He was starting to miss his older brother, but Riley would come back eventually. He always did. Sometimes it just took him six months or so.
“Riley’s your oldest brother, right?”
“Yeah, right. I told you, didn’t I? Owen’s the middle one. Riley’s… actually, I think you’ll like him. He’s, uh. He’s a little odd, but he’s a good man.”
Scott nodded thoughtfully, apparently taking that information in. “An acquired taste, you said. So you’re the baby of the family?”
“I’m not a baby,” Charlie defended automatically. He’d heard that a lot as a kid, and while he’d accepted that it was the trade-off for being the spoiled youngest, he still didn’t like being thought of as anything less than entirely capable.
“I know.” Scott smiled at him. “But you are cute.”
“I can’t stay,” Charlie said. He was regretting that more and more by the moment. The temptation to call in sick was strong, but if this didn’t get done today, it’d just be pushed back until next weekend.
He didn’t need it hanging over him until then. Most of his job was great, the part where he spent a whole day counting and re-cataloguing books was less so.
“I know. I wish you could, but I know you can’t,” Scott said. “Can I have another kiss before you go?”
Charlie smiled slowly, leaning in to peck Scott on the lips. “You can stay over tomorrow, if you want. Or I can come home with you.”
“Come home with me,” Scott said. “That way, we won’t have to be quiet.”
Charlie beamed at him, a tiny knot of excitement forming in his stomach. He was eager to do this again. Scott had been amazing in bed, whether or not he realized it. He’d been so responsive, so ready to try new things.
“Tomorrow.” Charlie threw his sweater over his head, pulling on his jeans and grabbing his discarded socks and shoes on the way toward the bedroom door. If he was going to be anything like on time, he needed to leave right now.
“Tomorrow,” Scott promised. “But I’m gonna text you all day.”
The thought of that made Charlie’s heart clench. Scott seemed so into him, in a way he wasn’t used to. All his past relationships seemed extremely casual in comparison.
Maybe that was just what Scott was like. Intense.
Charlie didn’t mind at all.
“Not if I text you first,” he said, closing the bedroom door on his way out into the hallway.
The task ahead of him was boring, but the thought of Scott was enough to get him through it.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Scott had just opened his mouth to ask if Kayla was okay with dogs when she made a beeline over to him, her tiny hands outstretched, reaching up for Chewie.
He’d figured that a family lunch was a family lunch, and Chewie was his family. If it’d been a problem, he could have left Chewie to play outside and get into all kinds of trouble, but it looked like it wasn’t going to be.
“I told you we should get a dog,” Jude said before anyone else could react. Kayla was still standing at Scott’s feet, staring up at Chewie with love in her eyes.
Scott lowered him to the floor carefully, keeping a tight grip on his leash just in case, but he really didn’t need to worry. Kayla darted forward another few steps, hugging Chewie tightly when he jumped up on her.
“I can introduce you to some great kid-friendly dogs,” Scott said, smiling down at the scene unfolding in front of him.
No one was being weird about his presence so far. Jude and Owen had greeted him like an old friend, Charlie had kissed his cheek and excused himself to help in the kitchen, Mrs. Jules had waved a quick hello and then ducked back in after Charlie.
It was all surprisingly not traumatic.
Just as Scott was thinking that, the sound of keys in the door made him jump. He turned to see who could possibly be coming in, and came face-to-face with a man wearing huge reflective sunglasses and what looked like half a normal person’s wardrobe, layers upon layers of clothes along with a scarf and a beanie.
The man lunged forward, wrapping Scott in a warm hug as though they were long-lost brothers.
Thiswas bordering on traumatic. Just a little bit.
