California's Calling (Hunt Family Book 3) (7 page)

Chapter 10

Cub was just coming out of his bedroom when I left the bathroom. We hadn't expected each other, and we just sort of collided in the hallway. I had made an effort to take a long time in the bathroom so that this exact thing wouldn't happen, but here we were, alone in the hallway—me wearing pajamas and him looking like he just stepped out of a fashion magazine. His hair was still wet from his shower, and he had it combed away from his face. He never used product in his hair, so (when he didn't have it pulled back into a baseball cap) it normally just hung over his forehead.

Anyway, his wet hair being combed back, gave the illusion that he had used hair product. That, combined with the new fitted jeans and shirt, had me struggling not to stare. I tried my best to remain casual as we sort of awkwardly stepped around each other in the hallway.

He put out an arm to keep me from ducking around him. I had been trying not to look at him too closely. I was staring toward the living room with the intention of heading that way when Cub leaned over in front of my line of vision, obviously wanting me to look at him. The light in the bedroom was on, and it shone into the hallway, but it was still darkly lit in there compared to the rest of the house.

I pulled back and let our eyes meet for what must have been the first time since I bumped into him in the hallway. I stared into his light eyes for several seconds. They were grey in this light. My gaze roamed over his face—down the line of his nose to that little indention above his mouth. I followed the curve of his smile to the dimple in his cheek, which was deep enough to be visible under his facial hair.

"It looks good," I said. Again, I was overcompensating for my nerves by trying to act nonchalant. I knew, even as I spoke, that I was doing a terrible job of it. Goodness, I couldn’t even get a steady breath of air into my lungs. Cub Stephens literally shook me up. I felt like I was being wiggled and jiggled around by some unseen force.

He stood in the way of me getting to the living room. I had no other choice but to look at him. He was at least a head taller than me, so I took a deep, calming breath as I stared up at him, wondering why he wouldn't let me pass. He was looking at me with an entertained half-smile as if I was doing something funny. He was so confident and gorgeous in those clothes. His hair looked amazing, too. His smile grew as I sat there and stared at him.

"What?" I asked, whispering. "What's so funny?"

"You," he said, speaking softly.

I pointed to the living room. "I'm just trying to go back out there."

"Why are you in such a hurry?"

"Because I was done in the bathroom. I thought you were coming out here to show us your—"

Cub cut me off by putting his hand up. "You like me in these clothes, don't you?"

He took a tiny step toward me. It wasn't enough to make me step back, but he was definitely invading my personal bubble.

"I just said I liked them. I said you looked good."

He stared at me, letting his eye fall all over my face curiously. "Yeah, but you don't just think they look good, do you?" he asked. "I think you're into me in these clothes." His smile widened, and he nodded. "These clothes make you into me." He reached up and ran his hand through his damp hair, and a piece of it fell gloriously onto the side of his forehead. "You like my slick-backed hair, too?" he asked, still smiling and teasing me.

I could not breathe.

I did not breathe. I just stood there, at a loss for words as I listened to him tell me how '
into him'
I was.
Bam, bam, bam, bam, bam
, went my heart—pounding relentlessly in my chest. He had no clue just how
into him
I was. My body's response to him was crippling. I just stood there and stared at him like a deer in headlights. He slowly reached out to me. His fingertips touched the most sensitive area on my neck, directly under my jawbone. He left his fingertips there for what seemed like eternity, but must have been a few seconds. We both knew what he was doing. My heart had been about to beat out of my chest, and he was touching the spot on my neck where you could feel a pulse. He must have been able to see it beating from the outside. I tried to control my breathing, but it was difficult.

"Is that all for me?" he asked.

I knew he was talking about my pounding heart, and I glanced down shyly and shrugged, shifting and causing him to drop his fingers from my neck.

"I didn't expect to run into you out here."

"Oh, so you got startled?" he asked.

I nodded without really looking at him.

"Because I was hoping it was about me."

I glanced up at him. "That would be a little weird since you're my new brother," I whispered.

His face crumpled into a funny frown when I said that. "I'm not your
brother
," he said.

I couldn't help but smile. "You know what I mean," I said, peering at him. "You're my brother's brother, or whatever."

