Inevitable (29 page)

Logan laughed. He picked up his drink and took a small sip, his lips covering the lipstick mark I left behind. I shuddered, heat scorching my cheeks. Placing it back down, he tilted his head to peer over at me.

“I’ll drop him off at your house in an hour.”

“Great, I’ll head home and dig out some board games and movies. What time will you be picking him up?” I asked, jumping down from the stool.

“It will be late. After midnight. Will that be all right? I have to take a private plane to New York for the meeting.”

“No problem. I’ll see you and Oliver soon.”

I smiled, snatching one last fry with a quick wink, before turning away and heading back to my table, no longer needing to lurk around the restroom waiting for time to pass.

“Ready?” My mother asked, standing from the booth as I approached.

“Change of plans. I have to babysit for a friend. Why don’t you guys catch a movie and we’ll get together when you get back from your cruise.” I grabbed my coat and purse from the booth.

“Oh, all right.” My mother stood there dumbfounded while I gave her a quick hug and then a small smile to George before heading out the door.

I had never been so thrilled to babysit in my life. But anything would be better than sitting through an entire movie, in the dark, with my mother and George.

Chapter Twenty-One

Puppy Love

I
looked nervously around my living room realizing every board game I owned was labeled twelve and up. This was not going to be as easy as I assumed. I hung out with Oliver often, but not all day and night.

With a defeated sigh, I slumped down on the couch and pulled out my phone, quickly pressing a number from my favorites list.

“Hello,” Hilary answered in her usual cheerful voice.

“Hey, I need your help,” I said, shifting and tossing my feet up on the other side of the couch as I stretched out. “I’m babysitting Oliver in like twenty minutes and have no idea what to do with him all day. Logan said he won’t be back till after midnight.”

“I thought you were spending today with your mother?”

“Yeah, I’ll tell you all about that later.” I chuckled. “So, any helpful suggestions with Oliver?”

“It’s your lucky day, Miss Cassandra.” Her voice sang. “The town’s annual Christmas in the Park starts at three.”

I sat up a little, hopeful. “Any idea what they’re showing this year?”

“Kids classics like every year, until sunset.”

“Perfect.” I grinned, relieved. “You want to meet us there?”

“Only if I can ask Caleb to join us.”

“Yeah, of course. I talked with him, we’re all good.”

I had met with Caleb a couple days after he showed up at my door with Hilary. His constant apologizing texts were too much to take, so I met him for lunch at Haven. After a nice meal, and a few minutes scolding him for hiring a psychopath, we hugged it out. It was impossible to stay mad at him for long, especially when he genuinely was full of concern and regret.

With a quick good-bye to Hilary, after agreeing to meet up by the fountain, I hung up and tossed my phone across the couch. A second later, there was a knock on my door.

Perfect timing.
I stopped at the small mirror in the foyer, and did a quick check, running my hands through my hair. It was only Logan, I reminded myself as I grabbed the handle and opened the door.

My smile faltered when I found a gangly teenager, with spiky bright-red hair, standing on my welcome mat. Looking him over, my eyebrows pulling in, I noticed a large box at his feet. The bright-blue shirt he wore featured the image of a frightening snake wrapped around text that was too worn to read.

“Are you Cassandra Clarke?” he asked, staring down at the clipboard in his hand.

“That’s me.” My eyes traveled from him to the box, curiously noticing the small holes on the sides.

“Awesome. Sign this.” He placed a giant X on the slip of paper, and then shoved the clipboard forward into my hands, followed by the pen.

I shot him an unimpressed eye-reprimand, before signing my name, to accept the package.

“Who’s it from?” I asked, handing it back to him.

“Don’t know, don’t care. Have a great day and wonderful holiday.” He saluted me with a forced but smug grin, before turning quickly on his heel.

I watched him climb back into his rusty old pickup and drive away with his stereo blasting some good old Ozzy.

I shook my head. “Rude much,” I grumbled, squatting down to pick up the box.

My hands gripped each side, about to lift it when the box shifted. Stumbling back, I stood there, unsure what to do. Obviously, it was some sort of animal, but who would get me that? Warily, I lifted my foot and very gently nudged the box hoping to hear a sweet meow or something other than a slithering hiss.

