by Layla Hagen
Your One True Love
Daniel & Caroline ~ The Bennett Family, Book 8
Layla Hagen
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Your One True Love
Copyright © 2017 Layla Hagen
Cover: RBA Designs
Cover Photography: Sara Eirew Photographer
Your One True Love
Copyright ©2017 Layla Hagen
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, including electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Table of Contents
Copyright Page
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Epilogue
Other Books by Layla Hagen | The Bennett Family Series
The Lost Series
Chapter One
Caroline
“You missed me, huh?” I pat Bing’s head, bending on one knee, hugging him. The golden retriever licks my face, wagging his tail. “I know you’re alone all day, but Linda will be back soon. I’m gonna miss our walks.”
At the word walks, he barks, raising one paw.
“Yes, yes. We’re going out. Come on.”
I’m dog sitting for my neighbor and good friend Linda, who’s been in Hawaii for a week. Bing and I had a rocky start, but I slowly coaxed him out of his shell, one dog treat at a time. Yeah, I bribed him with goodies into loving me, but a girl’s got to do what a girl’s got to do.
I take Bing for a walk on our usual route around the block, stopping for him to bark at a squirrel, pulling him away from an overexcited pug with a shrill bark and a chronic tiny-dog syndrome.
My phone chirps in my purse, and while holding Bing’s leash firmly in one hand, I clumsily extract my phone with the other, glancing at the text message from one of my best friends.
Summer: Proud aunt. Maddox is perfectly healthy.
She also sent me a picture, and I swear to God, my heart almost bursts. Red-faced and tiny, the newborn is absolutely adorable.
Caroline: He’s sweet. Congratulations! Thanks for the pic. How are Clara and Blake doing?
Summer: Clara is tired but happy, and my brother is a little too excited. You know Blake...
A second picture comes through. Summer is holding the baby, and next to her is another brother of hers, my ex, Daniel. I wonder if there is an expiration date on calling someone an ex. Maybe it’s time to use a more neutral label, such as acquaintance, or friend. After all, Daniel and I called it quits almost ten years ago, and I’m close to his mother and sisters.
A jolt in my arm nearly makes me lose my balance. I sway forward as Bing lurches after a stray cat.
“Bing, no! Stop. Sit. Bing!”
I break into a run to keep up with him, and by the time we’re back in Linda’s apartment, my arm feels like it’s about to fall off. Bing raises both his front paws, standing on his back legs.
“I’ll be back tomorrow, Bing.”
Bing blinks, setting down one paw and then the other, then resting his snout on them, looking up at me with wide, accusatory eyes.
Lowering my voice to a conspiratorial whisper, I add, “I’ll bring you beef jerky.”
Well, damn. Not even the thought of beef jerky cheers him up. I look around the neat, quiet apartment. I don’t have the heart to leave him alone here.
“You know what we’re gonna do? We’re going to break the rules tonight.” He lifts his head. “Yes, we are. How would you feel about spending the night in my apartment? Come on. Let’s take the stairs. It’s just one floor.”
When I open the door, he springs up on all fours, wiggling his tail. Tightening my grip on his leash, I lead him down the stairs. Bing is psyched when I let him inside my apartment.
“House rules: don’t chew the furniture. Or my shoes.” He wiggles his tail some more, not a care in the world, eyeing the two pairs of flats on the floor with intent. Right, better safe than sorry. I stack the shoes in the closet next to the entrance door, then set Bing free. He runs straight to my living room, hops on the couch, and barks in excitement.
While eating dinner, I keep an eye on my canine guest, who is staring at one leg of my coffee table, possibly considering its merits as a tooth sharpener. Belly full, I chance a trip to my bedroom, changing into sweatpants and a baggy T-shirt. The outfit is my guilty pleasure, unattractive as it looks.
Another quick trip to the bathroom to brush my dark brown hair and pull it in a bun, then to remove my makeup. Not that I wear much, just some mascara and eye shadow to highlight my blue eyes, but I like my face clean when I’m home.
The legs of my coffee table are still intact upon my return, and I sit next to Bing, opening my laptop and browsing Netflix. No better way to wind down after a long day than watching one of my favorite shows. But before I decide on a show, curiosity gets the better of me. I call Summer, intending to scoop out more details about the newest addition to the Bennett family.
She answers after several rings.
“Hey, Caroline!”
The voice doesn’t belong to Summer, but to Daniel. My stomach tightens instantly, but I hope my voice sounds casual when I ask, “Hey, is this a bad time? I just wanted to get more details on your nephew.”
From his end of the line, I can hear a mix of voices. As I imagined, his family is camping out at the hospital. The Bennett clan is tight.
“It’s a little crazy around here. Summer’s talking to Clara now.”
