Chapter 4

4

CHANCE

T oday was the harvest festival in town, and it was my duty to be present. My deputies were providing security and directing traffic. I enjoyed the action part of my job, but this was just as important. My dad had drilled the duties of the job into me. You had to be selfless, giving yourself to the town. There wasn't time for relationships and especially not a family. I'd witnessed that firsthand.

I passed by the stands selling baked goods, flowers, and produce. The air was cool, but the sun warmed me. It was the perfect fall day.

A live band played music at the other end of the street, and the smell of food wafted from the trucks selling food and drinks.

A child ran in front of me. "Sorry, Mr. Police Man."

I chuckled at his characterization.

The father said, "Sorry about that. He doesn't slow down for anything."

I waved a hand. "Don't worry about it."

People felt the need to apologize to me or justify what they were doing. It was some instinctual thing when they were around a police officer. But I wanted everyone to feel comfortable. I was here to help people.

I lifted my gaze to the next stand where there were kennels and dogs on leashes next to volunteers in long-sleeve blue shirts.

A blond woman, holding a small animal who looked more like a golden ball of fluff than a dog, caught my attention. Marigold was talking to a family with two little girls. "Oakley is so sweet. He's still a puppy, so he likes to jump and nip a bit."

Marigold worked with an animal rescue? What else didn't I know about her?

I approached but stood off to the side so I wouldn't alert Marigold to my presence. I didn't want to interrupt. I'd talk to her when the family moved on.

"Can I hold him?" the little girl with long brown hair asked. She must have been seven or eight.

"Of course."

The girl sat crisscross on the ground, and Marigold carefully placed the pup into her lap.

"Aw. You're so adorable." Then she giggled when Oakley licked her chin.

Marigold crouched in front of her. "I think he likes you. You can let him sniff your hand, then gently pet his back."

The girl looked up at her parents. "Can we get him? Please?"

Her father shot her mother a panicked look. "We weren't planning on getting a dog today."

"You have to fill out an application to adopt. Then a volunteer needs to visit your house to ensure everything is in order for a puppy. Oakley will need to be walked and fed and given a safe place to be when you're at school and your parents are at work."

Marigold stood and handed a piece of paper to the mom. "Here's the application if you're interested. We always have dogs, so there's no rush to make a decision."

"Come on, Marie. Give Oakley to Marigold," her dad prompted.

I was impressed when Marie handed the dog to Marigold without any further argument.

"Dogs are a lot of work," the mom said as they walked away.

"That little girl was so sweet with Oakley," another volunteer said to Marigold.

Marigold's nose scrunched. "He's an easy sell, but the parents hadn’t planned to adopt a dog today."

She wore the blue shirt with the rescue's logo tucked into white jeans. Her hair was pulled back into a low pony tail that curled over her shoulder. She was a beautiful woman even dressed down. I felt like I was seeing her for the first time. As a woman I was attracted to.

Marigold blinked at me in surprise. "Chance? What are you doing here?"

I smiled and stepped closer. It was good to see her. She always lifted my mood. "I was just making my rounds."

Marigold scanned my chest, as if she was cataloging my appearance. Then she snapped her gaze to mine as if she'd been caught checking me out.

"I didn't realize you worked with the rescue." I waved a hand in the direction of the blue sign depicting their logo.

"I usually work in the building, feeding and walking the dogs. They were short on volunteers, so they asked me to come."

"That's generous of you."

Marigold looked up at me, shielding the sun with her hand. "I love puppies. I've always wanted one."

My brow furrowed. "You're a natural with Oakley. Why don't you adopt him for yourself?"

She chewed on her lip. "I always pictured myself settled before I got a dog."

"What's your definition of settled?" I'd known Marigold her entire life, but I didn't know her wants and desires, her dreams and goals.

Her cheeks flushed slightly, and I wondered if it was the intensity of the sun or my question. "I thought I'd be married or at least in a serious relationship."

"You want to get married." My heart sunk even though it made sense. Marigold was the forever kind of girl.

"And have kids."

"You want the white picket fence." It was so obvious. I shouldn't have been surprised, but it actually hurt to hear her say that. This wasn't the kind of girl I'd offer a casual relationship. She was the kind of woman you dated and took home to your parents. It was too bad my life wasn't conducive to that kind of lifestyle.