His face continued to show his confusion, making me smile even more. He shook his head. "No, not whatever," he said. "You're not my sister, or cousin, or any of that."

"You know what I mean," I urged quietly. "Your sister's marrying my brother. It's just weird."

He stared down at me with an unreadable expression for the next few seconds. "You're probably right," he said, in a tone that was almost regretful. "And you'll be leaving soon anyway." He paused, and the hint of a smile touched his mouth. "But, Charlotte, just so you know…"

He hesitated, and I said, "What?"

He took my hand in his and used my fingertips to touch his own neck. I was too shaken to really feel whether or not his heart was beating or not, but the simple fact that he put my fingers there, told me that it was. My own heart was pounding like a jackhammer.

I took an unsteady breath as I looked away, shaking my head. "Cub, we can't," I said.

"All right," he said. "I'll leave you alone about it."

I knew by the way he said it that it wasn't an empty promise, and he wasn't going to bring it up again. I was relieved and disappointed in equal measure.
Had I made a mistake by telling him 'no'? Had he given up too easily?
I was hit by a massive wave of regret as we walked into the living room.

Mia and Evan both acted like they didn't noticed we'd been gone for too long, and I was grateful for that. I sat there and smiled and talked about his outfits, but I couldn't get the image of his face out of my head. I kept replaying the part where he stared down at me and said, "
I was hoping it was because you liked me
." I knew good and well that he hadn't meant he hoped I liked him as a friend or as a brother. We both knew what he was talking about.

The problem was, he continued to try on clothes, act silly, and look gorgeous and happy while I sat there wondering why in the world I had just told him there couldn't be anything between us. Maybe it was the right thing to do, but something about it didn't sit well with me.

***

That same sick feeling sat in the pit of my stomach for the next five days. We worked non-stop at the rescue center, and our days were full, but I was around Cub constantly, and I just kept regretting telling him 'no' that first day.

I thought the newness would wear off and I'd be less affected by his charms, but that didn't happen. He was funny and kind, and so very handsome despite the fact that he hadn't worn any of Rachel's clothes since that night he tried them on.

We made accidental physical contact, brushing against each other several times during the week, but still being careful to avoid flirting. He scaled back on calling me Ladybug, only letting it slip once or twice all week. I smiled and laughed, pretending my feelings for him didn't exist, but there was an underlying pang of sadness and regret.

Truth be told, I could easily fall head over heels in love with Cub. Everything I learned about him during the last week had only served to confirm that. He was selfless but confident, and he loved God and those around him with all his heart. Plus, he had a dog named Tess whom I had come to love almost as much as I loved her owner.

I had a new definition of a dream guy. If I could just find a version of Cub who lived in California and wasn't my relative by marriage, then I'd be all set. At least I was no longer feeling like my chances of love ended with Lance.

It was hard to believe the wedding day was here, and our trip was coming to an end, but it was. Yesterday was our last full workday. We'd have the wedding today, and the last day of our trip would be spent relaxing and doing a few last-minute projects before we went home.

Evan and I were dressed and ready to go to the wedding. We were sitting on Cub's couch waiting for Cub and Mia to come out of the bathroom. She had insisted on helping him style his hair for the wedding, and he reluctantly agreed. I knew he would be wearing a suit when he came out, and I braced myself for it. I'd seen him in his old stuff all week, and I wasn't sure that I was prepared for the suit.

I was hoping the extra effort I put into my own appearance would carry over into some kind of added confidence where I didn't notice him as much. I heard footsteps coming down the hallway, and I looked up, expecting to see Cub. It was Mia, and she stared at me with a wide-eyed expression. She pointed to the area of her head right above her ear. "He gave himself a haircut," she whispered.

"Really?" I asked. I cringed, thinking she was warning me that he messed it up or something.

"He left the top long, but he shaved the sides. He said it's what he normally does."

"Is it bad?" I asked, hopefully.

She shook her head as she stared at me regretfully.

"It's good?" I asked.

She nodded slowly.

I breathed a sigh. "I've made it all week," I said. "It's not gonna kill me to see him looking like a stud for one day."

