by Chris Cannon
Maybe I should focus on something else. Christmas was two weeks away. Buddy snored from the bottom of my bed. He was pretty much all I wanted for Christmas. I reached down and scooped him up so I could lay him down beside me. He gave a sleepy yawn, cuddled against me, and went back to snoring.
Did I really want the pain of having a girlfriend, paying attention to her moods, trying to figure out what she wanted? Maybe I should just stick with my dog.
I woke up a second time to laughter drifting up through the vents. It only took me thirty seconds to realize one of the voices belonged to Delia. Should I go down in my pajamas or change into real clothes? She liked to give me crap about my bedhead, so I’d go down to the kitchen just like I was and see how she reacted.
After brushing my teeth, I picked up Buddy and carried him down the stairs. Delia and Zoe sat at the kitchen table eating pancakes.
“I was wondering when the smell would wake you,” my grandmother said from her spot at the stove where she poured fresh batter into a pan. “Do you want pecan or blueberry?”
“Both,” I said.
“Great minds think alike,” Delia said.
I glanced at her plate of blueberry pecan pancakes and then up at her face. She smiled at me, and my heart rate kicked up a notch, so I smiled back. “Morning.”
“Good morning.” She pointed at my shirt, which had Captain America’s shield on the front. “I thought you were team Iron Man.”
I took the plate of pancakes my grandmother held out to me and joined her and Zoe at the table. “They were out of Iron Man in my size. Plus, I like the design of the shield.”
“Someone might be getting Iron Man pajamas for Christmas,” she said.
“Nah, Santa will probably just bring me dog toys.” I dug into my pancakes, amazed at how not awkward it felt being around Delia.
“I’ve seen dog coats that look like super hero capes,” Zoe said. “Buddy might need one of those.” Her cell buzzed. She checked the text. “Looks like I need to call Grant to rescue him from the stack of interior decorating magazines his mom is trying to show him.” She stood and left the kitchen, dialing her phone as she went.
I wanted to say something to Delia about what had happened between us, but I didn’t know what to say. Sorry I panicked and bailed? That didn’t sound right. Maybe I’d just ask straight out what I wanted to know. “Did you have fun with Aiden last night?”
“We always have fun together.” She poured more syrup on her pancakes. “And it’s not like anyone else asked me on a date.”
Well, shit. “So you guys are like together now?”
“I never said that.” She tilted her head and stared at me like she was issuing a challenge. “I said no one else asked me on a date.”
Wait a minute. Did that mean she wanted me to ask her on a date?
“Don’t strain your brain trying to figure the situation out,” Delia said.
Chapter Seventeen
Delia
Jack looked like he was trying to solve a complicated equation. Should I take pity on him? He’d walked away from me without explanation, so why should I make this any easier on him?
He glanced over at his grandmother, who was making another round of pancakes like he was worried she might be listening to our conversation. “I don’t understand.”
“That is becoming quite apparent.” I took another bite of the world’s best pancakes.
Jack shoveled in his breakfast and then sighed. “I should take Buddy out for a walk. Do you want to go with us?”
Was that his way of trying to get me alone so we could talk? “Sure.”
I grabbed my coat from the hook by the front door and watched as Jack tried to attach a camouflage leash to Buddy’s collar. Buddy was doing some wiggle-butt-pounce-and-play dance of happiness, making it difficult for Jack to accomplish the task.
“Want some help?” I asked.
“See if you can pick him up,” Jack said.
“I have a better idea.” I sat down on the floor and patted my lap. “Come here, puppy.”
Buddy galloped over and climbed onto my legs. He looked up at me and then licked my chin. “He’s so cute it almost hurts.”
“I know.” Jack managed to click the leash onto Buddy’s collar. He wiggled off my lap and bounded for the door.
I stood and followed them out. “Does he really need a leash?”
“I know we don’t have to worry about a lot of traffic out here, but I don’t want him taking off after a rabbit and getting lost. He’s still a baby, and he isn’t trained yet, so it’s not worth the risk.”
