Page 86 of Beat around the Bush
I watched his demeanor shift. “What aren’t you telling me?”
He sighed. “I fired him.”
I opened and closed my mouth, trying to figure out what to say to that. “You did what?”
“I fired him,” he stated calmly, like it was just another Friday for him.
“Why?” My voice rose in pitch. I couldn’t help but feel like Lennon firing him was my fault.
Lennon glanced over at me, his face serious. “You were scared, Oakley. You were at the store alone, and you could have been hurt.”
“Did you really need to fire him?”
There was something he wasn’t telling me. There had to be.
“Yes.”
I stared at him a few moments longer, then turned my gaze out the windshield as we crested the hill. There was no point dwelling on it. What’s done was done.
He turned his truck around at the top, backing the bed closer to the edge of the hill before he turned it off.
“Stay in here,” he instructed, opening his door and grabbing the basket off the seat, taking it out with him.
The truck shifted slightly as he hopped into the bed, but I kept my gaze in front of me, staring out at the barns in the distance. They were tiny specks now, showing just how big their property really was.
A few minutes later, he opened my passenger door. “Ready.”
I tried to hide my smile. “Ready for what?”
“Why don’t you come see?” He reached in, grabbing my hand to help me out.
He closed the door behind me and covered my eyes from behind. “No peeking.”
“Yes, boss,” I teased.
He led me, instructing me where to put my feet, then had me stop and turn. His hands fell, and I took in the sight before me.
He’d laid a massive blanket out in his truck bed, complete with pillows, two more blankets, and a small wicker basket filled with what I presumed was food. There were little white flowers scattered all over the blanket with a few roses throughout, battery-powered candles propped on the sides of the bed, and a big thermos next to the basket.
“Lennon…” I started.
“Yeah, Oak?” He was watching me admire the setup.
“This is…” Thoughtful? Beautiful? There were no words to show my appreciation and how it made my heart melt. No guy had ever done something like this for me before. It was always takeout and a movie. Never a cute setup with an entire day planned out.
“Come on,” he said instead, seeing that I was speechless. He stepped in front of me, facing me as he set both hands on my waist. In one swift motion, he was lifting me and propping me on the tailgate.
We were almost eye level now, and as much as I loved the gesture behind me, all my attention was on Lennon.
“Did you plow the trail just for this?” I asked.
He shook his head. “Bailey did. He’s the one who told me about this spot.”
“I guess I’ll have to thank him, then,” I said.
He put a hand over his heart. “Not me?”
I shrugged. “It seems like Bailey did a lot of work here…” I teased.
