AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter Three
His backpack slung over his shoulder, Caleb pushed Theresa’s doorbell and stepped back. He heard barking inside. He didn’t remember seeing or hearing a dog the last time he’d been here. The door opened a few inches. Theresa kept the opening narrow as a puppy tried to stick its head through.
“Hold on a sec,” she said. “Charlie, a little help, please. My hands are full,” she called behind her before turning back to Caleb. “We have a new, very wiggly addition to our family.”
“Sully, sit,” Charlie commanded, gripping the puppy’s collar as his mom opened the door wider. The puppy’s butt hit the floor for all of two seconds.
“Progress. Good boy, Sully,” Theresa exclaimed.
“Well, hello, puppy.” Caleb entered and set his backpack on the floor. He crouched down to eye level with the dog, and the Sully jumped all over him, tail wagging. He laughed and ruffled the enthusiastic canine behind the ears with both hands.
“This is Sully,” Charlie informed him. “We just got him last week, and he’s already housebroken. He only had one accident.”
“Smart dog.” Caleb grinned as he grabbed his backpack and stood up. Sully nipped at the dangling nylon straps.
Jeremy made an appearance in the foyer, his hands dripping water on the tile floor as he snapped his jeans. “Hi, Mr. McGee. Me and Charlie have a dog, and we’re teaching him stuff.”
“Good for you. Having a dog is a big responsibility.” Caleb couldn’t help but smile at the picture Theresa’s youngest made. Both her sons were little charmers.
“Yeah.” Jeremy dried his hands on the front of his shirt. “Can we take Sully outside now, Mommy?”
“As soon as John gives the all clear.” Theresa herded her boys and the puppy toward the kitchen.
“John?” Caleb asked as he followed.
“He’s our security guard,” she said, glancing at him over her shoulder, her laptop and folder in her arms.
“Is today going to work for you, Theresa? Would it be better if I came back another day? You have a new puppy, and it seems kind of—”
“My au pair should be home in a few minutes. Once these three are outside, we’ll be fine.” She led him to the kitchen. “The coffee is fresh. Would you like a cup?”
“Sure.” He missed this, missed the chaos of being part of a family. The hole in his heart throbbed with missing his wife and daughter. Helen had been a few months shy of her third birthday when the accident had stolen his baby girl from him. She’d been at that age where she got into everything, climbed everything, asserted her independence loudly, and made going anywhere a real challenge.
Helen’s giggles and shrieks of delight had been the very best kind of music. He’d loved every minute of her shenanigans, loved his daughter’s constant stream of questions, her curiosity, and her pure joy at every new discovery.
They’d had a cat too. Ambrose had belonged to Amy before he’d met his wife. Their daughter would chase that cat around the house, trying to hug him all the time. Ambrose had passed a little over a year ago, severing the last link he’d had to his previously full and happy life.
“Mugs are in the cupboard above the coffee pot. Help yourself to milk.”
He took a cup from the cabinet and poured himself a cup of coffee. He’d just opened the fridge door and grabbed the milk carton when a huge guy with a shaved head came in through the sliding patio door. He wore jeans and a T-shirt with his company’s logo on the front. He had piercing blue eyes, a square chin and a lot of muscle. All he lacked were a few visible tattoos, and he’d easily pass for a biker or a professional wrestler. The bodyguard nodded once to Theresa, and Caleb assumed that meant all clear.
“John, this is Caleb McGee, my band’s director. Caleb, this is John Clark, our security guard. Caleb and I have some work to do this afternoon.”
Caleb set down his coffee and the milk carton to shake the man’s hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise.” John gave him the same single nod he’d given Theresa. John took in the way the boys were chasing Sully around the kitchen and family room. The puppy had a chew toy in his mouth, and it looked as if he was playing a game of keep away with the kids. “Who wants to go outside and play?” he called out.
“I do,” Jeremy cried and darted out the door. Sully ran beside him. The toy forgotten, the puppy tried to nip at the hem of Jeremy’s shirt as he went, and the little boy shrieked with glee.
Once the children, the dog, and Mr. Muscle were outside, Theresa once again picked up her laptop and the folder from the kitchen table.
“Okay, so, I thought about what you said, Caleb.”
“What did I say?” he asked, watching as she brushed her long, dark hair over her shoulders. She had nice hair, a dark, rich brown shot through with strands of mahogany. He imagined how soft it might feel against his fingers.
“You said writing could be cathartic.” She shrugged a shoulder. “I went with that. I’m not sure this is any good or even usable, but….” She huffed out a breath. “Writing helped.”
“Before you share what you wrote, do you mind my asking why the sudden need for a bodyguard on site?” They always had security present while on tour, but having one at her home seemed intrusive, and concerning.
