Page 48 of Making Home with You

It’s later than I expected it to be when I finally make my way back to Finn’s house.I had to pick up some clothes at Erin and Ryan’s, and with the detour in conversation at the inn, it’s after six.

The house smells unreal, like an Italian restaurant and to say I’m shocked would be an understatement.After spending the past few weeks with Finn, I would have assumed he couldn’t cook to save his life.His fridge and freezer always filled with frozen pizza and premade salads.

“Oh my god!What are you cooking?”I yell, skipping into the kitchen to find Finn standing at the counter tossing a salad in a wooden bowl.

I slip my arms around his waist, and rest my head against his back.

“Lasagna, my mom’s recipe,” he says and turns in my arms so he’s facing me.“How’d it go at Kelsey’s?”But before I can answer, he presses a kiss to my lips and murmurs, “I missed you.”

“Me too.”

I fill Finn in while he finishes up making garlic bread.We talk while I set the table and pour the wine, and he gets everything out of the oven.

And while the timing probably sucks, I know I need to talk to Finn about what is happening at work.The conversation up until this point has been light and casual, with Finn continually complimenting me on how well things went with Kelsey, and me asking about his afternoon.But I know if I don’t say something now, I won’t say anything at all.

When we are both finally sitting, the food served, I take a deep breath and say, “I need to tell you something.”

Chapter Fourteen

Finn

I freeze at Sarah’s words as my brain tries to work out how we suddenly went from light, easy conversation to potentially serious, I’m-not-going-to-want-to-hear-this in the space of a few seconds.

I already know what she’s going to say, too.It’s the words I’ve been dreading since I found out who she was, since she got the job in Boston, since she started the daily two-hour commute that leaves her exhausted.

I’m leaving.

Swallowing hard, knowing I can’t expect her to keep doing this every day, week in, week out, I smile and say, “What?”

Sarah takes a deep breath, her eyes never leaving mine as she exhales in a rush.“I hate my job,” she blurts out and even though it’s completely selfish, a small part of me can’t help but be relieved.

“Why?”I ask.“What’s happened?”

Sarah shakes her head now as though maybe she regrets her words and it’s nothing, even though it’s obvious it’s really bothering her.“I don’t know,” she starts.“The commute sucks, it’s not my area of expertise,” she continues.

“Maybe it would be easier if you didn’t have the commute,” I suggest, even though the idea of her moving to Boston is the last thing I want.“And maybe you could transfer to another section.”

Sarah stares at me again, her eyes searching mine as though she’s looking for something, some sort of answer.Realizing I’ve probably made it sound as though I don’t care if she moves to Boston, I quickly add, “It’s not that I’m trying to get rid of you, okay?I’m just saying maybe it would make things a bit easier?I know the commute is killing you.”

Sarah shrugs in response, not saying anything as she picks at a piece of garlic bread.“I like being in Rockport,” she eventually says, her words quiet as a half laugh falls from her mouth.“Kinda ironic given I couldn’t wait to get out of Eddington, huh?”

“Hey,” I say, reaching for her hand.When she finally looks at me, I smile.“I like you being in Rockport too.”

“Yeah?”she asks, her eyes wide.

I lift her hand to my mouth and press a kiss to her palm.“Yeah, Sarah, I really do.But I know how exhausted this is making you and now to hear you don’t even like your job, maybe…”

I trail off because I have no idea what the answer is.

“My boss is kind of a dick too,” she adds on, eyes on her plate again.

“What?”I ask, the word hard.“What do you mean, a dick?”

Sarah shrugs, “I don’t know,” she says, still not looking at me.“He’s sort of known for being a bit of a sleaze and…”

“Has he done something to you?”I ask, cutting her off.

She shakes her head, but still won’t look at me.