Page 41 of Stirring Up Love
She prodded his shoulder, but he felt it in his core. “Anyway, you can see why goats are a sore topic for me.”
He tried not to picture it, but it was no use. “I mean,onyour shoes? Direct hit? Were you standing under the goat’s ...” He flailed one arm helplessly.
“Vagina? No, Finn, I was not. But there was a lot of ...” Now it was her turn to flail.
“Afterbirth?”
She nodded, the back of her hand to her mouth. “That.”
“So I take it you’re not one of those women who wants to birth a basketball team?”
“I can think of nothing worse. What about you?”
He could think of a lot of things worse than having a family of his own. But she was only asking out of politeness, not a desire for him todump his issues on her. “Nah, I’ve never been a fan of birth. The labor pains alone ...” He faked a grimace. “Plus, I’m terrified of needles, so an epidural would be a no-go.”
Simone laughed. “There’s always adoption.”
“True.” Finn chewed his lip.Don’t ask, don’t ask, don’t— “You’ve considered it?”Shoot.
“Adoption? No.” There she went with the full-body shudder again, and this time it was less cute. “I meant it would be a great option for you. Skip the contractions and all.”
He forced a tight smile. “Right.” Because that’s all adoption was. A lesser evil.
“Not sure I’d be up to the task,” she said, apparently oblivious to the dip in his mood. “People who adopt are heroes.”
Heroes. “For taking on damaged kids?” He didn’t bother to soften the words.
“No, jeez.” She gave him a sharp look. “I meant, for stepping up.”
“Taking one for the team.” God, this woman wouldn’t let up.
“No. I just ...” Simone put a hand on his arm. “Are you adopted, Finn? Because I—”
“No.” Adoption was too good for him. “I just don’t think adoption is quite the sacrifice you make it out to be.” More like a paradise he’d been locked out of.
“I didn’t mean it that way at all. You know what? Forget I said anything.” She shifted to face forward, pulling out her phone.
For a moment there, he’d deluded himself into thinking Simone Blake had a heart.
Partners was the endgame. Anything less would be failure, and anything more? A highway to heartbreak.
CHAPTER 16
FINN
Finn dropped a party-size bag of Doritos on the counter and tossed a few jerky sticks and a bag of smoked almonds next to it for good measure. Never hurt to stock up. And what was a good road trip without excess sodium?
Although,goodwasn’t how he’d categorize this trip so far. More like the climax of a disaster movie. His earthquake of emotional baggage had triggered a tsunami, headed for landfall the moment they got back into the car.
Country music would be a welcome escape at this point.
The herbal scent of lavender and mint announced Simone’s presence at his shoulder. She placed a granola bar and water bottle on the counter next to his stuff.
“That’s it?” The question came out harsher than he intended. Feeding people had become second nature. His friends understood his urge to make sure no one went hungry. Too many times he’d lain awake, stomach cramps keeping him from the relief of slumber.
But Simone wasn’t a friend, and from the scowl on her face, she understood nothing about him. Fine, he’d prefer to keep it that way. “Forget I asked.” He reached into his back pocket for his wallet, but Simone hip-bumped him.
“I got this.”
