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  “I can show you to the back. There are a few puppies, but some older dogs too,” she informed us as she motioned us through the white door.

  The smell was even stronger back there. I couldn’t imagine how she handled that odor all day.

  “She’s cute,” Liam whispered in my ear as we followed her down a long hall.

  Yes, she was cute.

  “I’ll let you take a look. If you want to spend some time with any of the canines, just let me know,” she smiled, and with that, she disappeared.

  Before she left, I noticed a ring on her finger. She was already taken. When I informed Liam of what I’d seen, he wrinkled his nose, displaying his disappointment.

  “We need to find you a woman,” he chuckled.

  “Now you just sound like my mother,” I laughed.

  Liam took the lead, walking down the long hall. There were cages lining the area, each with at least one dog inside, some with multiple ones of different breeds.

  “What kind of dog do you want?” I asked, staring down a large Rottweiler.

  “Not a huge dog, especially since Alyssa said I have to clean up after it,” he laughed.

  “Good point,” I agreed.

  Liam checked each cage, stopping at the last one. He leaned over, letting a small golden puppy sniff his hand.

  “He’s cute,” he pointed out.

  “He may grow into a pretty big dog,” I noted.

  “Ya think?” Liam asked, petting the puppy on the top of his head.

  “Look at those paws,” I pointed out.

  Liam shrugged. It was obvious he’d already made his choice. I shook my head and walked down the hall to find the cute, unavailable girl. He was the one that had to clean up the massive piles of crap, not me.

  “I think he’s found a puppy,” I informed her.

  She grabbed a key from a hook by her desk, smiled, and followed me back to the cage where Liam stood.

  After Liam was allowed to play with the pup, there was no changing his mind. The woman asked about who lived in the home, agreed that the breed, a lab, was great for kids, and then informed Liam of how much exercise the dog required. I chuckled at the thought of Liam being pulled down the street by the horse in six months on the multiple walks he’d be on each day.

  “He’s perfect,” Liam smiled, oblivious to what he was getting into.

  After a ton of paperwork, another quick interview, and a couple hundred bucks, Liam had a puppy for Holly, and we were pulling up to the front of his house.

  He’d bought a giant red bow earlier that day, and watching him try to tie it around the hyper dog’s neck was hilarious. Finally, he managed to get the dog calmed down and out of the truck. He immediately took a giant dump on the front lawn, to which I couldn’t help but laugh.

  Alyssa stepped out onto the porch, her head shaking as she watched Liam struggling to hold onto the leash as the puppy pulled him towards the house.

  “That’s going to be a big dog,” Alyssa moaned.

  “But, he’s gonna be a great dog,” Liam boasted.

  “Is Holly around back?” I asked.

  Alyssa nodded and motioned me around the side of the house. I walked to the backyard, opening the gate slowly, and found Holly on the swing set, singing to herself as she kicked her feet to take her swing higher and higher into the sky.

  “Uncle Liam!” she exclaimed, leaping from the swing and landing perfectly on her feet.

  She ran towards me and wrapped her arms around my legs. My heart instantly melted. I’d grown so attached to her over the years that she considered me her uncle, even though I wasn’t, not really. I took the role very seriously though.

  “You dad has a surprise for you,” I smiled, instantly getting a huge grin from Holly.

  “Where?” she asked eagerly.

  “In front. You have to cover your eyes, and I’ll help you to the porch,” I directed.

  She didn’t hesitate. She covered her eyes and let me guide her blindly through the yard, down the side of the house, and to the front porch.

  “Can I open them now?” she pleaded.

  “Not yet,” Liam said quickly, letting the dog pull him to Holly, who stood there with her hands over her eyes, and her body trembling with excitement.

  The puppy pushed into her, almost knocking her off her feet. She removed her hands, her mouth fell open wide, and she let out a squeal of pleasure.

  “Is he mine?” she gasped.

  “He sure is,” Liam agreed proudly.

  Alyssa couldn’t even contain her grin as she watched her daughter gush with excitement.

