by Chris Cannon
Jane caught up with me. “You are in grave danger of losing your cupcake privileges.”
I shook my head. “I appreciate what you tried to do at lunch, but Bryce has made it clear he isn’t in this for the long haul.” I was so frustrated, I growled. “He makes me doubt my sanity. I know he has fun when we’re together. So why is he working so hard to avoid spending time with me?”
“This sucks,” Jane said.
“That about sums it up.” I wanted to hit or kick something, but settled for digging my nails into my palms.
Chapter Fourteen
Bryce
“Why didn’t you ask her?” Nathan hitched his backpack higher on his shoulder as we walked to our cars after school.
“It wouldn’t have been an issue if you hadn’t asked Jane in front of her.” I was mad. It felt like I’d been set up.
“If I’d known you weren’t going to ask Haley, I wouldn’t have mentioned it in front of her. It’s your fault for not clueing me in ahead of time.”
I stopped dead in my tracks. “Since when do I have to clear my weekend plans with you?”
We arrived at Nathan’s BMW. He unlocked the door and threw in his backpack. “You’re an ass.”
“The feeling is mutual.” I left him and headed for my Mustang. Haley and Jane came around the end of the aisle. We spotted each other at the same time. Jane looked at me like I killed kittens for fun. Haley’s face shut down. Her eyes went vacant. Her lips set in a grim line.
I’d had enough. Time to take the offensive. Keeping a neutral expression on my face, I met them halfway. “Haley, I didn’t ask you to the banquet because I’m not going.”
Jane’s jaw dropped. “Why didn’t you say that in the first place?”
I ignored Jane and spoke to Haley. “I didn’t know you’d go apocalyptic on me. It’s a stupid banquet.”
Haley’s expression didn’t change. She crossed her arms over her chest. “I think you’re lying because you know you hurt my feelings and now you feel guilty.”
Note to self: dating a smart girl is a pain in the ass. “Believe what you want.” I’d done my part. It was up to her now.
“If you aren’t going to the banquet, then you’re free to ask Haley on a date,” Jane said.
I was about to tell Jane to mind her own business, when something flickered in Haley’s eyes. It was only a moment, but I knew what it was: hope. She wanted me to ask her on a date. Damn it. Did I want to go on another date?
We had nothing in common. But she was funny and I could talk to her, and I needed to make this right. “Before you went postal, I planned to ask if you wanted to go see a movie this weekend.”
She kicked at the gravel stirring up dust. “I’m not sure I believe you.”
Never dating a smart girl again. “Does it matter? Either way it’s a peace offering. Take it or leave it.”
She held my gaze for so long I started to fidget. “I’d like to see a movie with you this weekend.”
About half the weight I’d been carrying on my shoulders fell off. “All right then.”
I turned and headed for my Mustang. As far as I was concerned, one and a half weeks couldn’t fly by fast enough. When all this was over, I’d go back to dating the type of girls I understood.
Once I was in my car, I stared at the steering wheel, trying to figure out where to go. Mother had a charity meeting tonight which meant my father and I might be alone in the house together. Not a good idea.
Maybe I’d go hang out at the country club and have dinner. My dad might have drinks in the lounge or eat in the restaurant, but he never ate at the grill by the pool. Even though the pool was closed for the season, the grill stayed open until the first snow.
When I reached the country club, I took my backpack with me. If I pretended to do homework, people would leave me alone. Thankfully, the outdoor area was mostly deserted.
Picking out a black wrought iron table, partially obscured by one of the outdoor heaters, I dropped my backpack and walked up to the counter to place my order.
Splat. A cold, wet drop fell on my head, followed by a dozen more. I shivered. Even the heaters couldn’t combat freezing cold rain. I made my order to go.
Five minutes later I was driving home in the rain, eating one-handed. The rain shifted and came down in sheets, beating on my car so loud it drowned out the radio. The lines separating traffic disappeared. Not that there was much. I guess everyone else had someone to eat dinner with. Wait. Where had that come from? I didn’t need anyone to eat with. I was fine on my own.
