33. Lennox
lennox
. . .
I stared at Bishop from across the campfire.
He was tapping his fingers rapidly against the beer bottle in his hand, staring off into the distance like it held all the answers to life’s greatest mysteries.
Callie lay at his feet instead of mine—the little traitor.
Why did all my animals betray me for him?
It’d been nearly a week since the branding, and he was acting strange.
At first, I thought it was all the love talk, that it really had bothered him more than he’d let on, but that theory promptly crashed and burned.
The man constantly told me he loved me. He reminded me of a toddler who’d just learned a new word and couldn’t stop saying it.
It was cute. Adorable, even. It still didn’t explain the weird behavior.
When we were at work, he constantly hovered around me.
If I tried to lift anything heavy, he swooped in and did it for me.
When we rode horses, he kept his pace slow and steady instead of the races we were used to having.
It didn’t matter how many times I tried to taunt him into it. He wouldn’t budge.
It was the same when we were alone.
He started cooking dinner nearly every night, which was great.
I didn’t know he was such a good cook, but every single meal was incredibly healthy.
They were filled with lean meats, protein, and vegetables.
It was great, but honestly, I didn’t think I’d ever seen Bishop willingly eat a vegetable besides family dinners.
Even then, it was mainly a potato and the occasional broccoli floret.
I mean, he had the nerve to side-eye me when I brought a bottle of wine with me a few nights ago and asked if I should be drinking that. My only response was to pour a glass and keep eye contact as I took a sip.
It didn’t matter how many times I’d asked him what was wrong or told him he was being weird, he wouldn’t say a damn word. Not even as he and Lincoln had headed into town this morning on what the latter described as, and I quote, a “secret mission.”
“Still pouting about your grumpy cowboy over there?” Josie asked, stepping in front of me to block my view.
“Maybe. Though, you make a better door than a window,” I grumbled.
“Thought so,” she said, kicking my boot. “Scoot over.”
I opened my arm, letting my sister slide beneath the blanket wrapped around my shoulders.
Dad decided to do family dinner differently tonight by building a bonfire and roasting hotdogs over the open flame.
We’d found these chicken sausages that were approved by his doctor, so he didn’t have to feel too left out.
But it was chilly this evening, and we were all bundled up tight and huddled around the fire.
“Is he still being weird?” she asked, burrowing into my side.
“Yup,” I said. “And he won’t tell me why. It’s like saying that we love one another changed everything. Now he’s eating chicken and salad instead of steak and potatoes. It’s freaking weird. And that’s the first beer he’s had all week!”
“Do you think it’s the age thing? Maybe he’s trying to make sure he can keep up with you. ”
I turned toward her, rolling my eyes as she fought to keep a straight face. She’d been teasing me about our age gap every chance she got. Usually, I wouldn’t even mind the ribbing, but with him acting so weird, it wasn’t very appreciative.
“Alright, I kid!” she said, elbowing me in the ribs.
I wrapped my portion of the blanket tighter around me. “Well, I don’t find it funny.”
“Yes, you do. Maybe not right now, but you’ll laugh at my puns again once all this blows over.”
“What if it doesn’t blow over, though? What if something got into his head, and he’s changed his mind?
He seemed so eager to tell our big secret.
Even made sure I knew he didn’t want to hide anymore, but now he’s back to being weird about it.
The other day, I asked him when he wanted to do it, and he just mumbled something about him not being ready and then went back to looking at his phone. ”
“Alright… That’s concerning.”
“Thank you!” I said a little too loud. Bishop’s head jerked my way, eyes blazing a trail over my skin like he was trying to see if I was okay.
I focused my attention on him, silently begging him to come over and sit with me, but he didn’t move.
“See what I’m talking about? What’s the point of even being in a relationship if we’re not going to act like it? ”
Josie pursed her lips. “Bishop isn’t used to this, though, Len. He’s not the flashy, in-your-face kind of guy.”
“That doesn’t give him any right not to tell me what’s happening.”
“Touché,” she said in total surrender. “But if you’ll let me play devil’s advocate for a second?—”
“You always do,” I muttered.
Josie didn’t miss a beat. “I’ve been in his shoes before. He probably thinks whatever he’s doing is best for you guys. I’m sure he doesn’t mean anything by it.”