The box shifted again from side-to-side and I flinched back, inhaling a deep breath and blowing it out, with my hands resting on my hips.

Did I really want to open the box unsure who had sent it? Last thing I needed was to come face-to-face with a large snake or something worse. I knew I’d pissed Mackenzie off at the carnival when Logan walked away ignoring her, but that was almost three months ago.

“Problems, sweetheart?”

I looked up to meet the eye of a rather amused looking Logan.

“What’s that?” Oliver asked, squatting down to peek through one of the holes in the box.

“I have no idea, but I’m pretty sure it’s alive,” I replied, scrunching my nose at the white box.

Logan shook his head, chuckling at my childish behavior, then stepped forward and easily opened the top of the box.

“A puppy!” Oliver squealed.

The little chocolate Lab looked up at us with big brown eyes.

“A dog?” I breathed, semi relieved but still confused. Who would send a dog? I watched as Oliver pulled the puppy into his arms, cradling it like a baby.

The small puppy pawed at his chest and I instantly knew who it was from.

“My mom,” I murmured, a slow smile spreading over my lips.

“Your mother sent you a puppy?” Logan asked, smiling down at his son.

“My grandparents gave me a Lab a week after my father left us. He was hit by a car when I was sixteen.” I shuddered as I replayed the traumatic memory of saying good-bye to my faithful companion all those years ago.

“I’m sorry,” Logan said softly. “There’s a note.” He handed me the small piece of paper taped inside.

Thank you again for sending me on, what I am sure will be, the best vacation of my life. I wish I could be there with you on Christmas, but I saw this little guy in the pet shop downtown and knew he would put a smile on your face.

Not to mention, keep you safe.

I love you,

Mom

I looked up from the note, smiling.

“Well, looks like I’m a pet owner.” I chuckled softly, watching how sweet the little thing was with Oliver.

“Come on in,” I said, reaching down to grab the empty box but Logan was quicker. I smiled, letting him get it and went over to help Oliver up from the grass. Logan snatched up the dog with his other hand and followed me into the living room.

“I wanted to thank you again for helping me out tonight,” Logan said, placing the box by the door and handing the pup back to Oliver.

“No problem. Do you mind if I take Oliver downtown for the afternoon? They’re playing a marathon of Christmas cartoons until nightfall. Figured he might enjoy it.” I shrugged.

“Yes, he would like that. Wouldn’t you?”

Oliver was too occupied chasing the little guy around the living room to answer.

“Great!” I smiled.

“What are you going to name him?” Oliver asked.

“Oh, um.” I had never been any good at choosing pet names. I once had a cat that I would feed on the back porch when I was a child. I named her Kitty.

“Can I name him?” Oliver asked quickly. His pleading eyes were as big as the puppy’s and just as adorable.

“Oliver, I’m sure Cassandra would like to name him herself.”

“No, it’s fine,” I said giving Oliver a small smile. I sat down beside him on the floor and the puppy jumped into my lap. “So, what do you think we should name him?”

“How about, um…” Oliver stared down at him for a long moment contemplating before he finally looked back up with a giant grin.

“Stout.” Oliver said quickly.

“Stout?” I tried to repeat it as nicely as possible not wanting to hurt his feelings for coming up with such a strange name.

“No! I said Scout,” Oliver whined, I gave an apologetic smile but between his young age and slight lisp I sometimes had trouble clearly understanding him.

“Scout,” Logan repeated trying out the name. The puppy jumped to his feet and turned to look up at Logan. “He seems to like it.”

I smiled, watching Logan bend down to rub the puppy’s back.

“Well, Scout it is then.”

“All right, I had better be going. Don’t want to be late. Be good for Cassandra.” Logan gave Oliver a quick hug and whispered in his ear.

“I love you, too, Daddy,” Oliver replied dropping back to the floor with Scout.

I walked with Logan to the front door and reached inside the small side table drawer.

“Here, it’s a key for when you come to pick him up tonight.”

A small smile played on his closed lips as his eyebrows rose staring straight at me. “You’re giving me a key to your house.” He took the key. “I must say, it seems you are rushing a bit for my taste, love. But if you insist.”

