Page 181 of How to Kiss a Hawthorne Brother
I shrug. “I made a commitment. A vow. I was taught to be a man of my word.”
She pulls me to a stop, one hand lifting to my cheek. “Perry, you’re a better man than she ever deserved.” She leans up on her tiptoes and plants a quick kiss on my lips.
“Mommy!” Jack calls from just up ahead. “Come and see this pig! It’s bigger than my bed!”
“Buttercup,” I grumble, and Lila laughs as she threads her fingers through mine and tugs me forward.
“You seriously have to tell me what that poor pig did to you,” she says.
We slowly walk toward the pigpen where Mom and Jack are reaching over the fence, scratching the top of Buttercup’s head.
“It isn’t much of a story. Just that she escaped her pen one too many times, and the last time, she nearly barreled through the middle of a wedding reception happening in the pavilion.”
“And you’re the one who had to stop her?”
“The way I heard the story,” Mom says as she gives Buttercup a particularly affectionate pat, “he body slammed her and rolled her into the ditch by the side of the main road.”
“You body slammed a pig?” Jack asks, his eyes wide with awe, which sends a surge of pride through my chest. It’s the first good thing to come out of my wrestling match with Buttercup. I managed to impress Jack.
“I didtryand coax her back to her pen with apples first,” I say. “It’s not my fault she wasn’t interested in cooperating.”
Lila smiles. “Now that’s something I wish I got to see.”
I nudge her elbow. “You would have appreciated the jokes Brody made right after it happened.”
She lights up. “Were they punny?”
“Something about the Olym-pigs?” I say.
“I always knew I liked Brody the most,” she says, laughter in her tone.
I raise an eyebrow, and she grins. “After you, of course.”
“I’ll let Lennox know he’ll have to go bigger than almond pillow cookies.”
“Oh! The cookies. I forgot about those. Okay. I take it back. Cookies trump puns.”
“Wait, so what’s the order again? Should I be writing this down?” I ask, and I’m only half-joking. When it comes to Lila, I want to remember everything.
After we leave Buttercup’s pen, Mom takes us inside the big barn away from the actual petting zoo so Jack can meet Sweetpea. She’s a lot bigger now, but still more of a baby than all the other goats who are outside.
I scoop Sweetpea into my arms and crouch down so I’m right in front of Jack. “Do you want to hold her?”
He nods, brown eyes wide, and holds out his arms.
I pass him the goat, keeping one hand under Sweetpea to help stabilize her, as Jack pulls her against his chest.
Sweetpea leans up and nuzzles his face, and he starts to giggle. “Mommy, can we get one?”
“Goats have to live in a barn, baby, where they have a big pasture outside that they can run around in. But I’m sure we can come visit Sweetpea and the other goats another time.”
“You’re always welcome,” Mom says.
After we visit a few more animals, go on a hayride, and pick up some apple butter for Lila to take to her Grandma June, I walk Lila and Jack back to her car, feeling a little more optimistic about things.
Jack is riding on my shoulders, too tired to make the long trek back to the parking lot. His arms are resting on my head, and my hands are holding loosely to his ankles. I’ve never carried a kid on my shoulders before, but this almost feels natural.
Lila walking beside medefinitelyfeels natural.
