Page 3 of Hazel and Elijah Find Out: First They F*cked Around

Dennis had Banjo’s leash and commanded the dog to sit. “I’m so sorry. He gets protective around men.”

The beagle had stopped barking, but still wasn’t sitting.

“You need to get that dog more training,” Elijah’s mom insisted.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“I’m fine,” Elijah said again.

Her hands went to her hips, her shoulders set. “You just escaped up a retaining wall.”

“Dogs can be weird.”

“You could have gotten hurt.” She turned her green eyes on Dennis. “If your dog bites someone—”

“He knows, Mom. It was a mistake. Nobody is hurt and everything is fine.”

She pressed her lips together as if it was the only way to keep words from continuing to tumble out.

“I really am so sorry. Is there anything I can do?” Dennis asked.

“No, man, I’m good. You and your girlfriend”—there was the slightest hesitation as Elijah’s eyes finally landed on me, and all the air pressed out of my body—“go enjoy your night.”

I didn’t know if I should say “Hi” or scream “He’s not my boyfriend.” But nothing came out of my mouth, I didn’t even wave. I was too busy noticing all the changes to Elijah’s appearance since I’d last seen him. There was a couple days’ old dark beard on his once cleanly shaven jaw, and his hair was trimmed above his ears. I was too busy being shocked to see him at all. I was too busy just seeing him. The way he stood, perfectly balanced, with his feet shoulder-width apart. His hands fisted in his pockets in a way I hadn’t known would be so familiar. Thinking about him, wondering about him, had become such a frequent activity that it was more like a song that was stuck in my head.

I didn’t know what it meant now that he was here.

I didn’t know if it meant things could be different between us. If he’d want things to be different between us. I knew that I did.

The semblance of a greeting formed at the back of my mind, but then he was looking away as a muscle flexed in his jaw.

“If you change your mind, I’m Dennis Rickman, I’m a DNR officer. You can just call the office and tell them you need to talk to me.”

“Sure thing.” Elijah’s gaze landed somewhere near his feet.

Dennis turned and tugged the leash. “Hazel, do you mind if I take you home?”

“Yeah, sure.” I started walking next to him, his hand settled on the small of my back. Glancing over my shoulder, I found Elijah watching. But I couldn’t make out his expression through the distance growing between us.

Chapter 2

Elijah

Iwatchedfortoolong as Hazel left with Captain Forest Ranger and his hell hound. His hand rested on the small of her back like it was a familiar spot. And why wouldn’t it be? It’d been over a year since I’d been back in my hometown. She was single when I left, and there was no reason to think she’d stay that way. Over a year of wondering what she was up to. Over a year of her having my number. Over a year of her not using it.

Now I knew why.

It was probably a good thing I’d canceled the previous trips I’d half-heartedly planned to visit. It was probably good that I had stopped myself from contacting her through social media or calling the clinic’s number. Every time I considered it, I’d reason that she knew how to get a hold of me but wasn’t, and I should probably respect that.

She looked good. The sweater dress she wore ended halfway down her legging-covered thighs—and did nothing to hide her generous curves. The silky strands of her hair were pulled back from her face in a loose braid. Her skin was lit in the warm light of the setting sun.

I expected to run into her, but not like this—and certainly not with me fleeing a rabid dog. When I imagined it, I was on my game. I even let myself picture her being happy to see me. I’d tell her how I couldn’t get her out of my head, and then we’d go out to dinner. I’d kiss her good night outside of her front door and see if I could take her to breakfast the next morning.

But all of those plans and hopes were embarrassing now.

I’d been in romantic limbo since spending just one night with Hazel, and I’d been there alone.

A fact that took my embarrassment all the way up to humiliating.

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