I smacked his arm playfully rolling my eyes.

“You said it would be after midnight, which means we’ll probably be asleep. Just come on in and wake me up.”

Logan slid the key into his inner coat pocket.

“Have a safe flight.”

“Take care of my son and yourself.” Logan waved good-bye to Oliver one last time before heading out the front door.

I turned back to Oliver and smiled, but it only took a second for me to realize I had no food for Scout.

“Do you want to take Scout with us to watch the movies?” I asked.

Oliver’s face lit up. No answer was necessary as he grabbed the puppy and raced to the door.

Oliver and I stood by the large fountain in the center of town waiting for Hilary. We had stopped at the pet store and picked up a navy-blue leash and everything else Scout could need. I hadn’t anticipated the rather large expense of owning such a little puppy. Although, Oliver had thrown a
few
too many chew toys into the shopping cart.

By the time we returned the bags to my car and put the leash on Scout, I hurried them along to meet up with Hilary. More and more children with parents at their sides flooded to the park, taking up the best spots on the lawn. For December, the weather wasn’t too bad. Harmony rarely experienced freezing winters.

I pulled out my phone, ready to call Hilary when I saw her approaching. Beside her was Caleb and another guy, I didn’t recognize, with neatly trimmed brown hair wearing khakis and a black wool coat.

“Hey Cassie, sorry I’m late.” Hilary gave me a quick hug and smiled down at Oliver. “Caleb got caught up at Haven.”

“No problem. We had to pick up some things for my new dog.”

“New dog? He’s yours!” Hilary grinned. “Oh my God, he’s adorable. He reminds me of the black Lab you had when we were kids.”

Hilary squatted down, holding his head in her hands petting him. Caleb mimicked her movement, running his hands over Scout, enjoying Hilary’s playful smile as she made silly faces at the puppy.

“You do know he’s a dog not a baby, right.” Caleb chuckled.

“He’s just so cute!” Hilary cooed before standing up. “So I’m guessing you don’t remember Luke, Caleb’s younger brother. He just moved back to town.”

“Oh my God, I didn’t even recognize you,” I gasped, looking him over again. Luke was my age and went to school with me until fifth grade when his parents separated and he moved away with his mother. Caleb stayed with his father, visiting his mother on the weekend, but Luke rarely came back to spend time with his dad. When he did, he always stayed inside by himself so I rarely saw him.

 He smiled. “I can say the same for you. You’re all grown up.” He buried his hands deep into his coat pockets, a sheepish smile curling his lips. “I hear you’re a teacher at our old school with Hilary.”

“Yeah, kindergarten.” I nodded. He had the softest green eyes, so innocent and so sweet. Luke had always been the complete opposite of Caleb. Shy and soft-spoken. As kids, he was always sitting in class or on his porch with his nose in a book. Even now, over ten years later, that bashfulness hadn’t changed.

“What about you? Own a bar like your brother?” I smiled, nudging his arm with my elbow to loosen him up.

“No, I leave that line of work to Caleb. If you want to call it work.” He smiled and Caleb made an insulted face.

“Better than working for dear ole’ Dad.” Caleb chuckled.

We all began walking over the large grassy area, my hand wrapped around Oliver’s, and Scout tucked in Hilary’s arms. Hilary shot me a suggestive smirk, slowing her pace behind the guys and mouthed, “Cute, huh.”

I shook my head looking back out in front of me, but couldn’t deny he grew into a fine man. Luke was the embodiment of the all-American boy next door. His features were chiseled and sharp, and when he looked over, smiling at me, I lit up at his familiar dimples. He was still lovable Luke, just all grown up.

“I always wanted to be a lawyer. Follow in my dad’s footsteps and keep the practice in town going as he gets older.”

“You just didn’t want to deal with disappointing him like I did,” Caleb cut in. “He convinced you to do right by our family, you caved.”

I curved my arm through Luke’s arm, smiling up at him to diffuse the tense staring contest between the brothers. “I always thought you’d be a professor, or scientist. You are definitely the smart one.” I gave Caleb a sly wink in which he snorted to.