Page 40 of The Dangers of Daydreaming (Love Connections #2)

Long-Distance

Finn

“Can you hear me better if I stand over here?”

I couldn’t help smiling as I watched Lucy shuffle to another corner of her apartment. Sure, the reception was a little spotty on our video call, but it might be worth it to get uninterrupted time just taking in her beautiful face.

It had been three days since I’d seen her. Three days… ish. Really just one full day, and the end of the day I’d dropped her at the airport. And half of today.

Really, all anyone needed to know was that it had been too long since I’d seen this pretty redhead. We’d texted, but it wasn’t the same.

“Yeah, I can hear you great there.”

“Awesome. I wanted to go over some of the details for the U-Pick event. I reached out to a few businesses regarding our farmers market, and so far, we have gotten six or seven on board. I’ll send you their names in an email.”

My same, stupid smile was plastered on my face as she tucked the pen she was holding into her bun. “Lucy, you’re amazing and wonderful, and I appreciate all of your help… but can we not start this like a business call? I’ve missed you. I want to know what’s going on in your life.”

She bit her lips together, but her eyes scrunched on the sides in a smile. “Sorry. I think part of me still believes you just want me for my brain.”

“That too, but I like the person it belongs to more.”

She sank into a chair, holding the phone in front of her, but for a moment it dipped and all I saw was the top of her head.

It had only been three days and already I was realizing what she’d been worried about.

Not to say I wasn’t just as committed in the relationship as I had been at the airport, but it was a lot of moving pieces.

Last night, while we’d been texting way past my bedtime, I’d had the thought of moving to Salt Lake.

Gram and Pops were going to sell, so once Pops was better—because he would get better, he had to—they wouldn’t need me so much.

It would be pretty easy to slip back into life in Utah.

I may have been young when I left, but it was still familiar.

But that was crazy. You didn’t just move to a new country because you liked a girl. Even if you really liked her. Even if other “L” words had started coming to mind.

“Any change in your Pops?” she asked.

“You mean since two hours ago when you asked?”

She chuckled. “Yeah.”

I leaned back into my couch, holding the phone out. “No, nothing yet. But the doctors are still hopeful.”

She nodded.

“And you? Did you get to see your cousins yet?”

“Sadie came by for a minute to drop something off, and I ran into Dani at the grocery store, of all places, but we’re all supposed to get together next weekend for a going-away party for Chloe and Holt.”

“That’s the cousin following her boyfriend to North Carolina, right?”

“Correct. I should send you a family tree. They will be offended if you don’t remember who they are, what they do for work, and probably their favorite color when you meet them.”

I loved how she said it like that. Like it was a given—because to me, it was too.

“I’ll send you mine too. Gram would be offended if you forgot her name and occupation when you see her again.”

Her smile was w ide. “Could you let me know her favorite color, too? And Pops’, of course.”

“Can do. Just give me a minute while I find it out myself.”

“Grandsons,” she scoffed. “What are you good for?”

“Manual labor, mostly.”

“I could do with some of that. My dishwasher broke the day I left for Canada, and I forgot until I got home. One of my neighbors offered to help me fix it, but then what do I do? Pay him? Make him a casserole? I don’t know the protocol here.”

“I’ll hire someone and send him over. Text me the address.”

Her eyes went wide. “I didn’t mean that, I can figure it out.”

“No, please, let me help.” Because there was no way I was letting her cook for another guy, even if he was in his seventies, and I currently had my fingers crossed that this neighbor was old. Very old. I reined in the jealousy, just barely.

Not just jealousy over the neighbor—though there was a hefty amount of that, for sure—but jealousy over the guy’s proximity. What I wouldn’t give to have Lucy still staying at the inn.

Again, the idea popped into my head about moving.

But that was crazy.

“Why a casserole?” I asked, instead of voicing my thoughts. Seems a bit 1950’s, don’t you think?

“A good casserole is never out of fashion,” she said with a sniff. “Besides, I can’t bake. I burn even store bought cookie dough.”

“How did I not know this?”

“Is it a deal-breaker?”

I smiled. “Not at all. I make great cookies, you know. Gram taught me.”

“Perfect. I’m on dinner, you’re on dessert.”

Now we just needed to get back into the same zip code to make good on that.

“Oh, hey Finn , Avery is calling. She’s so busy lately, she never calls. I should probably see if something’s wrong.”

Another cousin. I couldn’t wait to meet them all. “No problem, just call me back when you can.”

“I will. Talk to you later.” She blew a kiss, then ended the call.

I didn’t want blown kisses. I wanted the real thing.