Buddy romped in a zig-zag pattern from bushes to leaves to specific blades of grass that he thought he needed to pee on as we walked around the side of the house. “I see your point. He doesn’t exactly have a plan, does he?”
“Do you?” Jack asked.
It felt like I’d missed a beat in the conversation. “Do I what?”
He stopped walking and turned to face me so we were toe to toe. His big brown eyes rivaled Buddy’s as he spoke. “Do you have a plan about us?”
With him being so close, I had trouble forming coherent sentences. “I…no…not a plan…more like a hope.”
The corners of his mouth quirked up in an I’m-sexy-even-though-I-have-bedhead-and-I’m-wearing-a-Captain-America-T-shirt-covered-in-dog-fur kind of grin. “And what are you hoping for?”
That he would shut up and kiss me but I couldn’t exactly blurt that out. And I would not tell him that I wanted him to ask me on a date. I took the leap of faith last time, so it was his turn. “Well, I was hoping we could see if there is an us.”
He leaned in closer. “It will be complicated,” he said, “with Zoe.”
As if I hadn’t realized that. “I know.” My lips tingled in anticipation as he tilted his head to the right and leaned down to press his lips against mine.
Ruff, ruff, ruff, ruff!
I jerked away from Jack to look at Buddy. Jack mirrored the move, which left both of us glancing around trying to figure out what Buddy had barked at.
“Not cool, Buddy.” Jack laughed awkwardly.
“I expected there to be a lion charging us.”
“A lion…in southern Illinois.”
“That wasn’t a oh-look-at-the-pretty-flowers kind of bark. It was a you-are-in-grave-danger-from-a-wild-animal kind of bark.”
Buddy sat and tilted his head, looking up at us like he didn’t have a care in the world. The romantic mood had completely evaporated. “So I guess this is one of those to-be-continued-later kind of moments,” I said.
“When?” Jack asked. “You’re here to see my sister today, so it’s not like we can sneak off together.”
We could, but I wanted a real date, not a secret rendezvous. “Zoe is meeting Grant for lunch, so I’ll be leaving soon. You could come to my house, and we could go grab lunch somewhere.”
“I’m going over to Trevor’s later. You could come with me.”
I was surprised by the offer. I wasn’t sure I was ready to hang out in public before we knew what we were doing.
“Or not.” He quickened his pace and headed toward the front of the house.
Crap. “Wait.” I hustled to catch up with him, but he kept moving. By the time I made it into the house, he was halfway up the stairs to his room, and I couldn’t exactly follow him.
“Hey,” Zoe called out from the kitchen, “I’m in here.”
As if I’d be interested in talking to anyone else in the house. I needed to cover why I’d been outside, in case it looked suspicious. “Buddy is seriously adorable.”
“I know.” Zoe grinned. “I kind of like it when Jack leaves, because I can have Buddy all to myself.”
My cell rang. It was Aiden. “Hello?”
“Delia, do you have plans on Thursday nights?”
“That’s a random question. What’s up?”
“My father is receiving an award in a few weeks, and there’s going to be a small dinner to celebrate. I was ho
ping you’d go with me as my fake date.”
I glared at the stairs where Mr. Moody had disappeared. “Sure.”
“Cool. Thank you. It’s on a Thursday. I’ll fill you in on the details when I get them.”
I ended the call and set my cell on the counter.
“What was that about?” Zoe asked.
“Aiden’s dad is getting an award for something, and he asked me to go with him.”
“Like a date?” Zoe said. “Because that sounds like a date.”
How could I explain without actually explaining? “I think it’s more of a friend thing. He just needs someone to go with him so his dad won’t give him crap about being anti-social.”
“Are you sure he’s not trying to suck you back in?” Zoe asked.
“Nope. We’ve had the talk. He knows where he stands.”
Zoe looked at the clock. “Not to kick you out, but I need to get in the shower.”
