Page 68 of Off-Limits Love

Mak took it all in, her mind whirling from all the what-ifs and is-it-trues.

But unless she backed out before tomorrow, she was going riding. Alone. With Finn.

It’s a ride. Not a walk down the aisle.

Finn changed his shirt three times after morning chores and a shower before donning the first shirt he’d pulled on.

Mak had agreed to go riding after dropping Emi at school.

And even though he told himself not to be nervous, because it was just a ride with a friend so Mak could decide whether or not she wanted to bring Emi at a later date, the ride felt like more.

Sure it was to celebrate her business getting approved, but he knew her acceptance was also a step in her trusting him.

Mak had been through a lot, was currently going through a lot, but she was allowing him to take her out in the woods on horseback and knew she would be safe with him.

Given the things he saw and heard on the news, that was no small thing for any woman to do.

He glanced at his watch and hustled his pace. He wanted to have the horses saddled and ready when she got here to lessen the risk of her changing her mind.

He was in the barn and had just finished saddling Sadie when he heard the crunch of gravel.

His pulse picked up, and he took a deep breath and exhaled, trying to lessen the tension that would lead to a worsening of his stutter. Maybe he should look into therapy again. Maybe… Maybe he would.

Holding the reins of both horses, he led them from the barn and saw Mak exiting her vehicle.

She looked nervous too. But was it because of going riding on a thousand-pound animal or…spending time with him?

She wore jeans and sneakers, a long-sleeve shirt over a tank or tee and open down the front, and had braided her long hair into a single plait that fell over her left shoulder.

“Is it okay to leave my car here? Will it be in the way?”

He watched as Mak shrugged a small backpack-style purse into place.

He shook his head. “It’s fine.”

Thefwas thick but better than what it might have been.

“Well, I guess I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. Which one is mine?”

He tilted his head to the right. “Sadie.”

Once again, theswas thicker, but it wasn’t a hiss but a shortssound. He could deal with that and hope as the day wore on the stutter would diminish or—better yet—go away entirely.

Was it possible? Or would his attraction for her make the stutter permanent?

“Hello, Sadie,” Mak said softly, moving close but giving the horse time to take a sniff.

When Sadie kept sniffing toward Mak’s bulging pants pockets, he had a feeling he knew why.

“Is it okay to give her a carrot?”

Finn nodded and smiled as he watched her pull a small baggie with several chopped carrots inside.

Duke clomped close when he spied the treats, and after feeding Sadie, Mak dipped in to grab another.

Safe to say, Mak knew how to make friends with the horses.

Mak tucked the few remaining carrots away, this time into the pocket of the small backpack.