Page 156 of My Fake Dating with the Grumpiest Highlander
Tries to yank his leg away.
“I know it hurts,” Finn murmurs softly. “Just a little longer. You’re being brave. Good job.”
I keep working, focused.
But despite myself, my mind drifts.
The way Finn bends his head toward the sheep. The endless patience in his hands. The gentleness in his voice.
He’s like this with everyone.
Not just me.
The realization hits me like a physical blow.
This tenderness, this attentiveness… this is who he really is.
Underneath the grumpy armor, beneath the silence, he’s just someone who takes care of people.
Someone who whispers encouragement to a suffering sheep with the same softness he’d use to comfort a frightened child.
Someone who deserves to be taken care of too.
“There,” I announce finally, pulling the stone free.
It’s large.
Sharp.
Covered in blood and dirt.
“No wonder he was hurting.”
I immediately disinfect the wound.
Ragnar growls but no longer struggles.
Exhausted.
Relieved.
“He’ll need antibiotics,” I say while applying antiseptic ointment. “And he needs to stay quiet for a few days. No long walks. No… whatever he did to injure himself like this.”
“What do you think he was doing?”
I look up at Finn.
“I don’t know. But it mattered to him. You don’t walk around for days with a rock in your hoof unless you have a very good reason.”
“Or unless you’re incredibly stubborn.”
Despite myself, I smile.
“It is Ragnar, after all.”
Finn gently strokes the sheep’s head.
“You’re staying here, buddy. Mary’s going to take care of you.”