I'd only just started seeing the real Marigold, as someone separate from my sister. She was gorgeous and selfless. She tipped her head to the side, and I could envision coming home to her at the end of a long shift. Maybe we'd cook dinner together, then discuss what we'd read over our meal. Then we'd walk the dog. I'd never imagined a life like that for me.

I'd always shut any thoughts of that down and broke off any relationships when the woman wanted something more. This was my wake-up call. Marigold wasn't for me.

Marigold squinted up at me. "I suppose I do."

"And you want it soon," I said, carefully remembering what she'd told me that night she was at Eli's club. She wanted to get married and have a family.

"I'm ready for it. I want what Eli and Scarlett have."

"They look happy." So why did I feel something shift in my chest any time I thought about them together? "Who would have thought that Scarlett would have settled down first?"

Marigold laughed as if we shared a secret. "Right?"

"Are they why you're motivated to find someone now?"

"I've always wanted to be in a committed relationship, but yeah, seeing them together has lit a spark inside me. I need to get out there again. Do you know anyone who is single?"

I cleared my throat, images of the Wilde brothers and my deputies coming into focus. "Not anyone who'd be right for you."

Marigold winced. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"None of them are looking for anything serious."

Marigold nodded. "I should probably be dating someone older. Someone who's ready to settle down."

My throat tightened, and a little boy approached. "Can I pet Oakley?"

"Of course," Marigold smiled brightly, and I wanted to do anything to keep that expression on her face.

She was beautiful, especially when she was talking about something she was passionate about: her books, dogs, and the future she wanted. I wished I could be the guy to give it to her. When the boy rejoined his parents, I squatted down and let Oakley sniff my fingers. When he nudged my hand, I petted his head. "You're a good boy, aren't you?"

His fur was fluffy and soft. "He's all fur, isn't he?"

Marigold laughed. "He sure is. He's tiny when he's wet."

When I stood, she scooped him up, holding him against her chest. I was a little jealous of that dog. He was the object of her free affection. "I'll see you around, Mari."

Her eyes flashed with surprise at the nickname. We'd called her that when we were little, but when her and Scarlett were thirteen, they'd announced that she was Marigold, and I'd respected her wishes. When I called her Mari, it made me feel like we had a special bond.

"See you later, Chance."

As I walked, nodding at people calling out greetings, I wondered how old of a man she was considering. Was she talking about someone just a few years older than her, like me, or someone even older? A single dad with a child? There couldn't be any shortage of those in the children's section of the library. What if I wasn't the only one who saw Marigold for who she was? It was just a matter of time before someone else saw what a catch she was.

I continued walking down the street, lined with families and couples sampling the wares and making holiday gift purchases, but I wasn't really seeing anything.

My chest felt tight at the thought of her dating someone who was more settled. Someone like Oliver Wilde, who was a single dad who owned a home and wasn't into the bar scene. He was the perfect choice for Marigold.

Worrying about it didn't make sense when I didn't want a relationship. There was no point in longing for something I didn't want and couldn't have.

Marigold deserved everything she'd ever wanted. Her parents had essentially ignored her. She had a house and food, but she'd had to take care of herself. She was forced to be responsible at a young age. That's why my parents never said no when Scarlett wanted her to stay over.

My parents enjoyed taking care of her, and now I could see that she needed them in her life. Just like she needed a man to share her life with. If I couldn't step up to be that person, I needed to stay away from her.

I stopped at the Wilde Ski Resort table. Xander stood in front, talking to a couple of women. As I moved closer, I overheard him talking about ski lessons. I wondered if they were genuinely interested or they just wanted to flirt with Xan. He easily attracted ladies and enjoyed their attention.

Oliver sat in one of the chairs behind the table, his legs stretched out in front of him and his arms crossed over his chest.

Joey tugged on his hand. "Daddy, can we walk around? Please."

Oliver shook his head. "We're working the table in shifts. I have another hour yet."

"I can take him if you want. We can check out the puppies and get some lunch." I enjoyed spending time with the boy, especially since I didn't expect to have kids of my own.

"Aren't you supposed to be working?" Oliver eyed my uniform.

"I'm not officially on duty. Just keeping an eye out and making my presence known."

Oliver nodded. "If you're sure it's okay. I'd appreciate it."

"Of course." Then I said to Joey," Come on, little man. We have places to go."

Joey squealed, then crawled under the table.

When Joey popped up on the other side, Eli asked, "Is there a reason why you went under and not around?"

Joey gave him a look. "It was quicker."

I took Joey's hand. "I'll see you in an hour."

