Chapter 5

I'd picked up Owen on Saturday morning and showed him around the gym. Then I secured a trial pass so that he could work out for a few weeks and see how he liked it. We planned a few times in the upcoming week for me to show him how to use the equipment.

After that, he could ride his bike to the gym. I thought it would be good for his independence and confidence. And it would give Claire some much needed time to grade papers or just relax. I had a feeling she didn't let herself take many breaks.

I planned to keep my interactions with Claire brief when I picked Owen up and dropped him off. There was an attraction there, and I didn't want it interfering with what I was building with Owen.

If I was attracted to his mother, then Owen wouldn't trust me. He'd be resentful and wonder if I was just helping him to get with his mom.

I was thankful my dad hadn't openly dated other women when we were teenagers. We had a hard enough time with our mother dying.

On Sunday, Daphne and Fiona came over early to help Dad cook for our family dinner and meeting. By the time I got there, they were putting the dishes on the dining-room table.

Faith and Izzy were setting the silverware and napkins carefully next to the plates.

"You're doing a great job with those napkins, Iz." They were a little lopsided, but she smiled and said, "Thanks."

Dad clasped my shoulder. "Glad you could join us. You haven't been around much lately."

"I've been helping a kid prepare for the football season."

Wes poured water into the glasses on the table. "Is he one of your players?"

"I didn't ask him which school he attended." And I purposely didn't look it up. I wanted to help him, and it wouldn't be fair if I was the coach he'd be trying out for. If he was, then I'd deal with it then. I didn't have the heart to tell Claire no when she'd asked for help. I got the impression she hadn't wanted to but that Owen had pressured her.

"Why would you help out some random kid?" Teddy asked, ever the one to bring up the negative side of things.

"He's not random. We responded to a fire call at his house a few weeks ago. I went back to teach him and his mother how to use the fire extinguisher. Then we got to throwing the ball around. His parents are recently divorced, and it's not something his dad is willing to do with him."

Daphne set the pitcher of water on the table and smiled at me. "That's really nice of you."

"I still don't see what's in it for you," Teddy said as we all took our seats and started to pass around the bowls of mashed potatoes, green beans, mac and cheese, and chicken.

"Why does there have to be something in it for me? I enjoy helping kids. It's as simple as that. He doesn't have brothers to play with or a dad who can teach him."

"Where is the dad?" Ryder asked.

"It sounds like he works a lot. Owen said something about his dad refusing to play sports. It's not his thing."

Ryder let out a breath. "That's not cool."

"Tell me about it," I said, accepting the salad bowl from him.

Daphne's lips curled into a knowing smile. "Are you interested in his mother?"

The table fell silent.

"No," I said, drawing the word out.

"You need to be careful with single moms. You either add something to their lives, or you stay out of them," Cole said with a pointed glare in my direction.

Irritated, I said, "I didn't say I was interested in her. I'm just helping her son out. No big deal."

"It is a big deal to her." Daphne exchanged a look with Cole.

When Cole started dating Daphne, I'd heard he'd bonded quickly with Izzy. I wondered if Daphne thought I was doing the same with Owen. "I'm just trying to do a good thing. The kid doesn't have a male role model. I got him set up at a gym, gave him a workout routine. If he can build some muscle, it'll help his confidence." It was something I'd gotten obsessed with when I was a teen. We had weights in the basement for my brothers, and a baseball coach gave me a regimen to follow. It was something I could control when I felt my world was falling apart and would never be the same again.

I didn't have an outlet for my feelings. I was the fun brother, the one you came to when you wanted to hear a joke or just let loose. I didn't have anyone to turn to.

Conversation changed to the upcoming holiday season for the farm, and Cole leaned over to say, "It sounds like you're invested in this woman and her son."

"I'm trying to be careful. Just focus on the kid. I don't want him to think I'm only there for his mother."

"Are you planning to be there for his mother?" Cole asked carefully.

"I'm attracted to her, but I can't get a read on her. She's so serious all the time."

Cole chuckled. "Maybe you can be the guy to show her another way of being."

I swallowed over the sudden lump in my throat. "I don't know that I'm looking for anything right now." I'd always shied away from serious relationships. It didn't fit into my role of a good-time guy.

But I already felt the pressure to get a new place and be more serious about something in my life.

"Jameson's thinking about moving off the property," Dad said, and everyone perked up.

Of course they were interested in my life. I was a never-ending source of entertainment for them. Look what job Jameson has now.

Teddy gripped his glass. "What prompted that decision?"

"I think it's time. I can't live on my family's property for the rest of my life," I repeated the same thing Teddy had said to me over the years.

Teddy nodded. "I've been saying that."

I let out a breath, trying to stay calm. "I'm going to live my life how I want to, and I don't need your opinions. If I want your advice, I'll ask for it."

"And you're not asking for it?" Cole joked. He was the only one who could get away with it because he wasn't my brother.

