Brandon Forte

**Age**: Mid-thirties

**Occupation**: Owner of Hope's Crossing Kennels

### Physical Appearance

Forte has muscular forearms and dark hair just long enough to become attractively disheveled. His hazel eyes pick up the light and color around him, sometimes appearing deep green and other times turning a dark brown. When he feels sad, his expression goes blank. He tends to smell like fabric softener and aftershave.

### Personality Traits

Forte never does anything he truly doesn't want to do. Unfortunately, he wants to do the right thing very much, which means sometimes he does things that make him unhappy. He can get caught up in his own head, and sometimes sounds a bit mean when he's frightened. He's incredibly responsible, but he does have a sense of humor and knows how to use it. He's always contemplating new ways to improve or expand Hope's Crossing Kennels. He has a fairly negative self image when it comes to Sophie Kim. He's terribly afraid he'll become a blight on her life, and is utterly convinced that he's not worthy of her. Family is important to him.

### Biography

Forte was born and raised in Hope's Crossing, Pennsylvania, but he didn't meet Sophie until high school. She became his best friend and his love interest. Her father did not approve, however. Forte went to him to ask permission tot take Sophie to prom, but her father would only agree if Forte quit trying to see her after graduation. He told Forte that he was self-centered and not good enough for his daughter, and Forte agreed with him. He enlisted with the military immediately after graduation and departed without even saying goodbye to Sophie.

Forte participated in several tours overseas, where he met David Cruz and Alex Rojas. Whenever a tour ended, he would return and spend his down-time in Hope's Crossing. Eventually he decided to retire there, though his parents and siblings had moved away. He contemplated becoming a private mercenary, but he didn't want to balance his finances against his morals so he decided to found Hope's Crossing Kennels instead. He invited Cruz and Rojas to come and join him, and together they built a home and a successful business doing something they love.

In *Absolute Trust*, Forte and Sophie are still friends tiptoeing around their attraction to one another when Sophie's car blows up. She and Forte go on the run with canine veteran Haydn and Sophie's young cat Tesseract as they try to figure out who wants Sophie dead.

### Relationships

Forte has a positive relationship with his parents and his siblings, though none of them live nearby. He grew up with Sophie, and they have become a couple as of the end of *Absolute Trust*. Forte is friends with his coworkers and fellow dog trainers Cruz and Rojas, who served in the military with him before they all retired, and their girlfriends, Evelyn Jones and Elisa Hall, respectively. Forte helps watch over Serena Rojas, who is Alex's young daughter. He has also adopted the canine veteran Haydn, after his help saved Sophie's life multiple times.

### Trivia

Forte...

* tends to speak aloud when he's thinking.
* usually calls people instead of texting them like Cruz and Rojas.
* is always considering new ways to expand his business.
* taught Serena to belch.
* has a sweet tooth and sneaks baked goods that aren't Sophie's out of mischief.
* particularly enjoys seeing Sophie in lace and heels.
* tells Sophie the truth, even if a lie would make her feel better.
* handles a knife with flare and is a capable cook of simple, healthy meals.
* only practices his combat skills alone, never in a group or with an audience.
* sometimes calls Sophie "Snuggle Monster."

### Quotes

"Left cheek, my friend. We're friends now, right?"

"You're so good at helping other people realize their dreams. You're allowed to make some of your own happen."

"Wherever you go, I'll go with you."