"No rush to get back. I think we're going to be busy for a while."

"Can you tell me about the new cabins you're putting in? When will you be accepting reservations?" a woman asked as I led Joey away.

He skipped next to me. "What are we doing first?"

"You want to see some puppies?" I asked, eager to see Marigold again.

"Yes!" Joey pumped his free hand in the air.

"I met one earlier I think you'll like."

Joey blinked up at me. "Can I get a puppy?”

"That's not up to me." Now I was wondering if this was a good idea. But we'd already arrived at the rescue table.

It wasn't as crowded as before. Most people were making their way to the food trucks for lunch.

"You're back," Marigold said as she smiled at me, then Joey.

I lifted Joey's hand. "I was hoping he could meet Oakley."

"Oakley would love that."

Joey stood up straighter. "Did he know I was coming?"

Marigold laughed, clearly used to kids. "I think he did. He wiggled his butt as soon as he saw you."

Joey immediately attempted to pet Oakley on the head, but I moved to stop him. "Let him smell your hand first."

"Oakley's super sweet. But if you were meeting a dog for the first time, you should let them sniff your hand like this first." Marigold held her hand out for Oakley, and Joey mimicked her movement. Except Oakley licked his hand, then nuzzled it with his head in a clear attempt to get Joey to pet him.

"I think he likes you," Marigold said to him.

Joey dropped to the ground, and I knelt next to them, adjusting my duty belt.

Oakley crawled all over Joey's lap while he giggled and tried to avoid his tongue. Then Oakley spotted me. He stood on my thighs, wiggling his butt, and sniffed my chin. "Aren't you handsome?"

Marigold's eyes were bright. "He is a handsome boy. I'm not sure how I'm going to let him go back to the shelter after today."

I scratched behind his ears. "I told you that you should adopt him."

Her nose scrunched. "It's probably not a good idea. I work long hours at the library and now the theater."

I didn't like her working so much, especially when the theater job was essentially volunteer. "I've heard dogs are good for your health."

"Hey, I'm the one who's supposed to convince someone to adopt." Our gazes met and held.

Marigold looked away first. "So what do you think, Joey? Does your dad want a puppy?"

Joey shook his head. "He'd probably say something about them costing too much money."

It wasn't that the Wildes were short on money, but Oliver was more conscious about that sort of thing.

Marigold scooped Oakley into her arms. He rolled on his back with his feet in the air like he was a baby. "Some things are priceless."

Marigold holding a dog was giving me ideas. Ones where she held our child. I hadn't even kissed the girl, and I could already imagine a life with her. I needed some space. "Are you hungry, buddy?"

Joey groaned. "I'm starving."

We all chuckled, and then I said, "Let's go eat."

A woman behind the table said, "Marigold, why don't you take your break too? You must be hungry."

Marigold handed the pup to another volunteer and told him, "Be good." Then she turned to find us waiting for her.

"You going to the food trucks?" I asked her as we walked in that direction.

"I keep smelling those Old Bay fries."

"I'll get you some. You want a burger too?" I asked, pulling out my wallet as we got into line.

"Oh, you don't have to get it. I have money."

"I'm paying." I didn't allow women to pay while they were with me, whether I was dating them or not. "You're volunteering your time today for the community. It's the least I can do."

"You're sweet. Thank you, Chance."

My name on her tongue sounded nice. I wanted her to scream it while I was licking her pussy. I shook my head mentally to clear the image of her legs spread while I drove my tongue inside her sweet heat. Since when did I think dirty thoughts about my sister's best friend?

"What do you want, buddy?" I leaned down to ask Joey, even though I knew his order by heart.

"Chicken fingers. Duh." Joey rolled his eyes.

"I have to ask every time in case you change your mind." As we waited for the line to move, I couldn't help but think how nice it was to be here with Marigold and Joey. Almost like we were a unit, a family. I shook my head. Why was I thinking about a family when it wasn't something I wanted?

It was Eli's fault. He'd messed up my equilibrium by planning to settle down with my sister. They talked about the future, and they seemed happy.

I could be content living on my own and working. It was an important job, and I had to give it my focus. I couldn't have a family of my own. I'd seen what my mom went through. I wouldn't subject another woman to that. No matter how much I was starting to think I wanted Marigold.

She'd need a man who worked a nine-to-five in an office setting and came home to help cook her dinner. Not someone who worked shift work. It wasn't fair to her.

She was too good of a woman for me.