Chapter 13
Genevieve
“I’ve always had a mild form of social anxiety.” He says, Bogey nudging his hand with his snout.
“What?” My head whips toward him, mouth hanging open. “I don’t believe you!”
“Do you remember when we first met?”
Do I remember? How could I forget the day I met my roommate's broody brother? The warm thrill that shot through me when his brown gaze met mine for the first time stole my breath.
His stiff nod of acknowledgement and his deep voice as he said goodbye. Had me staring as he left.
“My brother’s a little hard to get to know,” Claire teases, throwing a t-shirt at me.
“Who says I want to get to know him?”
The smirk she gives me has my face heating. “The way you couldn’t take your eyes off him as he walked out says it all, I think.”
“Shut up!” I throw the shirt back at her, and she effortlessly catches it before folding it and placing it on top of the laundry pile.
But just like usual, Claire wasn’t wrong about me wanting to get to know Luke. I went out of my way to run into him sometimes, even when he was on the opposite side of campus.
The first time I made him crack a smile, I was hooked, and so was he. We were pretty much connected at the hip after that.
Chewing my bottom lip, I breathe deeply. “I remember. Are you telling me you weren’t really moody, but anxious?”
The corner of his lip lifts, and my pulse skitters. “No, I was…um…irascible the majority of the time.”
We continue toward the parking lot, and I fidget with my fingers, nerves frazzled.
“But I also struggled with anxiety. Nothing like what it’s become, and not often, but it would occasionally pop up.
Like that day we met.” He stops walking and turns in my direction, Bogey sitting by his side, Luke’s hand finding his head.
“I was surprised I could even nod with how my heart was ramming against my ribcage. Claire noticed and winked at me, which is why I all but ran out of the room.”
Pressing my lips together, I try to keep the smile from my face and shake my head as I make my way toward the car. The golfer and his husky following.
Pulling my car keys from my pocket, I turn to face Luke. “What would you need me to do at this fundraiser you’re going to?”
I haven’t forgotten that he wants me to keep him safe from the old biddies at Evergreen Whisper Hall. I just want to hear him say it again.
His eyes narrow under the hat, and his Adam’s apple bobs. “I need you to be the highest bidder so I don’t end up hanging in the library half exposed like Mitch Blue.”
Folding my arms over my chest, I lean against the car and quirk a brow. “So my job is to ‘win’ you?”
A lopsided grin extends across his lips, and my breath catches. “Putting it that way makes it sound so…cheap.”
Lifting a finger to my bottom lip, I tilt my head before innocently asking. “But that would be my sole purpose, right?”
This time, Luke blasts a full grin in my direction, and I’m grateful for the car keeping me upright as a jolt shoots through me. “Not your sole purpose, Genevieve. Just the main one for the night.”
The way he says my name has flutters moving through my stomach, and a nearly uncontrollable desire to do whatever he asks of me. Furrowing my brow my gaze drops to his dog. “What about Bogey?”
“What about Bogs?” He glances down at the husky whose tongue is lolling out of its mouth.
“Do you have anyone to watch him?” Getting eye level with the pup, I scrub his face only to have him lap his tongue across my cheek. Wiping the slobber away, I chuckle and stand up.
“I hadn’t given that much thought, but it’s only a few hours. I think he’ll be—”
“My sister Kit will watch him for you,” I say confidently, but even as the words leave my mouth, I wonder if I should check with her first.
“Your sister?” Luke’s voice lifts in confusion.
“Yeah. She’s a vet and loves animals.”
“Is Starlight Vet Haven her clinic?” I dip my chin. “Someone mentioned her and I planned to set up an appointment.”
“Great. It’s settled.” I turn and start to lift my door handle.
“Mind telling me what’s settled?” Luke’s voice holds a hint of laughter. Then his mouth drops before snapping shut again as I slide into the car and close my door. Rolling down my window, I lean on the window run channel.
“That I’ll go to the fundraiser with you, and keep you safe from the mischievous residents of Evergreen Whisper Hall.” I start the ignition and then turn back to him. “And Bogey will spend the night with Kit and her husband, Beau. Deal?”
Holding my hand out of the open window, Luke stares down at it without moving, so I sit up a bit straighter and push my arm further out. “Deal?” I ask again.
Eyes still focused on my fingers, he slowly wraps his warm hand around mine before giving me a gentle squeeze. Tiny tingles zip down my spine, and for the second time today, I’m grateful my body is fully supported.