“How are we supposed to work if Bishop won’t talk to me? ”
She nudged my shoulder. “You do what you do best. You be your infuriatingly pushy self. Sometimes, it has its perks.”
“I don’t want to scare him off. If I push him too hard, he’ll walk away.”
“He won’t,” she said quickly. “If he was going to, he would’ve already done it. You might not see it, but that man has been pining over you for years.”
I scoffed, watching Callie nudge Bishop’s boot with her nose. “He has not. It’s a new thing for him.”
“Please tell me you don’t actually believe that.” Josie laughed, patting my hand when she saw my quivering lip. “Oh, babe. No, no, no. Don’t cry. Don’t do that to me right now.”
God, I felt so emotional. I wasn’t much of a crier, but I couldn’t help myself. For the first time in my life, I had felt secure in the love of another and dared to dream of my future. It felt like it was all slipping from my fingers, and I couldn’t do anything to stop it.
Josie opened her mouth to say something, but Bishop’s voice cut her off. “Can I have everyone’s attention?” Everyone turned his way as he stood. He sat his bottle down, wiping his palms on his jeans.
“What is he doing?” Josie asked, shifting on the stone bench.
“I have no clue,” I said, wiping beneath my eyes.
“What is it, son?” Dad asked, tucking Mom to his side.
Bishop sucked in a breath, letting his gaze drift across our family until it landed on me. He was walking my way before I could ask him what was wrong.
“What’re you doing?” I whispered as he stood in front of me. My eyes darted toward my parents, who looked extremely confused as they watched us. Meanwhile, both my sisters were wide-eyed with glee. I could practically feel Josie vibrating beside me. Even Lincoln had tears of joy in his eyes.
And then he dropped to one knee.
The fucking knee .
The one that promised a lot more than we had ever talked about, especially considering we hadn’t even told my parents about our brand-new relationship.
“Bishop,” I said, sucking in a breath. “What’re you doing?”
He reached out for my hand, taking it in his. “I don’t really know,” he confessed, letting his thumb trace over my knuckles. “Honestly, Lennox, I’ve been trying to figure out the best way to do this. I want to tell everyone what you mean to me and hopefully what I mean to you.”
“Lennox?” Dad asked, brows furrowed. “What’s going on?”
“I know I’m an idiot. I’ve dragged my feet when telling you and everyone here tonight how much you mean to me, but I don’t wanna wait anymore, sweetheart. Not with our family growing and?—”
“Oh, shit,” Josie said, closing her eyes.
“Bishop…” I said, squeezing his hand.
“No, I don’t want to hide this anymore, Lennox. Not with everything we’ll have coming up. I know I’ve been acting weird this week, but I’ve just been trying to show you I can handle whatever news you throw at me. I’m all in.”
Dad stepped up, hands on his hips, staring down at us. “Alright, will someone tell us what the fuck is going on here? I’m old. My hearing ain’t what it used to be, so from where I was standing… It looked like you were proposing.” He laughed, and my eyes slid closed.
I was going to die.
Bishop looked up. “I am, sir. I know it’s gonna come as a shock, but I love your daughter very much?—”
“That’s fucking obvious, son,” Dad scoffed. “I’m deaf, not blind.”
“I want to marry your daughter, sir,” he said. There wasn’t a hint of doubt in his tone. If this wasn’t so wild, then it might’ve been romantic.
Dad scratched his head, gaze flicking between Bishop and me. “A heads up would’ve been nice. I didn’t know y’all were dating…”
“We’re starting a family and?—”
“ Josie ...” I whispered.
“You’re pregnant?!” my mom screeched, throwing her arms around my shoulders. “Oh, Lennox!”
Josie pushed to her feet, throwing our blanket to the ground before yelling, “It’s me! I’m the one who’s pregnant, not Lennox.”
The noise stopped as everyone grew silent. They all stared at Josie, who’d gone as white as a ghost. But my gaze went to Lincoln, who stumbled forward, eyes softening as he said, “You’re pregnant?”
She nodded, a single tear falling down her cheek. “About six weeks. I have a doctor’s appointment next week to make sure.”
He surged forward, gathering her in his arms. “Darlin’…” he whispered, peppering her with kisses. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I just found out last week. Lennox was feeling some type of way about her situationship?—”
“Situationship?” Bishop asked. “What is that?”
