Page 4 of Seaside Cowboy's Marriage of Convenience

Caramel barked her approval.

“Good idea.” Austin perked up.

“Can’t take credit. Marina came up with it. She’s the brain and the beauty in our family. I’m just the guy who loves her with his whole heart.” Kai beamed. “By the way, I can usually hear barking a mile away from your yard. Now it’s silent. What happened? You’re not fostering the shelter animals anymore?”

Caramel barked, likely insisting she’d work hard to rectify the lack of noise.

Austin ran up the porch, holding the puppy and food in separate hands, keeping his lunch far away from the curious little wet nose and already sharp baby teeth. “The shelter’s huge adoption project worked out better than we hoped. For the first time, it’s just me and one puppy.”

Her whole little body wriggling now, Caramel barked again, eager to show she wasn’t just “one puppy”—she was “thepuppy”—and she should be treated as such.

Kai waved at his brother from the first step. “Oh, and take Caramel with you. The puppy is a charmer. Also Marina’s idea, not mine.”

For the rest of the day, excitement tingled under Austin’s skin as he worked at the clinic. He couldn’t wait to see Kennedy again. Then apprehension would sweep it away.

What if she wouldn’t even open the front door to him?

Finally, after choosing his best suit—fine, hisonlysuit—and an azure-blue tie and combing his short hair for the fifth time, he scowled at himself in the mirror. “Should I wear a cowboy hat? Or not? And is this tie okay?” he asked Caramel and himself. Not that he had much choice in ties.

Unlike Kennedy, he’d never gone to any upscale gatherings, only family ones, so his brothers’ weddings were the dressiest events he’d attended. Even there, people could show up in Bermuda shorts and barefoot if they wanted.

The puppy tilted her head and gave two short barks, which he took to mean that, as long as he had her with him, he should be fine no matter what he wore. With the energetic ball of cuteness wearing an azure ribbon that matched his tie, she was undoubtedly right.

And after all, this wasn’t a date. Just him offering an apology.

“Okay, my wing... my wing-girl, I’ll pick you up soon. I don’t want you to stay in the hot truck cab while I’m getting flowers and chocolates.”

As he drove off, he wished he knew what types of chocolates and flowers Kennedy liked. His hands-free phone in the truck announced Kai calling.

Austin answered, “Hello, Kai.”

“Are you on the way to get those chocolates and flowers?”

Austin made a turn, then infused a few teasing notes into his voice. “Are youthatworried about my happiness?”

Kai chuckled. “Actually, Marina asked me to call you.She’sthat worried aboutKennedy’shappiness. So, just in case you wondered what kind of chocolates and flowers to buy...”

Austin sat straighter in his seat as he made another turn and pulled up to the grocery store. “Yes, please. I’d love to know. And thanks.” Of all his brothers, Austin always felt closest to Kai, never mind that Kai was adopted.

“I thought so. Kennedy loves caramel chocolates. They’re her favorite.”

“Hmm.” Austin thought about his puppy’s name. What a coincidence. “Now what about the flowers?” He found a spare parking space and parked his truck.

There was a pause. “My beautiful wife doesn’t have information on that. But there’s a painting in Kennedy’s hotel office of her mother holding a hibiscus bouquet.”

Austin nodded as he turned off the engine. “Okay, thanks. Do you think that will be enough?”

“I say fancy chocolates and flowers are nothing to sneeze at. And let’s face it, it’s difficult to do worse than you did at the wedding.”

Austin rolled his eyes. His brother just couldn’t be serious—okay, he was serious about Marina—but he did have a point. “You’re not helping. Okay, fine, you’re helping. A lot. Thank your better half for me.”

Happy laughter reverberated through Austin’s rusty truck. “Yes, I’ll thank my better, smarter, and much more attractive half.”

Austin had lived his life without envy. Maybe because he’d spent most of his time with animals instead of people. But, for the second time in one day, he wanted to have what his favorite brother had.

Soon, he picked up Caramel, and they were on the way to Kennedy’s place. He kept the large box with the fanciest and most expensive caramel chocolates he could find in the local store—okay, the best of the two choices available—far away from Caramel. First, because chocolates were super harmful to dogs. Second, because he couldn’t present Kennedy with candies the puppy had chewed up.

The bouquet of magenta-hued hibiscuses was lying on the passenger seat. He didn’t know hibiscus even had a scent, but the ones the florist sold him gave off a wonderful aroma. “I hope Kennedy likes these,” he told Caramel over the grumbling motor.

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