Page 43 of The Dangers of Daydreaming (Love Connections #2)

Making Progress

Lucy

I frowned down at my phone, which was still completely lacking in messages at seven that night.

“Everything okay?” Mom asked from across the table where she was tucked under Brian’s arm.

I looked up, chagrined to be caught checking out of the conversation.

“Is it Finn?” she asked. One of the first things I’d done after getting home Friday evening was call my mom. It was a mark of motherly love that she’d not questioned my sudden increase in interest but just accepted it and let me move myself slowly back into her life.

So when she’d called and asked if she and Brian could take me out to celebrate the promotion, I’d been able to actually happily say yes, expecting a little, but not a lot, of awkwardness.

Which was the big news I was waiting to share with Finn—I’d gotten the promotion! Shannon had brought me into her office at four o’clock to offer me the position. Then she’d told me I had the weekend to form my team, and Tuesday morning, they wanted us to hit the ground running.

And yes, there was a pay increase. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t looked at that number and thought about how much easier it would be to visit Finn with a salary like that.

I was overjoyed . Thrilled. I’d stopped and bought myself a cake on the way home, even. But the excitement was a little dampened by the fact that I couldn’t get ahold of Finn. Was everything okay?

“Yeah,” I said in a belated response to my mom’s question. “It’s not like him to be this unreachable.”

It was another mark of my mom’s complete acceptance of me that she didn’t point out that I’d only been reacquainted with Finn for two and a half weeks. She seemed to understand that sometimes we get a crash course in getting to know someone, and that some connections are just immediately deeper.

Which was nice of her because, logically, I was still a little in shock over the whole thing.

Several of my cousins were, too. Namely, Avery, but honestly, had she met her own fiancé?

None of us liked that guy, but she was still planning to marry him in August. At least Chloe was happy for me.

That was probably because she was in her own little love bubble right now after her crazy second-chance romance story.

I was attending her going-away party in a few days—going away to move across the country with her boyfriend.

Meanwhile, my own romance story was giving me second thoughts already.

Small ones… but still. Had my imagination gotten ahead of me in thinking this thing we had going was more serious than it was?

Was it possible Finn had finally cracked and realized he didn’t want to do long distance?

Had he found another fling in the next tour group?

My heart twisted at that, but that wasn’t like him. I wasn’t going to believe the worst.

I’d just like him to answer me.

“Have you tried calling the B&B? Maybe they know if something’s going on?” Brian suggested.

“Oh. That’s a great idea that I probably should have thought of.”

Mom smiled. “We don’t always think straight in matters of love .”

I cleared my throat and gave a little nod so I wouldn't have to come up with an actual response. Love? That was a big word. A serious word. One I’d thrown around once before, only to realize how little I knew what it meant.

I wasn’t in love with Finn. I just liked him. A lot.

My brain firmly agreed. My heart seemed to be beating abnormally fast so I decided not to ask it for a comment at that moment.

We finished dinner, went our separate ways after agreeing to carpool to Chloe’s going-away party together, and I tried Finn one last time in the car.

This time, it went straight to voicemail instead of ringing.

I frowned down at the phone, not bothering to leave a voicemail.

He had three others waiting from me, after all.

Taking Brian’s advice, I googled the Seaside Barn and Breakfast and found the phone number, clicking on it to call. It rang three times before someone picked up. Probably Stephanie.

“Hi, ah—” Did I say my name? Would she remember me? She hadn’t been at the desk every time I was there. “Is Finn Harrison available?”

“No, sorry, he’s not here right now.”

That was helpful. “Will he… be in tomorrow? This is Lucy Sinclair, by the way. I was there last week.”

“Oh, hello.” Based on that generic reaction, she didn’t remember me. “He had a personal matter come up and will be taking a hiatus for the foreseeable future. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

My voice had ceased to work as the woman’s words hit me. His grandpa. My heart plummeted. “No,” I croaked.

“Have a great day, buh-bye.”

I stared at the phone as my mind clunked back into motion. If something had happened to his grandpa, Finn would have told me. He would have. But he hadn’t answered my messages since about ten o’clock that morning. I sent another text, just in case.

As I was tuckin g my phone away, it buzzed. I pulled it out fast enough to strain a muscle, but it wasn’t Finn’s name on the screen.

Lily: I need another cute story about you and Finn to live vicariously through. All the guys here suck.

We’d been texting back and forth since leaving PEI, and she was quickly becoming one of my favorite people, but her text didn’t make me smile like it usually would. Instead of sending a cute story, I just sent a gif hug. She hearted it.

I couldn’t bring myself to call back and bug Stephanie to share personal information with someone she didn’t seem to remember. But if I didn’t hear anything by morning, I was going to do it anyway.

