Barking Up the Wrong Tree

by Jenn McKinlay

  “Didn’t look like out was where she was headed to me,” Lola muttered.

  “—and I’m going to walk her and her animals out,” he continued, ignoring his sister’s interruption.

  “Of course,” his father said. “Take your time.”

  “We’ll just entertain ourselves with the view,” Emily agreed.

  “Unless, we wander off and get . . . distracted,” Jimmy said.

  Carly felt her eyes go wide. He didn’t mean that they might . . . Emily giggled and looped her arm through her husband’s.

  “Distracted,” Emily said. She winked at her husband. “That sounds like a fine idea.”

  Jimmy grinned and grabbed his wife by the hand, pulling her toward the wing of the house that included the rehabilitation area as well as a couple of spare rooms. “See you, kids.”

  They disappeared down the hall, and Carly turned to James. She opened her mouth to ask a question but he held up his hand to stop her.

  “Yes, they’re going to do exactly what you think, and, yes, they’ve always been like that. They are the two most disgustingly in love people I have ever met, truly, it’s sickening,” he said. He was smiling when he said it so she knew he didn’t mean it in a bad way.

  “Your Gram and I used to give them a run for their money,” Pops said. He looked wistful and Lola wrapped her arm around his thin shoulders.

  “You and Gram were the most in love of anyone ever,” she said. “Someday, I’m going to find that.”

  “I hope you do, my girl, I really hope you do,” Pops said. He gave James and Carly a steady look. “When you find it you’ll know, and if you’re smart you’ll hold on to it real tight.”

  James’s arm tightened around Carly’s waist and she wondered if he was feeling as guilty as she was for deceiving everyone.

  “I will,” James said. “I promise.”

  “Excellent.” Pops nodded. Then he gave Lola a smacking kiss on the cheek. “And now, I have a Jack and Coke with my name on it.”

  “To the bar,” Lola cried. She took Pops’s arm and they crossed the great room to where a bar for the party had been tucked into the corner.

  James glanced down at Carly and whispered, “Sorry I got carried away there. I didn’t mean to, but I don’t think so clearly around you.” He sounded sheepish. “And my family can be a bit overwhelming—okay, way more than a bit.”

  “It’s okay. I started it—the kiss, I mean. As for your family, please, I love my sisters, but there’s a reason I moved to New York for college and stayed,” she said.

  “Sisters plural?” he asked. “I didn’t realize you had more than one.”

  “Oh, yes,” Carly said. “I am the fourth of five sisters. Teresa, Danielle, Ariana, me, and Gina.”

  “Whoa. That’s a lot of estrogen under one roof. Do they all live in Bluff Point?” he asked.

  “Only Terry and Gina,” she said. “Danielle is in Seattle working as a weather girl but don’t call her that or she’ll rip your head off, and Ariana is in Venice Beach doing some nerdy high-tech thing. I pretend to know what she’s talking about but the minute she’s says the word ‘algorithm,’ I’m out.”

  James helped Hot Wheels out of his harness while Saul sat beside Carly, leaning into her as if he, too, was ready to call it a night. Carly bent down to scratch his ears and then rubbed Hot Wheels’s back before he limped over to his fluffy dog bed in the corner of the room where he collapsed into a heap of exhaustion.

  James helped Carly into her jacket, which had been hanging on a peg by the door. He then retrieved Ike’s cage, which he carried to the car for her. Carly helped Saul jump into the backseat of her car as James strapped Ike’s cage in to keep it from moving on the drive.

  It was dark and chilly and Carly started the engine so that the heater could get cranking as soon as possible. She left the car in park and stood in the open door of the driver’s seat so that she could face James. This was the moment of truth where they had to deal with what had happened in there.

  James stood in front of her, studying her expression in the glaring light of the lamppost overhead that illuminated the parking area. She could tell he was trying to get a sense of her feelings about the situation.

  She wished she could help him out with that, but as it was, her feelings were pretty jumbled. Mostly, she found the whole thing ridiculously funny because of the sheer improbability of her being in a relationship. But then there was this tiny little part of her that seemed to be swept up into the romance of it all.

  The idea of a boyfriend, especially if it was James, didn’t seem as repugnant to her as it usually did. She figured this was just because her hormones had been hijacked during their recent clinch and she hadn’t quite gotten them back under control yet.

  “So, this is a hot mess,” he said. He put his hand on the back of his neck and blew out a breath.

  “No argument here,” she said.

  “Thanks for going along with it for the moment,” he said. “I had no idea they were all planning to stop by tonight, and I never would have put you in that situation if I’d known.”

  There he was, the good guy Carly knew him to be, taking responsibility for the whole thing as if she hadn’t planted a kiss on him right in front of his parents. Darned if his chivalry didn’t just charm her stupid.

  “I know,” she said.

  “So, I’m thinking it will be less embarrassing for all concerned if I just go up there and explain to them that we aren’t actually a couple, that we just got swept up in a moment, and we’re very good friends.”

  Carly tipped her head to the side while she considered him. “Isn’t that going to be awkward?”

  “A little—er, a lot,” he conceded. “Mostly, because they are all so eager to pair me off. I think they worry about my relationship status a bit too much.”