Lightning struck. Something small darted into the road. I slammed on the breaks and gritted my teeth. With a screeching slide, my car came to a stop in front of a small mud-covered dog. Heart beating out of my chest, I waited, hoping he’d run back wherever he came from. He looked at me like he expected me to drive right over him.
Damn it.
I put on my hazards. After checking for cars, I exited the vehicle with the hamburger in hand.
“Come here, dog.” I inched my way toward him. Ice-cold water ran down my face and soaked through my coat. The dog backed up a step. I checked again for traffic. All clear, but if someone ran me over, I’d come back and haunt Haley for the rest of her life. It was her fault I was risking my neck for a stupid dog.
I squatted down and held out my hand. “Come here, dog. Hamburger.”
The beast lifted its nose and sniffed. Slowly, he moved toward me, stretching his neck out as far as it would go. The buckle of a collar glinted in the streetlight. When he was close enough to take a bite, I released the burger and grabbed his collar.
The ungrateful mutt growled at me like I was trying to take his food. The sound of a car approaching sent me into high gear. Snatching up the dog, I ran to my car. The dog didn’t protest when I tossed him on the front passenger seat. I shifted the car into drive and took off. Chewing noises told me the dog was eating. That had to be a good sign.
Now that I had him, what would I do with him? I couldn’t take him home. A whimpering sound came from the passenger seat. I reached over with one hand to pet him. “It’s going to be all right. I know someone who’ll take care of you.”
…
Haley
After school, Jane gave me a ride to the shelter where I fed the animals. Being around furry critters made me feel better. If I could live in a bubble with cats, dogs, and a few select people who did not include Bryce, life would be good.
When I made it back to my house, I realized it was my night to cook. I was draining the spaghetti noodles when someone knocked on the front door. My brothers, who were stretched out on the couch watching TV couldn’t be bothered to answer it. My parents weren’t home from work yet, so that left me.
“Don’t worry. I’ll get it.” I stomped over to the door.
On my doorstep, I found Bryce holding the world’s wettest, muddiest dog.
“I didn’t know what to do with him.”
I stepped back and waved him into the house. Something was off about Bryce’s appearance. It hit me. His hair was plastered to his head, and his coat had streaks of mud down the front. Water dripped off his nose and ran down his face.
Holy crap, he wasn’t perfect. “Let’s go to the bathroom. We’ll clean him up and dry you off.”
Matt and Charlie didn’t notice Bryce until we cut in front of the TV.
“What is that mutt doing here?” Matt asked.
“And why is he carrying a dog?” Charlie added.
Bryce stopped to glare at them. I bit back a laugh. “Come on. Once we make sure the dog is okay, I’ll find you a dry shirt.”
I expected him to argue his needs came first. He didn’t. Once we were in the bathroom, I asked Bryce to set the dog on the vanity counter. “Hold on to him, we don’t want him falling off.”
He shot me an I’m-not-an-idiot look.
I toweled the dog off, checking for cuts or injuries. “Aren’t you a cutie.” I checked his collar. No tags.
“Why does h
e smell so bad?” Bryce asked.
“That’s wet-dog-who’s-been-digging-through-trash smell.” Wrapping the dog in a towel, I picked him up and held him against my shoulder like a baby. He snuffled against my neck and his body relaxed. “He’s used to being held, so he’s probably someone’s pet.”
“Shouldn’t you give him a bath or something?”
“He’s traumatized enough for now. I want him to trust me. Why don’t you grab a towel and dry off.”
Bryce shrugged out of his wet coat and hung it on the robe hook on the wall. The bathroom seemed smaller than normal now that I was sharing the space with Bryce. Not wanting to be caught staring, I patted the dog and baby talked him. “I’m sure someone is looking for you.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Bryce towel dry his hair. It fell into natural waves, which he finger combed into place. Unfreaking believable. The guy could be caught in a downpour and his hair still looked good.
“Want me to find you a dry shirt?” He wouldn’t wear something that belonged to my brothers. “I have some extra-large T-shirts from animal charities.”
