Chapter 14
chapter fourteen
Caleb
“Um, no,” Charlotte says, voice higher than usual. She clears her throat. Her cheeks are pink. I will never get tired of how cute she looks when she’s flustered. “My boss sent me over to film some more videos. She loved what I did earlier and wants more.”
“Don’t give this jackass any more fuel,” I say, nodding toward my wannabe sex-symbol brother.
“This jackass is earning moe-nay,” Max says, rubbing his fingers together as if they’re filled with all this money he’s talking about. I’m pretty sure he didn’t get a degree in business management to start a social media page, but whatever makes him happy, I guess.
I roll my eyes. “I gotta get back to work. I’ve got a guy coming to meet Rex today.”
“Really?” Charlotte steps closer, bringing the smell of her perfume with her. I wish I could block off my nose the way I can avert my eyes from checking her out. But her beautiful, feminine scent enters my lungs, making my heart ache for something more.
I will never have anything more with her. I seriously need to let it go.
“Yeah,” I say, shoving my hands in my pockets.
I walk back toward the kennels and she follows me.
I like it, but I hate it. And I hate that I like it.
“He’s an officer, too. No little kids, good size yard.
He’s had a German Shepherd before, not a working dog but at least he knows how much work the breed can be. ”
“What do you mean?” she asks, brows deepening.
“Not all dogs are the same. Some are lazy couch potatoes, and some are high maintenance. Rex is no couch potato, so I have to make sure he doesn’t go to someone who can’t handle him.”
“What makes Rex so high maintenance? I mean besides his aggression?” She tucks her hair behind her ears. “Sorry, am I annoying you with my questions?”
I shake my head. Internally, my heart is begging, pleading with me to get the hell out of this conversation.
Something has happened in the last couple of weeks, something life-altering, involving my ability to never settle down and the fact that when I’m around her, all I want to do is settle down.
These feelings are uncomfortable. And she’s got a boyfriend anyhow so, once again, I have to let this go.
“You’re fine,” I say, ignoring all internal warning signs to get away from this beautiful woman who is only causing me heartache. “Ask all the questions you want.”
“So how is Rex more work than a regular dog?”
We’ve reached the kennels now, and Rex stares at us from behind the newly fixed fence.
“For starters, he can ruin fences,” I say, glaring at him.
“He needs lots of exercise, daily ball fetching, and high quality food. Dogs his size can get bloat, which is fatal if not caught early enough and rushed into emergency surgery. Because of that he needs to be calm before and after eating or drinking, and he needs several small meals a day, not one or two big meals. I just need to find someone capable of caring for him the way he deserves.”
“Wait,” she says, holding out her hand. “This is perfect social media content.” She bites her lower lip and it does things to me that I can’t ignore. “Would you mind if I filmed you and you told me all of that again?”
Hell no, I think. I am not someone who wants to be on camera.
“Uh, sure,” I say. How can I say no to her? “I should run to the house and shower real quick. I’m gross.”
She shakes her head. “No, stay like this. The internet, and my boss, loves sexy sweaty men talking about things they’re good at.”
I swallow. “Okay then. Where do you want me?”
“Can you get Rex out and maybe walk over to that huge tree and we can film underneath it?”
“You sure?” I ask. “You’re not scared to be around him?
“Yes, I am.” Her lips press together and she watches Rex through the fence.
His breed is not one to back down from a staring contest, so he watches her right back, body stiff, ears perked up.
She exhales. “That is one terrifying looking dog. But, if you put him on a leash, it’ll be okay.
I’ll be okay,” she says, drawing in a deep breath and steadying herself.
“I have to get this done for my job. I desperately wish I had a different event planning job, but this is the job I do have and I have to get this done.”
“Okay. You just tell me if you get scared and I’ll put him up.”
She nods and waits outside while I step into the kennel and clip Rex’s leash to his collar. She keeps her distance as we walk toward the back of the property to the massive oak tree that’s been here all my life.
“What’s wrong with your job?” I ask after a few moments of silent walking and the sound of Rex’s breathing. “You’re really good at your job.”
“Yeah, but all my success goes to my boss, who gets all the credit and then demands more of me.”
“Ah,” I say. “That’s hard.”
“I wish I could just tell my boss off and storm out of there sometimes, but I’ve got nowhere to go. Not yet, at least.”
“You’ll find something,” I say. “You’re amazing at this job. I say you put your resume out there and let the job offers come rolling in.”
She laughs. “If only it were that easy.”
We film a few videos under the oak tree. It’s awkward talking to a camera, and I fumble over my words a few times. She giggles each time and tells me not to worry about it. “It’s digital. We can delete and start over,” she jokes.
So we do. I quickly realize if I look at Charlotte’s beautiful smile instead of at her phone camera, I don’t feel so awkward talking about Rex and the organization.
