Page 30 of Off-Limits Love
“It’s pretty, isn’t it?” Emi asked, her face scrunched up against the bright sun as she stared up at him, one eye screwed shut like Popeye. “Uncle Sam said it was the prettiest.”
He stretched out a hand and tugged gently on the pigtail closest to him as he nodded.
“It’s heavy,” Mak warned. “Hudson kept saying it had to be big to serve everyone. I may have gone overboard making sure it was big enough.”
That cake would serve them three times over, but one look told him everyone would happily go home with their extra helpings—if Hud let them. And knowing how good the German chocolate cake bites had been? He could see his baby brother being stingy.
“Oh, I also made this for Elias,” Mak said, retrieving a small cake and leaving the large one behind. “I made it all separate with fresh bowls and utensils, gloves. And I brought the list of the ingredients just in case so he can look at them. I didn’t want to leave anyone out, and I know he has allergies, so…”
Finn blinked at the thoughtfulness and felt his heart tug. That was a lot of extra work on top of already making the huge cake.
But how did she know about Elias’s allergies? How much had she and Hudson talked? When?
Jealousy spiked through him at the thought of Hud and Mak texting and talking regularly, even though he reminded himself he couldn’t expect to claim—or keep—a woman when he didn’t respond to her.
“We should get the icing out of the sun. Would you mind grabbing it?”
Right. He was just here as Hud’s big brother—and herfriend.
Finn leaned in and hauled out the cake, careful not to shift it too much to the side as he angled it out of the trunk and lifted it to carry. She was right. It was heavy, and he wondered how she’d managed to get it in the trunk in the first place when it felt at least half her weight.
Mak and Emi walked with him into the barn and both oohed and aahed over the interior.
“It’s so pretty!” Emi’s head jerked this way and that as she took it all in.
“It is. I love the twinkle lights along the beams,” Mak added. “Finn, this is truly beautiful. I heard music last night. I’m guessing someone rented it for a party?”
He nodded but didn’t try to speak otherwise.
“Mommy, look! Can I go play? Please?”
Finn set the cake down on one of the food tables and turned to see Emi pointing toward a corner where he’d set up a kid’s area. There were a couple of playground-style horses on springs so that they moved back and forth, along with games, toys and puzzles. That section of the concrete floor had rubber mats down for safety too.
“Just for a minute. And no matter what, you stay inside. The others will be arriving, and I don’t want you outside with cars moving around, understood?”
“Okay!” Emi dropped her cup atop a bench and made a run for one of the horses. “This is fun, but I still wanna ride arealhorse, Mommy!”
Mak laughed softly and shook her head as she bent to pick up the cup that had fallen over from being left so quickly.
Finn couldn’t help but notice and appreciate the view.
Mak placed the kid cup upright and turned to face him. “I may never get her out of here. Ever since she saw you on the horse, she’s talked about it nonstop and asked if we can come riding sometime.” Mak inhaled and released a gusty sigh after looking everywhere but at him. “Finn, can we please talk? Before everyone gets here?”
He supposed he owed her that so he nodded, head down as he fussed with the cake box so that it was at a ninety-degree angle.
Mak put her hand on his arm, stilling him.
“Look at me. Please.”
He tensed but turned to face her, even though he felt like heading back to the house and locking the door behind him.
“I’m going to ignore the fact that I texted you and you didn’t bother to respond.”
He winced and fought off his regret.
“And I’m going to focus on the fact that you came to my rescue—again—when I needed it. Thank you, Finn. For defending me and coming to my defense with Brad.”
He started to pull away, but her grip tightened and held.
