Love’s Change of Heart novel Chapter 345

When they got to the woods and scouted a spot near the stream, they began to set up camp and the barbecue pit.

The only ones who didn't do any work were Aidan and Hogbunny. They sat on foldable chairs, and where the former seemed perfectly at ease, the latter took in the scenery with wide eyes filled with wonder.

Leanna sauntered up to Aidan and crouched down next to him, then snapped, "Are you here to watch us work, President Pearson?"

Aidan glanced down at her and said slowly, "I would have brought Jonathan here had you told me you guys were going camping."

She rolled her eyes in exasperation. Somehow, his brazen response did not surprise her at all.

He added, "Besides, it's not as if I have nothing to do."

She frowned. "What have you done thus far?"

Aidan glanced at the little boy who was sitting next to him. "I'm keeping an eye on him in case he runs off on his own and gets lost. You wouldn't want to have to explain to his mother about his disappearance, would you?"

Leanna let out a dry chuckle and decidedly ignored him. Then, she reached into her knapsack, filled with snacks, and handed Hogbunny a small yogurt bottle. She ruffled his hair affectionately and said, "Here you go, kid. Stay put, and don't run off on your own, alright? There might be a couple of big, bad wolves lurking in those woods."

She heard Aidan snort beside her, clearly holding her old-fashioned methods of keeping children in place in disdain.

Hogbunny, on the other hand, clutched the yogurt bottle close to him and nodded solemnly. "I promise I won't run off on my own. I'll be good."

Leanna beamed and rose to her feet. "Attaboy. Anyway, this, uh, mister over here will keep you company while I help my friends with the barbecue. I'll call you when the meat's ready."

When he heard this, Aidan grumbled, "How come you were never this nice to me?"

She gritted her teeth. "Shut up, mister!"

He blinked at her in disbelief but did not say another word in retort.

When Leanna had walked off to the barbecue pit where the others were gathered, Hogbunny turned to look at Aidan and handed him the yogurt.

"I don't drink yogurt. Besides, she gave it to you," Aidan pointed out coolly.

"I know. Can you please open the bottle for me, mister?" Hogbunny asked.

Aidan scoffed. "You're old enough to know how to open a bottle."

The little boy deadpanned, "I saw you take the candy from that lady's mouth when you got down from the car earlier."

The vein near Aidan's temple throbbed as he glowered at the kid, his eyes like ice.

However, Hogbunny was not the least bit intimidated by his imposing demeanor. "If you won't open it for me, then I'll get her to—"

Before he could finish his stance, Aidan snatched the yogurt bottle out of his hands, twisted the cap open, and then handed it back to him.

"Thank you," Hogbunny said cheerily, then tipped his head back and drank the yogurt in silence.

Aidan watched him and asked, "Hey, brat, won't your family mind you coming out with a bunch of adults like this?"

Having finished the yogurt, Hogbunny corrected the older man primly, "I'm not a brat. I'm ten. Haven't you ever gone out with friends before when you were a kid, mister? Did your family keep you at home most of the time?"

Aidan's lips pursed into a thin line.

On the other end of the campsite, Zoe added briquettes to the barbecue pit while glancing over her shoulder to check on the kid. "I didn't think the brat would get along so well with President Pearson. Do you think they've met their match?"

"Oh, so he was a cute guy before, and now he's just a brat?" Leanna teased.

Zoe shot her a look of mute despair. "Stop rubbing salt in my wound," she wailed. She had never before found life so tiresome. "I'll drop him home right after this. I swear, the little con artist has completely warped my sense of trust for people I meet on the Internet!"

Leanna countered, "Maybe there's been a misunderstanding. I think he's rather adorable, and his manners are impeccable, too. Did you read too much into his messages?"

Zoe retorted aggravatedly, "That's not possible! He even sent me photos, remember? I wasn't reading too much into anything! I give up on love. I've met countless douchebags in this lifetime to put me off dating forever. Lying, cheating scumbags, and those with fish ponds, too... What are kids learning these days at school? Does scumbag training start this young? Maybe I'm just not meant to find love. I might as well join a convent!"

Leanna laughed and patted her friend's shoulder as she comforted, "Now, now, don't jump the gun. You can mingle after the competition. There's a higher chance of you meeting the right guy if you just get away from the Internet for long enough."

"Forget it," Zoe muttered grimly. "What am I if not a douchebag magnet? I should just accept my fate and swear off men entirely."

At that moment, Leanna looked at the young couple laughing and bantering by the stream. She smiled and mused wistfully, "It's nice to be young, huh?"

Zoe followed her line of sight and sighed in the most jaded way she could. "Yeah. I wouldn't have to worry about meeting douchebags if I were their age."

That afternoon, the campers dug into their own packed lunches and snacks. When they were done, two pairs of lovebirds decided to make their way to the flower field they had seen on the map. The remaining campers either retreated into their tents to nap or huddled together by the stream, gazing out at the woods.

Leanna sat next to Aidan as she asked quietly, "Are you bored, President Pearson?"

Aidan cast her a sideways glance and smiled, "Not when you're with me."

The corners of her lips curled upward as she stared at the glimmering surface of the water. After a while, she said, "Sometimes when I get overwhelmed by work, hanging out with this bunch of kids reminds me to take it easy."

"Kids? You're not that much older than them, you know," he pointed out in amusement.

She argued good-naturedly, "Yes, but I'm older than them nonetheless, even if by a few years. I treat them the same way as I would with Louis. They're like my little sisters and brothers."

Aidan snaked an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, then murmured huskily, "I'm only a couple of years older than you, but you called me mister."

She was rendered speechless by this.

While she was still stunned, Aidan leaned in and nibbled her earlobe playfully. "Hmm?" he teased.

Blood rushed to her cheeks at once as she gave him a weak push. "Watch yourself. There are people here."

"Where?" Aidan asked, looking around to make his point.

The only other person here was the kid doing his homework with his back to them. Zoe appeared to have skulked off somewhere else as well.

"We still can't," Leanna said as she used her hand to keep the distance between them.

"Can't what?" he asked as he chuckled roguishly.

She couldn't believe he was still teasing her when they were in the open. She ignored him, but when she was about to get up, he pulled her back and said, "Okay, I'll stop. Just sit here with me, will you?"

He sounded tired. She looked at him for a moment and asked, "Have you been busy these days?"

He hummed in response, then explained slowly, "There's a lot of work to be done, and I'm going on a business trip tomorrow."

"You never told me."

"I was going to, but then you decided to bring your whole workshop on a camping trip."

She quirked her lips. Well, I blame myself for this, she thought guiltily. She paused, then asked, "When will you be back?"

"A week, if I'm lucky," Aidan answered. He wasn't worried about her safety, given that he had hired a team of bodyguards to secretly keep watch over her during his absence. Still, there was something else on his mind.

Leanna straightened up in his arms and pressed, "Are you okay? You've been acting strange today."

Aidan smirked. "How so?"

"For starters, I've rarely seen you so serious."

"So you like it when I'm not serious, then?"

Once again, Leanna had no reply.