebrows and putting on a very serious voice. “Youwant to pet Sonny and Cher?”

The little girl giggled and nodded. “And hold your bunnies.”

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