Page 9 of The Dangers of Daydreaming (Love Connections #2)

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” I grinned at her, and to my utter shock, she actually smiled back.

But then she started up the stairs, veering to go around me. “I should get back to work.”

“You know, you missed our outing to the beach, and even if it doesn’t have to do with Anne of Green Gables , exactly, you should know the island to plan a travel itinerary here.”

She stopped on the stair just below mine, mouth pinched in thought. “Huh. That’s not a bad idea.” She looked shocked.

I smiled at that, but didn’t say anything, letting her finish her train of thought. It was the right move, because a moment later she nodded.

“Yep. You’re right, I have to factor in a beach trip during my time here.”

“I have an hour right now and there’s a path behind the B it was one of the reasons I was so happy to have my job here, with no need for things to change.

Every day was different; even the sights I’d seen hundreds of times could still be breathtaking and enjoyable to visit one hundred and one.

And now everything might change if Gram and Pops sold the business. I’d have to take a hard look at my future. My stomach twisted itself into knots.

Lucy was picking her way along the shore, just out of reach of the water's lapping edge, her head swiveling back and forth as she took in every inch of the place. As I watched, she pulled out her phone and typed something into it, looked up, then tapped again.

“What are you doing?”

She spun, as if surprised to see me there. Was I so forgettable?

“I’m taking notes on the area and how a visit to the beach might fit in.

You know, there are characters in Anne of Green Gables who visited the beach, even if it wasn’t a prominent location.

One little boy had imaginary friends down here.

He talked to Anne about it, and they bonded over their overactive imaginations. ”

“See? You don’t know what you’re missing out on by skipping half of our tours.”

She gave me a dry look. “Oh yes, I could totally fit in the potato museum. It was a hugely helpful addition to my plans.”

I stifled a laugh. “Yeah, well, we are hitting some antique shops in a few days. That is all about visiting history and the past; I bet your clients would love something like that. And even if they didn’t, I imagine you could phrase it in a way that they would think it was their favorite stop on the tour. ”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I overheard your call. You do a great job painting the ideal vacation.”

“It’s not that hard.” She shrugged. “Once you know the logistics of each trip, it’s easy to spin it all into one great story. Hopefully, the outcome is as fun as the daydream.”

“What’s your favorite vacation you’ve ever been on?”

She didn’t answer immediately, worrying her lower lip as she watched the ocean's gentle waves. “I have yet to have a good vacation.”

“What do you mean?”

Her eyes met mine, and their magnetic draw pulled me closer. I came to stand beside her, the tide just barely missing our shoes.

“I’m cursed.”

My confusion must have shown because she crossed her arms defensively.

“No, seriously. Every trip I go on starts or ends horribly. Or the whole thing is terrible, like my trip to Italy, where we accidentally booked a single room in this old man’s apartment for the week.

He smelled like cigarettes and alcohol and just stared at us as we went in and out every day.

And that was one of the more tame situations the curse has thrown at me. ”

“Well, nothing bad has happened this—” I stopped, remembering the events that had gotten her to stay at the inn. “Personally, I’m not too mad about your curse this time around.”

“It mig ht not be done yet. I could get eaten by a shark the moment my toes touch the water.”

My nostrils flared at the attempt not to laugh. “Fancy a dip?"

“I’m going to choose not to take offense at your obvious desire to be rid of me.”

The laugh won the battle. “Sorry, I just never took you for the superstitious kind.”

“It’s not superstition. It’s a fact. I could list something terrible that happened on each and every trip I’ve been on.

My mom loves to travel, so I kept at it, but in the end, it caused me too much anxiety.

I take little trips around Utah every now and again.

Much less dangerous. Why are you looking at me like that? ” She narrowed her eyes at me.

I lifted my brows, trying to wipe the expression from my face. “No reason. Just thinking it’s no wonder you don’t know how to have fun. Most people, even on a work trip, make time for some fun.”

“Hey, that’s unfair. I would say I know better than most how to have fun. I don’t have to leave my house in order to do it; I don’t need some exotic location to enjoy myself.”

I inclined my head, conceding the point. “But still, you should enjoy some of what the island has to offer while you’re here. Come with us on all of our tours, and when the group has off days or short days, I can take you anywhere else you need.”

She looked at me, eyes piercing.

I watched her, just waiting, letting the lazy sound of waves fill the air.

Finally, she spoke. “What’s your angle, Finn? You never seemed to like me much in school. You can’t tell me that after one or two conversations, now that we’re adults, you suddenly want me around.”

I snorted again, almost laughing out loud. “Lucy Sinclair, I had a massive crush on you in junior high. I didn’t know how to show it, but I can promise you, I liked you more than enough. And I enjoy your company now too, is that so bad?”

Her brows lifted, and her mouth parted. It was as if I could physically see her processing the information. I let her process, secretly enjoying watching her brain work through the apparently shocking information.

I guess I really was terrible at flirting. Was I any better now?

She shifted her gaze to the water and danced her toes away from the encroaching tide.

Somehow, in the movement, she put about a foot of extra space between us.

“Okay fine, I will join you on all of your tours. But for now, I do have work to do.” She kicked a rock into the ocean, watched it sink, then spun on her heel and started back up the beach toward the path. I fell into step beside her.

When we were only about fifty yards from the house, and I had accepted that she wouldn’t be talking anymore, she suddenly spoke, her arms crossed over her stomach to ward off the chilly evening air.

“Where did you go? One day, you were at school, and then after fall break, you were gone. What happened?”

The only thing I hated more than thinking about my future was thinking about the past. So, I shrugged. “Moved in with my grandparents up here.”

She nodded as if that explained everything. For the first time, I felt a small twinge of regret that I hadn’t actually explained the messy details. But then she was saying goodbye and running up the steps to the B&B, and I knew I’d be glad tomorrow that I hadn’t spilled it all.