“Undefined friends with benefits,” Lincoln offered.
Josie blew out a breath. “Anyway, she shared her secret, so I shared mine. We were together when I took the test.” She looked up at Lincoln. “I wanted to tell you, but I was going to wait until I’d had a blood test to confirm it, so I didn’t get your hopes up.”
“Oh, Josie…” Our mom stepped forward, wrapping her in a hug next. “Oh, I’m so happy for you.”
As our family took turns prying Josie from Lincoln’s grip, Bishop stared at me, open-mouthed and still on one knee. “Wait, so you’re not…?”
“No, you idiot,” I said, leaning forward to kiss him. “If you’d just talked to me?— ”
“I wanted to surprise you,” he mumbled, pushing to his feet. “I wanted to show you I was serious about us, about a future.”
“Baby… I don’t need all this to know,” I said, following suit and wrapping my arms around his waist. “I just need us to talk to one another.”
“That I can do,” he mumbled against my hair.
I grinned at him mischievously. “You sure? You seemed pretty prepared.”
“I was rising to the occasion! But that’s a big occasion.” He swiped at his forehead. “Phew!”
“What? You don’t want to marry me now?” I asked, pulling back to stare at him.
Bishop winced. “No, no! I do!”
“I’m just messing with you,” I said, laughing. “I love you, but it’s way too soon for that. We can start by moving in together. Orange couch and all.”
He placed his finger beneath my chin and tilted it up. “I do want to marry you, though.”
I leaned in for a kiss, enjoying the tenderness of his lips moving against mine. “I think I’d like that very much.”
“Yeah?” he asked, green eyes sparking.
“Mmhm.”
“Hate to break up this moment,” Dad said, stepping closer. He observed Bishop and me. “But I think you and I need to talk, son. Especially if you’re gonna ask to marry my daughter without so much as a warning. I have a weak heart, ya know.”
Bishop smiled, dipping his chin. “Yes, sir. I think that’s warranted.”
“I’m gonna be a father!” Lincoln whooped, throwing one hand in the air as he kept the other on Josie’s back. We all laughed as he pressed a sloppy kiss to my sister’s temple. “Bishop! Did you bring the present?”
All eyes turned to us. I watched Bishop’s cheeks turn the deepest shade of red as he walked over to his chair by the fire and picked up a small yellow bag with a ribbon. He held it out to Josie. “Here you go. I, uh, think this is yours.”
“What is it?” I asked, trying to peek.
Josie’s brows furrowed as she reached into the bag, pulling out a small wooden box. “Is this my pregnancy test?”
I turned toward Bishop. “ That’s how you found out? You dug that out of the trash?”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “I thought it was yours and wanted to make something for us to remember…” He cleared his throat. “Lincoln helped.”
Be still my heart. What a freaking man.
“Oh Bishop…” Josie said, lip trembling as she ran her fingers over the simple oak box. “This is perfect.”
“Let me see,” I said, stepping out of Bishop’s arms toward my sister. She handed it over, and the thoughtfulness of the project stole my breath. The casing was simple. The oak border was plain but beautiful. Inside was a different matter entirely.
Bishop had chosen a beautiful rustic red fabric as the background.
The pregnancy test was laid diagonally across the space, still showing faint, positive lines.
It wouldn’t stay that way forever, but it didn’t matter.
At the top, Baby Hayes was spelled out in loopy cursive with twine, ending in a lasso at the end of the last letter.
And there was a small, yellow frame for the first sonogram picture.
He’d thought of everything.
“Thank god you dug through the trash, huh?” Lincoln joked.
“I didn’t dig through the trash,” Bishop mumbled. “It was sticking out.”
“And then you picked it up.”
“Because I thought it was Lennox’s!”
I laid my hand on my chest. “I love that you kept something you thought I peed on in your pocket. That’s so romantic, baby.”
Josie gagged. “Okay. This,” she said, pointing between Bishop and me, “is weird. ”
“Well, you better get used to it,” Bishop said. His eyes found mine, the skin surrounding them crinkling along the edges. I’d come to love those wrinkles. They only came out when he smiled, and those moments were rare. “Cause I have no intention of stopping.”