  “Why is that?”

  “I don’t date much.”

  “Any particular reason?”

  “Yes,” he said. “I fell for someone once and I’ve never managed to find anyone else who made me feel quite like that.”

  Carly felt her heart soften at that. James was telling her the story of her life. She had fallen in love once, and it had wrecked her, utterly wrecked her.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “I know exactly how that feels.”

  He gave her a pained look and said, “Don’t feel bad for me. I have high hopes that my luck might change.”

  The tender way he was looking at her made Carly’s toes curl. Was he talking about her? Was he thinking there might be a them in the future that would replace the love he’d lost? Should she discourage him? It occurred to her in a flash that she didn’t want to. In fact, for the first time in forever, she wanted something more.

  “I like Pops,” she said. “I want him to have a happy birthday.”

  “He will. We’ll make sure of it.”

  “He’s awfully fond of you.”

  “It’s mutual. Pops is a great guy.”

  “He’d be happy if you had a girlfriend.”

  “Undoubtedly. Gram was the love of his life. I know he hopes that we all find that one true love in our lives.”

  Carly staggered a bit under that description. It made what she was about to say seem frivolous; still, it would spare them some embarrassment and it might bring Pops some joy and, if she was being honest, it would appease her curiosity about this thing, this insane attraction, between her and James.

  “I’ll be your girlfriend,” she said.

  James’s eyebrows shot up on his forehead. “What?”

  “Let’s not tell them that we’re just friends,” she said. “For the duration of the party, and only for that long, I’ll be your temporary girlfriend.”

  He opened his mouth and then closed it. He stared at her as if he wasn’t sure if she was just teasing him. Then he lifted his
hand and cupped her cheek. His touch was gentle, almost reverent.

  “You’d do that?”

  “Sure,” she said. She tried to make her voice light but it was hard when he dragged his thumb gently over her lower lip, wreaking havoc on her ability to concentrate.

  He swallowed hard as if he couldn’t quite believe the turn their conversation had taken. He wasn’t alone. Carly couldn’t wrap her head around it either. She had agreed to go as James’s date, knowing there was no way she could avoid seeing Preston. Was she ready for that? Could she handle it? She wasn’t sure but she figured she had nothing to lose, except her dignity and sense of self-worth, but hey, those were overrated, right?

  At least, leveling up to being James’s girlfriend, even if only temporary, made her feel more legit, giving her a stronger buffer between the present and her unfortunate past. Preston could try and shame her—she had certainly given him enough material—but gaining her freedom from the pets would be totally worth it. Eleven years had passed, Preston couldn’t hurt her, and even if he tried, the bottom line was that she felt safe with James and didn’t that just make her like him even more?

  James met and held her gaze, staring into her eyes as if desperately seeking the truth. “Are you absolutely sure about this?”

  Carly felt her heart pound hard in her chest. She felt as if James was asking her for a commitment she hadn’t really been aware she was making. Could she do this? Did she want to? A tiny voice inside of her, like a match’s flickering flame fighting the dark, cried yes.

  She couldn’t give voice to the word so instead she nodded. It was all James needed to see. The grin he gave her was wicked.

  “All right, we have a deal,” he said. “Does that mean I get to kiss you now?”

  Carly gave a startled laugh. Oh, she liked this boy, she really did.

  “Sure, why not?”

  He needed no further encouragement but pulled her flush up against him and put his mouth on hers, kissing her until she was dizzy and her ears started to ring. When he set her back on her feet, she wobbled and had to brace herself against the top of the car.

  “Okay, then, I should go,” she said.

  He still had his hands on her hips, as if reluctant to release her. It made Carly feel warm inside. She wasn’t used to tenderness like this and even though it made her feel vulnerable, she found she kind of liked it.

  “The rest of the family is going to start trickling in,” he said. “This was just the first wave. If you’re my girlfriend, you’ll have to come with me to the family gathering at the brewery tomorrow night.”

  “What’s the matter?” she asked. “Are you afraid I can’t be a convincing girlfriend?”

  “Nah, I have every confidence in you,” he said. “After all, we already know some intimate details about each other, like you know I snore and I know that you mumble in your sleep.”

  Carly laughed. She did know that about him. How could she have forgotten she had broken the no-sleepover rule with him? Wait, what?

  “I do not mumble in my sleep,” she said.

  “Yeah, you do,” he said. “It’s rather adorable.”

  Carly narrowed her eyes. “I think I would know if I mumbled in my sleep.”

  “How would you? You’re asleep; besides, you already told me that you never let anyone sleep over,” he said. “Who would tell you if you mumbled?”

  They stared at each other for a moment. His hazel eyes were definitely turning a smoky shade of blue and Carly took this as an early warning sign to evacuate the premises immediately or else she might drag him back up to the top of that lighthouse and have her way with him, whether his family was on the premises or not.

  She glanced at his full lips, which were curving into a smile, and could almost hear the warning siren in her head. Not one to stand in the path of a tornado, she backed up and slid into the driver’s seat.

  “I do not mumble,” she said. As if repeating it would make it so.