Evan was sitting there reading a spy novel, and probably listening to every word I said, but I really didn't care. I'm sure it was pretty obvious to him that I'd been trying not to have feelings for Cub all week anyway.

"You probably just shouldn't look," Mia warned.

"Why'd you go in there and help him with his hair, then?" I asked. "Are you trying to make it worse?"

"I didn't know when I volunteered that he was going to give himself a trim," she said. "I probably wouldn't have done it."

She seemed totally serious, which made me laugh.

"I'm glad you're laughing," she said, shaking her head.

"It can't be that bad," I said. She shrugged like I'd just have to see for myself. Within the next two seconds, we heard Cub's footsteps coming down the hall. He was wearing an off-white, perfectly tailored linen suit. He had on a vest and tie, but was carrying the jacket over his arm. He stood in the doorway, looking like he was chiseled from marble.

"Oh for crying out loud!" I said. I jumped out of my seat and started walking toward the kitchen, shaking my head. "Let's just go to the wedding," I said.

"What's the problem?" Cub asked, even though he knew perfectly well what the problem was. "Do I need the jacket?"

"It looks great without it," Mia offered. "I already told you that. Charlotte's just ready to get going. She doesn't want to be late."

"We're not late," Cub said.

Evan groaned as he reached over to pick up his tablet and look at the time. "We're not late," he confirmed.

"I still think we should get going," I said. "We told them we'd come early to do the last-minute stuff."

"We can go if you're ready," Cub said. "I didn't know you guys were waiting on me."

I saw his shadow move as he crossed the living room headed toward the door, but I just couldn’t bring myself to look at him. I made Mia sit next to him in the truck on the way over there.

Chapter 11

I felt nauseated on our way to the wedding. Part of it was general wedding jitters, but I was experiencing an underlying feeling of sadness at the idea that tomorrow was our last day.

I stared out at the gravel road as we drove to the center, thinking about all the memories I had made. I had gotten close with a little girl named Makena, who followed me around like my shadow. She would try to sneak away from the other children any time she could so she could come find me. She liked to braid my hair. Thinking about her made me think about my brother, Cody. His wife, Paige, was always braiding someone's hair. Cody and Paige along with their daughter, Ryan, would have been on this trip with us, but Paige found out she was pregnant right when we started planning it, so they opted out. I tried to tell myself that thinking about Cody's family was a good way to get my mind off of leaving Tess, and Makena, and Cub, but there was an uncontrollable feeling of sadness lingering in my chest.

I had to shake it off.

It was my brother's wedding day.

I loved him, and I loved Rachel.

I was happy for them.

Happy.

You're happy, Charlotte.

"Rachel chose the perfect suit for you," I said, knowing I'd come across as a big weird-o a few minutes ago when he first came out wearing it.

"You like it?" he asked, leaning over Mia to glance at me.

I smiled at him and nodded.

Act normal.

Be normal.

He's the same old Cub who's been covered in sawdust and dirt for the past five days—the same Cub who desperately needed a haircut.

"I can't believe you cut your own hair," I said when the thought crossed my mind.

He ran his hand through it, and Mia looked up to make sure he hadn't messed it up. "Keep your hands out of it," she said.

"I don't think it's going anywhere," Cub said, teasing her.

"It looks good," she said, taking one last look. "Don't mess with it."

"You did a good job cutting it," I said, staring out at the road.

"I just hold the top back and shave the sides with some clippers," he said. I usually have the girls at the center check my work, but Mia helped me out today."

Mia and I elbowed each other with all sorts of unspoken things. Who knew what we were each thinking. I didn't even know what I was thinking anymore.

"You trimmed your beard, too," I said.

"I know," Mia added. "I was noticing your dimples." I pressed my elbow into her again, letting her know she could stop that dimple talk immediately.

"I was noticing your dimples, too, Cub," Evan said in a high-pitched, girly voice.

"Thanks, Evan," Cub returned in that same tone. "I was noticing your ponytail."

"It's a manbun," Evan said, still talking like a girl.

"Oh, well, I like your manbun." Cub said.

"You're the best," Evan said.

"You're the best, too," Cub replied.

We drove for several long seconds in silence before Mia said, "Y'all are so weird."