“Got it. Have fun with Grant.”
Zoe ran up the stairs as Jack came down them, freshly showered.
He walked past me, grabbing my hand, and tugging me along with him into the laundry room.
“Hello to you, too.”
“Why don’t you want to go to Trevor’s?”
“I never said I didn’t want to go. I just wanted to ask a question, and you ran away from me, again.”
He ducked his head. “Fine. Ask.”
“Who will be there, and how will we act? Can we act like a couple in front of other people, or should we tell Zoe first?”
“How about we don’t act and we just do whatever seems right?”
That left so much open to interpretation, but I was willing to give it a shot. “Okay.”
“Good. I’ll follow you to your house. You can drop off your truck, and we’ll go to Trevor’s.”
…
Jack
After Delia left, I called Trevor and explained the situation.
“Glad to see you’re making a move,” Trevor said.
“And you’ll be cool about it,” I said.
“Of course…most of the time. I might have to bring up some embarrassing moments just so she knows what she’s getting into.”
“Don’t even think about it.” I hung up and headed out the door.
For once, Delia’s truck wasn’t the only vehicle in her driveway. I considered honking for her to come out, but that was more of a friend thing than a date thing. If we really were going to date, I should do it right.
I parked and climbed out of my car. Before I made it to the front door, Delia came around from the side of the house.
“What were you doing outside?” I asked.
“It’s weird the things you don’t know about.” She turned back the way she’d come from. “Follow me.”
She led me to the side door of a garage that had seen better days. The entire structure leaned to the right. “Are you sure this is safe?”
“I wouldn’t suggest punching a wall, but other than that, it’s fine.” She opened the door and went inside. I followed into what must be her art studio.
There were several easels set up with works in progress. An old sink was on a wall next to a shelf holding mason jars full of paintbrushes and palette knives. A rickety wooden bench was pushed to one side.
“Is this your secret clubhouse?” I asked.
“More like my secret art studio.” She seemed to be waiting for my reaction.
“It’s cool.”
“It’s not, but it’s functional. One day I plan to decorate it and make it nice and homey, but for now, I spend my money on art supplies.”
“I called Trevor and told him you were coming with me. He’ll probably try to embarrass me.”
“That must be some sort of male bonding ritual,” she said. “It won’t work because I’ve known you forever, so there aren’t a lot of deep dark secrets he can reveal.”
“I’m sure he’ll come up with something. Let’s go.”
When I pulled up to Trevor’s, there were a dozen cars in the driveway.
“Are there normally this many people here?” Delia asked.
“It depends. Sometimes his cousins come over on Sundays, and sometimes not. They’re in college or older, but they’re pretty cool. His whole family is pretty laid back.”
“I’m used to that,” said Delia.
I didn’t think of her family as laid back, I thought of them as absent, but I’d never say that out loud. “Let’s do this.”
We headed to the fire pit out back. Rocky met us halfway. He bounded up to me. “Hey, boy. This is Delia. She’s dog-people, too.” I rubbed Rocky’s ears while he gave Delia the side-eye. She came closer and held her hand out so he could sniff it.
“What do you say, Rocky? Do I pass inspection?” She scratched under his chin. He leaned into the scratching and sighed.
“I think he likes you.”
Trevor came walking toward us with a grin on his face, which I knew spelled trouble for me.
“I didn’t know you were a dog person,” Trevor said to Delia.
“Neither did I, but after hanging around Buddy, I can see a dog in my future.”
“Why not now?” Trevor asked.
“My parents work weird hours, so no one would be home to take care of him. And that wouldn’t be fair to the dog.”
“Yeah, dogs need people,” Trevor said. “Speaking of people, do you want me to introduce you to my entire family or just chat with people as they come over to say hello?”
“Let’s go with plan B,” Delia said. “Sounds less awkward.”
“Oh, it will be awkward either way,” Trevor said. “Because Jack has never brought anyone with him before.”
