“You’re a good boy,” I softly tell him.
chapter ten
Caleb
I still remember the horrified look on Charlotte’s face that first day she arrived on the farm and Rex nearly barreled into her. Now she smiles when he’s around. She’s still timid and cautious, but if I can get her to be around him without trembling in fear, I’ll count that as a small victory. Trent is one of the vendors, I can’t remember which, and he goes on and on about how much he loves German Shepherds. I listen politely, but I already know he won’t be a good match for Rex when he says he lives in an apartment and has four other small dogs. Rex needs a yard to play in, and it’s better if he’s the only animal in his future home.
Once Trent leaves, I turn to Charlotte. “What time should I pick you up?”
Her brow crinkles. “What do you mean?”
“For the dinner tomorrow. Will you be my date?”
She rolls her eyes. “You know I won’t.”
“I know,” I say, grinning to hide the sting of rejection, even though I knew the rejection was coming. “But I figured I could pick you up. Carpooling is good for the environment.”
“You don’t know where I live,” she says, checking something on her phone. “It would be totally out of your way since the restaurant is between my place and yours.”
“I don’t mind.”
“I do.”
I know it’s pointless. I know Charlotte has absolutely zero thoughts of me in a romantic way. And I have sworn off dating, maybe not forever, but for now while my life is so busy. I don't know why I asked, and what’s worse is I don’t know why a part of me aches with disappointment that she doesn’t even want me to drive her to the restaurant. I knew it wouldn't be a real date. It would have just been me picking up a beautiful, insanely smart woman and driving her to an important business dinner. I’m losing sight of what’s important here.
The business I’ve set up that is pivotal to the success of me and my brothers. The nonprofit that is my life’s passion at work to save retired working dogs. And right now, the most important thing: the fundraising gala.
“I gotta get back to work,” I say. It feels like a lie, but I always have work to do. “I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
“Wear something nice,” she says.
I give her a little salute. “Yes, ma’am.”
I may be the CEO of Alden K9 but I’m not all powerful, apparently. When Ethan suggested we all carpool to dinner together in the ugly old family van, I used my CEO powers to veto that idea. My brothers used their majority to veto my veto. So now I sit, dressed in my best suit, in my parents’ old minivan they used to haul us around as teenagers when we all had varioussporting events to attend. When they left the property to us, they left everything. By some strange miracle, this van still runs.
The five of us could barely fit in the van back in the day, and now the lack of free space in here is even more suffocating.
“Man, it’s like old times!” Owen says, throwing his arm around Max and me from his place in the middle of the second row. “All we’re missing is Dad’s coffee breath and Mom’s complaining about his driving.”
“Thanks for coming back tonight,” I tell him. “You didn’t have to leave college for this but I appreciate it.”
“No worries,” he says, adjusting the teal and pink tie around his neck. He dressed well, but had to put his own spin on it. The tie has paw prints all over it. “It’ll look better to all the donors if the whole family is there. Plus it’s free Italian food, and I am so down for that.”
“I’m glad you’re here for one specific reason,” Max says, giving me a side eye. “You get to see Caleb act like a fool around his lady friend.”
“What the hell are you on about?” I say. I even wrinkle my brows to show that I have no idea what they’re talking about.
It’s all over from there. My voice was too defensive, too obvious. The whole freaking van bursts into laughter, each of my brothers taking turns poking fun at me.
“Just because a woman is planning our event and I am the person in charge of helping the woman plan our event doesn’t mean I’m in love with her. You guys are idiots.”
“We might be idiots,” Max says. “I’ll give you that. But you’re also in love with her.”
Owen rubs his hands together like an evil villain. “Oh, I cannot wait to see this. Caleb the womanizer suddenly settling down? Hey, Leo,” he calls out. “Can you look out your window and see if pigs are flying?”
Leo glances out the front passenger window. “Holy shit, look at that! Pigsareflying!”
“Caleb’s in love,” Ethan says, wiggling his eyes at me from the rear view mirror.