I’ve never been someone who cares about putting myself online.
But if it helps her job, and we can use the content to help my job, I’m happy to suck it up and do it.
Plus she called me sexy, and I am still high on that compliment. I might never come down from that high.
The time with Charlotte passes too quickly and before I’m ready to leave her, it’s three o’clock. Mike pulls into the driveway for his meeting with Rex. I stand up, wiping my palms on my jeans.
“Is that the potential adopter?” Charlotte asks, turning to watch Mike’s black truck pull over and park at the admin building.
“Yeah,” I say over a nervous tightness in my chest. “He’s a great guy.”
So why do I feel so worried about letting Rex go?
“Would you mind if I watch?” Charlotte asks. “The whole meet and greet adoption process?”
“Sure,” I say, desperate to keep her around me longer. “Let’s go.”
Mike is here to meet Rex, but he can’t keep his eyes off Charlotte. I shake his hand and introduce him to her, and he reaches out wrapping both of his hands around hers. “Pleasure to meet you,” tells her, holding onto her hands a bit too long for my taste.
Mike is like me—a perpetual bachelor. The way he eyes Charlotte just pisses me off.
“So this is Rex,” I say. “Don’t touch him or anything just yet.”
“Charlotte and Rex,” Mike says. “I get to meet two gorgeous creatures in one day. What are the odds?”
Charlotte’s expression turns sour.
“Let’s take him on a walk,” I say, nodding toward the nearest field. “The best way to meet a dog like this is to do a pack walk. He’ll get used to your presence while he’s walking and then once he’s gotten some energy out, you can introduce yourself and pet him.”
“Sounds great,” Mike says.
Charlotte sticks to my side as we walk. Rex takes the lead, like always.
“Are you looking to adopt him, too?” Mike asks her. “We could share custody if you’d like.”
“Er, no.” She tucks her hair behind her ears, her gaze focused on Rex. “I’m the party planner for the upcoming gala. It helps me to learn all aspects of the business, so Caleb is letting me tag along.”
“Ah, nice.” Mike is still staring at her in a way that gets under my skin.
Is this how Charlotte felt when she met me and I basically did the same thing?
I feel like a monster. Mike steps behind me and moves to Charlotte’s other side.
“You got a date to the gala? I’d be happy to take you.
You can be my arm candy for the evening. ”
This cannot be the same officer I went to police academy with. We’re friends but he’s just pissing me off now. “Dude, she’s got a man, so maybe just focus on Rex.”
“Well shit,” he says, frowning at her. “I’ll still give you my card. As soon as you’re single again, you give me a call.”
Charlotte ignores him. I hand the leash over and dive into talking about Rex’s history and how to care for him, and luckily, Mike drops the whole flirting with her thing and finally focuses on the reason he’s here.
Rex lets Mike pet him, and then they take a solo walk around the property together.
Mike tosses the ball and gives him a treat.
It all goes pretty well, until suddenly it’s not.
We’re standing around talking about his feeding schedule, when Mike flirts with Charlotte again.
Rex lets out a low growl, bearing his teeth. It’s probably not the flirting that bothered him, but the way Mike threw his arms in the air to tell an exaggerated police story that makes him look like a hero. Aggressive dogs get keyed up with rapid movement like that.
“Whoa,” Mike says, leaning down. “What’s wrong, bud?”
Rex growls louder, rearing back like he’s planning to attack. I hold the leash with both hands. “Nein! Rex, platz.”
“Feisty!” Mike says, rubbing his hands together. He glances at his watch. “I need to get out of here soon. I’m on evening shift.” He points a finger at Charlotte. “I can switch to days or nights—whatever my woman wants of me, just so you know.”
She lifts an eyebrow, arms still folded over her chest. Mike tries to pet Rex as he leaves, but Rex glares at him, ears pinned back. “Maybe not right now,” I say.
Charlotte’s quiet while we walk back and I say bye to Mike. She’s texting on her phone when I walk back to her. Probably texting her love of her life. I swallow the pain in my chest.
“That was the first time the Alden K9 Foundation interviewed for an adoption,” I say, letting Rex back into his kennel. “With any luck, I will have hundreds more dogs to find loving homes for in the future.”
“I hated him,” Charlotte says, breaking her silence over the walk back to the kennels. “Please don’t let him take Rex.”
“Yeah?” I say, scratching my neck. “You don’t think he’s a good fit?”
She shakes her head, nostrils flaring. “No way. And not just because he’s some flirty loser. He just didn’t seem like the best fit. Rex deserves someone better.”
“I agree.”
Her angry expression softens. “Really? Thank you.”
“Of course,” I say. “Rex deserves the best. And we’re going to find him the best.”