It’d been a busy week, and despite what Willow and Finn had said the evening at the tree house, they hadn’t had much time to spend together. They were back to stolen kisses here and there, but it seemed to work for them, especially because she wasn’t trying to hide anything from anyone. Not anymore. While she wasn’t screaming it from the rooftops, she also wasn’t going to lie if asked.
Of course, that hadn’t been put to the test as of yet, because all anyone wanted to talk to her about was information on the Fourth of July parade. And now that the parade was in full swing, Willow’s love life was the last thing on anyone’s mind.
She stood under an awning against the brick exterior of a building in the square, a brief reprieve from the battering sun, just taking a moment to absorb it all. Havenbrook had events to mark every major holiday—and even some non-major ones—but this was the largest and most grueling. And while she hated the prep for it, swore at how much time it took and all the hoops she had to jump through to make sure everything was in order, she couldn’t deny the swell of happiness at seeing her work come to fruition. Willow Haven put on a damn good parade, if she did say so herself.
The small details probably went unnoticed by most of the attendees, but Willow was aware of every single one. The red, blue, and white flowers she’d spent hours planting that dotted the parade route. The colored lights she’d strung between the lampposts along the square. The flag bunting on all the balconies and porches of the homes and businesses in the historic district. Uncle Sam doing balloon animals for the kids. The sight of it all coming together made her happy…content. The same feeling she got when she finished a painting. The proof of a job well done—a job well done with her own two hands.
“Nice parade, Will!” someone called out to her, owner of the voice unknown. Willow just smiled and waved at the praise, thankful she was getting it at all.
It’d probably been too much to hope she’d get it from her daddy.
“Hey.” Mac sidled up next to her, Rory on Willow’s other side.
“What’s up?” she asked, dividing a look between her sisters.
“You ready for the game?” Rory asked.
Willow groaned internally—and, okay, a little externally as well. The annual softball game wasn’t something she could skip out on, though she desperately wanted to. She’d been up since five a.m., and she was dead on her feet. But her job wasn’t anywhere near done. The parade might have been winding down, the fire truck with firemen atop it tossing out candy to the passersby signaling the end of that particular event, but she still had so much to do.
First the game, then the soft opening of the bar—which was what Finn, Drew, and Nola were still calling it, not having settled on a name yet—then cleanup. She’d be lucky if she saw her bed before two in the morning.
“Do I have to?” Willow whined, though she didn’t actually mean it. Of course she had to. If she didn’t, who else would?
Mac and Rory exchanged a look, then Rory said, “I take it you haven’t heard yet.”
“Heard what? Oh Lord, did those kids mess up the baseball diamond? Dammit, I told them last week to stop four-wheelin’ all over it.”
“The diamond’s fine, and the kids are the last thing you need to worry about.”
“Well, someone better tell me what I should be worrying about, because I’m findin’ I don’t have a lot of patience for y’all right this second.”
“We’ve got a new opposing team this year.”
Willow’s brow furrowed. Every year it’d been the firefighters against the Havens, which consisted of their family and a handful of town hall workers. Not even close to an fair match, considering most of the firefighters were a bunch of athletes in peak physical condition and the Havens’ team consisted of a slightly overweight man nearing sixty, a handful of people who’d played some kind of sport way back in high school but not much since, and the rest of them who were mostly artistic types without an athletic bone in their bodies. Their saving grace every year was Mac, who’d played softball all through high school and even some college. Despite the uneven playing field, somehow they won. Every year. Imagine that.
“Somethin’ come up with the firefighters?” she asked.
“Rumor has it someone sweet-talked them into sittin’ out,” Rory said.
“Really? Who? We got a shot?”
Mac snorted. “A shot at trouble.”
Willow did not have the patience for her sisters today. “Would someone just spit it out already?”
“We’re up against Drew, Finn, and their old crew.” Mac smiled. “And by the looks of it, they’re out to win. Maybe I’ll finally get some competition out there.”
