Page 73 of Mountain Protector

“Well.” I pin Neil with my gaze. “I’m Knox. Nice to meet you.” But the threatening undercurrent to my tone makes it abundantly clear I’m not.

Lark leans against me, giving me more of her weight. Dropping her hand, I curve my arm protectivelyaround her waist. “I’m glad you’re doing well,” she says flatly. “But I need to get going. Happy holidays.”

Neil huffs. “Fine. But do tell your father I said hello.”

I can practically hear Lark’s teeth grinding. “Will do.”

Then she nudges me forward, and I immediately follow suit, guiding her around Neil and along down the sidewalk. Once we’re a few stores down, she slows her pace and glances over at me. “Sorry. I know that was… awkward.”

“It’s fine. Are you okay?”

“Yes.” A pause, and then, “Well. I will be. Just… seeing him brings up unpleasant memories.”

“Do you want to go home?”

“No.” Her chin lifts. “I’m enjoying our night. I don’t want to let jerkwad ruin it.”

“Jerkwad?”

We’re just about to the entrance for Blissful Brews, and Lark tilts her head toward it. “Let’s go in. Get that special combo Alec was talking about. Unless—” Worry etches across her forehead. “Are you upset?”

“Absolutely not.” We duck inside the pub and as luck would have it, despite the buzz of activity, there’s an empty table by the window. Since it’s a seat-yourself kind of place, we hurry over to it, sliding into our seats only seconds before another couple walks in after us.

Once we’re seated, I pull my chair close to Lark’s and put my hand on her leg. “Are you really okay? I’m assuming that was?—”

“Hi!” One of the regular servers, Hazel, pauses by our table. Her bright smile fades as she takes in our solemn expressions. “Sorry. Should I come back?”

“No, you’re fine.” Lark matches Hazel’s smile withone of her own. “Could we get two of the holiday combos, or whatever they’re called? With the beer and wings?”

“The Ho Ho Holiday combo?” Hazel laughs. “Absolutely. I’ll put your order in and get those beers for you right away.” As she starts to walk away, she pauses. “I love your bag, by the way. It’s the perfect color for the holiday.”

Lark beams. “That’s what I thought!”

As soon as we’re alone again—or at least, alone at our table—her expression sobers again. “I don’t want to spend much time talking about him, because this isourdate. Our special night. But I know you must be wondering.”

I take her hand, threading my fingers between hers. “You don’t have to talk about it.”

“It’s okay. I was more surprised to see him than anything else. Neil?—”

“Jerkface?”

“Yes.” Her lips lift. “That’s what Kate called him. He’s the one I dated more recently. The jerk who said there was something wrong with me.”

My teeth grind together. My muscles tense. “I’ll go back and find him,” I grit out. “Show him what I think of that bullshit.”

“It’s alright, Knox.”

“So why did you look so upset? Just from seeing him?”

Lark hesitates. “Not exactly.” Worry flickers in her gaze. “He wanted to try towork things out, he claimed. And when I told him I wasn’t interested, he tried to convince me. Remind me that he was much more… understanding about my condition than other men would be.”

What?

“What?” Rage floods through me. If I didn’t think Lark would be upset, I’d race out of here right now and track that asshole down. Show him some of the skills I picked up in the Army.

Instead, I take a calming breath and say, “You know that’s not true, right?”

“I do.” Hazel appears with our beers, setting a frosty mug in front of each of us. Once she leaves, Lark continues, “I figured out what Neil was a while ago. A controlling jerk who can only keep a woman with him by tearing her down. And I’m not that woman. I wasn’t a year ago, and I’m definitely not now.”

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