“Okay, I’ll just call her later, or tomorrow. I’ll let you go back to your family.”
“Wait, don’t hang up. How are you? Haven’t seen you in a while. Your toe okay?”
I laugh nervously. “It was nothing. I was good as new the next day.”
We last saw each other at Blake and Clara’s wedding two months ago. After drinking a little too much champagne and feeling far too comfortable around him, I challenged him to join me for a traditional Irish dance. My parents moved here from Ireland when I was ten, and despite having taken classes back home, I’m not much of a dancer, which I tend to forget at weddings. At this particular one, I stepped on my own toe, then could barely walk. It hurt like hell, but feeling Daniel’s steely arms around me as he steadied me on my way to the cab sure was a great bonus. That’s the problem with Daniel: I don’t trust myself around him, not even after all this time.
“Tell Caroline I need those black shoes back nex
t week,” Summer’s voice resounds somewhere in his background.
“I heard everything,” I say. “Tell her—”
I stop midsentence when I hear Summer talking in the background again. “Actually, would you be the best brother in the world and meet her to get the shoes? My schedule is insane next week.”
Daniel and I both laugh into the phone. Oh yeah, his sisters are relentless about pushing us together every chance they get—and if an opportunity doesn’t present itself, they fabricate one. Daniel and I take this in stride, joking about it. We’re so far past awkward when it comes to his sisters’ matchmaking attempts that at this point we’d find it weird if they didn’t try anything.
“Should have seen this coming,” Daniel says. “Caroline, let’s meet up next week since my sister’s schedule is so insane.”
“And yours isn’t?” I tease.
“Oh, it is. But I know better than to tell Summer no.”
I tap my fingers on my belly, laughing again. Summer has Daniel wrapped around her little finger. But the man also doesn’t do anything he doesn’t want, so there’s that.
“Okay. Let’s—Bing, no!” For the love of all that is holy! I sprint to the foyer to assess the damage. How did he manage to open the closet and take out a pair of shoes? And why didn’t I notice?
“What?”
“Sorry, I was talking to the dog.”
“You got a dog?”
“No, it’s my friend’s. Damn, I’ve got to go if I want to salvage my shoes. I’ll text you, okay?”
“Sure.”
I barely wrestle my shoe out of Bing’s grip. After a quick assessment, I hand it back to him. It’s damaged beyond repair anyway.
“Bing, we need to have a talk. You do not attack my possessions when I’m distracted. And talking to Daniel is a major distraction. I know it shouldn’t be, okay? We’re ancient history, but it is what it is.” I waggle my finger at him. “And I need your full cooperation.”
Bing chews happily on my shoe, and I pat him on the head with a sigh, returning to the couch. The photo of baby Maddox, Summer, and Daniel is still splashed on my screen. I sigh, taking in Daniel’s dark, almond-shaped eyes, his charming smile.
Clearly, there’s no expiration date on calling him an ex. He’s still firmly in that category, with the label dangerous on it. Charming, delicious, and dangerous.
Chapter Two
Daniel
“I can’t believe how much he looks like Blake,” Summer says as we step inside the hospital’s underground parking lot.
I bite back a laugh. I don’t see any resemblance between the baby and my brother. All babies look the same to me, but I voiced that opinion half an hour ago, and my ears are still ringing with her explanation of eyebrow shapes, ear pointedness, and whatnot. I learn from my mistakes.
“Crap! I have a flat tire.”
We come to a halt in front of her black Ford Focus, and her front tire looks as if it melted into the concrete.
“I’ll change it for you. You have a spare?”
My sister beams. “Yes, yes I do. Thank you so much. You are the best brother in the world.”
“I bet you say that to all our brothers.” We have seven other siblings: two sisters and five brothers. Since Summer is the youngest, we’ve all spoiled her rotten. I was three when she was born, and fell right under her spell. Not much has changed in the twenty-seven years since.
“I will neither confirm, nor deny it.” She grins, opening her trunk. I take out her spare tire and bring it to the front.
“You did some damage. I’m surprised you didn’t feel it on the way here.”
“Wasn’t paying too much attention. I was too excited to get here.”
That I can understand. I practically flew out of a meeting when I got the call. It’s not every day that my twin brother becomes a father.
Rolling up the sleeves of my shirt, I get to work on the tire. “By the way, the stunt with the shoes wasn’t smooth.”
“It wasn’t a matchmaking attempt. I do need the shoes, but I leave for LA tomorrow for the gallery’s workshop, remember? I’m coming back next Monday, and I need the shoes for an event on Tuesday.”
“And you couldn’t have asked Pippa?” Our oldest sister and Caroline are close friends. I don’t mind an excuse to see Caroline, but it’s important to call out my sisters on their matchmaking attempts; otherwise, things could escalate quickly.