Willow’s mouth dropped open. “But—” Lord, she didn’t even want to think of the tantrum her daddy would throw if he lost the game for the first time in…well, she wasn’t sure she wanted to make such a broad sweeping statement as to say ever, but…ever.
As if reading Willow’s mind, Mac said, “Yep. Daddy’s gonna get his ass handed to him.” She hooked her arm through Willow’s and tugged her toward the baseball field, pure glee written over every inch of her body. “I feel like we’re gonna need popcorn for this show.”
FINN STOOD IN THE DUGOUT, Drew, Nola, Nash, and Ty BSing with each other. They were still waiting for a handful of people to arrive, and then they could get this show on the road. He wasn’t sure he’d ever anticipated something more, with the exception of seeing Willow again.
All week they’d been putting the finishing touches on the bar, and he and Drew had been closing out details of their life in California while looking for a place for their momma to live in Havenbrook. But during that time, he’d also sat and stewed, really contemplated how he was going to give that money back to Dick.
He hadn’t waited ten years just to mail a check back to him.
Finally, as he’d been walking home one night, a town flyer about the parade had caught his eye, and he’d remembered the annual softball game—how the Havens’ opposing team had always, without exception, thrown the game. What he wouldn’t give to see the look on Dick’s face if someone actually challenged him.
And in that moment, he’d known that was it.
He’d made a few calls, sweet-talked some people, and then they were in. He and his misfit crew of friends were taking on the mayor. And they certainly wouldn’t be throwing the game. Then, after, the cash. Shoving the money down the mayor’s throat, along with a bit of humility, would make Finn’s whole year.
“You really sure you wanna go through with this?” Ty asked.
There wasn’t a doubt in Finn’s mind everyone else was thinking the same thing—with the exception of Drew. But of course, Drew wouldn’t question it at all because he’d been there. Through every up and down, every decision made between a rock and a hard place, every day of the past ten years. No, Drew wasn’t thinking it because he knew how badly Finn wanted this. How it wasn’t about beating the mayor, though that was definitely the icing on the cake. This wasn’t even about a stupid game, but about so much more.
As if he’d conjured her up in his mind, Willow came strolling onto the field, slipping into the dugout on the opposite side of the baseball diamond. She stood in a tank top and shorts that left very little to the imagination, her smiling face hitting him straight in the gut.
Goddamn, did he love her.
To Ty, he said, “Abso-fucking-lutely. I’m playing for more than the game.”
He never took his eyes off Willow, and eventually, she glanced his way. She froze for just a moment, and he held his breath, waiting to see what she’d do. This was the first time they’d be seen in public together since the night at the tree house, and he couldn’t deny he was anxious as hell to see how she’d respond to him.
After what felt like a lifetime, she bit her bottom lip then lifted her hand, fluttering her fingers as her sisters looked on. He couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across his face at her acknowledgment of him.
“Shit, man,” Drew said, clapping a hand on Finn’s shoulder. “I sure hope you’re ready for what you’re starting here.”
Ready for it? He had no idea if he was or not. All he knew was he was tired of waiting.
CHRIST, it was hotter than Satan’s ballsac out here. Finn’s shirt was soaked to his chest, and from the looks of things, none of the others on his team were faring much better. They’d been playing for an hour already, the imbalance of aptitude between theirs and Dick’s teams glaringly obvious in the disparaging lengths of time each group was up to bat.
Despite the ravaging heat, it’d been an absolute pleasure watching the mayor’s reaction as the game had progressed. When Finn’s team had scored the first run, Dick’s eyes had narrowed as if warning them with a glance to fall in line. Finn had merely saluted him—not the one-fingered salute he’d wanted to give, which, he thought, was damn kind of himself. At the fourth run, Dick’s jaw had been tight, his fists clenching his handkerchief as he’d mopped sweat from his brow. By the eighth, he’d looked ready for murder. Finn would bet the check in his pocket the thought had crossed good ol’ Dick’s mind a time or twenty.
