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“They’ll have to approve you.” Gary winced, rubbing his palms along the outside of hisextremelywell-fitting black jeans. “They’re pretty protective of the house, so if they object, you won’t be able to stay.”
Finn grinned, because really, dogs? He could handle dogs. “I’m sure we’ll get along fine.”
Gary squinted, the picture of skepticism. “I appreciate your confidence, but these are reallyunusualanimals.” He tucked his thumbs in his pockets, smiling once more. “But don’t worry. If they switch into full-on guard mode, we’ll find another solution. It’s just for a week, right? Just until your cousin gets back?”
“Right. A week.” Finn fought to keep his grin in place, tough to do when he had to swallow around a lump in his throat. Gary wasn’t offering himforever, just a temporary safety net. “Thank you. That would be great. Really.”
Gary nodded decisively. “Excellent. We’ve got a plan then.” He unhooked one thumb from his pocket and jerked it toward the door. “Let’s go.”
Finn gaped. “What? Now?”
“Why not? You don’t have anywhere else to go today, do you?”
I don’t have anywhere else to goever. “No.”
“As much as I love it when you hang out here in the bakery, it can’t be comfortable. Provided the dogs are amenable, I’ll get you settled, and you can relax until I get home this evening. We’ll have dinner. Maybe watch a movie together.” Gary bit his lip, uncertainty clouding his face. “If that’s okay?”
“Are you kidding?” Finn grabbed his pack and surged out of his chair. “It’s perfect.”
“Melina,” Gary called, “can you hold down the fort for a bit?”
She grinned, straightening up from where she’d been transferring fresh scones into the pastry case. “Youdohave employees, Gary. You don’t have to be here every minute.”
Gary huffed. “Yes, I have employees, but I don’t want toexploitthem.”
She made shooing motions with both hands. “Go. Peyton and I have got this.”
Gary fluttered his eyelashes at her. “How smart was I to hire such exceptional people?”
“Brilliant. Now get out of here.”
Finn smiled at Melina as he followed Gary to the door. “Thanks, Melina.”
“It’s a pleasure.” As the bell tinkled, she called, “Don’t hurry back!”
Out on the sidewalk, Gary nodded to their left. “It’s this way. I don’t have a car, but it’s just a couple of blocks, so an easy walk.”
“I’m used to walking.” With Gary at his side, Finn was hard pressed not to skip.
“Sorry about, um, Melina’s comments. She and Peyton have kind of been trying to set us up for months.”
Finn’s loose trainer sole caught on the sidewalk and he stumbled. Only Gary grabbing his biceps to steady him kept him from face-planting on the concrete. “Really?”
Gary bit his lip, gazing up at Finn from under his lashes. “Yeah.” He started to draw his hand away from Finn’s arm. “If that makes you uncomfortable—”
“No!” Finn laid his own hand over Gary’s, the jolt of their first skin-on-skin contact zinging straight to his heart. “I’ve been crushing on you since the first time I walked into the bakery.”
Gary’s smile had adefiniteplayful edge. “Then why didn’t you make a move?”
“Why didn’t you?” Finn countered.
“I, um, have some issues with intimacy.” He gave Finn’s arm a squeeze and then withdrew his hand and resumed walking. “Besides, I want the bakery to be a safe space, somewhere nobody needs to worry about inappropriate behavior, somewhere everybody can be themselves.”
“Ah. That’s fair.” Finn waited until they’d crossed the street and headed into a more residential area. “But you don’t need to worry that I’ll ask you for anything you’re not willing to give, especially sinceI’vegot so little to offer. I mean, I told you about my situation. I’m broke. My father’s an entitled, narcissistic psychopath—”
“You didn’t say he was a psychopath!”
Finn slowed, gazing down at Gary. “Sorry. If that means you’d rather not have me staying with you—”
