Page 28 of How to Kiss a Hawthorne Brother
“Nah. There’s another chef on staff that handles the catering—he’s busy prepping for a wedding happening tomorrow night—but we’ll stay out of his way.”
Once Hannah has made sure the goats are settled to her liking, we wash up in the barn’s utility room, then she drives us over to the kitchen to meet Olivia.
“Does Brody usually handle repairs and things around the farm?” I ask as we make our way across the farm.
“Not always. But whenever it’s something technical, like the milker, his engineering brain can usually sort stuff out as well as any repairman can. You remember how he was. Problem-solving even when the rest of us didn’t know there was a problem.”
“Yeah, that sounds like him.”
“I love that you’re all so involved,” Kristyn says. “That it’s truly a family business.”
Kristyn would love it. She’s spent her entire twenty-seven years living in the same northern suburb of Chicago. She even lived at home during college, moving from her bedroom into the apartment above her parents’ garage. All four of her siblings, all grown and married now, and most of her aunts and uncles, minus my dad, live within twelve blocks of each other, their lives so intertwined, it’s hard to tell where one family stops and another starts. Home isn’t just a place. A concrete thing with walls and a roof. It’s a whole passel of people who love and visit and eat casseroles together every weekend.
Technically, Kristyn’s family is my family too. But my dad didn’t stay in Chicago. Except for the reunion he took me to every summer, I never really saw his family.
I’m not used to that kind of connectedness. I mean, yes. I knew the Hawthornes were close growing up, but seeing themstillclose, even though they’re all adults and have their own lives? It’s a lot. I’m not very good at needing people like they seem to need each other. I’m not very good at beingneeded.
Lennox greets his mother at the kitchen’s back door, while Kristyn and I hang back. I still feel weird about showing up and expecting him to feed us.
“Good grief,” Kristyn says beside me. “You were not kidding about the blessed genetics thing. Every single person in this family is ridiculously beautiful. I mean,lookat him.”
“I know.Andhe cooks.”
She grips my arm. “Listen. I know you were feeling a little iffy about the whole friends-to-lovers thing. And that’s fine. But what if we try best friend’s brother? It’s an equally good trope, and—” She looks toward Lennox. “It’s not like you’d be settling going for either of Brody’s brothers.”
“Ew. Gross, Kristyn.No!I could never.”
She sighs like she can’t believe my stubbornness. “I just feel like you really need to consider how much marrying into this family could benefit your children. They might be born with literal superpowers.” Her eyes dart back to the restaurant, and she stiffens. “Oh my gosh. He’s coming over here.” She clears her throat. “He looks a lot like Flint, doesn’t he? I feel like I’m meeting a celebrity. I’m sweating, Kate. I’m actually sweating right now.”
I press my lips together to keep from laughing, but there isn’t time to say anything before Lennox is standing in front of me.
“Hi, Kate,” he says easily, pulling me into a hug. “It’s good to see you.”
“Hi, Lennox.” I introduce him to Kristyn, and Lennox hugs her too.
“Oh my gosh,” Kristyn says silently over his shoulder, her eyes wide.
“Mom says she worked you to death in the goat barn, and we owe you a meal to say thank you.”
“That is not even close to the truth,” I say. “But if you’re offering...”
He motions toward the kitchen. “Come on in. It won’t be fancy, but I’ll come up with something.”
Hannah has already disappeared inside, and I still haven’t seen Olivia, but I can only assume they’ll be eating too. “Olivia tells me you hiked in to surprise Brody on the trail?”
Ah.So when Olivia came ahead to see about lunch, she was also giving him the scoop.
That same discomfort from before niggles at my brain. “Yeah. We did.”
Lennox grins as he holds the door open for us. “I wish I could have seen his face when he saw you.”
“Trust me,” Kristyn says. “It was pretty spectacular.”
I wish Brody and his spectacular face were here right now. It’s weird to be surrounded by so many of his family members without him.
“Mom and Olivia are just through there if you want to join them,” Lennox says. “Food shouldn’t take long.”
The four of us settle at a long farm table in what I assume will be the main dining room of the restaurant. It doesn’t quite look like it’s still under construction, but it isn’t finished yet either. Plastic sheeting is draped along one corner of the room, half-hiding a bar area, and there still isn’t any décor. But I can see the bones of the place and can already tell it’s going to be beautiful.