Regardless of being on the losing team, the other players seemed to be having fun. Especially Mac. She was their main force to be reckoned with, and she put everything she had into the game. Willow, though not as competitive as her younger sister, was smiling more often than not, her and Finn’s gazes locking more times than he could count.
Christ, he couldn’t wait until this stupid game was over. He’d corner Dick, give him back the money, and then he needed to find Willow. No more tiptoeing around the facts. He’d been afraid of damaging her and her daddy’s relationship, but he was more concerned about their relationship. That was his top priority. And now, after having seen father and daughter in action, seeing how the man belittled her, made her constantly feel less than, he wasn’t sure what he’d been trying to protect in the first place.
After Finn came clean about why he’d left and about the money, he’d tell her of their plans to stay. That everything was already in line, and they only had to make a quick trip back to finalize some things and then they’d be home. Back in Havenbrook for good.
“Finn, you’re up!” Ty called.
Time for their team’s last play. Finn slipped on a helmet and took a few practice swings. It’d been a long time since he’d played, but it was like riding a bike. He, Drew, and the rest of their friends had spent hours down here when they’d been younger. Trying like hell to stay out of trouble. Hadn’t always worked.
“Go easy, will you?” Nola said as she passed him, having just scored another run.
He smiled at her. “Now where’s the fun in that?”
With narrowed eyes, she said, “Dammit, Finn, I mean it. Knowing him, he’ll find a way to fuck up the opening.”
He couldn’t argue with that based on what Dick had tried already, but he also couldn’t say he gave a damn. Irresponsible when the bar hung on the line? Maybe. Probably. But this was about so much more than just a game. This was about Finn showing Mayor Haven that he wasn’t going to roll over for him anymore. That the older man didn’t get to push people around, didn’t get to have his way simply because he ruled the town that was his namesake.
The bases were loaded, and Dick stood in the outfield, looking as pissed as ever. Since the Havens were considered the home team, they still had another inning, but unless Babe Ruth materialized to play for their team, they were going down. There was no way they could come back from an eight-run lead.
First pitch was a swing and a strike. He shook it off and looked over at Willow, who guarded first base. The side of her lips quirked up, and that was all he needed.
On the second pitch, his bat connected with the ball, sending it flying in Dick’s direction. Finn took off, sailing past Willow and straight to second, but not before brushing her hand with his as he went.
One thing he hadn’t counted on was Mac’s dedication to covering her father’s shortcomings—at least, when it came to sports. She scrabbled for the ball as Finn rounded third and headed for home, and the crowd went wild. Finn pumped his legs harder, hoping she’d send it to the pitcher and buy him enough time to get home. Except the catcher stood right behind home plate, watching the sky as if awaiting a throw, and Finn did the only thing he could. He slid home, closing his eyes and praying he’d get there a millisecond before the ball.
He came to a stop as the mitt connected with his foot.
“Safe!” the umpire yelled.
Finn didn’t even have time to enjoy the call before Dick was shuffling into the infield, his voice loud enough to be heard over the crowd.
“That’s a bullshit call, Vern, and you know it!” he shouted, his hands gesturing wildly toward where Finn stood, wiping sand from his pants.
“The only call I could make, Mayor. He was safe.”
“Bunch of horseshit. I saw it with my own eyes, and he was clearly out!”
“Saw it all the way back in left field, did ya?” Finn asked.
As if Finn hadn’t even spoken, Dick continued, “I thought you were on our side.”
“Can’t be on anyone’s side, I’m afraid. That’d be a conflict of interest as an ump.”
Dick’s belly-aching had drawn a crowd, many of the onlookers shifting closer to be able to hear exactly what was going on. The rest of Dick’s team looked embarrassed, especially Willow. She’d taken a couple steps closer, but she still stood near first base, biting on one of her nails as she looked on.
“Conflict of interest?” Dick shouted. “I’ll tell you what a conflict of interest is. It’s him”—he shoved a meaty finger in Finn’s direction—“playin’ this game like he’s part of Havenbrook. He’s not even a real member of this community. What’s he done anyway? You forget about the half-dozen times he egged your place, Vern? Or when he took out all those mailboxes on Main Street? Or when he got hauled in for spray-paintin’ the road signs?”