  “Uh-huh,” he said. “See you tomorrow, girlfriend.”

  Chapter 24

  The night before Pops’s birthday party, the entire Sinclair family descended upon the Bluff Point brewery for an impromptu family dinner, barbeque style. Being James’s temporary girlfriend, Carly was naturally by his side for the event.

  Zach, who was working late at the brewery, caught sight of her and with a nod to James, took her arm and hustled her into a corner for a chat.

  “Explain,” he said.

  Carly shrugged. “Long story short, I’m helping plan his grandfather’s birthday party and in exchange if I don’t find another owner for them, he’s going to take Ike and Saul and provide them with a forever home. Win-win.”

  Of course, it wasn’t that simple, but Zach didn’t need to know that. As if he suspected as much, he shook his shaggy blonde head at her.

  “You are playing with fire, Carly, and you’re going to get burned,” he said. He gestured between them. “Remember us? We don’t do relationships.”

  Carly glanced over her friend’s shoulder and found James in the crowd. He was standing with a bunch of cousins, holding a beer in his hand and laughing at whatever the guy beside him was saying, but she felt his gaze dart toward her.

  He knew where she was, what she was doing, and if she was okay. Before she had always found that sort of attention stifling, but at the moment, she felt protected. James cared about her and she suspected she could come to care for him, too.

  “What if I want more?” Carly asked. Her voice was soft.

  “Oh, crap,” Zach said. “You’re falling for him, aren’t you?”

  “Maybe,” she said. It was the first time she’d allowed herself to say it.

  “Be careful, girl,” Zach said. “If you do this, you are braver than me.” He gave her an admiring look. “Know that no matter how this plays out, I’ve got your back.”

  “Thanks, Zach,” she said. She gave him a big hug and watched as he walked out the door, shaking his head as if he couldn’t believe how crazy she was. In truth, she couldn’t believe it herself.

  “Okay, as your boyfriend—” James said as he walked toward her.

  “Temporary boyfriend,” Carly interrupted him.

  He nodded, acknowledging the status correction.

  “Okay, as your temporary boyfriend, how jealous should I be?” he asked.

  “Jealous?”

  “Of Zach?” he said. He looked uncomfortable but he continued, “You two seem to share a special connection.”

  “We do,” she confirmed. “Zach is as commitment phobic as I am. He gets me.”

  “And the two of you have never—” James began but then stopped. “Sorry, that’s not my business, is it?”

  Carly turned to face him. She could see he was trying very hard to be cool and accepting. It was one more reason she really liked James Sinclair.

  “Well, technically, if you’re my temporary boyfriend it is your business,” she said. James looked at her as if he was holding his breath. “The answer is no. Zach and I have never hooked up. We are and always will be just friends.”

  James looped his arm around her back and pulled her into his side. He rested his cheek on her head, and said. “Thanks for telling me. I like Zach, I didn’t want to have to let the air out of his tires.”

  Carly laughed. “You wouldn’t!”

  “No, but I’d think about it.”

  “Couldn’t you spend your time thinking about other things?” she asked. She gave him a decidedly flirty look.

  He lowered his mouth until it was beside her ear and whispered, “Oh, I am, believe me I am.”

  Carly felt her insides dissolve into a pool of heat. Zach was right. She was playing a dangerous game with this man and heaven help her she didn’t want to stop.

  “Come on,” James said. “Let me show you off before I lose all of my nob
le intentions and try to distract you.”

  “Okay,” Carly said. Her voice was higher than usual and she barely resisted the urge to fan her face with her hand. Oh, this man!

  When they rejoined the guests he’d left on the patio, a waiter paused beside them. When Carly opted for the stout beer instead of the wine, James gave her a curious look.

  She shrugged and said, “I’m really more of a beer girl.”

  James looked at her like she’d just handed him a winning lottery ticket. “You really are the perfect woman, aren’t you?”

  Carly took an enormous swallow, trying to control the ridiculous spike of happiness she felt at his words. He was just being flirtatious and she shouldn’t take it seriously, she reminded herself. And yet, she couldn’t stop smiling.

  Portable gas heat lamps were scattered across the large courtyard and as the sun set and the October air became chilly, the guests moved under the lamps, forming tight-knit groups.

  Carly wasn’t sure which group to join so she stayed beside James, following his lead. For his part, he seemed happy to have an excuse to keep his arm around her and draw her close to his side.

  When she glanced at him in question, he said, “Body heat.”

  “Uh-huh,” she said.

  “Jamie, there you are,” a pretty woman said. She waved them toward her and her group. “Introduce us to your lovely companion.”

  James sighed as if he would have preferred to keep Carly all to himself. She shook her head at him.

  “This is the reason I’m here,” she said.

  “I suppose.” He took her hand and approached the group.

  It was a flurry of introductions and Carly didn’t catch any of the names, just that they were his cousins and their spouses and they ranged in age from early twenties to late forties. After the usual chitchat about the weather, one of the women turned to Carly and asked, “So, how did you two meet?”

  It took everything Carly had not to look at James. She wasn’t sure what made her do it, but meeting at the whoopie pie bakery story be damned, the words just poured from her mouth unchecked.