Chapter 26
chapter twenty-six
Caleb
“Yo, Caleb!” Owen jogs downstairs wearing a tuxedo. His socked feet slide across the hardwood floor and he does a pose. “How do I look?”
“Like you’re going to prom?” I say, sipping my coffee.
He rolls his eyes. “That’s what Max said.”
“Isn’t that your prom tux?”
“Yeah, but I’m not wearing the tie.” He does another pose.
“Please tell me this isn’t what you’re wearing to the gala?”
“What else am I supposed to wear?” He groans, tossing his hands in the air. “I don’t have a fancy wardrobe. I’m in vet school. I’m out here studying to save lives, bro.”
“Jeans and a button up shirt will look better than whatever that is,” Leo says, walking into the living room with his own cup of coffee.
“Wear your scrubs,” I say jokingly.
Owen snaps two finger guns at me. “That’s not a bad idea. All the ladies will be into me.”
“This event is for the dogs, idiot. It’s not for finding a soul mate.”
“Says the guy who is totally in love with his party planner,” Leo mutters over the rim of his coffee mug.
I’m this close to flinging a couch pillow at him, but then coffee would go everywhere.
If Mom were here she’d be so proud of my massive willpower.
“Y’all know I’m not in love with anyone,” I say.
“Charlotte and I are friends. There will be no shit-talking allowed because she’s the savior of this event.
She’s the reason we have so many donors. ”
“No one is shit-talking her,” Leo says. “We like her.”
Owen nods. “She’s perfect for you.”
Ethan comes downstairs, shirtless in flannel boxers. “Are we talking about Caleb’s party planner?”
I lean back on the couch, looking up at the ceiling. “Get it all out now, boys. She’ll be here soon and you’re not going to say anything inappropriate in her presence, got it? She’s a professional, and we need her to make this event run smoothly.”
“She spends a lottttt of time over here for being a party planner,” Leo says. When I shoot him a look he holds up his hands innocently. “I’m not shit-talking. I’m just hypothesizing that maybe she’s into you, too, big brother.”
I stand. “This conversation is over.”
In the admin building, the air conditioning blows a little too cold, but it’s good for keeping my thoughts in check.
I get online and read through emails, responding to anything last minute about the gala.
Rex has two more applicants for adoption, but I don’t feel like reviewing them right now.
All of his previous attempts have failed.
It’s too late to find anyone right now that will give me that heartwarming gala adoption moment I’d envisioned months ago.
It’s okay though because Charlotte came up with a fantastic slide show that tells our story and encourages donations even without Rex being adopted.
Vendors start showing up around ten in the morning.
The event starts at six, but Charlotte organized everything to be ready by four because she said there are always a few early birds.
I watch in awe as a crew sets up tablecloths, chair covers, and sweeping fabric things across the ceiling.
This old barn transforms into a beautiful venue.
She really did have a vision in mind when she set to work a couple weeks ago.
I introduce myself to everyone, letting them know where to find me, and then I stay back and let them work. When I spot Charlotte’s car coming up the driveway, my heart does a little nervous dance in my chest. I knew she’d get here early, but this is really early.
She steps out of her car wearing another legging and shirt combo—the casual style I am really starting to love on her. Those leggings are hard to look away from. In her backseat she takes out a bundle of balloons and a box.
“What’s all this?” I ask.
She hands the box to me. “Donuts.”
My eyebrow quirks.
“It’s not for the gala, it’s for you guys. Breakfast of champions, and balloons to celebrate the day.”
“You really think of everything,” I say as she hands me the balloons.
She smiles up at me. “This event taught me a lot. It’s made me into a better party planner and has given me a lot to think about.”
“Oh yeah?” We walk to the main house and Max appears in the doorway, then jogs down the porch steps to meet us.
“Donuts?” he says, taking the box from me. “You’re the best,” he tells Charlotte.
“You’re very welcome,” she says. Her smile is contagious. She makes me grin like a fool anytime I look at her. She turns to me and her smile widens, reaching all the way to her eyes. “So how’s the setup going?”
“Let’s go look.”
We venture to the barn, and she knows every worker by name. She moves through the room, nodding in approval. “Looks like all my work is done here. I can go home, look for a new job, and then get dressed for tonight.”
“Look for a new job?” I say, just as my phone alarm goes off.
“Is it Rex walking time?” she asks.
“Yes, ma’am. I didn’t schedule any training clients today because of the gala but I also won’t get to walk Rex on time tonight, so he’s getting his exercise early.”
“Will you teach me how to do the ball flinger thing?”
“Of course,” I say, holding out my elbow. To my surprise, she takes it. We walk arm in arm all the way to the kennels.
Rex is thrilled to see her, as usual. She leans down, scrunching his face in her fingers and talking baby talk to him.
It’s incredible what a couple of weeks can do.