Still holding my hand, he lifts his gaze to mine. From this angle, I can see his eyes, and the warmth in them has me nearly melting into a puddle.
“Deal,” he murmurs, as he gives my hand one firm shake.
We sit like that, staring at each other. Neither one of us is moving.
“FOOOOOOOOOOOOOORE!”
At the sound of Luke’s ringtone, I reluctantly pull my hand from his.
“You'd better get that,” I murmur, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Placing the car in drive, I step on the accelerator and slowly pull forward, just as Luke’s agent’s ringtone sounds again.
Luke’s sour expression has me smiling. I can all but hear his grumble as he answers the phone.
Poor J.B. is going to get an earful.
A ringing sings through the car’s Bluetooth speakers as I call my unsuspecting sister to fill her in on my plan.
“Hey, Gen. What’s up?” I hear swishing in the background, and can only assume she’s cleaning one of the exam rooms.
“I volunteered you and Beau as pet sitters for next Saturday night.”
“What?! Why? Who?”
“The two of you are going to watch Bogey for Luke when we go to the Fur-Ever Homes fundraiser.” A giddy grin stretches from ear to ear even as the tiniest of dips flits around my stomach. I’m excited. Maybe more than I should be, but right now I don’t care.
“And what if I told you I was going to that fundraiser?” Kit asks, the swishing picking up again.
“Are you?” Gripping the steering wheel, my stomach does a full-fledged drop. I didn’t even think she’d be going, which is silly because she works with so many rescues.
When her laughter carries through the speaker, I groan.
“Not funny, Kit.”
“It was a little bit funny.” A door closes in the background, and I hear the click of a deadbolt. “So why don’t you give me all the details and tell me whose dog I’m watching. Wait!” Kit’s tone changes, and excitement laces it. “Is it Luke Nichols’ dog? Is Luke Nichols coming to my house?”
“How does Beau feel about your little infatuation?” Relief floods me, knowing she’s in.
“Have you seen my husband? He knows that I’m his and trusts me implicitly. But you didn’t answer my question. Is it Luke?”
“Yes.”
When she claps her hands and squeals, I start to wonder if this was the best idea, as jealousy clamps down on my ribs for the second time today. Kit and Beau are perfect together and madly in love. I also know that whatever she says about Luke is just to get a rise out of him.
I think.
Pulling my bottom lip through my teeth, I blow out a heavy breath.
I’m not sure how I feel about my sister being preoccupied with my—my what…client?
“Maybe this was a bad idea—”
“No, it was a great idea! I want to meet the man who has my calm and collected sister all out of sorts.”
“I’m not out of—”
“And I want to get my hands on this husky that I’ve been hearing so much about in the Fur-Ever Home forums. Besides, Beau has been talking about getting a dog, and I think this would be the perfect opportunity to change that opinion.”
“I’m not sure that’s going to happen. Bogey is pretty amazing.”
“High praise coming from you!” Kit teases. “And what about his owner?”
“What about his owner?”
“Any old feelings coming back?”
“Possibly? I said I would help keep him safe from the sassy seniors who like to bid on the athletes during the Hunks & Howls auction.”
“Hunks & Howls Auction?”
“Apparently, one of Fur-Ever Homes' biggest fundraisers is an auction where athletes are ‘won’ by the highest bidder. Last year Mitch Blue was won by the old biddies at Evergreen Whisper Hall and—”
“Ended up sans-shirt in the library gallery. Did you forget that the town gossip comes to me?” My cheeks pull up because I did forget my sister usually has all the goings-on in town, since her clients love to chat. “But what does this have to do with Luke?”
“He asked me if I would be his date, strictly professional—”
“Of course.” Kit’s voice is full of sarcasm.
“And bid on him so that he doesn’t end up like Mitch.”
“You can’t tell me you’re buying that after what I told you he said in the forum?”
“No. You told me you thought it could be Luke, and yes, I bought it.” My pounding heart belies what I just told my sister, because even though I agreed it was pretend, there’s a small part of me that doesn’t want it to be.
The more time I spend with Luke, the easier it becomes to let my guard down, especially after our conversation today. It doesn’t make up for what he did, but I’m not mad anymore.
Kit cracks up, and I roll my eyes.
“Shut up. Wanna come and help me pick out a dress? It’s formal.”
“For your fake date?”
“I’m going to hang up on you.”
“No, you’re not.” Her laughter echoes throughout the car, and I’m seriously tempted to do exactly that. “You’re going to pick me up in fifteen minutes so we can find a dress that has Luke Nichols unable to drag his eyes away from you.”