Page 9 of Sometimes You Stay

Her cheeks flamed, and she scooped up the mess from the floor, hugging them against the sweatshirt Marie had loaned her.

“I didn’t want to miss any electronics.” With the toe of his brown boot, he pushed a red plastic bucket across the floor. It was half-filled with white rice. Just as she’d asked.

Through gritted teeth, she managed, “Thank you.”

“I’m not sure it’s going to help, though.” He frowned at the bucket, and she hated that he was probably right.

A lot of experts no longer recommended rice for rescuing waterlogged electronics. But it was the only thing she’d been able to think of after her own dunking. Her laptop was almost certainly a lost cause. And even if her phone lived up to its water-resilient promises, she’d seen the cracked screen.She’d tried to get it to turn on as Finn carried her to the inn, but there had been nothing but a few limp flickers.

Everything that her warm shower and fresh—albeit snug—clothes had done to restore her humanity disappeared. The sure knowledge that she had lost everything replaced whatever hope she’d managed to drum up beneath that fabulous rain showerhead.

A jagged sigh fought its way out, and she opened one eye to stare at both her rescuer and the bearer of bitter news.

Finn was larger than she’d realized. Though she shouldn’t have been surprised. He’d picked her up like she was nothing—like he hadn’t even noticed the roundness of her hips and thighs that online trolls loved to comment on. His shoulders stretched his white T-shirt as he shoved his hands into the back pockets of his jeans. Behind his light brown beard, he probably had a baby face, and she had no guess at his age. The only thing she was certain of was the compassion in his brilliant blue eyes.

“I really am sorry about all of this.” His voice rumbled, and she hugged her scant belongings even tighter.

She didn’t know how to respond, so she looked right into his face and gave him only the tiniest nod.

“I’m warming up some chicken noodle soup,” Marie called from the kitchen. “You’ll stay, Finn.”

He didn’t look away but responded to Marie as though she’d asked a question. She hadn’t. “Thank you. But I can’t stay long. Joe Jr. will be hungry soon, and I need to check on the kids.”

Cretia blinked, and it was enough to jerk herself out of the trance of Finn’s gaze. His left hand was still hidden in his back pocket, and she tried to remember if he’d been wearing a ring. He could still be married even if he didn’t have one.

Not that it mattered. She would be on the island for just one more day. And then she’d never see Finn Chaffey again. Just like every other man she’d crossed paths with over the last four years, except for the occasional meetups with other digital content creators.

“I guess he’s earned a treat today. He did save Cretia, after all.” Marie’s voice carried a hint of a chuckle.

Behind his bushy beard, the corners of Finn’s mouth ticked up. “Silly dog,” he said just for the two of them in the mudroom. “He was bound to do something right eventually.”

Cretia sucked in a quick breath, something deep in her stomach tugging her toward Finn. She took an inadvertent step on her sore foot and stumbled toward him.

Catching her elbow to keep her upright, he nodded toward the kitchen. “Let’s get you some ice for your ankle.”

She nodded and led the way, refusing to let him see her wince with each step. When she was all settled at the island counter, her foot resting on another stool and a pack of frozen peas cradling her ankle, Marie set a beautiful bowl in front of her, the pottery painted in a swirling glaze to match the island’s signature reds and greens.

“The inn isn’t open yet for the season, so the food options are limited to what I can get my kiddos to eat. And what I can cook.” Marie smiled at Finn as she set a bowl down in front of him too. “Do either of you want a grilled cheese?”

Cretia shook her head, but Finn perked up. “Got cheese from Mama Cheese Sandwich’s shop?”

The spoon almost to her mouth, Cretia burst out with a laugh, nearly spraying chicken noodle soup across the white-tiled countertop and beyond. She covered her mouth before making a mess of the otherwise spotless kitchen.

“Caden wouldn’t let me bring any other cheese into this house.” Marie winked at Finn. “Coming right up.”

Even if it hadn’t been part of her job to find the hidden treasures and quirky bits of the places she visited, she would have asked about that name. “I’m sorry ... Mama Cheese Sandwich?”

With one eyebrow raised, Finn looked up from slurping a spoonful of his own soup. “Yeah. Mama Cheese Sandwich.”

“Is that ... a thing? I mean, like, a store or a place or a ... person?”

Marie chuckled as she set to work buttering two thick slices of bread. “Yes, Mama Cheese Sandwich is a person. Her son Justin owns Kane Dairy.”

That did not answer all of her questions, but as Finn dove into his soup, Cretia took a careful sip of hers. Warmth spread down her throat and through her chest. When it reached her stomach, she suddenly realized just how empty she’d been. She’d meant to stop for something after the boardwalk, and that had been hours ago. Now she couldn’t seem to scoop up the savory chicken and broth fast enough.

“You sure you don’t want a sandwich?” Marie asked with a sharp look at her almost empty bowl.

“Um...”

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