“You’re picking me up from the airport when I return. You can bring them then. Makes perfect sense.” She smiles devilishly, clearly bursting to say more.
“Just say whatever you’re dying to say.”
“I’m going to be blunt about this.”
I can’t help a smile. “Because you’ve been so subtle until now?”
“You still have feelings for her. It’s the way you look at her. I saw you at Blake’s wedding. And you’ve been helping her dad.”
“I—how do you know about that?”
She shrugs one shoulder. “The Bennett rumor mill.”
“Of course.”
Talking to my family should come with a warning label: everything you say can and will be used against you.
“Exes don’t usually stay involved with each other’s families. Far be it from me to read too much into this—”
“Summer, here’s some honest feedback: you always read too much into everything.”
She holds up a finger as if saying “Pay attention.”
“Even so, I have a theory. Hear me out, and I promise I won’t say anything more on the topic today.”
“Let’s hear it.”
“My theory is that you two have been in contact with the other’s family because you want to be part of each other’s lives any way you can.”
Summer is one of the most romantic and optimistic people I know. Coupled with her tendency to read too much into everything, her theories are usually far-fetched. But this particular one hits surprisingly close to home.
Summer glances at me but doesn’t break her promise.
“I’m almost done here. Do you have a cloth? Something I can wipe my hands on? I have grease everywhere.”
“I’ll look for something.” She disappears to the back of the car, returning with a cloth.
Handing it to me, she says, “By the way, rumor has it Simon Luther will be your client.”
“It’s true. And yes, I will get you his autograph.”
“You really are the best brother. How did you guess that’s what I was going to ask for?”
“Just a hunch.” Summer had posters of the actor all over her walls growing up.
“I love your job. And I’m so happy you dropped the extreme adventures part.”
“Me too.”
My company offers everything that falls under the concepts of events, tours, adventures, and experiences, and it’s attracting quite a famous clientele. When I started out, the big focus was on extreme adventures. I brushed aside my family’s concerns, subscribing to the It can never happen to me mentality. Until it did happen to me. Out of sheer luck, I wasn’t seriously injured, but at the next family dinner, it became clear that I couldn’t put them through so much worry again.
“This is done.” I rise to my feet, wiping my hands more vigorously on the cloth. The grease sticks.
“Thanks so much. I’ll head straight home. You?”
“Need to stop by the office first.”
She gives me a peck on the cheek, sighing. “I still can’t believe Blake’s a father. Next thing we know, it’ll be your turn.”
Summer’s optimism in all its glory. That’s not in the cards for me. Out of the nine of us, only Summer and I are single. I’ve watched my elder siblings and my twin fall in love and start families over the past few years. The connection each has to their spouse is so strong, I often feel like a third wheel when I’m in a room with just one of the couples.
I had that kind of connection with Caroline, years ago. But I have no claim on her anymore. Though I keep fo
rgetting that detail whenever I’m around her; I can barely keep myself from flirting with her, touching her.
“Thanks for meeting with Caroline to take my shoes. Don’t back out. I do need them.”
“I’ll get them for you, you little schemer.”
“I love you too.”
I kiss her forehead, opening the car door for her. She wiggles her eyebrows as she slides into the driver seat.
“Have fun in LA.”
“Have fun picking up the shoes.”
Smiling, I shake my head as I close her door. So much for my sister keeping her promise.
***
Traffic in San Francisco is usually bad, but crossing the city at seven o’clock in the evening is a special kind of hell. I arrive at eight o’clock at the office, expecting to find the office empty, but Lena, our receptionist, is at the front desk.
“How did it go?” she asks.
“Nephew is perfectly healthy, and so is his mom. What are you still doing here?”
“The Tour Company of the Year award was delivered half an hour ago. Couldn’t leave before adding it to our Wall of Pride.”
Glancing at the wall in question, I immediately identify the newest addition. The award title is written in golden ink on a dark blue background, framed with a thin white rim. I’m not one to collect awards, but they motivate the employees big-time.
“The wall’s gonna collapse soon,” I remark with a grin.
“What a fantastic problem to have. Don’t spoil our fun. Even Justin likes it, and he’s the company grouch.”
“Make sure you don’t say that to his face.” Justin Hamel was my first employee, though mentor might be a better word. He knows this business inside out, but his harsh way of dealing with the other employees isn’t gaining him popularity points.
Lena snickers. “Of course not. How long will you be here? Do you need anything?”
“Just need to pick up the equipment for the group tomorrow. Go home.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay, then I’m out of here.” She slings her bag over her shoulder, waving to me on her way out.
As I’m about to head to my office, the frame with the award shifts sideways, and I stop to straighten it. With a surge of pride, I have to admit, my team is right in hanging up the awards. It’s a nice reminder that hard work pays off.