Page 29 of Off-Limits Love
The guy was an EMT buddy of Hud’s, in training to be a fireman, and good with people and horses. Finn knew the riders were in capable hands. More so than if he tried to deal with them himself.
Normally Finn attended the rides as an extra pair of eyes and knowledgeable hands to keep the novices from doing something that could get them hurt, but instead he’d spent the day going over the monthly expenses and muttering to himself whenever his concentration strayed to the woman next door. Which happened a lot.
Mak had texted him on Thursday, using the number Hudson had put in her phone at the island farmer’s market. The first message had been a simple:Thank you. I’m so sorry that happened.
But the second that came Friday?I hope you know I’m glad to have a friend like you.
Yeah, he did not think of her in a friendly way. When he thought of her, he saw her curvy body and those soul-sucking blue eyes and a smile that brought him to his knees and made him want?—
To not be herfriend.
He wasn’t sure when his feelings had changed, but obviously Mak didn’t feel the same. But how could she see him as anything else? Why would she ever consider more with someone who couldn’t speak to her? Couldn’t be the man, the protector, she needed?
How had he even gone from meeting her to—that? Was he that lonely? That pathetic because he’d found himself liking the first woman who’d shown him kindness in a while?
He wasn’t going to be that guy. That pathetic loser. The one who let his thoughts run wild only to be crushed again in the end when his feelings weren’t matched.
Etiquette said he should at least respond to her texts, but he didn’t know what to say. Especially when he couldn’t say what he wanted to.
Now here it was, Sunday afternoon, and Finn couldn’t avoid people any longer.
It was his turn to host the party held to accommodate all the family birthdays for the month, and he knew short of death or a hospitalization, there was no getting out of it.
They all took turns hosting. Everyone except Hudson and Isla because Hud shared a townhouse with Jameson and a couple other single guys, and Isla because she was a live-in nanny for the Drakes.
Hud had worked with Gage and Elias all week, so he hadn’t been around to put Finn on the spot as to whether or not he’d taken the recommendation to go “porch sit.”
Today that would end. Hud was like a dog with a bone when he got something on his brain, and Finn knew an inquisition would take place at some point and dreaded it accordingly.
Finn looked up as he crossed the driveway to open up the party venue and spotted Max atop Harriet’s broad back, riding around like he was king of the mountain as the Highland ambled along the fence line.
He took a picture on his phone and hit Share, thinking maybe he’d send it to Mak so she could show Emi as well as act as his response, but then decided against it and put his phone away. It was better this way. To just leave things be.
He’d just unlocked and opened up the large double doors when gravel crunched behind him. Finn braced himself for his family, but froze at the sight of Makayla behind the wheel of her silver car, driving ridiculously slow up the driveway.
She looked hesitant if her expression was anything to go by, and given how she crawled along, he had plenty of time to look.
His grip tightened on the handle of the door before he forced himself to head her way once she parked.
Mak got out and gave him a faint smile.
“Hi. I…take it from your expression that Hudson didn’t tell you he hired me to bake his birthday cake?”
That trouble-making idiot…. Finn shook his head.
Had Hudson done this before the recommendation to “porch sit” or after?
Did it matter?
“Well, he did, and—I have it. I thought I’d get here a few minutes early to set it inside, and…maybe we could talk? Well, I could talk, and you could listen. If that’s okay?”
He locked his jaw at her words but nodded. He didn’t need her apologies or pity. But he also couldn’t bring himself to walk away like he normally would because he didn’t want to hurt her feelings. Or for her to think worse of him than she did already.
Emi sat in the backseat, bounding out of her booster seat and yelling for her mom to open the door to let her out.
He waited for Mak to tell Emi to stay put because they weren’t staying long, but Mak opened the door and even grabbed a spill-proof kid cup, handing it to the child to carry before murmuring for her to stick close.
Mak moved to the trunk and popped the lid. He followed her and whistled softly in his shock. His young nieces had had some fancy girl cakes over the last year or so of birthdays, but this one took the prize in his book.
