Page 28 of Finn Rhodes Forever

My eyes drooped as her soft voice went on and on about doilies.

Dot pointed to the next doily and Finn’s hand wrapped around mine and gently pulled me along. I ignored how nice his hand felt around mine.

“That’s a nice one, Dot,” he said, leaning in to study the doily under the glass case, spotlights on it like it was an Academy Award.

“It’s my favorite in the whole museum,” she said, beaming.

My heart squeezed. Finn being nice to old people should not have been this endearing.

She preened. “I found this one at an antiques sale in Prince George in the seventies. Although it was done with yarn, the delicate pattern lends itself to a very refined style. This type of doily would be placed as decoration on a table or across the back of a Chesterfield…”

I glanced at the clock. We’d been here twenty minutes, we’d seen two doilies, and there were at least forty more around the room under glass cases. Some were framed on the wall like art.

I was beginning to feel like I fucked up.

“Where do you go to find doilies?” Finn asked, and Dot launched into a long story about this time she visited a doily store in Vancouver.

He was supposed to be bored out of his mind, notmaking friendswith the owner.

Thirty minutes later, Dot clapped her hands together. “I’ll go find that map for you, Finn, there’s an antiques store in Nanaimo that may have something similar if you’re hoping to find one for your own home.” Her eyes slid to me while she hid a playful grin. “Or perhaps as a gift for a special someone.”

“That would be great,” Finn said, his arm returning to my shoulder. His fingers played with the ends of my hair, sending tingles down my neck. “I know aspecial someonewho loves doilies.”

Dot hustled out of the room and the second she disappeared, I lodged my elbow in his ribs.

“Ow,” Finn said, laughing and jerking back. “What’s wrong, baby?”

“Stop dragging this out,” I hissed.

He looked shocked. “Dragging this out?” he repeated in a low voice so Dot wouldn’t overhear. “I thought you brought me here because you knew I’d love it.”

I caught myself. Before I could say anything, he leaned in, caging me in against the glass display case behind me.

His mouth brushed my ear. “You look so fucking cute in that ugly shirt.”

Heat flared between my legs at the way his breath tickled me, and the intensity in his voice.

“You’re a pervert.”

He snorted, chest shaking with laughter. Dot hustled back into the room. She spread the map out on the display case and began explaining the store location in detail.

Two hours later, the tour of the doily museum came to an end. Finn’s arm returned to my shoulders and my stomach flip-flopped at the contact.

I had to get home. I had to get away from Finn.

“Thanks, Dot,” I said in a rush, glancing at the door. “It’s been so fun, but we’ve got to get going.”

Dot’s expression fell like I told her I was taking her dog away. “I was hoping you’d stay for some tea and cookies.”

Finn’s arm squeezed my shoulders closer to him and I tilted my chin up to look at him. My eyes begged for mercy.Please, my eyes said.Please don’t make me stay here.

Finn’s mouth curled into a wicked grin and his eyebrows lifted once.

Fuck.

“We wouldloveto stay,” he told Dot. “We’re starving.”

She clapped, elated. “I’ll go set out the doily!”

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