  It was moments like these that made me consider finding a wife and starting a family. I knew I was missing out on a lot; I just wasn’t sure I was ready. Even if I was ready, it wasn’t like there were a lot of good women to pick from in this small town, or even the next one over.

  Holly wrapped her arms around Liam’s neck, kissed his cheek, and then ran to her mother to repeat her appreciation. She grabbed the leash and ran towards the backyard, and we all followed.

  “You want a beer?” Liam asked.

  “Sure,” I replied.

  I straddled the end of the lounger on the back deck, leaned back, and watched Holly play with her new puppy. She ran through the yard, the dog chasing her, and she’d laugh as he’d catch her, knocking her down onto the grass and licking at her face.

  Liam handed me a beer, took a seat on the lounger beside me, and stared out into the yard.

  “There’s nothing better than this, right here,” he smiled.

  I felt a twinge of guilt run through my veins remembering how I’d kept Alyssa’s secret about Holly and deprived him of eleven years of his daughter’s life. It wasn’t fair. I could see just how unfair it had been now, watching him watch her with that shit-eating grin smeared across his face.

  “When are you gonna settle down and have one of your own?” Alyssa asked, taking a seat at the table across from me and Liam.

  “What the fuck is going on here? Have you two been talking to my mother?” I gasped.

  Alyssa’s eyes widened, and her smile spread across her face as she let out a laugh. “Touchy subject?” she teased.

  “Slightly,” I rolled my eyes.

  “I tried to hook him up with the girl at the animal hospital, but she was married,” Liam chimed in.

  I took a long swig of my beer, suddenly needing the alcohol more than ever.

  “I’m sure there are plenty of nice girls out there, ones that aren’t married,” Alyssa insisted.

  “Not really, and even if there was, where would I meet them?” I laughed.

  It wasn’t exactly like women flocked to the construction company, and all I ever did was work and, of course, have Sunday meals with my mother and abuela.

  “You mom still on ya pretty hard?” Liam asked.

  “You have no idea,” I groaned.

  I knew he had somewhat of an idea. I’d complained about it plenty when he’d call, but it had gotten much worse over the last few years, and really bad once Liam came back into town. I wouldn’t ever tell Liam, or Alyssa, but I think my mother was expecting Alyssa and I would end up together. She was more like a sister to me, someone I loved, but would never consider a romantic interest.

  “Sounds like you need to find a woman, and fast,” Alyssa laughed.

  “Yeah. I’m almost to the point where I’d pay one to marry me, just as a front to get her and my abuela off my back,” I joked.

  “That might work,” Liam sat up, staring at me with a strange look.

  “You’re crazy. I was just joking around,” I scoffed.

  “Think about it: you’d get all the benefits of marriage, with none of the headaches,” Liam joked.

  “Not all the benefits,” Alyssa interrupted, sliding her leg out from under her long skirt.

  Liam let out a growl. “Yeah, screw that,” he laughed. “Why is she so hard on you?” Liam asked.

  “She says I’m denying her a God-given right to
be an abuela, and she says my abuela should be a great-grandmother before she dies,” I exhaled.

  “Is she sick?” Alyssa asked, concern in her eyes.

  “No. She’s healthier than you or me,” I roared.

  Everyone laughed, knowing how mothers could lay on the guilt, especially Hispanic mothers.

  “You could find a girl who just wanted to have a baby; maybe we could put an ad out in the paper,” Liam taunted.

  “Really, because we live in the nineteen-fifties?” Alyssa giggled.

  “Well, what about a dating app?” Liam asked.

  The thought made me sick. I wasn’t great at talking to women, so going out on blind dates, no thank you.

  “I’ll pass on either of those ideas,” I sighed, chugging the rest of my beer.

  Alyssa got up to go inside, leaving me and Liam alone on the deck. He reached into the cooler by his feet, pulled out two beers, and handed me one.

  “So, what happened with Blake today?” I asked carefully.

  “Ugh, I honestly don’t know,” Liam sighed.

  “I ran into her, or well, she ran into me, rather,” I stammered.

