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Unaware of his discomfort, Finley rattled off his favorites. “She customizes shampoos and conditioners to meet individual needs and lets you choose your own scents. They look like bars of soap, so there’s no plastic waste. I like her goat’s milk soaps, deodorants, and lip balms. She also makes a thick hand lotion that helps prevent cracking during the winter months.”
As he feared, Kieran pictured Finley running through his morning routine and had to shift in his seat again.
“Her products are affordable if you want to stop in while we’re in town and check them out. Just don’t divulge too much about your romantic woes, or she’ll try to fix you up with somebody.”
Kieran glanced over at Finley and caught him smirking. He wanted to ask about his woes but wouldn’t. “Is that what she does to you?”
“Sometimes.”
“You ever take her up on her offer?” Kieran pressed, then silently cursed himself.
“I haven’t yet.”
Yet. The paltry word implied there was a possibility Finley could or would let his mom set him up with someone. “Sounds like you’re thinking about it.”
Finley briefly met his gaze before returning his attention to the road. “I am.”
“Because of the guy who joined the cult?” So much for not pressing for more information. Kieran wished he could take the words back as soon as he’d said them. “Never mind. It’s none of my business.”
A ghost of a smile formed on Finley’s lips. “It’s okay. I have a history of dating the wrong guys, and Keegan was just the nail in the coffin. Since I no longer trust myself, I figured why not let my mom take a swing at it.”
“I’m sorry.”
Finley glanced at him again. “Don’t be. And it’s okay to ask me anything. If I don’t want to answer, I won’t.”
A slew of things came to mind, but the one that escaped Kieran’s lips was, “What’s the deal with the jockstrap?”
Finley applied the brake a little too hard at the stop sign, and Kieran’s seat belt tightened across his chest and abdomen. He grunted and loosened the belt when Finley eased up on the brake. “Sorry about that,” he said sheepishly.
“Not sorrier than I am about my question. What the fuck?”
Finley burst out laughing, which eased the tension gripping Kieran’s heart. He checked both ways, then accelerated forward. “I wear a cup when I work with the friskier horses that might buck or rear back. I’ve had my balls racked enough to know better.”
“Oh,” Kieran said, his voice too flat for his liking. “Makes sense.” Even though it was damn disappointing. What did he expect? That Finley would confess he had an OnlyFans channel where he sprawled on a bed wearing nothing but a jockstrap and did delectable things to his tight body?
“They’ve come in handy at other times too,” Finley offered. Kieran jerked his head in Finley’s direction and caught him smirking like the devil. “Football,” he said. “Get your mind out of the gutter.”
“I… It wasn’t in the—”
“Liar,” Finley said. “All you boys go gaga eyes over those things, so why the hell wouldn’t I use it to show off my best asset when I want to impress a guy?”
Kieran’s shirt suddenly seemed too tight around the neck. He hated that his desire for Finley was so naked. He released the top button, even though he knew it wasn’t the problem. He deeply regretted not rubbing one out before they’d left when his dick started to harden.
“I’m sorry,” Finley said, his voice heavy with genuine regret. “That was really inappropriate of me to say to an employee. I don’t suppose we can pretend I never said it?”
Kieran looked over and met his solemn green gaze. There was a fat chance in hell he’d forget, but he said, “What were we talking about again?” The tension in Finley’s jaw eased, and he knew it was the right thing to say.
Last Chance Creek had turned the fields at the edge of town into an event parking space, and it was already packed with cars when Finley found a spot big enough for the ranch truck. Main Street was closed to traffic so booths and vendors could set up on both sides of the road. There were more people in Last Chance Creek than he’d seen in a long time, and for a moment, the crowd seemed to close in on him. Kieran took a few deep breaths, and the panic receded a little.
“Too soon?” Finley asked softly.
Kieran made Finley’s green eyes his center of focus until the rest of his tension eased. “I want to be here.”
Finley held his gaze for a few moments, then nodded. “We can leave anytime and without question. Just let me know.”
Kieran’s next breath flowed in and out without a hitch, and he knew he was ready. He tilted his head toward the festivities and merged into the crowd. Finley fell into step with him, and Kieran had the sudden urge to reach for his hand. Every medium of art and craft seemed to be on display as they wandered between the booths. He feasted his eyes on vibrant oil paintings depicting life in the Rockies, admired charcoal sketches of wildlife, and ran his fingers over an intricately woven tapestry. Finley posed for a caricature drawing, and the artist turned him into a cowboy superhero.
“With a jawline like yours, I couldn’t help myself,” she told him.
