Page 9 of Something Unforgettable

“And I expect a discount for the inconvenience.”

Finn swallowed hard but nodded again. “Of course, sir.”

Mr. King made a sound of exasperation. “Maybe that’ll help you remember to be more careful in the future. This never happened when your grandfather was still making the deliveries.”

Finn’s jaw wobbled and his eyes burned. “I’m sorry, sir.”

Mr. King dismissed the apology with a wave of his hand, then slid an invoice across the counter. “Just get it fixed.” He jabbed a finger against the total on the paper, then turned and strode out, the door rattling before swinging shut behind him.

Finn took a shaky breath. Then another. It was fine. These things happened.

The bell over the door rang again, but Finn kept his head ducked as he looked over the order. The last thing he wanted was a customer to see him getting emotional. He was blaming his hangover. It was just a messed-up order, not the end of the world.

Pops’s writing was scratchy and familiar on the invoice. Finn sighed. The numbers were transposed. It wasn’t the first time it had happened, but usually Finn could catch it. Something like twenty-three bags of grain, instead of a customer’s normal thirty-two, was enough of a red flag for Finn to call and pretend that he needed clarification.

He’d missed it this time. It was a new product, which meant that not only was the order incomplete, but they didn’t even have the stock to fill it. What a mess.

Somehow, Finn was going to have to convince Pops to let him handle more of the paperwork. Losing a big customer because they weren’t reliable was the last thing they needed. Word about it would get around and it would be bad for business.

Feet in clean leather loafers stepped closer to the counter and Finn surreptitiously wiped his face. “Did you find everything you were…” His words died as he met Xavier’s warm brown eyes.

“Good afternoon, sweetheart.”

Sweetheart?A rush of heat swept through Finn, landing in his cheeks. Oh god. He wasn’t prepared. He wasn’t even sure what he was supposed to be prepared for. What hadhappenedlast night?

A flash of hazy memory hit him—Xavier smiling down at him, warmth against his back and a protective arm anchoring him in place.

“I don’t remember much,” he blurted out, then debated crawling under the counter until Xavier went away. Maybe he could just live under there. There was an old dog bed that was surprisingly comfortable, and if he stretched, he’d be able to reach the snacks they kept next to the register.

Xavier chuckled, low and smooth. It raised goosebumps on Finn’s arms and sent a shiver through him. He liked that sound so much.

“I kind of figured.” Xavier didn’t sound annoyed or disgusted, so Finn risked a glance through the shield of his hair. Xavier’s warm smile and the humor in his eyes stole Finn’s breath. “Don’t worry,” he continued. “You were an adorable drunk.”

That brought Finn’s blush right back. “I got wasted,” he corrected. “It’s embarrassing.”

Xavier shook his head and placed his palm on the counter, only a foot from where Finn was twisting his fingers together. “Trust me, you have nothing to be embarrassed about. You were sweet and funny. We had a long conversation about the best romance-novel tropes.”

Finn groaned and bent at the waist, dropping his head to the counter with a soft thunk. “Oh my god. I’m so sorry.”

This was all Ev’s fault for getting him into them in the first place. Finn didn’t tell anyone he was a closet romance junkie. It was supposed to be a secret. Except from Xavier, apparently. What had drunk-Finn been thinking?

The air stirred near his head, and a moment later fingers brushed his hair from his face. Finn’s breath caught and he didn’t dare move.

“Nick started it,” Xavier murmured. “He was mocking me about my love of Hallmark movies. You came to my defense.” Xavier’s fingers sifted through Finn’s curls and Finn wanted to melt into a puddle. Xavier was barely touching him. How did that feel so good?

“Hallmark movies are awesome,” Finn said. “Even better now that they’ve started to make some queer ones.”

“Agreed.”

Finn tilted his head to peek up at Xavier. “I really wasn’t a disaster?”

Xavier was so freaking handsome, it almost hurt to look at him. And sotall. He had to be about six-foot-six. Nearly a foot over Finn’s five-seven. He carried the height well, too. Some really tall guys were weirdly lanky, but Xavier looked strong. Hewasstrong. Those thick forearms had been wrapped around Finn, holding him in place, just last night. What would those big hands feel like dragging over bare skin? He shivered and forced his thoughts to redirect. He should not be thinking about Xavier’s hands right now.

Later tonight was a different story.

“You weren’t a disaster,” Xavier assured him. “I had a lot of fun, thanks to you.”

Finn bit his lip and pushed himself upright again, regretfully losing the hand carding through his hair. “Micah sent a picture of us on the bull.”

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