Page 25 of Housebroke

Boo ignored her because bone, of course. But she could tell he was happy about it. Because, dammit, she was happy about it. Or she was going to be.

No matter what Linc thought. After all, he didn’t know anything about her or how she felt.

She wiped away the tears that she couldn’t hold back.

CHAPTER NINE

Despite having a full day of work that he needed to do, Linc couldn’t help but think about Hazel the entire day.

She’d gotten up early and made breakfast, fed and walked the dogs, and after that she’d gone upstairs to shower. A little while later she asked Linc if he wouldn’t mind keeping an eye on the other dogs today while she took Boo to meet his potential new family. He’d told her he’d take care of them. She thanked him, then she’d harnessed Boo and left. She’d seemed subdued this morning, and the rest of the dogs had definitely picked up on her mood. They’d been especially confused by her leaving with Boo, but he’d distracted them all with toys, and they’d seemed fine, so he’d gone back to doing his thing, occasionally stopping to check on the pups.

Gordon liked being inside most of the time, especially on hot days like today. Linc was doing some electrical work that wouldn’t generate a bunch of dust, so he’d piled up some blankets in the corner of the dining room, and Gordon had made a little pallet there. Then Lilith started pacing in front of the back door, so he opened it and she came in and curled up with Gordon. Before long,Penny and Freddie were whining at the door, so he had to stop what he was doing again to let them inside. They ended up lying next to the pile of blankets, close to Gordon and Lilith.

Maybe they all knew something was off since Boo wasn’t with them. Dogs were pack animals, after all, and when one of the pack was missing, they weren’t a complete unit. But since they all finally settled in the corner for a nap, he could go back to work.

He had the wiring done in the ceiling for the new LED can lights. He’d thought about maybe a chandelier in the dining area, but it being right off the main door leading outside, it seemed too fussy, so he decided he’d wire that for cans as well. If the buyer wanted a chandelier there, it would be an easy fix.

By the time he broke for lunch, the dogs were ready to go out as well, so he opened the door and they all piled outside, while Linc made his way to the guesthouse.

The new AC unit had been installed, which meant the guesthouse was now livable again—or at least you weren’t going to die when you walked in there.

Before she left this morning, Hazel had told him she’d fixed him a sandwich for lunch and tucked it in the fridge. The one thing he liked about her—okay, there were a lot of things he liked about her, but this was on the list—was that despite having her own worries, she still did her job. He wished some of the people who had worked for him in the past had done that as well.

Which was partly the reason he enjoyed working on houses by himself. He knew what he was doing, he did the job well, and he didn’t have to rely on anyone else. Sure, on occasion, he’d have toget an expert to come in or he’d need to hire a few assistants to help with a job. But otherwise, if he could do it himself he would.

He grabbed the bag Hazel had packed for him, pulled a soda out of the fridge, and took it outside to eat on the back porch. The humidity had lifted a little, not a lot, and the wind had picked up, making it tolerable to be outside. The dogs all came over and lay at his feet while he ate, no doubt hoping for some crumbs.

“Not a chance, kids,” he said. “I’m hungry.”

He checked emails while he ate. There was one from his investment broker about a house up for sale in Phoenix. He scrolled through and looked at the pictures. It was a decent-sized house, definitely needed some upgrades, but it was only twelve years old, so plumbing, electrical, and HVAC should be okay, and he wouldn’t have to put on a new roof. It was a lot like this house. Some cosmetic changes, and in a good area. The only problem was that he wouldn’t be able to get started on that one until he finished this one, and that would mean a longer turnaround and less profit.

He replied to the email with a “not right now.” But if the house was still available when he finished this one, he’d definitely consider it. Spending late fall in Phoenix wouldn’t be a terrible idea. The thing he liked best about doing what he did was the ability to travel, to spend time in new locations with every house he worked on. And he could still monitor his investments no matter where he was working and living at the time.

He’d enjoyed this nomadic lifestyle for a few years now. Maybe someday he’d find a place he liked enough to settle down and stay there, but right now he was happy doing this.

He went back to work and had the light switch in the dining room finished when Hazel walked in. The dogs were outside, so she waved to him and went out there. He shoved his screwdriver in his pocket and followed her.

The dogs had all rushed to greet her and, more specifically, smell her. She bent down to say hello and pet them.

“I know,” she said. “I didn’t bring Boo back with me. But he’s doing just great, so don’t you worry about him.”

“How did it go?” he asked after she took a seat next to him.

“It was awesome. The couple looking to adopt Boo absolutely loved him. And the feeling was mutual. He adored them. They have a two-year-old Labrador that they’d brought with them for a meet and greet with Boo, and the dogs hit it off like they’d been besties forever. They lost their senior pittie six months ago, and they’ve been searching for another dog. When they saw Boo online, they knew he was the one.”

“So, now what?”

“Boo will spend a week with them as a test run, but it’s mostly a formality. I could feel their connection with him right away. It’s a done deal.”

“That’s good, isn’t it?”

She lifted her gaze to his and gave him what he considered the worst fake smile he’d ever seen. “It’s fantastic. I couldn’t be happier that Boo has found his forever home.”

He could tell she was down and upset. “I’m sorry. I know you love him.”

“I love all of them. And, yeah, it’s hard, but letting them go is part of the job. Otherwise they’d never end up in their happyplaces. Boo was so happy today. Once he met Savannah and Leo, he never once ran over to me for comfort. It was like I had ceased to exist.”

He was sure that had to have hurt. “You know it’s because you gave him confidence and so much love that he was capable of feeling that free to love other people.”

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