Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

SPENCER

I woke up with a start, confused and disoriented. The world was too quiet. I wondered if I had gone deaf, but as I looked around the room, my heart pounded in my ears, so it wasn't that. When I saw the old wooden dresser and looked down at the handmade quilt covering me, I remembered where I was.

Home.

Not technically my home but what I always thought of as my second home. I rubbed a hand over my face and looked around. Everything was so silent and still. I missed these mornings. I heard the distant sounds of birds chirping and that was it.

I got out of bed and grabbed my toiletry bag, then walked across the hall to the bathroom and quickly brushed my teeth and washed my face.

When I walked downstairs, I wasn't surprised to find Jodie in the kitchen. She was mixing up a fresh batch of blueberry muffins. "Good morning," she greeted me.

"Good morning right back."

She smiled. "There's fresh coffee. Klaus went to the hardware store and Rhett is still asleep. I'll have breakfast ready in about an hour so we can all sit down together."

I leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "These guys don't deserve you."

She chuckled and shook her head. "Sure, they do."

"What can I do for you?" I asked before sipping my coffee.

"Well, Shoop is out front waiting to be walked," she said. "Klaus didn't want to take him to the store with him, so he's feeling a little rejected."

I laughed. "Can dogs feel rejected?"

"Absolutely. Poor Shoop always goes with Daddy, but Klaus was going to be in the store for a while."

"I'll take the mangy mutt for a walk," I told her.

"Hey," she said with a laugh. "He's my little angel, not a mangy mutt."

I headed upstairs to put on jeans and a hoodie, appreciating the fact I didn't have to put on a suit. When I went back downstairs, I caught the scent of the muffins cooking. My stomach growled, looking forward to the feast Jodie was putting together. I grabbed the leash and stepped outside. Shoop lifted his head and looked at me. That was when I understood what Jodie meant by dejected. My heart went out to the guy.

"Ah, buddy, are you sad?" I asked. "Do you want to go for a walk? Let's go to the park. I'll let you chase all the birds you want."

He hopped up, wagging his tail and smiling again. I hooked the leash to his collar and we headed out. Shoop trotted along happily, occasionally stopping to sniff at something interesting. There was a definite pep in his step, but by the time we got to the park, Shoop looked a little tired.

"Let's take a break," I told him. "Enjoy the cool grass."

I sat down on the bench, loosely holding his leash knowing he wasn't going anywhere. While I sat, my thoughts drifted to the beautiful woman I saw on that magazine cover. Part of me was still in disbelief she was the same Marlow from my childhood. Granted, I hadn't seen her in a long time, but damn, talk about a caterpillar emerging into a butterfly.

I pulled out my phone and typed "Marlow Graylan" into Google. How had I not known Rhett's sister was such a smoke show? Probably because I wasn't in the habit of checking out my friends' sisters. In her case, I might make an exception.

As I scrolled through images and articles, I saw that she wasn't just stunning. She was a brilliant marketing powerhouse. I read about her latest keynote speech at a business conference in New York, her best-selling books, and her impressive list of clients.

"Shit," I murmured. "Someone's more than just a pretty face."

Also we'd been in the same circles and I never realized who she was. I was certain I had bumped into her before. How could I have not? We were both movers and shakers in the marketing world. I would bet money we chased after some of the same clients. I stared at another picture of her before reading more accolades for her amazing work on various projects. The woman was impressive in more ways than one.

With the guys at the firm in love and embarking on new adventures in their lives, things at the office had begun to feel a bit stale. They weren't bored because they had personal lives that kept them very busy. I was the guy with nothing but work to focus on. We rarely hung out anymore. We did get the occasional trip to the gym, but it wasn't like it used to be.

I needed to make some changes to feel excited about work and life in general. Being stuck in a rut was sucking the joy out of me. Since I couldn't get Marlow out of my head, I was starting to think that a marketing pro like her might be exactly what we needed. I wondered if she would accept an offer to be our marketing director.

We had a well-respected name. We were easily one of the top marketing and advertising firms in the business. People wanted to work for us and with us. With her name recognition, we would pull in even more business.

And I would get to work with her every day.

Just as I was diving deeper into my research, Shoop barked loudly, nearly making me shit myself. I looked up, startled to see a familiar-looking guy wearing headphones and running gear approaching us.

"Holy hell." He grinned, removing his headphones. "Am I seeing things? Spencer Kane, back in Stone Ridge? What's a big fish like you doing back in our small pond?"

Shoop let out a low growl and I rubbed behind his ears. I had never seen Shoop react to anyone like that. He was easily the friendliest, most laid-back dog I had ever met. I could feel the stiffness in his body and there was a line of hair along his spine standing up.

I looked at the guy, my brain searching my memory banks in an attempt to remember his name. He was familiar but what was his name?

Dakota Cross. We had known each other growing up in Stone Ridge but never really became friends. Dakota was friends with Rhett, though.

"Dakota," I said. "How are you?"

He nodded. "I'm good, man. So what are you up to?"