  Liam’s eyes landed on mine, serious and heavy. “What did she say?” he asked.

  “She was crying. The only thing I could get out of her was she met you, ran off, you looked like your dad, and she couldn’t do it,” I explained.

  Liam’s eyes widened.

  “It was strange. I know she’s upset with me for not coming back, but for the first few years, I couldn’t,” Liam huffed.

  “I know,” I agreed.

  “Losing our parents was hard on me too, and she was still in college. I didn’t think she needed me to come home. If I knew she did, that Alyssa did, hell, I would’ve been here as soon as I could have been,” Liam poured his heart out.

  “She’ll come around. Just give her time,” I assured my friend.

  I’d known Blake for a long time, and one thing I knew for sure was she couldn’t hold a grudge. Her heart was huge, and she loved her brother, looked up to him, so she would forgive him, for everything.

  Chapter Four

  Blake

  Families gathered along the dam, enjoying the sunny day. Some were situated on blankets in the grass while others walked the path, passing me with a warm smile. I always thought that would be me one day with a family. Coming back to this town, my town, it gave me a sinking feeling in my heart that I’d made the wrong choice by leaving.

  After college, with Mom and Dad gone and Liam gone, it just wasn’t the same. Aiden was in the hospital in Germany, recovering from an injury, I wasn’t sure how bad. I could’ve waited, stuck around to check on him, and possibly fulfilled my girlhood dream of becoming his wife, but I didn’t. I bolted, and I hadn’t looked back, until now, until Liam called, asking me to come home to meet his family.

  My phone buzzed in my pocket, and before I looked at the screen, I already knew it was Liam calling again.

  I slid my thumb across the ignore button and shoved it back into my pocket. I knew he was wondering if I was still in town, or if I’d taken back off again. A part of me wanted to leave, but I had nowhere to go back to. My lease was up in the small apartment in Las Vegas, and the wild, never-ending city had worn on me enough that the small-town life was appealing once again. I left everything to come here. I left nothing to come here.

  With a crash, a furry golden retriever was on me, jumping up to greet me as I balanced myself from his impact.

  “Hi there, who are you?” I asked in my baby voice.

  He was friendly, energetic, and tugging hard on the leash that his owner obviously couldn’t control.

  “Wow, I just keep running into you,” I looked up at Aiden attached to the other end of the leash as he spoke.

  “Literally,” I laughed, kneeling down to pet the rambunctious pup.

  “He’s still learning who’s in charge,” Aiden grumbled, pulling back on the leash to get him off me.

  “I think he knows,” I smirked, standing to my feet.

  “Okay, well I’m still learning then,” Aiden laughed.

  His laugh brought me back to a time when we were kids. It hadn’t changed, unlike his appearance. He was always tall, but somehow, he seemed taller, and his once lanky arms were filled out with rippled muscles now. He grew a goatee, which made him look older, and I could see the stress had taken a toll on him from the lines around his eyes.

  “You just get him?” I asked.

  “He’s not mine; he’s Holly’s. I’m just taking him for a walk, trying to calm him down until she can handle him herself,” Aiden responded.

  Like a knife through my heart, I pictured Holly, a petite little Hispanic girl that his mother loved, that he loved. I glanced towards his hand, no ring on his finger, but that didn’t mean there wouldn’t be soon. Why did I come back here for this torture?

  “Is that your girlfriend?” I asked, trying to sound cool, even though I was dying inside.

  “No, that’s Liam’s daughter, your niece, I guess,” he chuckled nervously.

  My cheeks burned with embarrassment from the misunderstanding, and that knife in my heart pulled out just a bit.

  “Oh,” I gulped.

  “He didn’t tell you?” he asked, the stress in his voice obvious.

  “Yes, he told me, I just didn’t register the name,” I apologized.

  “Thank God, I thought I ruined a surprise or something,” he exhaled.

  “No, he already sprung that surprise on me. Guess it was a hell of a surprise to him too, sounds like,” I smiled.

  Aiden was being pulled by the puppy towards the grass. I followed him as he let the pup lead. We stood under a large tree while he sniffed around for a place to do his business.

