Page 46 of The Cowgirl's Secret Love
He met her gaze. “Probably should blame that one on the drugs.”
But she stepped closer, their bodies right in contact, and lifted her lips to his. “Welcome home.”
The connection was over too fast and not nearly as intimate as he craved, but it was sweet. Both the kiss and the sentiment, and he’d be happy to take it for now.
She stepped aside and gestured him forward. “Come on. We’ll get some food into you, and then you can crash. If you’ll forgive the expression.”
A kitten dashed across the floor, ducking under a chair to stare at him. He smiled but left the creature alone for now.
Finn settled at the table when he realized the cottage wasn’t the same as it had been the last time he’d seen it. Even as Zach put the take-out bags on the table, Finn glanced around the room to categorize the changes.
He turned back to Karen. “You took out furniture.”
She nodded. “And an area rug. It was extra stuff that wasn’t really needed. I remember it being a pain in the butt to manoeuvre in our crowded living room when I had my cast. Kept banging into things, and not only is that hell on the furniture, it doesn’t feel so good.”
But her living room had stayed exactly the same the entire time she’d worn the cast because none of them had thought to fix the situation for her.
Regret rose, but he pushed the emotion aside because the only way to make it up to her was here and now. “Thanks.”
The food didn’t taste like much. He did the best he could, but after pushing things around on his plate, Finn was two steps away from nodding off right there at the table.
“Head to bed for a while,” Zach suggested.
Finn attempted to snap himself awake. “I’m fine. Maybe a cup of coffee.”
It didn’t seem the kind of comment that should’ve set Zach and Karen off laughing the way it did.
She came close enough to place a hand on his shoulder. “Just like I know it will be easier without the extra furniture, I know what you need right now is not a cup of coffee.” Her voice got softer, her gaze gentle yet still insistent. “Stop fighting, buttercup, and do the right thing. Come lie down.”
For a fiercely independent individual like Finn, accepting help to rise out of the chair and head down the hallway kicked hard in the ego.
When Karen went to lead him into the master bedroom, he paused, some weird mixture of hope and confusion working through his brain.
“That’s your bed.” Which was exactly where he wanted to be, but not in his current condition.
“Not now, it isn’t,” she said. “His stuff is on the chair in the corner, Zach. Give me a shout if you need a hand.”
“Will do.” His friend’s cheerful answer ricocheted through Finn’s brain like an out-of-control ping-pong ball. “Come on, man. You look like the walking dead. Give it up, and I’ll help you get ready for bed.”
Between hitting the bathroom and ending up flat on the mattress, a whole lot of details vanished. He heard Zach and Karen talking, but it was much easier to close his eyes and listen to thewhooshof blood rushing past his ears.
He felt like crap, and he hated that he was messing up Karen’s clean sheets, but getting any kind of words out was a fail.
The edge of the bed dipped slightly, and Karen’s sweet scent surrounded him. He breathed deep to take in as much of her as possible, because if this was a dream, it was a pretty good place to begin.
“No idea…” He forced the words, fighting to stay awake.
Fingers against his face. “Relax. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
It seemed vital to get this out. “No idea what you dealt with. Thought I knew. Hell if I did. Going to make it up to you,chérie. Every little bit.”
“Shhhhh. Go to sleep.”
Another soft stroke along his jaw then down his neck. Her hand landed on his chest. He caught her fingers in his and gave a gentle squeeze, just holding on.
Keeping her close, right where he needed her.
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