Free California's Calling (Hunt Family Book 3) by Brooke St. James

heartthrob at the center, and it was quite obvious that everybody loved him.
    Tess had earned everybody's affections as well. She made the rounds, visiting different groups throughout the day, but sticking mostly with me. Cub gave me a hard time. He teased me about carrying treats in my pocket, which I most certainly was not doing. She loved me for who I was—bruised forehead and all. I had just cut some long bangs, a fact for which I was grateful since there would, indeed, be a bruise on my forehead. About half of it was beyond the hairline, so it wasn't that noticeable unless I picked up my bangs to inspect it.
    I did so that evening while I was staring in the mirror after my shower. My hair was up in a towel and I could clearly see a bruise forming.
    "Oh well, huh, girl?" I said as I leaned to the side to pet Tess. I stared at the bruise, smiling at the memory of how it happened. The day had been so full and exhausting, that the collision in the dining hall seemed like forever ago. "Don't feel bad because you made him come to the door," I said staring straight at her. She tilted her head at me like she was really listening. Her eyes were a mix of reddish and goldish-brown, and the expression in them really made it seem like she understood what I was saying. "You were just trying to come see me," I continued. "You didn't know he was gonna smack me on the head, huh?"
    She yawned and made a whining noise as her mouth closed like she was trying to say something.
    "You're something else," I said, giving her one last scratch behind the ears as I took the towel off of my head and hung it on the hook. I ran my fingers through my hair and took a deep breath before heading into the living room.
    "Charlotte, I'm glad you're here," I heard Mia call before I even rounded the corner. "You need to tell Cub this looks good on him."
    "It's ridiculous," I heard him say.
    I came around the corner to see Cub standing there with a fitted, collared V-neck shirt that had a few thin stripes across the chest. I knew from the tiny gold emblem on the collar that it was a nice brand. It was one of the shirts Rachel had bought him, and it fit him perfectly. It hugged his arms, and chest like a magical shirt-glove. He still had on his regular, worn out jeans, but the shirt made him look like something straight out of a J. Crew ad from the waist up.
    "Uh-huh, it looks good," I said, as I strolled over to one of the couches to sit beside Evan. I meant for the statement to come across casual, so my voice went up an octave toward the end.
    I could hardly stand to look at him dressed like that. I needed him to be covered in worn-out work clothes. It was the only way I'd survive the week. I sat on the floor, and Tess sat beside me, putting her head on my leg.
    I looked at Mia. "That shower felt good," I said, randomly. She smiled at me, and there was something in her smile that scared me. It was the face Mia made when she was about to say something she knew I'd be mad about.
    "You should try the other stuff on, Cub. Charlotte and I will put some outfits together for you."
    "No," I said, staring at her like that was the dumbest idea I had ever heard. "Cub doesn't want to put on a fashion show for us, Mia."
    "Hey, she makes me do it," Evan said.
    Mia beamed at Cub and clapped her hands excitedly. "Let me and Char check out the clothes Rachel bought you. We'll tell you what to wear with what and you can try on a whole outfit for us."
    Cub stared at Evan as if gaging whether or not this was normal behavior for the males in our family, which made Evan shrug and laugh.
    "They know what they're doing," Evan said.
    "No we don't," I said.
    I did not want to see Cub in good clothes. The shirt was enough.
    "And Cub doesn't want to do it," I added.
    Cub stared at me with a blank expression for a few seconds before responding. His expression was unreadable, but I was still wary of it because I could tell he was thinking about something. "I think you might have to show me