"Can you believe Logan's getting married today?" Evan asked in his normal voice.

"It's crazy," I said.

I was happy for the excuse to sigh, so I did. "I thought all of us would get married before Logan ever did."

"They slipped briskly into an intimacy from which they never recovered," Cub said, quoting F. Scott Fitzgerald.

I wanted to come back with some cool, clever statement, or an even better famous quote, but I couldn’t think straight. All I could think to say was, "
F. Scott Fitzgerald said that
," which only made it seem like I wanted to show off for knowing. So instead of saying that, or some other nervous comment, I remained silent.

"They sure did!" Mia said after taking a few seconds to think about what Cub had said. "Is that a famous quote or something?"

"It's from a book," Cub said. "I'm not sure how famous it is, but someone famous did write it."

"Who?"

"Guess," Cub said.

"Edgar Alan Poe," she guessed.

"Nope."

"Fitzgerald," Evan said, from the far side of the truck.

Cub gave a stiff arm to the steering column, causing the truck's horn to honk. He beeped it in a short, excited sounding pattern, making us all laugh. "That's good, Evan!"

"We do a lot of reading on those ships."

I wanted to say that I knew it, too, but I held my tongue. I repeated the Fitzgerald quote in my mind, wishing it applied to me.

"I'm gonna miss you guys," Cub said, almost yelling over the road noise.

"I know, this is gonna stink when we have to leave," Mia said. "I can't believe it's almost over. I have these two little girls who stick by me all the time when we're up at the center. I was just thinking about how much I would miss them. We'll definitely have to come back sometime."

"I'm seriously taking Tess," I said, causing everybody to laugh even though I was mostly serious.

We pulled up at the center a few minutes later. We were two hours early, but we promised we'd be there early so Mia and I could help make sure the decorations were in place.

The ceremony was being held in a small field slash courtyard type of place over by the farmhouse. The guys built a trellis for the bride and groom to stand under, and the children had picked tons of flowers from Mary's garden to mix with the ones that were delivered for the wedding.

When we got out of the truck, Mia and I went one direction, and the boys went another. They were keeping it simple for the most part, but Logan had hired a catering company to do the reception. People were already hustling and bustling around the center when we arrived.

There was so much to do, that the hours before the wedding passed in a flash. Rachel was trying not to let my brother see her before the wedding, so she had been mostly MIA since we'd been there. Come to think of it, I hadn't seen her at all. In fact, I hadn't really seen Cub either.

"Where's Rachel?" I asked as we were finishing putting flowers on the tables in the dining hall.

"She's in the farmhouse," Laura said. "I'm about to go out there with her until the ceremony starts."

"Is it almost time?" I asked, glancing at my wrist even though I didn't have on a watch.

"About thirty minutes," Laura said.

"You think she'd mind if I went over there to say 'hi' before the wedding?" I asked. "Just to give her a hug or whatever."

"She'd love that. Cub's been over there entertaining her for the past hour. I'm sure they'd both love to see you."

My stomach flipped. "In the farmhouse?" I asked.

I knew exactly the place she was talking about. There was a small house that was the original building where the center started. The center had expanded quite a bit, but the old house was still used by the staff for their offices and storage. I wasted no time heading out there. I whistled for Tess, who had been at my side for the last five days, and she came with every intention of following me.

I passed a small bathroom in the hall before I made it outside, and I peeked my head inside just long enough to glance in a mirror. I was wearing a simple, light grey dress with sandals and thin navy cardigan. It was dressy, but not overboard for a wedding at a farm. I adjusted my hair and the headband that was wrapped around my crown.

"Aren't you gonna check yourself?"

I asked Tess who was just standing there staring up at me, wondering what I was doing.

"No?" I asked.

More staring.

I smiled. "All right, let's go, then."

I could hear music from ten feet in front of the house as I approached. I crossed the porch cautiously, and opened the front door. A wave of ruckus piano music hit me as soon as I did. It was loud and fast, but as I listened, I realized it was a song I recognized.

"Come along my baby, whole lotta shakin' goin' on."
The man sang.
"Oh, I said, come along my baby, baby you can't go wrong. I ain't fakin', whole lotta shakin' goin' on."