"Exactly." Our family was tight knit, especially since Mom died. My brothers felt the need to step in and give advice. I usually let it slide off my back, but I was tired of it.

Wes whistled. "Our little brother is growing up."

I set my elbows on the table and leveled him with a pointed look. "I'm not little. I haven't been for a long time. Show me some respect."

We held gazes for a few seconds. Then Wes inclined his head slightly. "I deserved that."

"I, for one, am proud of you. You're working at the fire house and substitute teaching. You're kind of amazing," Daphne gushed, pulling my attention away from Wes.

"Thanks." My sisters were more supportive of me. My brothers had certain expectations for how a Calloway man should act, and I'd never fit into that mold. I was protective of my sisters and my nieces, but I didn't have to work in law enforcement to be a good man. Or at least that's what I thought most of the time. Other times, I let their criticism get to me.

When most of us were finished eating, Izzy asked to show Faith her dollhouse in the living room, and Ryder said it was okay.

Dad pushed his plate away. "While Ryder is here, I wanted to talk about the farm. We've been coasting for quite a few years, not making any changes other than the occasional price increase. At the same time, I think we're all aware of how the Monroes' farm has taken off."

Cole cleared his throat, his gaze shifting to Daphne. "Do you want me here for this conversation?"

"Does anyone have a problem if Cole is present for the discussion?" Dad asked the table.

Teddy leaned his elbows on the table. "You need to decide if you're a Monroe or a Calloway."

"You know I'm a Monroe," Cole said tightly.

Teddy's jaw tightened. "If you're involved in the business side of Monroe Christmas Tree Farm and the marketing, you shouldn't be here."

"I thought that's what I wanted, but I took a step back from the business side. I help out if they need it, but my focus is on the contracting business. I don't have an opinion on the way you do business. That's your deal, but I'd like to be here to support Daphne."

Daphne smiled at him. "That sounds good to me. Anyone have an issue with that?"

Teddy leaned his elbows on the table. "I'll reserve my opinion for later."

"That's fair," Cole said.

I'd observed Cole and Daphne enough over the last few months to know that he was here for Daphne and Izzy. He wouldn't let anything or anyone come between them.

"Now that that is settled, we can talk business. Profits are down." Dad handed out a spreadsheet. "Now, if you don't care, we can continue doing what we are and probably dissolve the business when I'm ready to retire. But if you want it to continue operating for another generation, we need to make some changes."

I took the spreadsheet and examined the numbers. They were on a steady decline.

Cole leaned on the table, interlacing his fingers. "What if you hired a marketing guru. I know I'm not supposed to talk about the Monroes, but everyone knows that Marley has been instrumental in increasing revenue streams."

Dad eyed him thoughtfully. "You have a guru in mind?"

Cole shifted in his chair. "Actually, I do. My sister lost her job a year ago, and she's been working at the inn, helping at the store on the farm, but her first love is marketing."

"No," Teddy said firmly.

"Just like that. You're not even going to listen to what he has to say?" I asked him, fed up with Teddy acting as the head of this family.

Teddy gestured at the spreadsheet in front of me. "You've seen the numbers. Where would we get the money to hire someone?"

My jaw tightened as it did every time I tried to talk to Teddy. "We have another source of income—our jobs. We could pool our money and hire someone."

Wes nodded. "I'd want to see her resume and talk to her. But if she checks out, we could make her job contingent on results. Give her six months to turn things around. If she can't, then we let her out of the contract."

Ryder looked around the table. "I don't want to give up on the farm. It's something we might want to hand to our kids one day."

Teddy leaned in and lowered his voice. "Do you even get an opinion? You've been gone for years."

"I think he does. He's a Calloway. He has Faith to consider," Dad said.

"If you're just going to leave again, and we won't see you until that girl in there is eighteen, then I say you don't get a say." Teddy gestured in the direction of the living room.

"Watch your tone," Ryder said, his jaw working.

"You're not the one who makes the decisions around here," I said tightly.

Teddy waved a hand at me. "And you are?"

Dad cleared his voice. "I think we should all vote on what to do. Who wants to keep things as they are?"

Teddy was the only one who raised his hand.

"Who wants to see if we can do better?" Dad asked.

Everyone else raised their hand.

Fiona tipped her head to the side. "Look how Marley and Aiden renovated the inn and brought it back to life. There's nostalgia and memories here. Maybe we should play up the family-owned tree-farm aspect. Frame some pictures of us as kids around the farm, put them in the barn."

Dad nodded. "That's not a bad idea."

"Aren't the Monroes already doing that?" Teddy asked.

"It doesn't mean that we can't too. We have the benefit of being closer to town. That has always meant more sales for us. But the last few years, we haven't increased our offerings. We have to give people a reason to come here," Fiona said.

"I think we should at least talk to Charlotte. See if she has any ideas and if she'd be willing to consult with us," I said.