  “I still feel horrible for keeping the secret,” Aiden confessed.

  My jaw dropped, and I knew my look had to be filled with complete shock as I stared at him.

  “You knew?” I asked.

  He nodded.

  “The whole time?” I questioned.

  “Pretty much,” he sighed.

  I suddenly felt bad for my brother. Aiden was his best friend. For him to keep a secret like that for so many years, that had to sting. Wow.

  There was so much I wanted to ask, but before I could start my interrogation, Aiden’s phone lit up, and he slid his finger across the screen to answer.

  “Hey, Mom,” he groaned, sounding like he was less than pleased to hear from her.

  “What are you talking about? Where are you?” he asked, looking over his shoulder and then scanning the area around us.

  His dark eyes landed on mine, and a strange smirk spread across his face. He pulled the phone from his ear and turned on the speaker so I could hear what was causing him so much confusion and stress.

  “So, who’s the girl? Is she pretty?” his mother asked.

  I snickered, trying hard to keep my voice down.

  “Mom, why do you think I’m with a girl?” he asked sternly.

  “Anna-Marie called. She said you were by the dam with a girl, that it looked like you were on a date,” she cooed.

  Aiden rolled his eyes and looked up to the sky as if he was asking someone above for help. I had to turn around so my laughter wouldn’t be heard, covering my mouth hard with my hand.

  “You really need to calm down, and quit having your crew spy on me,” he scolded.

  “My crew, I don’t have no crew. She just knows how desperate I am to have you settle down; she thought she’d share the good news since my own son won’t,” she laid on the guilt trip thick.

  “There’s no good news. It’s just a friend,” he insisted.

  Hearing that shoved the knife a little deeper into my heart. It was clear that Aiden still thought of me as ‘just a friend,’ or worse, as his ‘best friends little sister.’

  I played with the puppy while he finished up his phone call, trying not to show my disappointment at being called ‘just a friend.’

  “I�
��m so sorry,” he gushed, his cheeks turning red as he spoke.

  I busted out laughing, partly from the silliness of the situation, partly from nervousness.

  “Sounds like she’s really trying to marry you off,” I teased.

  His eyes rolled, and he sighed as he shoved the phone back into his pocket.

  “You have no idea,” he groaned.

  The only good news that came from the call, as I could gather, was the fact Aiden was indeed single.

  “We should just get married,” I blurted out with a chuckle.

  Aiden’s eyes froze on mine, the expression strange and hard to read. Oh shit, why did I say that? He probably thinks I’m a freak.

  “I’m just sayin’, it would get her off your back,” I stammered.

  He busted out laughing, making me feel silly for the suggestion. Why would Aiden want to marry me?

  “That was stupid, sorry. I was just joking,” I quickly injected.

  My expression soured, and his laughter stopped abruptly. He stared at me with remorse in his eyes.

  “No, it’s just that Alyssa and Liam said the same thing, that I should find someone to marry me out of convenience. I just thought they were crazy, because what would the girl get out of it, ya know?” he explained.

  What would the girl get out of it? Aiden, of course. He was tall, dark, and handsome, with a huge heart, a beautiful smile, and a body so tight it made me drool just to glance at it.

  “I’d do it. I don’t want to go back to Las Vegas, and staying in a bed and breakfast kind of sucks,” I moaned.

  “So, you’re staying?” he asked, his eyes lighting up with excitement.

  I nodded. “I think so,” I sighed.

  The dog started to pull at him again, bored with the area he’d been sniffing and his business done.

  “I better get this dog back to Holly. Can I get your number?” he said quickly.

  I pulled my phone from my pocket, dialing in his number as he recited it to me slowly. I hit call, listening to the buzz that it created in his pocket, and smiled.

  “Now you have it,” I smirked.

  The puppy jerked his arm hard, ready to chase a passing bicyclist. Aiden quickly told me goodbye, saying it was good to see me, and he was happy that I’d decided to stay before he was tugged in the opposite direction from where I stood.