He ran the towel over his formerly white button-down. “That might work.”
I headed for my room, but stopped in the living room to pass the dog off to Charlie. “Hold him for a minute.”
Charlie grumbled under his breath, but he took the dog. “Hey there, fella. No reason to be scared.” He wrinkled his nose. “Dude, you need a bath.”
I laughed and ran up to my room. In my pajama drawer I found a black shirt that said, “Neutering saves lives.” It was tempting, but I wasn’t sure Bryce would think it was funny. I dug a little deeper and found a navy shirt that said, “Adopt a shelter dog, have a friend for life.”
When I returned to the bathroom, the door was closed. I knocked. Bryce opened the door, still wearing his wet shirt. Darn it. I held out the navy shirt. “Here. This should fit.”
Back in the living room Matt squinted out the front window. “I can’t tell. It’s too dark.”
Charlie pointed at me. “She’ll know. What kind of car does that guy-you-insist-on-hanging-around drive?
“A Mustang. Why?”
“That’ll work.” Charlie rubbed the dog’s ears. “Hear that? Your name is Mustang.”
The front door opened. Dad stomped on the entry matt and shook off water. “What’s Bryce doing here?” He must’ve spotted Bryce’s car in the driveway. “Is that a dog?”
I grinned. “Bryce found him on the road and brought him here.”
At that moment, Bryce came out of the bathroom. The navy shirt fit, but it didn’t look right. I’d never seen him without a collared shirt. He wasn’t a long-sleeve-T-shirt kind of guy.
Mustang caught sight of Bryce and barked. Charlie set the dog on the floor. He wriggled out of the towel and trotted over to sit at Bryce’s feet.
Woof.
Bryce glanced at me. “Care to interpret?”
“I think he wants you to pick him up.” I bit my lip and waited to see what Bryce would do.
He squatted down and patted the dog’s head. “Listen, dog—”
“His name is Mustang,” Matt said.
Bryce pointed at the dog. “In case you haven’t noticed, he has all four legs.”
Woof.
Mustang jumped up to put his two front legs on Bryce’s knee. “He does want me to pick him up, doesn’t he?”
I nodded.
“Are you sure we can’t give him a bath?”
When he said, “we” rather than “you,” I melted a little bit.
“I guess we could. He doesn’t seem too traumatized.”
“Did you manage to cook dinner before the dog showed up?” Dad asked.
I wasn’t sure if he was referring to Bryce or Mustang. “Yes. I cooked the hamburger and the noodles. If someone heats up the Prego in the microwave, dinner will be good to go.”
Figuring my dad would take charge and assign my brothers to finish dinner, I picked up Mustang and carried him back to the bathroom.
“He’s small enough that we can wash him in the sink.” I set Mustang in the sink and turned on a trickle of water to let him get used to the idea. “The shampoo is in the cabinet over the toilet.”
Bryce opened the door, and a box of tampons fell out and scattered across the floor. His face turned red. I couldn’t believe it. Bryce Colton, the coolest guy in school, was blushing over tampons. Of course, my face felt warm, too, but still, it was funny.
“Want to trade jobs?” I asked.
He nodded and came over to hold Mustang’s collar. I gathered up the tampons as quickly as possible and stuffed them back in the box. After retrieving the puppy shampoo, I shoved the tampons in the cabinet and slammed the door.
On to business. “You can make sure he stays in the sink, or you can wash him. It’s your choice.”
“I’ll hold him.”
“Fair warning. Most dogs don’t love this.”
Making sure the water was warm, I turned it on higher, and Mustang tried to bolt. “This won’t take long. I promise.” I wet the dog down and lathered him up. Mustang expressed his irritation with the situation by shaking from head to tail, sending soapy water and dog fur flying everywhere.
“What was that?” Bryce used one hand to wipe bubbles off his chin.
“Doggy defense mechanism.” I used my sleeve to wipe my cheek. Mustang tried to make a break for it, and soapy water splashed out of the sink.
“He’s stronger than he looks,” Bryce muttered.