The Jerry Lee Lewis song was unmistakable. I had heard it a hundred times. I smiled and mouthed the words as I walked through the foyer and peeked into the house. I blinked at what I saw. There was an upright piano on the far wall, and two people were sitting at the bench. I knew at first glance that they were Cub and Rachel. Cub was all over the place, playing and singing like a madman in just the same fashion Jerry Lee Lewis would have done it. I could only see his back, but his hands were all over that piano, causing his sister to giggle and almost fall off the bench as he played and sang.
How is it that I had known him for a week and had no idea he could do this?

"Well I said, come along my baby, we got chicken in the barn, who's barn, what barn, my barn. Well, I said, come along my baby, really got the bull by the horn. We ain't fakin', whole lotta shakin' goin' on."

I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. I was helpless to do anything but stand there and watch him finish that song, and he sang the whole thing.

Rachel was giggling and had just reached out to hug him when I cleared my throat. Neither of them heard me at first, so I did it again, more loudly that time.

They both turned. Cub was smiling and out of breath from his exhilarating performance, and she was beaming like a girl who'd just been serenaded by a rock star.

"That was ridiculously good," I said with a stunned expression.

"Isn't he amazing?" she asked. "He can do everything!"

"She's a little biased," Cub said, using a handkerchief to wipe his forehead.

"I didn't mean to interrupt," I said. "I mean, I'm glad I got to see that everything, but I'm sorry if it was meant to be a private performance."

"He's been singing for me for the last hour," she said, reaching up to smooth her brother's hair lovingly. She smiled and winked at me. "He probably wouldn't have been quite that silly if he knew you were watching, though."

Cub gestured toward me. "Charlotte knows I'm silly."

"I don't know what you guys are talking about," I said, seriously. "There was nothing silly about that. That was amazing. I thought you were listening to the record when I came in."

"Even with the piano being out of tune?" Cub asked, smiling as he propped his hand on his knee. "I'm glad you're here," he continued with a sincere expression aimed my way.

I touched a hand to my chest. "Me?"

"Yeah, you."

"Why?"

"Because I was just talking to Rachel about you."

"You were?"

"Yep."

"What'd you say?" I asked, with my heart pounding.

"I said I'm gonna let you take her." He motioned at me again, but this time, I knew he was talking about the dog that was sitting at my feet.

I glanced at Tess and then at Cub, trying to see if he was serious or not, but then my eyes were drawn to Rachel who was smiling sweetly at me. It was like she was proud of her brother and his kind gesture.

"He asked me if I thought you were serious about taking her back with you," Rachel said. "And I told him I thought you were."

"I
am
serious, but you wouldn't actually let me do it, would you?"

Cub nodded and leaned over so he could stash the handkerchief into his pocket. "I think she loves you as much as you love her, or we wouldn't even be having this conversation," he said.

My eyes instantly started stinging like tears might begin to well up. I blinked to keep it from happening. "I'm warning you, Cub. I love her, and I'll put her on that plane with me in a heartbeat if you allow it."

"That's what I'm telling you," he said. "I wanted you to have a night to sleep on it. You'd need to make arrangements with the airline if you want to make it happen."

"You can't do that," I said, knowing that it would kill him to see her go.

"I can, actually," he said. He took a deep breath. "It's not just about letting you have her," he said.

"What's it about?" I asked, walking slowly toward them.

He paused and looked me in the eyes with a breathtaking smile. "I like you, Charlotte. I'm gonna miss having you around." He paused and ran a hand through his hair. "I thought if Tess goes with you, it's sort of like I'm there a little bit, too."

I couldn’t believe he was saying all this in front of his sister. My jaw started to ache and I swallowed hard against the urge to start crying. I glanced at Rachel, who was staring adoringly at her brother like she thought his honesty was the sweetest thing in the whole world.

"Cub, I would totally be honored to bring her home with me," I said sincerely. It was difficult to hold back tears. "Do you think she'd be happy with me? In America?"

He tossed his chin in her direction. "Why don't you two talk about it tonight and see what you think."

"How's the princess?" Laura asked as she opened the door behind me.

"I'm fine, Mama," Rachel called. "Come on in."