Page 23 of Her Devoted HERO

She sank back against the counter and crossed her arms. “Are you sure you’re only fifteen?”

“I’m going to be sixteen in two months. I’ve been the man of the family since forever.”

“But. But. You were just worried about lucky socks,” she protested she said as she spread her arms out.

“Mom. I’m a sophomore in high school. You give me the sex talk all the time. In two months, I’ll have my driver’s license. In a little over two years, I’ll be in college. Hell, at that age you were pregnant with me.”

Shit, she’d so been called out. “You’re okay if this guy comes to dinner?”

“Do you like him?”

“He ticks me off.”

“You like him.” Austin grinned broadly. “We’ll see you for dinner.”

She stared up into hazel eyes that looked like a mirror of her own. “Look, don’t grow up too fast, okay?”

“Don’t worry, I haven’t used the condoms.”

Kenna’s knees turned to water.

“Mom, I didn’t mean it like that. I meant I haven’t had sex yet. I meant I haven’t grown up that much. Geez, I don’t even have a steady girlfriend.” Austin was twenty shades of red.

Kenna reached up and threw an arm around Austin’s neck and kissed his temple. “Love you, Kid.”

“Love you, Mom. See you for dinner. If you need condoms, you can have back the ones you gave me.”

She turned twenty shades of red.

***

“You have a nice family,” Dex said as he pulled into the Starbuck’s parking lot.

“Thanks.”

“What did your son say to you? You came out of the kitchen awfully flustered.”

“He basically wants to check you out over dinner. Can you believe that?”

Dex opened the door for Kenna and put his hand on her lower back as they walked to the line. “Yes, I can believe that.”

Her head swiveled up to look at him. “You can?”

“Yep. Any man would want to make sure they approved of the guy that their daughter, sister or mother was going out with. It’s in our DNA.”

“He’s not a man. He’s a boy.”

They placed their orders.

“Can I pay?” Dex asked when Kenna reached for her wallet. She bit her lip but then acquiesced. “Thank you,” he said.

They waited for their drinks and scones.

“Austin struck me as a level-headed young man who got along with both you and your mother, but he’s also awfully protective of you.”

“You got all of that from just fifteen minutes?” Kenna’s pretty eyes looked at him curiously.

“Yep. What did he say to you in the kitchen?”