Page 16 of Housebroke

Okay, that was new. Typically, she avoided him. With a sigh, he rubbed his hand over her head and back, which she seemed to appreciate. Until one of the dogs barked outside. Lilith shot out the door like a rocket.

Shaking his head, he paid for express shipping and finished the order for the toys and food, then slipped his phone back in his pocket.

Hazel came outside, her entourage of dogs following. The dogs dispersed into the yard, and Hazel sat in the chair next to him on the porch. “There’s a breeze. And it’s cloudy. Have you looked at the weather forecast?”

He frowned. “No, I haven’t. What’s up?”

“Big storm blowing in. Supposed to hit sometime later afternoon or tonight.”

“Great. Just great. I have someone coming to fix the AC in the guesthouse this afternoon. Hopefully, he can get that done before it starts to rain.”

“I hope so. Then I can get out of the house and out of your way.”

He was scrolling through his phone, searching for the weather app. “You’re not in my way. It’s not like you’re sleeping in my bed or anything.”

Realizing what he said, he looked over at her and found her staring at him, an unfathomable expression on her face.

“Uh, what I meant was... I was trying to say that... I didn’t mean...”

Then she let out a big laugh, which released the tight knot that had formed in Linc’s gut.

“It’s nice to know I’m not the only one who shoves her foot in her mouth on occasion.”

He was so relieved she hadn’t been horrified by what he’d said. “Yeah, I mean, I don’t know what I was saying, but it sure wasn’t what I meant. You’re welcome in my bed anytime.”

His eyes widened. “Fuck. I’m going back to work before anything else stupid falls out of my mouth.”

Her laughter rang in his ears all the way back to the house.

•••

Hazel had been in a really good mood all day, though she had no idea why. Okay, she knew why.

Because Linc had thrown bedroom suggestions at her, and even though he’d immediately corrected his wayward thoughts and fumbled over his words, the idea had to have been there in the first place, right?

Or maybe the bedroom idea is only in your head, Hazel.

She shrugged. Maybe that was true. But it had been a stroke, and she’d been beaten down emotionally since her divorce, so she could use all the strokes she could get. A fine-looking man like Linc making suggestive remarks like that? She would definitely not take offense.

The air conditioner repairman had showed up early, which had made Linc happy. Though when the guy had left about forty-five minutes later and Linc made his way back to the house with a stormy expression on his face, that couldn’t be good.

“Is it fixed?” she asked as she followed him inside.

“Not even close. The amount of repairs it needs far outweighs its value. I’ll have to replace it.”

“Oh no. I’m so sorry.”

“Not your fault. Just an expense I hadn’t budgeted for. He’s going to bring a new unit out and install it by the end of the week. And then the guesthouse will be back in business for cooking.”

“Excellent. And the dogs and I will move back in there.”

“The hell you will. I’m not moving that damned bed frame and mattress again. You and the dogs can stay upstairs.”

That seemed rather definite. And he had enough to worry about, so she wouldn’t inconvenience him. “Okay.”

But she would be thrilled to be able to cook in the guesthouse again without the oppressive heat.

She took the dogs on a long walk, figuring if a storm hit later she wouldn’t be able to walk them tonight. The humidity today was unbearable, so Gordon didn’t make it very long before he plopped down on some nice cool grass at the corner and decided he was ready for a nap. She scooped him up and put him in the stroller, and they continued on. The other dogs didn’t seem to mind the heat, though Hazel was a big, sweaty mess by the time they’d done a mile, so they made their way back toward the house. They were only a few homes from getting there when Sarah Ventura, Ginger’s incredibly intrusive neighbor, came outside.

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