Page 232 of How to Kiss a Hawthorne Brother
I slowly lift my head and meet Lennox’s eye.
“How—” My words catch, and I clear my throat and swallow, then try again. “How did you know I was out here?”
Lennox’s hands are still pressed against my back, slowly rubbing up and down as if to soothe me. I hope they stay there if only to hold me up.
“I didn’t,” he says. “Not until I got out here. Perry saw the bear on the game cam. He called me.”
I nod at his explanation, but I still have questions. “You said no bears, Lennox. You promised.”
“I know. I’m sorry. Usually, there aren’t any.”
“Butyou promised,” I say, suddenly feeling borderline hysterical as the adrenaline coursing through me starts to wane.
“I knowI promised,” he fires back, “but I saved you, didn’t I? I’m here. I won’t let anything hurt you.”
I breathe out a gasp at his protective words, a surge of heat coursing through me at the admission I didn’t expect.
The surprised look on his face says he didn’t expect it either.
The words hang between us for a long moment before Lennox’s grip on me loosens the slightest bit. “Are you sure you’re okay?” he asks, his voice soft.
When I nod, he drops his arms and takes a step back, pushing his hands into his pockets.
So this is where we justforgetthat he turned allknight in shining armoron me, declaring his protection with a certainty in his voice that nearly melted the bones right out of my body.
Fine.There are other things we can sort out. Like when Lennox turned into some sort of wilderness superhero.
“You fired a gun,” I say stupidly, as if it hadn’t been obvious.
“I did,” Lennox says, like my statement amuses him.
“How do you know how to fire a gun? You’re a chef.”
He chuckles. “A chef who grew up on a farm.”
“Well, right. But still. I was here, and the bear, and then you were just . . .here.With a gun.”
He nods along, a smile playing at the edges of his mouth. “I keep it in my office.”
In his office?“For what?!”
He shrugs. “Target shooting with my brothers, mostly.Annndto scare off the occasional bear.”
I press my palms against his chest and give him a tiny shove. We already had this argument but now I feel like we need to have it again. “Why didn’t you tell me that the other night?”
He frowns. “I’m sorry I didn’t do a better job preparing you. But honestly, had the bear not had cubs with her, Toby’s bark probably would have frightened her away.”
This argument makes sense—logically I know I can’t really blame him—and I slowly release the breath I’m holding. “Would you have shot her?”
Lennox shakes his head. “It’s against the law without a permit. I was just trying to scare her.”
I hold his gaze, suddenly wishing he still had his arms around me. “You saved me.”
He grins. “More like I saved your dog.”
I drop my eyes to Toby, who is sitting at my feet, tongue lolling out of his head like he doesn’t have a care in the world. A sick feeling creeps over me at the thought of something happening to him. “You saved my dog,” I repeat.
Lennox crouches down and picks up the gun. “I need to get back. I don’t think the bear is coming back, but just to be safe, you should probably put Toby on a leash and stay a little closer to the restaurant.”
