Page 15 of The One

“No,” she said. “My brother does with his wife and Ben. They got married a few weeks ago and I came to get Ben off Whitney’s hands so she could get some things done around the house.”

“That’s nice of you. No kids of your own then?”

“No,” she said. “I’m single. You?”

“Very single unless you count the puppy that moved in yesterday.”

“Yesterday?” she asked. “Wow.”

“I know. My sister lives here too. She volunteers at a shelter and somehow found one of my soft spots and got me there to check out the puppies. Next thing I know I’m signing on the dotted line and picking him up yesterday.”

“I bet you’ve got more soft spots than you want people to know.”

He wasn’t so sure how he felt hearing that.

Did she think he was a wuss? Out of shape? A pushover?

“I’m not sure how to take that,” he said.

“Sorry,” she said quickly. “It was meant as a compliment. Really, it was.” She took her phone out. “Do you mind if I get a few pictures of Ben with George? I want to tease my brother with this. I’ll tell him if he lets Ben get a puppy maybe his son will be more receptive to the baby sister coming.”

“Oh,” he said. “That might work.”

She stood back and snapped a few shots and he watched her as he kept an eye on George and Ben. He wanted to be able to grab the puppy should he knock the little boy over.

“I doubt it. I can’t see Trey taking on a puppy, a toddler, and a newborn. Though if anyone can do it, it’s him and Whitney.”

“You talk very fondly of your brother,” he said.

“He’s great. He was a single father until recently. Doing it on his own. Well, with me. He’s a fireman so he needed help when he was working nights. And I’m rambling. Sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry,” he said. “I hope my sister talks about me like you do your brother. I’ve got a one-year-old niece, Harper.” He pulled his phone out and found a picture of the two of them together. “Isn’t she just a doll?”

“She’s adorable,” she said.

Gillian had moved closer to get a look at the picture and he could smell something citrus floating around her. He wanted to inhale more but didn’t.

“She has me wrapped around her finger. Harper, that is. Robin, my sister too, but she has her husband now.”

“You said you were new to the area when we met?” she asked.

“Not really. I’m from Glens Falls. I went to college out West and then have lived in California since. I worked for Google, but with Robin getting married and having a baby, it was time to come back. Warmer weather isn’t all it’s cracked up to be when you’ve got earthquakes and wildfires.”

“Good point,” she said.

There was no reason to say much more on why he moved back. She knew what he did for a living and that he worked from home. This was just conversation.

“Someone looks like he’s tired,” he said when he noticed Ben rubbing his eyes.

“Yeah. Crap. I told Whitney I’d get him home before lunch and his nap. I’ve got to keep him awake now for that to happen.”

“I’ll walk with you if you want,” he said. “Or as long as I can and maybe that will keep Ben awake.”

“I can’t ask you to do that,” she said. “I don’t even know where you live.”

“I guess we’ll find out when we start walking then,” he said.

She picked Ben up and he didn’t fight his aunt but kept rubbing his eyes. George was trying to get closer to the boy when they started to walk. Ben was leaning over and trying to pet George and it was working out well.