I rinsed the dog off and wrapped him in a dry towel. Before setting him on the floor, I said, “He’s going to shake again.”
Bryce backed up a step. I set Mustang down, he wiggled out of the towel and shook from head to tail, sending water droplets everywhere. Then he rolled around on the towel.
“Is he trying to give himself a concussion?” Bryce asked.
“Most dogs don’t like the scent of the shampoo. They try to rub it off.”
“Believe me, dog, you smell much better now.”
Mustang stopped rolling, lying flat on his back with all four feet in the air.
Woof.
“That’s dog for ‘Rub my tummy.’” I squatted down and rubbed his belly. Mustang stretched his front and back legs out as far as they would go.
“Looks like he’s doing a swan dive,” Bryce said.
“He’s cute. Isn’t he?”
“I guess.”
Offended on Mustang’s behalf, I stood up. “You guess?”
“His legs are kind of short.”
“And what is wrong with short legs?” I asked.
He pointed at my legs. “I see you have the same problem.”
“Short people take up less space, you know. We’re more economical.”
“That makes no sense.”
I pretended to be mad. “Fine. Just because you were blessed with extra height doesn’t mean you can make fun of the rest of us.”
He squatted down, tentatively placed his hand on Mustang’s chest, and slowly rubbed back and forth. “Mustang, you should know, the people who live in this house are nice, but they aren’t right in the head.”
…
Bryce
Haley glared at me in mock outrage.
“You have giant metal chickens in your front yard,” I pointed out.
“They’re art.”
“No. They’re not.”
“They may not be museum quality art,” she said, “but they’re still art.”
“So’s the macaroni necklace I made in kindergarten, but that doesn’t mean it’s good.”
She tapped her foot and glared at me. “You know what? I think a metal chicken would make a fabulous hood ornament for your Mustang.”
The grin on her face made me laugh. She looked quite proud of herself for coming up with a threat she knew would get to me. I played along, standing to tower over her. “Don’t even think about it.”
She laughed at me, with her eyes sparkling and cheek
s flushed. Somehow, I felt lighter. The weight of the world pressing down on me disappeared, all because a smart girl covered in shampoo and dog fur was laughing at me. There seemed only one logical option at this point. Leaning down, I pressed my mouth against hers.
For a second she froze, and then her lips moved against mine. I wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer. She slid her hands up my chest, twining her fingers in the hair at the base of my neck. A slow burn started in my body. Not a flash of heat, like I’d felt with Brittney, but something different.
Woof.
The bark startled me. I jerked my head back, but held onto Haley. “What?” I asked the dog. Realizing two disturbing things at once: A.) I was talking to a dog. B.) I didn’t want to let go of Haley.
A knock sounded on the bathroom door. “It shouldn’t take that long to wash a dog,” Matt griped. “Get out here before I send Dad in to get you.”
Haley grinned up at me. “We’ll be out in a minute.” Then she stood on tiptoe and brushed her lips across mine. “We better get out there.”
I nodded and stepped away from her. Mustang came over and tapped my shoe with his paw.
Woof.
As tempted as I was to talk to him, out loud, that wasn’t a habit I wanted to get into. Instead, I picked him up and held him like a football. He seemed content with this situation.
“You were warning us about Matt, weren’t you?” Haley scratched Mustang’s head. “Good dog.”
She opened the door to keep her brothers happy, and then wiped up the sink with a towel. “There we go.”
I didn’t want to leave the bathroom and deal with her father and brothers. When we stepped into the living room, with Haley practically glowing by my side, it was the one family member I hadn’t met, who looked at me like I was an ax murderer.
Haley froze. “Hey, Mom.”
“Why are you here?” Since Haley lived there, I figured she was speaking to me.
“I found a dog on the road, and I knew Haley would know what to do with him, so I brought him here.”
Her gaze traveled down to the dog. “I see. So now you’re going to drop this problem in her lap and walk away?”
What could I say? If one of her brothers had pulled this crap, I could’ve fought back. Since this was a woman, and Haley’s mom, I was at a loss.
