Page 331 of How to Kiss a Hawthorne Brother
“Leave it to me,” she says dryly. “But don’t worry. Being the odd woman out is a feeling I know well.”
Audrey’s words ring with a note of truth that makes my heart twitch, and I feel a weird compulsion to invite her to everything.Include herin everything.
Across the yard, Mom and Olivia wave from where they’re standing near the house. Their smiles are wide, their waves much more enthusiastic than the situation warrants. It’s probably taking all their resolve not to come over and join theconversation. I shift my body so more of my back is facing them and turn all my attention to Audrey. “What if you’re just not watching the right movies?” I ask.
Audrey reaches down and scratches her ankle, her fingers dipping inside the top of her very utilitarian hiking boots. “Trust me, my sisters have tried,” she says. “But my brain—it takes a lot for it to slow down. Now, you want to watch a nature documentary? I’m here for it.”
“I narrated a nature documentary last year—the one about the orca whales.”
She brightens. “I loved that one! That was you?”
I clear my throat, then drop my voice into the baritone I used when narrating the documentary. “The orca whale, known colloquially as thekillerwhale, is the largest member of the oceanic dolphin family.”
“Itwasyou!” she says, her smile wide. “You did an excellent job.”
I can’t help but grin. The power of that smile—I don’t even care that she doesn’t like movies. That, of all the work I’ve done, the only thing familiar to her is a nature documentary that’s barely a blip on the map of my career.
“Maybe I should have talked a little more when we first met,” I say. “Then you might have recognized me.”
She closes her notebook and notches her pen on the outside. “Did it really bother you that I didn’t know who you were? I mean, admitting I don’t watch movies—that has to ease the sting a little bit. There aren’t many actors Iwouldrecognize.”
“It didn’t bother me at all,” I say. “Honestly, it was kind of nice. And it worked to your advantage because your indifference was a big part of why I was okay with you coming back.”
She barks out a laugh. “Ha! It would kill my sisters to hear you say so. They’re constantly teasing me about being too nerdy for my own good. If only they knew.”
“They don’t know?” I ask.
“They know we met. But they don’t know I’m coming here to research,” Audrey says. “I told you I wouldn’t tell anyone.”
“Right, but, I mean, they’re your family.”
“Maybe, but they’re…let’s just call them fans. I’d rather not have them begging for a play-by-play of our interactions every day. Also, I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t be able to keep from mentioning it on Instagram. Trust me. It’s better they don’t know.”
“Well, then I appreciate your discretion.” We’re silent for a beat before I ask, “Did they really make you give them a play-by-play?”
“Tell us everything he said,” she says, her voice breathy and light. “And everything he did. What was he wearing? Did you touch him? Did he touch you?”
I chuckle. “You probably hated that.”
She eyes me curiously. “You’re figuring me out, Flint Hawthorne.”
If I’m figuringanythingout, it’s that this woman is unlike anyone I’ve ever met before. She’s smart—there’s no denying that. But she’s got this steadiness about her that makes me envious. Audrey Callahan doesn’t seem to care the slightest bit what other people think of her.Authentic.That’s the right word for it. She’s unapologetically who she is. And it’sfascinating.
I nudge her knee. “You know what I think, Audrey?”
She smiles a little shyly. “What’s that?”
“I think you’re watching the wrong kind of movies.”
She wrinkles her brow like she disagrees with me. “I doubt it. But if you come up with something you think I’d like, I’ll happily give it a try.”
“Challenge accepted,” I say. “I’ll start researching tonight.” I hold out the cap to her water bottle, which I’ve been holding this whole time. “Hey, are you hungry?”
Audrey takes the cap, her fingers brushing against mine. They linger a beat longer than necessary before she yanks her hand back, drops her eyes, and quickly twists the lid onto the bottle. She clears her throat. “What?”
“Are you hungry?” I repeat. “The food will be ready soon, and there’s plenty. You’re welcome to come grab a plate.”
She visibly swallows, her eyes darting from me, over to the pool, then back again.