My phone ringing woke me up at five-thirty the next morning. My alarm wouldn’t go off until six-fifteen, and I didn’t recognize the number on the screen, but in my groggy state, I answered anyway.

“Hello?” I should have cleared my throat before attempting to speak.

“Lucy?” The voice was a little loud and a little familiar.

“Yes?”

“Hi Lucy, dear. It’s Gram. I know it’s still early there —I’m sorry if I woke you up.”

I sat up in bed, unplugging my phone from the charger so it wouldn’t yank me back down. “No, no, it’s okay. Is… what’s up?”

“Finn had an accident.”

My brain had barely woken up, but it comprehended that. “Is he okay?” I jumped out of bed and started pulling on last night’s jeans.

“He is now. He broke his femur and had to have emergency surgery.”

I turned the ph one on speaker, yanking my head through a shirt. “Oh my gosh. What happened?”

“He fell off a roof.” Her voice was shaky, but I couldn’t tell if she was scared or sad or on the verge of laughter. Honestly, maybe a bit of each. “He was fixing some shingles that came off, and I called to tell him that Pops woke up—”

“Pops woke up?” I was putting toothpaste on the toothbrush when I suddenly realized what I was doing.

Where was I planning to go? Canada? The island?

Did I intend to row there? I dropped onto the edge of the tub, suddenly purposeless and only able to cling to the information Gram was sharing over the phone.

Her voice was brighter now. “Yes! He is doing so well. He’s trying to convince the nurses to take him down to Finn’s room so he can give him a firm talking to about proper roof safety.”

I giggled despite myself, all my emotions and sleep deprivation colliding in one. I had to put a hand over my mouth for a moment to stop the delirium.

“That is amazing! I am so thrilled for you!” But Finn. Oh my gosh… Finn.

“Thank you! Finn has… he’s been asking for you. He’s on major pain killers, though, so I don’t know if that’s the best idea.”

“Oh, I don’t care if he’s a little loopy.” I was desperate to hear from him, actually. He’d fallen off a roof? I wanted to pull a Pops and give him a piece of my mind!

“He might care later, but if you won’t hold anything against him…”

“Cross my heart.”

I heard movement in the background, then muffled voices.

“Luce? That you?” He was drawing out his vowels, but I still recognized his voice.

“Finn? Oh my gosh, are you okay?”

“I fell off a roof.”

“I know! Your Gram told me.”

“I might have some scars.” He paused. “Do you like scars?”

I laughed a little. “Love them if they’re on you.”

“That’s good. I love you, too.”

I froze, holding the phone that was still on speaker close to my mouth. Did he— What was I supposed to say? I didn’t know what to think. Did he mean it? Did—

“The doctor says I can’t fly a plane next week, Luce. I want to kiss you real bad, but he says I'll be stuck here for like a year.”

“Okay, I think that’s enough,” came Gram’s voice in the background.

“Let me see that, hon. Yes, yes, I will tell her you’ll call soon.

” Another muffled exchange, then “He’s not allowed to fly on a plane, actually.

No one here thinks he suddenly has his pilot’s license.

I’m sorry, Lucy, I know he was planning a trip, but he’ll have to postpone. ”

“No, no, it’s okay,” I hurried to assure her. “We’ll figure it out. He’s not… really stuck there for a year, though?”

Gram laughed. “No. He’s got at least three days at the hospital. If he’s able to get moving adequately, then he’ll go home. He’ll have months of physical therapy, and it could be a year before he’s fully recovered, but probably only a couple of months until he’s walking and mostly back to normal.”

“Okay. Thank you. Will you keep me updated?” My heart was still racing, like I’d just sped past a cop and was waiting to see if he’d turn on his lights.

“Of course, dear. And Finn is trying to get me to tell you he’ll call soon. Maybe when he’s off the strong stuff.”

I let out a singular laugh. “Thank you.”

She clicked off, and I was left staring at my bathroom floor, trying to put all the mental pieces together.

Finn was hurt—badly. And he couldn’t come visit.

That was more crushing than I’d like to admit.

He had a long road of recovery ahead of him, and I did a mental check on myself to see how that made me feel.

After my realization that I shied away from anything hard or painful, I’d been trying to be more aware when I wanted to do just that, so I could fight back against the impulse.

But this time, the only impulse was to finish getting ready and get to rowing.

Like a lightbulb turning on in a dark room, it became clear to me.

I was in love with him.

I was in love with Finn Harrison despite it only being a few weeks.

And hearing what he was going through just made me want to be at his side.

Desperately. So much so that my chest ached at the thought of staying here doing nothing.

Not only did I not want to shy away from Finn’s hard stuff, I wanted to wade through it with him.

To experience it by his side. I wanted all the hard, messy, and difficult things as long as they were with him.

I was in love with him.