One Night Stand-In (Boyfriend Material #3) - Lauren Blakely Page 0,53
brothers, but mostly there’s no sibling rivalry,” Davina explains. “Want to feed them?”
Lucas straightens his spine, his jaw tightening. “Feed them what?”
A laugh bursts from my chest. “Lucas, are you afraid of llamas too?”
“No!”
Davina laughs deeply. “They don’t bite.” She strokes her chin, adopting a serious expression. “Well, I hope they don’t.” She winks at me.
“So, they do bite?” he asks, clearly concerned.
I nudge him. “They’re up there with clowns on your list, right? It’s okay. I can protect you from these guys as well.”
He rolls his eyes. “I’m not afraid of alpacas.”
“Good, but those are llamas,” I say.
“No, they’re alpacas,” he says, pointing to the Alpacalypse sign.
“Nope.” I shake my head as I gesture to the long-faced animals. “Definitely llamas.”
“Then why does it say Alpacalypse?”
“Because the llamas are warning us about it,” Davina cuts in, slapping her thigh, laughing. When she finishes, she bends to grab some hay. “Animal puns get me every time. And don’t feel bad—Rowan couldn’t tell the difference either. He and Luna went round and round all the time on this one. Here you go.” She offers some to Lucas. He holds out his hand, a little reluctantly, giving the hay the side-eye.
“You never had pets growing up, did you?” I ask.
“No. My parents hated them.”
“Ouch,” I say, frowning. “Hate’s a strong word.”
Davina bends to grab more hay when a loud buzz emanates from her jeans pocket. She grabs her phone then holds up a finger. “Got to take this. Just keep feeding Frick and Frack. They like hay.”
She wanders toward the end of the barn.
I tip my forehead to the bale of hay. “Want help?”
He scoffs. “I can handle an alpaca.”
“A llama,” I say with a laugh.
He winks. “I know that, Dumont. Just making sure you were paying attention.”
I grab some hay and lean against the metal bars, offering some to one of the guys. He munches from my hand. “No pets growing up, huh? And I’m only just learning this now?”
He shakes his head. “Not a one. My parents said they were dirty, stinky, and full of disease.”
“Ah, so it was just a slight dislike.”
“Just a tiny bit. Also, now that I’ve said that out loud, I think my parents were kind of dicks,” he says, fiddling with the hay in his palm.
With my free hand, I squeeze his shoulder sympathetically. “Sorry, Lucas. I know you weren’t crazy about their decisions. I’m getting the impression you are even less wild about them than you were before.”
He opens and closes his fist around the hay. “I don’t want to be like them.”
It’s a simple statement, but it resonates.
It’s how I’ve lived my life too. That’s my mantra. I’ve chosen a certain path over the last several years. One with the least llama drama.
Because I don’t want to be like my parents either.
Since we’ve been opening up, I draw in a deep breath and do that once more. “I feel the same about mine. Maybe that’s why I’ve never been in any relationship that became serious.” I’m a little nervous, but glad too, to admit this particular truth. This unexpected quest we’re on seems to easily unlock doors to emotions and secrets. Like we’re on a road trip, and the open highway is freeing our minds and our hearts.
We’re saying things we wouldn’t otherwise say. Admitting things we’d have kept tightly under wraps.
He tilts his head inquisitively. His tone is soft, caring. “You haven’t? Not at all?”
“Don’t get me wrong. I do date. But I’m not out there swinging it every night. I’m not a player.”
“You better not be,” he grumbles.
I bump my shoulder to his. “Hey, same for you!”
“Don’t worry, Dumont. Despite this face, I’m not either,” he says with a deliberately charming grin.
“You’re not?”
“Does this surprise you?”
“Well, you said it yourself. You have a very pretty face. So, you could be.”
“And yet I don’t carry the player card,” he says.
“Any particular reason?”
He shakes his head. “Just busy . . . you know. Focused. And I’ve dated, had girlfriends, but . . .”
“But no one who hooked you long enough to want more?” I ask, filling in the blanks, because they feel like my blanks.
“I haven’t experienced that click. That connection, like Rowan has with Luna, you know?”
“They’re kind of crazy for each other,” I say, shuddering like the thought scares me. And it does in many ways. I’ve seen where that kind of intensity can lead.
Lucas has too, and he mirrors me, shuddering as well. Two kindred spirits, understanding the dangers of love.