Page 65 of Off-Limits Love
Hopefully they’d run into Finn. And maybe the tension she imagined at Finn seeing her with Brad would prove to only exist in her head.
“Mommy, there’s Harriet. Can we go see her first?”
The day of Hudson’s birthday party, the kids had stayed inside to play. It wasn’t until they’d packed up to leave that Emi had protested and said she needed more time to visit because she hadn’t been able to meet the various farm animals.
“Yeah, let’s go,” Mak said, looking around for the man she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about.
She didn’t want there to be bad feelings between her and Finn. Not when she truly liked him and under other, better circumstances could see them being more.
She loved his quiet presence and strength and the tenderness he showed to his family and the animals in his care. And when he kissed her…
If only the timing were right,she thought with a sigh. And if Brad and Finn didn’t share a past so full of animosity and discord.
Based on that alone, she and Finn would never work. Could never work because there would always be that rift the size of the Atlantic, with Brad making life miserable.
Mak eyed the large SUV parked near the barn in visitor parking.
Finn had said Sunday afternoons were usually quiet as people seemed to prefer to come on Saturday mornings during the offseason.
Like tourist season at the beach, summer was the busiest time on the farm as parents brought youngsters to pet the various minis and breeds. According to Finn, traffic would pick up again in the late fall with special events, then Christmas, and in spring before the summer kicked off again.
Right now, though, the farm was quiet, other than the various animal noises and the low drone of traffic in the distance.
Harriet tucked her broad nose between the slats and waited patiently for Emi to stop giggling and rub her small hand up her snout to the fuzzy hair between her horns.
Dash let out a loud complaint, and Mak smiled. She shifted down the fence a few feet to pet the donkey.
“I wish they were mine.”
Mak smiled. “Animals are a lot of work, baby. And the good news is we can visit since we’re so close, yeah?”
“Yeah.”
Footfalls on the gravel behind them got Mak’s attention, and she turned to find Finn approaching. Hudson walked beside him, looking far too smug and knowing as he glanced between Mak and Finn.
A blush filled her cheeks, and she wondered if Finn had said anything to his brother about what had transpired in his truck after the ride home from the hotel bar.
Since she’d sat on Finn’s lap all night, Hudson probably thought things had progressed more than they had.
“Hey, beautiful,” Hudson said.
His comment earned a glare from Finn, and Mak fought off a deepening blush at the surge of pleasure she felt at Finn’s possessiveness. Something she told herself she had no business enjoying under the circumstances.
“We, um, wanted to see the animals so we just decided to come pay a visit. I hope that’s okay.”
“Of course it is,” Hud said. “We’ll do a whole tour.”
“Yay!” Emi’s sudden cry had Dash taking a few steps back with a startled squeal before venturing close again with a low bray of complaint.
“You have good timing, too. Finn’s got a surprise for you both.”
Mak looked to Finn and watched as he tilted his head toward the party barn. She didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, though. “Did something happen?”
He took a breath and released it. “Inspector s-stopped b-by.”
Mak blinked at the unexpected news. She’d turned in the paperwork but the woman had said the inspector was running behind and getting an inspection could take a while. “What? Do you mean today?”
“He was heading to the beach and didn’t want to fight the traffic twice,” Hudson said. “Said since it was on his way…”