“Really?” Delia turned to me.
I was going to punch Trevor in the face for this later. “No big deal.” Maybe I should have thought this through before I invited Delia to join me. “Who wants a drink?” I headed for the coolers on the patio where they kept the soda. I grabbed a Coke for myself and one for Delia.
She took the can and smiled. “Thanks.”
“So what’s the deal with you two?” Trevor asked.
Delia pointed at Trevor. “Knock it off. We’re still trying to figure this out, and you giving him crap isn’t going to help the situation.”
“Fine.” Trevor laughed. “Let’s go sit by the fire pit.”
Delia sat next to me, close enough so I could put my arm around her shoulders if I scooted over a little bit, but I still wasn’t sure where this was going and how much we wanted to let people in on the situation. Who knows if it will last?
Rocky came over and sat on my foot, leaning against my leg. I reached down to rub his head. “Has Rocky done anything interesting lately?”
“He may or may not have eaten a carrot cake my mom left out on the counter to defrost.”
“And you know this because…” Delia asked.
“We found the chewed-up box in my mom’s closet.”
“That darn cat framed you again, didn’t he, Rocky?” I scratched under his collar, and he made a happy growling noise.
“Cats don’t eat cake,” Trevor said.
“I didn’t know dogs ate cake,” Delia said.
“Rocky eats anything he can grab,” Trevor said. “I read online that dogs are opportunists. If they can reach something, they consider it fair game. They’re not being bad; they’re just taking what the universe is offering them.”
“That’s very optimistic of them,” Delia said, “and it kind of makes sense.”
Chapter Eighteen
Delia
Maybe that’s what Jack and I were doing…taking advantage of a situation when the universe offered it. I sat back and sipped my soda while I watched Jack and Trevor talk. Rocky came over and laid his head on my lap.
“Hey, there.” I scratched under his chin. He leaned in closer so I’d hit the spot he wanted, and then he half fell onto my lap. I set my drink down, laughing. “You’re a little big for a lap dog.”
&nbs
p; “I don’t think he realizes how big he is,” Trevor said.
“Do you think Buddy will grow up to be a large lap dog?” I asked Jack.
“The vet said he’d be medium sized…whatever that means.”
My cell buzzed, causing Rocky to relocate. “Sorry, pup.” I pulled out my cell and frowned. It was Aiden. Now wasn’t the time to talk with him, so I set the phone down.
“Who was that?” Jack asked.
I considered lying to him, but I didn’t. “Aiden.”
“The guy you aren’t dating?” Trevor said.
“Yes,” I said. “The guy I sometimes hang out with as a friend.”
“Because he friend-zoned you,” Jack said.
“Yes, and unless you want to be idiot-zoned, I suggest you change the topic.”
Trevor stood. “I suddenly feel the need to check on when the food will be ready.” And he dashed away.
“Idiot-zoned?” Jack didn’t seem to see the humor in my statement.
“Not to be rude, but when I tell you Aiden and I are friends, it’s because that’s how we work best. I didn’t see it at first, but now I do. So I’m friends with him. That’s it.”
“Maybe I just don’t like it because you liked him first, and the only reason you’re not with him now is because he didn’t want to be with you…not because you didn’t want him.”
If a guy said something like that to Zoe, she would have gone all drama-queen on him. While I wasn’t prone to her overly emotional responses, I was starting to get ticked off.
“Let me make this easy for you. Earlier today, I hoped you’d kiss me, but Buddy kind of interfered. Right now, I’m here with you. Aiden called, and I ignored him in favor of being with you, even though you’re being slightly pissy about the whole situation.” I probably shouldn’t have said that last part, and it would be so much easier if I could just tell him Aiden was gay, but that wasn’t my secret to share.
“So you don’t want to kiss him?” Jack asked.
“Nope.” I waited to see how he’d deal with this information.
“Food’s ready,” Trevor called out. “Come grab a plate.”