"You didn't hear this from me, but she's looking for a place to stay. You have Daphne's old cottage. If you need to save some money, you could make the house part of her compensation."

"That's an interesting idea," Dad said.

Teddy scowled. "Absolutely not. I don't want a Monroe living on the property."

"I'm going to be a Monroe," Daphne's voice rose as she spoke.

"By marriage. There's a difference."

I couldn't believe that Teddy was being such an ass. He was always close-minded, but this was ridiculous. "If we can get some advice in exchange for letting her live in the cottage, I don't see why we shouldn't just see what she has to say."

Cole rested his arms on the table, and Daphne moved her hand to his thigh in silent support. "Charlotte's not part of the original family. She didn't spend much time on the farm until recently. She's their cousin, and my sister, so show some respect."

"Charlotte's been managing the inn for us, and she's proven to be amazing with people. The guests love her," Fiona added.

"Will you at least agree to meet with her? You never know; she might not have the right credentials or any interest in working for us," Wes appealed to Teddy.

Teddy shook his head. "I don't like it."

"And she's not going to like you. Not when you're such a grumpy ass," Wes mumbled.

Teddy glared at Wes. "I can still kick your—"

Dad gave them both a look, the one that had us listening up when we were kids. "Boys, we have kids present. Try to behave."

Conversation turned to potential ideas for the farm, and Cole leaned back in his chair.

"What do you think about Charlotte working here? You think she has some ideas for us?" I asked him.

Cole nodded. "Charlotte's great with people. Just her presence is enough to help this place."

Fiona leaned over Daphne to say, "You should see her at the inn. The guests love her, and she's already incorporating amazing ideas for us. I think they're going to love her once they talk to her."

"Yeah, everyone loves Charlotte," Cole said.

"You're just saying that because you're her brother," Teddy said to Cole.

"In the reviews, guests have said she's like sunshine every time they go through the lobby," Fiona pointed out.

"We could sure use some sunshine around here," I said, more to get to Teddy than anything else. Telling Teddy that we were hiring someone so upbeat would upset him more than anything.

Teddy grumbled something under his breath, and I grinned. I couldn't wait to see how Charlotte shook up this place and especially Teddy. He could use something different in his life. When Mom died, he moved closer to help care for us, and he'd never really left.

He still felt responsible for us and Dad. Then there was his job. He took it seriously as he should. But he could use something more in his life. That made me think of Claire and Owen. Hanging out with them made me feel not so alone. Like there was more to life than work.

But there was no chance someone as put together as Claire would want to date me. My entire life I'd been told I was immature. She'd already pointed out that I was younger than her.

Teddy excused himself from the room to answer his phone, and Cole said, "This should be interesting."

"Charlotte being here sounds like a lot of fun. I can't wait." For once, I wouldn't be the center of attention. Maybe Teddy would focus on her and not his disappointment with my life choices.

"Are you really thinking of moving?" Daphne asked.

"It's time. Don't you think?"

"Well, yeah, but you were never interested before."

"I was happy here, and the thought of moving seemed like a lot of work. I've never lived anywhere else."

"Are you going to rent a place?" Cole asked.

I thought about the amount in my savings account. "I could probably buy something."

Fiona's eyes widened. "That's a big step."

I shrugged. "Doesn't everyone say that renting is a waste of money? Buying would be the responsible choice, and I have the money."

Daphne shrugged. "I'm just surprised; that's all."

"I stayed because I love the farm and spending time with you and Izzy. But everyone's moving on. You moved in with Cole, and you're starting your life together. It's time for me to do the same." Even though I wanted to be respected, it didn't feel good to think about leaving the farm. Maybe I wasn't as mature as I thought I was.

"I can send you my realtor's information if you want," Cole offered.

"That would be great."

"Any idea what you want to buy?" Fiona asked as she stood to clear the plates.

I hadn't given much thought to where I wanted to live. It was hard to imagine living anywhere else but on the farm. "Is it too much to ask for property? After living here, it would be tough to be in town."

"You sure you don't want to build on the property like the Monroes did? That way you can still live on the farm if that's what you want," Cole said as he stood to help Daphne.

"If I did that, wouldn't I just move into the cottage?" I rolled the idea over in my head. There was enough property that I could find a space that was separate from the main house and the cottage.

"That place is too small if you want to grow into it, marry, and have kids one day," Daphne said.

I've always loved kids, but I hadn't thought too much about having my own. But if I wanted Claire to take me seriously, she had to see me as a viable option. I needed to be a man she could admire. "That's a good point."

Daphne exchanged a glance with Fiona before we headed into the kitchen to rinse the dishes and load the dishwasher.

No one in my family took me seriously, but I didn't want Claire to look at me that way. I wasn't an overgrown kid as Teddy liked to say. I was so much more than that. I just needed to start living my life the way I wanted and not living in an apartment above my dad's garage.