Page 4 of Guarding My Love

“You’re not good with talk at all,” Elias said. “Which is why you found a way to make sure your SUV was parked so that no one could block you in. It was the first thing I noticed.”

He laughed. Might be the first honest laugh he had today.

Foster didn’t think he was much of a dick, but he’d had a lot of anxiety over the sheer number of people he was going to have to play nice with today.

He played nice every day of the week at his job and it was exhausting. But the last thing he’d want to do was bring shame or attention to the family name.

Staying in the shadows was what he’d always been good at. Having to be one of the groomsmen for the wedding only pulled him out of the darkness and into the spotlight for the day.

“I’m sure everyone did. Do you want to leave with me or are you going back to the hotel with someone else?”

“I’d love nothing more than to go back to your place, but I’m already going to get into trouble when Mom finds out I lied about Abby looking for her.”

He slapped his hand on Elias’s back. “Appreciate it. I’ll see you on Sunday.”

“Positive?” Elias asked.

“Yeah. Mom would drive to my place and get me if I didn’t come. I don’t have a death wish.”

“There’d been times in your life we thought you did,” Elias said, smirking.

He didn’t need that reminder.

“I’m not that idiot anymore,” he said. “Which is why I know my limits and it’s time for me to go. No reason to embarrass Mom.”

Elias shook his head and Foster climbed into his SUV, backed out, and pulled away.

He used the hour drive home to blast hard rock music to help clear his head. Music was soothing to his soul, even the headbanging kind.

His body almost sagged in relief when he pulled down his street, then got close to his long driveway to bring him to the water on Merrick Bay. He was set back from other houses and liked it that way.

The small cottage before his driveway had been empty for a month, but he noticed the “for sale” sign gone and a vehicle in the driveway a few days ago. He should have bought it himself and let it stay empty.

Though it was dark out, there was a security light on in the backyard causing him to turn his head. Normally he minded his own business, but he noticed a woman walking what looked to be a puppy in the backyard.

She lifted her hand and waved with a bright smile, he did the same to not be an ass, but he kept his smile to himself.

Just what he needed. Another person to play nice with.

2

DO THIS FOR ME

“Come on, Marco,” Charlotte said on Saturday morning. “You got me up early, you can go out and do your business.”

The mutt looked up at her as if she was crazy.

She was.

Crazy to get a puppy and think she could handle this with home ownership at the same time.

But if she was going to take this step to be fully independent, she needed a place of her own.

It’d help keep her grounded along with this pup.

She grabbed the leash and collar and hooked it on her puppy, then opened the back door and all but had to tug him onto the porch.

When the wind blew slightly, Marco turned to run back in, but she snatched him up and brought him down on the damp grass.

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