Page 71 of Off-Limits Love
And now she stared at the ruggedly gorgeous face of a furious man. “Finn…I-I just?—”
His jaw locked tight as he nudged Duke and started riding again. Sadie kept pace, but Mak’s heart pounded against her chest, and she had flashbacks of moments with Brad. Of that night on vacation, in the dark, on that wet, curving road in the pouring rain.
Finally the trail opened, and they broke onto a stretch of beach along the Cape Fear. Or was it the intercoastal? She wasn’t sure, but the waterways blended seamlessly up ahead, with the Atlantic a peep of blue in the far distance.
She was so focused on replaying her blundering ramble in her head that the sun-bleached sand and beautiful surroundings barely registered.
Sadie followed Duke, and Mak stared at the rigid shoulders of her companion, wondering if he would explode like Brad had whenever she questioned him. Or would he stay silent—like that car ride.
Sand and tall pines lined the waterway, along with time-aged trunks weathered to a ghostly sheen. The beauty didn’t matter now, though. Not when she felt herself getting more and more anxious with every clomp of Sadie’s hooves, a sick twist in her stomach.
They trod along for a long while, though it was probably only minutes, following the bend to a place she’d only ever seen in photographs. Across the way, she spotted the cove Carolina Cove was named for.
That’s where Finn stopped and once again waited for her to catch up.
“N-need a break?”
Her thigh and back muscles had tightened from the ride, made worse by the tension riddling her body as she waited for his response. So she nodded, more than ready for a bit of walking. “Yeah.”
It was a long way down off Sadie. She tried to figure out how she’d manage without spraining or breaking something. She doubted Finn would help her now. Brad certainly wouldn’t have—because he’d make it part of whatever lesson he felt she needed to learn.
Finn dismounted in an enviously smooth motion. He dropped Duke’s reins and moved to Sadie’s side, reaching up without a word.
She braced her hands on his upper arms and slid from Sadie’s back, feeling Finn’s muscles flex as he caught her weight and gently lowered her to the sand.
Mak stared up at him, squinting from the sun overhead when he remained close.
Finn was angry. She could tell he was angry. And she fought off the fear threatening to swallow her as she awaited his reaction. “I’m sorry. For blurting that out the way that I did. I know you and Brad have a history. And I also know Brad says things—but if there’s any truth to what he said, I hope you’re honest enough to tell me.”
Finn’s expression turned to stone, and her heart sank.
“S-Sam and I h-have talked. I thought y-you knew.”
Disappointment filled her along with a surge of painful insecurity. “No. And I haven’t asked because it’s none of my business and whatever Sam decides is up to him. But thank you. For being honest about why you’ve been helping me so much.”
She backed away from him and turned, walking to the water’s edge.
She needed space and air and time to fight the hurt she felt. Would time even help?Wasshe a backup plan?
She glanced over her shoulder to where Finn stood a few steps away. He looked uncomfortable, but she didn’t care. “So that’s the goal, huh? You do want the property?”
He stared at her a long moment before he nodded. “Y-yes.”
Her stomach knotted. “Has Sam agreed?”
“We’ve t-talked.”
Right. But discussing the sale didn’t guarantee one, which sank the truth of the matter even deeper into her battered psyche like a hot knife through butter. “I suppose showing interest in me is a good way to hedge your bets in case you and Sam can’t work out a deal and I do inherit it from him.”
Finn slowly walked toward her. He lifted his hand and gently slid his fingers into her hair at her nape. His gaze revealed his upset, but his hold remained loose and easy, light. She fought the urge to look away, her heart tugging at the sight. Was it real? Or fake—like Brad’s?
But whatever Finn wanted to say? Should say?
He didn’t.
Or couldn’t.
Maybe because there was a niggle of truth in the mix? Enough that he couldn’t deny innocence? “Take me back. Please. I want to go home.”
