“No, you don’t want to tell me why you were carrying the cupcakes, or no, you didn’t know your shoe was untied?” he asked again.
Charlotte dug her head into his shoulder so she wouldn’t be able to talk. She didn’t want to face the disappointment or the punishment for answering the questions. She knew she was going to get punished for endangering herself.
Finn and Charlotte had been talking about rules if and when she became his baby girl. Charlotte still wasn’t sure, but when they were talking about the rules, she longed to have them. She wanted to have guidelines and rules so she felt safe and secure.
Endangering herself was one of the rules. She wasn’t supposed to endanger herself, and she did. She knew her shoe was untied, and yet she ignored it because she wanted to get the ball rolling on getting the cupcakes in here.
Charlotte knew she also shouldn’t have carried in two boxes. James would’ve told her to go in and tell them the cupcakes were in the van for them to bring in. It wasn’t his first preference for them to carry big boxes like that, but sometimes it had to be done.
She had thought since she and Amelia put the cupcake boxes in the van that it would be okay if she carried them into the club. She was wrong, and she wished she could go back in time and not bring them in.
She was now down twenty cupcakes, and she didn’t know if she would be able to make them in time and have them delivered. She didn’t even know if they needed them tonight or the next day.
“Charlotte,” Finn warned her. “Answer the question.”
The other man chuckled, and Charlotte realized that she had completely forgotten he was there. She let out a little squeal and dug her head into Finn’s shoulder more. She couldn’t believe she had been acting this way in front of a complete stranger.
“You’ve got your hands full with this little one,” the man said.
Finn chuckled. “I do, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
If this wasn’t such an awkward moment, Charlotte would have smiled, but she didn’t. What did he mean Finn had his hands full? Was that a bad thing? Did she need to leave him alone?
“Sorry,” Charlotte mumbled into his shoulder.
“What was that?” Finn asked.
“I’m sorry. I can leave so you can get back to work. I know you’re busy,” she whispered.
Charlotte hated to feel like she was bothering someone when they were busy, and right now, she felt that way. Finn was obviously busy, and she needed to not bother him.
She shouldn’t have called out his name or called him Daddy. He wasn’t her Daddy yet. She wasn’t allowed to call him that, and yet she did.
There was so much guilt eating Charlotte up from the inside out. She knew better on a lot of things, yet she ignored them and decided to go ahead with them.
“Woah! Where did that come from?” Finn asked. “And don’t think you’re getting out of answering my questions from earlier.”
Charlotte shook her head and pushed against his chest. She didn’t have time to answer his questions. She needed to leave him alone and also get all of these cupcakes in here or else they would melt.
Her eyes went wide. “Cupcakes!” she screamed.
Finn flinched but held onto her. “What’s wrong?”
“They’re going to melt!”
“Don’t worry. I’ve got people already getting them out of the van and putting them in the big refrigerators,” the other man said.
“Thanks, Mac,” Finn said.
Charlotte felt her shoulders relax a little at that. She was happy that she wasn’t going to ruin any more cupcakes, but she was also disappointed that it couldn’t be her to get them. She didn’t want to be around Finn right now because she would have to answer his questions.
Questions she didn’t want to ever answer.
“Before we have our talk, I want you to meet someone. This is one of the other owners of BTS. His name is Mac,” Finn said as he pointed to the man.
Charlotte peeked over and took him in. He was tall like Finn but not as muscular. He had a beard and some tattoos peeking from under his sleeves.
“Hello, little one. I’ve heard all about you and am so glad I finally get to meet you!” Mac said, and he waved to her.