Dakota seemed unfazed by Shoop's growling. I got to my feet, wrapping the leash around my hand a couple of times in case he did the unthinkable and tried to attack the guy.

"Just out here to help the Graylans look after Rhett for a few days," I said. "Give the old folks a bit of a break. Then I have to head back to the city for work."

Dakota nodded, glancing down at Shoop. "I haven't been by to see Rhett. I keep meaning to. I'm sure the family could do with an extra set of hands helping his fat ass move around the house."

I chuckled, knowing that Rhett wasn't overweight. Dakota had always talked about people that way. I remembered why I didn't like him. Everyone was a dumbass, dipshit, or some other derogatory word. I remembered him being a bully in school, fucking with guys smaller than him and insulting the girls he thought were beneath him.

"I'm heading back to Rhett's now if you want to swing by. Last I heard, which was years ago, you and Rhett were discussing going into business together. I can't recall for what, though."

"Yeah, something like that," Dakota said vaguely. "How's he doing?"

"Banged up," I said. "Immobile. Grumpy."

"Heard it was a pretty bad accident," he said, falling into step beside me.

"Yeah, Jodie showed me pictures of the car," I replied. "I think it's nothing short of a miracle he's actually alive."

"Wow."

We walked Shoop the quarter mile back to the house. "I brought a stray home," I called out, opening the front door.

"We're in here," Jodie called back.

We headed into the kitchen, where I found Rhett at the table, massaging his thigh with his boot propped up on a chair. Jodie was in front of the stove with her husband Klaus, offering him a spoonful of something from a pot that was piping hot. Klaus savored the taste and nodded appreciatively. "Perhaps more cumin," he said.

"Ah, the infamous chili," Dakota said.

As one, they all turned and looked at the doorway. Dakota gave them all a sheepish smile and a slight wave.

I quickly realized I'd messed up. Jodie looked at Dakota like she had just swallowed a piece of glass. Klaus looked like he wanted to drag Dakota out by his ears. Rhett coughed on a sip of water.

I frowned. "Am I missing something here?"

Jodie's eyes narrowed. "What is he doing here, Spencer?"

I glanced at Dakota, who seemed uncomfortable. The tension in the room was beyond thick. Not even a knife would cut through it. This was the kind of tension that required a fucking chainsaw. "I just ran into him on my walk with Shoop. Thought he might want to visit Rhett. He asked how he was doing."

Klaus put down the spoon he'd been tasting from and crossed his arms. "You should have asked first."

Dakota cleared his throat. "I, uh, I'll just leave."

"No, stay," Rhett said, though his voice lacked conviction. "You're here now."

I felt like an idiot for bringing Dakota into the house without checking first. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize?—"

"It's fine," Jodie said tersely, turning back to the stove.

"So, how've you been?" Rhett asked, his tone guarded.

"Good, good," Dakota replied. "Busy with work. You know how it is."

"Yeah," Rhett said, not meeting Dakota's eyes.

"Spencer, why don't you get another plate?" Jodie asked, her voice tight. "Breakfast is ready."

Dakota held up his palms and shook his head. "Oh, thank you, but I just wanted to check on Rhett. It's good to see you survived, man."

Shoop, who had come in to get a drink of water, growled at Dakota. I didn't know what the hell was going on, but I did not appreciate being taken advantage of. That was exactly what Dakota had done.

"Yeah, let me show you out," I said, then slapped my hand a little too hard on Dakota's shoulder and steered him out the front door. Before he could say anything else, I closed the door behind him and went back to the kitchen, head hanging low.

"Plates are in the same place," Jodie said.

No one else talked. I felt like I had just dumped a pile of dog shit on the floor. They weren't looking at me. The silence was killing me. I quickly set the table. Jodie delivered a plate full of pancakes, bacon, and fluffy scrambled eggs. A basket filled with warm muffins was put on the table before Jodie sat down. We all passed around the dishes, piling up our plates. We started to eat with no one saying a word. I couldn't take it anymore. I had to know what the hell was going on.

"What's the deal with Dakota?" I finally asked.

Klaus sighed. "It's complicated."

"Dakota and Rhett had a falling out a while back," Jodie replied in a tight voice. "It's not something we talk about much."

I nodded, deciding not to press for more details. I wasn't going to ruin breakfast any more than I already had. If they didn't want to talk about it, that worked for me. I glanced at Rhett, giving him a questioning look. He just shook his head slightly, signaling that this wasn't the time to discuss it.

The atmosphere was still heavy with unspoken words. I tried to make small talk, asking Rhett how he was feeling and complimenting Jodie on the food. After breakfast, I helped get Rhett into the living room and prop his foot up.

"I'm going to help your mom with dishes," I said.

"She's not going to let you," he warned.

"Doesn't mean I'm not going to try."

I walked into the kitchen where Jodie was loading plates into the dishwasher.

"Sorry about that," I said, feeling responsible for the awkward situation.

"Really, it's okay," Jodie said, her tone softer now. "You didn't know. It's best to focus on positive things and move forward."

I could get on board with that.