Page 27 of Finding His Fox

Cliff followed Ian to the kitchen, and I couldn’t blame him. I didn’t exactly give a friendly first impression.

They chatted about some sort of fair the town was having soon. I couldn’t help but wonder whether Cal would want to go with me.

No! Because that would mean it’s a date. And what would a date mean? Romance. Feelings.

My inner voice was right. However, what wasn’t a ‘date’ was Cal’s offer to let me shoot the pictures I needed of Max near Redtree Lake.

Cal certainly looked like someone who lived near a lake. He had a perfect tan, which reminded me of butterscotch ice cream. A little sweet, but also a little salty.

He also looked like someone who liked to spend his free time outdoors, maybe fishing.

An image started to form in my head. Cal was wearing fishing waders, with nothing else underneath, proudly displaying all the hard muscle on his chest and arms.

I imagined running my hands down his body. Maybe offer to put sunscreen on him.

Now, I knew one would usually wear a shirt underneath fishing waders, but a man could dream, right?

Plus, my little daydream of rubbing sunscreen all over him wouldn’t work if he wasn’t shirtless.

I licked my lips and took out my phone.

Nate: Hey! So when can I come over to your place to take pictures of Max?

I wondered for a split second if I was being too forward, but I reminded myself this was for work.

Not a date. At most, we were hanging out. My phone buzzed almost immediately.

Cal: Sunday too soon?

Nate: Sunday’s perfect.

Was it too soon? Hell no. In fact, I should’ve texted him sooner. Because I couldn’t wait to see Cal’s grumpy face again.

Excited for our non-date, I started typing out a list on my phone, reminding myself what I needed to bring.

I looked through the list one last time and decided to make a last-minute addition—sunscreen.

* * *

CAL

"So, I heard from a little birdie that you and Nate Chambers went out on a date," Owen drawled.

I peered intently at my cards, pretending to ignore his question. Truth was, I was having trouble focusing on the game.

Owen exchanged an amused look with James Mullen, another pack member.

It was poker night, and the three of us were gathered in my dining room, surrounded by cards, copious amounts of beer, pizza, and snacks.

My small circle of friends mainly consisted of Owen and James. My other pack mates saw me as a loner, and I had been content with that label for years. But then I realized I couldn't continue like that.

There had to be a reason why I chose to remain a member of the Fox Haven pack. It took me years to let anyone in, but Owen and James never gave up on me. For some reason, they stuck around, no matter how grumpy, unsociable, or unreasonable I became.

James finished his slice of pizza and then said, "Cal, we know you're not particularly chatty, but spill. I've never seen you interested in anyone before. What's so special about this particular human?"

My chest tightened. I thought about how vulnerable Nate looked, sitting on those porch steps as he stared at Missy's gravestone.

I recalled the wonderful feeling when Nate unabashedly rested his head against my chest.