The ump shrugged. “Don’t really see how that’s got anything to do with baseball. Besides, he was just a kid then. You need to let the past lie. Lighten up, Richard.”
That settled it. Vern was getting a year’s worth of beer on Finn’s dime.
Vern’s casual dismissal of the mayor only seemed to enrage Dick more. His face reddened even further—which, to be honest, Finn hadn’t thought possible. His fists were clenched at his sides, and he kept darting his gaze to the bystanders, all of whom were now gawking at their mayor.
He gestured wildly in Finn’s direction, his voice a barked command. “He’s not even a real member of this community. He might be bringin’ a business to the square, but y’all’d do well to remember exactly what that business is. There’ll be drinkin’ and partyin’ goin’ on till all hours of the night, all thanks to him. Exactly what we fought for years to keep out of our quiet little town. Shouldn’t be a surprise, though, given where he came from. Where they all came from.” He glared at Finn and his team, who now stood behind him, supportive even in their silence. Dick looked him up and down, a sneer marring his face. “Just ’cause you were born here doesn’t mean you belong.”
Willow gasped, drawing Finn’s attention to her. In the time her daddy’d been throwing his tantrum, she’d walked closer and now stood just on the other side of her father. “Daddy!” she snapped. “I can’t believe you just said that.”
“I don’t have time for this nonsense from you, Will.”
Willow’s eyes narrowed the smallest bit. It was a tiny tell, really. One only Finn probably noticed, but he knew what it meant. He’d been on the receiving end of it enough times to know she’d reached her breaking point, and her daddy’d just shoved her over it.
She squared her shoulders and stepped up to her father, something Finn hadn’t ever see her do before. “Considering you’re the one who interrupted the game for this nonsense, I believe you do have the time.”
Dick’s eyebrows shot up, his mouth dropping open. “Excuse me, young lady? I’ll not have you talkin’ to me—”
“And I’m not gonna stand by and listen to you disparage one of our own. Finn grew up here, same as me. Same as you.”
“He’s nothin’ like us! He’s—”
“Opening a business that’ll help Havenbrook thrive. A business you might not be fond of, but one this town desperately needs. We are bleeding residents, and any new businesses that’ll help prevent that are a benefit to Havenbrook. He has as much right to be here as any one of us.” Willow crossed her arms and stared at her father. “Stop being such a sore loser about it all.”
Murmurs of agreement spread through the crowd as a hurricane of emotions flooded Finn. His chest swelled with pride over Willow finally standing up to her father. And doing so for him? Well, he didn’t want to pour gasoline on an already raging fire, but he desperately wanted to stride over to her, take her in his arms, and kiss the living daylights out of her. Right there, in front of everyone.
Except it turned out he didn’t need to walk to her at all. Instead, she took cautious steps toward him, her eyes full of a thousand questions. He hoped he answered them all as he watched her step up to him. She hooked her finger through his, her lips quirking up at the side a moment before she pressed up on tiptoes to brush her lips across his.
As the whole town watched on.
A few gasps went off, but he stopped hearing them after a moment. How could he pay attention to anything else when Willow’s mouth was on his? He reached up and wrapped his fingers around her nape, bringing them closer. She might’ve started this kiss, but he sure as hell was going to finish it.
With his friends at his back, Willow in his arms, and the entire town paying witness to her very public declaration, Dick’s check burned a hole in his pocket. Where earlier Finn had been dead set on shoveling a heaping pile of humility into the mayor’s lap, now he just wanted to be with Willow. And as much as he loved this bit of PDA, what he really wanted to do to her wasn’t fit for public consumption. He wanted to spend an hour kissing every freckle and birthmark on her body. Wanted to spend all night between her thighs, showing her over and over again how much he loved her. Wanted to tell her everything so they could finally start the rest of their lives together.
Tonight couldn’t get here fast enough.