This woman was absolutely terrified of him when they first met.
I clip the leash on his collar and hold out the handle to her. She takes it.
“So you’re looking for a new job?” I ask as we walk out to the back part of the property.
“I have to,” she says, staring at Rex. “My boss isn’t too happy with me.”
“What happened to starting your own business?”
“I’m too scared,” she says, shaking her head.
“I remember when you were scared of Rex.”
She chuckles. “I’m still a little scared of Rex,” she admits. “He’s a big, scary dog. But my fear of dogs isn’t the same type of fear. My bills need paying. Starting my own business is terrifying.”
“If anyone can succeed, it’s you.”
She smiles up at me. “Thanks.”
“Okay, here’s what you do,” I say, unclipping Rex’s leash once we’ve made it out far enough in the old farmland. I hand her the ball flinger. “Hurl it as hard as you can, but don’t let go.”
She tries this, and the ball doesn’t fly out. Rex skids across the grass, eagerly waiting for the ball to fly. She frowns and tries again.
“You gotta pop it,” I say, motioning with my hand. “Like fling it hard then jerk it back at the last second. It’ll make the ball fly out.”
With her teeth gritted together, she tries again, with even worse results. Rex whines. He wants so badly to chase the ball but it’s not leaving the ball flinger.
“Why is this so hard?”
“Here,” I say, putting my hand over hers. “You move it in a motion like this.”
Slowly, I pull her hand back, then mimic how I throw it forward and then stop my hand, making the ball pop out. “It’s just like this, but a lot faster.”
“You’re really doing the whole cliche ‘let me put my arms around you and show you how to do this’ move?” she says, one hand on the ball flinger, and one hand on her hip. The way she’s smiling at me tells me I haven’t actually insulted her.
“Did it work?” I wink at her.
“Let’s find out.” She holds the ball flinger with both hands, pulls back and flings it hard.
The ball launches through the air and Rex finally gets to chase after it.
He gallops back across the grass and drops the ball at her feet, tail wagging so she’ll throw it again. She starts to lean down to pick it up.
“Wait,” I say, grabbing her hand. “Don’t touch it with your hand. Do this.”
I move behind her, wrapping my arms around both of hers. My fingers slide down the tops of her hands, moving the ball flinger toward the ball on the ground. I press it over the ball, then lift up.
“If you grab the ball with this thing, you never have to touch the slobber.”
“Genius,” she says, leaning her head against my chest. My arms are still wrapped around her.
“Do you think you’ve got it now, or should I show you again?” I ask softly into her ear.
“You’re ridiculous,” she says with a giggle that resonates through my chest.
“It’s just harmless fun.” I inhale her berry shampoo one more time then slowly release her.
She flings the ball for Rex, then turns to me. “Look, there’s obviously attraction here. You’re extremely handsome and you keep saying you like the way I look.”
“Beautiful,” I say. “Extremely sexy in this outfit.”
She rolls her eyes. “Maybe we should just kiss and get this over with.”
My heart stops. “What?”
She shrugs, a pink flushing into her cheeks as she grins at me.
Rex returns the ball and she presses the flinger to it, then launches it through the air again.
“All this sexual tension between us is, like, painful at times. We know we’re not going to date each other, so let’s just kiss and get it out of the way and then we can be normal functioning adults for the event tonight. ”
There’s no way in hell that one kiss will make all my feelings for her fade away. It’s not like ripping off a Band-Aid when the scratch is healed. Kissing Charlotte will be like stabbing a dagger in my jugular, making everything worse. I know this.
But I’m going to kiss her anyway.
“Let me toss the next ball,” I say, taking the flinger from her fingers. When Rex returns, I launch it so far, it’ll make him run three times longer, giving us a few bittersweet extra moments alone together. Rex takes off after it, and I take her face in my hands.
“Last chance to change your mind,” I whisper as I bring her face to mine.
“Not happening,” she whispers back.
Her hands touch my sides. I tip her lips to mine, and kiss her softly.
Her perfect lips feel even better than I could have imagined.
She pulls me closer and I deepen the kiss.
If this is supposed to get it out of our system, maybe I should try harder to make the plan work.
She kisses me back with all the intensity I feel for her.
Our lips part a fraction of a second and then pull right back together, like this is where they’re meant to be.
She gasps for air, her hands sliding up my chest. I grab her hips and lift her off the ground. We kiss until Rex’s annoyed whine pierces the air. I pull back, still holding her body eye level with mine. “Did it work?” I whisper.
“Mhm,” she says, releasing her grip around my neck. I set her back on the grass. Rex pounces around the both of us, back and forth, wanting someone to pay attention and throw the ball for him.
“Great,” I say, flinging the ball again. Her cheeks are so flushed, she looks like she just ran a marathon. I grin, my heart still pounding in the best way. “I guess we’re cured.”