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After another round of goodbyes, I finally hang up. “Sorry about that. She’s dying to have another set of grandkids.”
Everyone chuckles.
“My mother’s the same way,” Charlotte says. She pokes my leg playfully. “You didn’t tell me about your interview today. Tell me all about it.”
“There’s nothing to tell. I don’t have the position yet.”
“Is it a place you’re excited about?”
“Yes and no. The vets there are really experienced, so I’d learn a lot, but it’s not the kind of place I’d prefer to wind up, long-term.”
Remorse washes over Charlotte’s face, and I know she’s blaming herself for my blown interview at the place that was my top pick.
I take her hand and whisper, “That’s water under the bridge, McDougal.”
Tessa asks, “What kind of place do you want to wind up, Auggie?”
I briefly explain my professional goals to the group, and my ultimate long-term dream of owning my own veterinary practice that mostly services nonprofits, rescues, and animal shelters, and everyone—Ryan, Tessa, and Charlotte—expresses admiration for my goals.
“If you don’t get the internship you interviewed for today,” Ryan says, “hit me up. The wife of a buddy is a vet. Maybe she can hook you up.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that.”
Ryan addresses Tessa. “I should probably put the kids to bed, huh? We’ve got an early flight tomorrow.”
“Yeah, good idea. I can do it, if you want.”
“Nah.” He touches his wife’s baby bump and winks. “Relax. Catch up with your bestie who’s been MIA lately.” He playfully glares at Charlotte before getting up from the fire pit. In short order, Ryan’s on the lawn wrangling his kids for bed, at which point Zach asksmeto come upstairs to help put him to bed.
“I want to show you my cars,” Zach explains.
“You’re not gonna play cars right now, bubba,” Tessa calls out to her son. “You need to get lots of sleep for our big day tomorrow.”
“I just wannashowhim,” Zach says.
After getting nonverbal permission from Tessa, I say to Zach, “I’d love to see them.” I’m still holding Charlotte’s hand, so I kiss the top of it before releasing it and whispering to Tessa, “If I wind up being lured into playing cars for a few minutes, please forgive me.”
“I’m thoroughly expecting it,” Tessa says with a chuckle.
I wink at Charlotte. “I’ll be back soon.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
Butterflies. I’m feeling them, big-time. Even though I know I shouldn’t.
I jog to catch up to Ryan and the kids, and try, try, try, not to let myself imagine what it’d be like to putmytwo kids to bed upstairs while my wife, Charlotte, remained behind, pregnant and glowing withmybaby in her belly, with her bestie inourback yard—the sprawling, perfect backyard of the dream home, and dreamlife, we’re building together.
22
CHARLOTTE
The minute our men and Tessa’s two cuties have disappeared through a sliding glass door leading into the house, Tessa leans forward, arches a dark eyebrow, and coos, “You and Auggie seem awfully cozy. Quite the one-eighty from the last time I saw you two together, when you wanted to wring the man’s neck.”
I try to play it cool. “It turns out, it’s hard to resist The Hottie Who Lives Next Door. Who knew?”
“Especially when he’s as sweet and adorable as Auggie. What a cutie pie.”
“I must admit, when I got to know him, I didn’t mind him looking like ‘The Dreamboat’ in a boy band nearly as much.”
