Page 13 of We're One

I take a moment. “Serious enough to want to see where this might lead,” I admit.

“Well then, show her the real you, show her you’re interested, that this is more than a game of cat and mouse. If she thinks you’re going to lose interest as soon as you catch her, there’s no reason for her to let you in. If this happened in the past you have a hard road ahead of you.”

“I wish I could remember,” I tell him.

“You’ll figure it out.”

We say goodbye and I make my way toward home. My mind’s a whirlwind of thoughts, and I’m feeling emotions I can’t ever remember feeling before. It’s so damn odd. Sia came out of nowhere. I don’t understand it. It hasn’t even been twenty-four hours and I’m obsessed with her. Is this what Gramps used to talk about? Is this what my brothers have talked about? I have no idea, but the path I’m on isn’t very fun at the moment.

I have to admit I love the chemistry between Sia and me. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. At this thought, another memory tugs at my brain, but I can’t quite bring it into focus. Have I felt this before? Was it with Sia? If it was, I’m in bigger trouble than I realized.

One thing for sure is this has nothing to do with the damn mystery box, and fate isn’t leading me. This is about what I want, not about magic, and not about a game. What I’m feeling right now is different than anything before. I know what I want in life, and I’m not letting any outside influences change me. At least I hope not.

As I pull up to the family home, a new determination settles over me. I’m not a puppet to fate, but that doesn’t mean I won’t listen to the little voices nudging me along a path I might otherwise not travel.

I assure myself that I’m a strong man who’s simply found something worth pursuing. That’s all this is. At the end of it, it will work out or it won’t. Good. Now that that’s settled, I feel much better.

I enter the home I’ve entered thousands of times before and feel relief. My life’s good. It’s had some ups and downs, but overall it’s been good. It’s better now than it was years ago. I miss Gramps and wish he was still here, but one good thing that arose from tragedy is that my brothers and I are closer than we’ve ever been.

No matter what happens tomorrow, I have family, and that’s so much more than many can say. It will all work out. I’m sure I’ll be feeling a lot steadier by tomorrow. I might even forget all about Sia. Not a fat chance of that, but you never know what might happen. Tomorrow is a brand new day.

Chapter Six

Sia

There’s nothing like a cool, crisp Sunday morning at the park. I’m not a fan of the city, but the park near our apartment makes it more bearable. Mornings without rain make me grateful to be alive and able to move freely outside. If I could drown out the sound of traffic and honking horns, it would be ideal.

Many times as I take a morning walk with a hot cup of coffee in my hands, I become terribly homesick. I used to do these morning walks along the beach when I was back in my hometown. Our little piece of paradise on the California Coast is a true treasure. The town is small and intimate, and you can’t get away with anything since everyone knows your business as soon as something happens, but it also has very low crime, and a sense of safety and serenity that I’ve yet to find anywhere else.

My goal is to one day return home. Until I do, I’ll take my morning park walks and let the fresh air clear my mind from stress, and especially from thoughts pertaining to Zach Callahan. I went to bed the last two nights thinking about him, then woke up this morning with him on my mind after dreaming about him all night. I’ve gotten no peace from the moment his email arrived through my website.

Instead of thinking about Zach, I focus on the grass sparkling in the sunlight from the morning dew still clinging to it. I hear the birds singing when I’m able to tune out the traffic noise. If I close my eyes I can almost imagine I’m no longer in the busy city. Something I tell myself every morning is that today is the start of something wonderful. Each day is a fresh start with a clean slate.

I continue moving along the path when out of nowhere a blur of silver fur bounds toward me. Before I have time to react, the most adorable puppy jumps up against my legs and barks, her tongue hanging out, and her tail wagging a mile a minute. The little thing can’t be more than ten pounds. I look around but don’t see an owner. I quickly drop to the ground and laugh as she gazes at me with big, soulful eyes, her tail whipping so hard my heart’s instantly melted.

“Where did you come from?”

She jumps into my lap, reaches up with her tiny puppy paws against my chest, and licks my chin, causing me to laugh in delight. I’d give anything to have a puppy, but it’s not feasible in our tiny apartment. Nikki and I both work too much to have a needy puppy anyway. We’ve discussed getting a cat, but our current apartment is a strict no-animal unit. Maybe when we move we can get something. Pets bring magic to lives in a rushed world. They force us to slow down and do nothing but love on them. I’ve never had a dog before but I’m determined to one day soon.

I continue petting the puppy knowing there’s a frantic pet owner out there looking for her. She’s wearing a cute little pink collar; she must’ve escaped from the dog park. I’m surprised no one is calling out for her. I’m petting the puppy when I hear someone running. I look up to see an all too familiar face and my smile instantly fades away.

“Hi, Sia,” Zach says as he halts in front of me, not even out of breath after a nice jog. The puppy doesn’t move from my lap, but dutifully looks at Zach. This can’t be happening.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, then a bit of horror fills me. “Are you following me?” I’ve never been stalked by a client before, but this man’s determined.

He holds up his hands in surrender, looking slightly affronted by my question. “No stalking going on here. I somehow managed to let Callan talk me into adopting this terror dog yesterday. I did a search and found the dog park here. They told me to socialize her as much as possible as a puppy so she’s friendly. The ranch isn’t exactly in walking distance to neighbors, so I thought at least a few days a week I’d take her to a puppy park.”

“You adopted her?” I ask, wanting to hold on to the dog. I’m not sure he’d make the best pet owner. Everyone thinks they can have an animal, but they don’t realize the amount of time it takes. Sure, Zach has the money to take care of her, but they need love and attention too. Their feelings are hurt when they’re left alone for too long.

“Yep, and I’m already regretting it. This little terror is a master at escaping. I’ve been searching for her for ten minutes now. She got out of the park when someone else left and took off like an Olympic sprinter.”

I chuckle as the sweet angel once again licks my chin. I look at her. “You’re not a terror, are you?” She yips and licks me again as if confirming she’s perfect. “She hasn’t tried to get away from me,” I point out.

Zach grumbles as he reaches down and snaps a leash onto her collar. The puppy immediately tugs against his hold but doesn’t leave my lap. I probably should get up. I don’t like being down this low with Zach towering over me. I’m having a difficult time letting go of the puppy though. She’s so dang soft and loveable.

“What’s her name?” I ask.

He gives me a sheepish smile and shrugs. “I haven’t named her yet. Nothing seems to fit.” The puppy lies down and begins chewing on the sleeve of my sweater. She’s going to damage it, but I don’t care. I begin playing tug-of-war with her, which she really seems to enjoy. She even manages a sweet little growl as she whips her head back and forth.

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