Page 77 of Housebroke

“Ugh,” Natalie said, patting each dog lightly on the head as if they had canine cooties. “Your dogs.”

“Only two of them. The other three are outside.” Avoiding her mother and sister like the smart creatures they were.

“You have five dogs now?” Her mother stared dramatically from the hall. “What could you be thinking, Hazel Elizabeth?”

Oh, she was getting middle named. Mom was in a mood. “I’mthinking that it’s my job to foster these animals and find them good homes.”

“Really.” Her mother made it down the stairs and pulled up a chair at the table. “And what kind of career is that for you?”

“I don’t know that it’s a career, per se, but I love doing it. Plus I’m Linc’s personal chef.”

Nat snorted. “Is that what we’re calling it?”

“I make him three meals a day unless we go out to eat. I prepare said meals on the stove in the guesthouse or on the grill outside. I’m earning a paycheck that I’m putting into savings while I live here so that once Linc finishes this project I’ll be able to find a place for me and the dogs to live.”

“Uh-huh. And what else do you do for him, Hazel?”

“That’ll be quite enough, Natalie,” Mom said, then smiled as Linc came in carrying a tray filled with glasses and a pitcher of iced tea. Hazel started to get up.

“No, you sit and visit,” Linc said. “Let me pour. I sliced some lemons, too.”

“Aren’t you so thoughtful?”

Her mother’s sugary words to Linc were in direct opposition to the cutting tone she’d given Hazel a minute ago. Not that Hazel’s feelings were hurt. She was used to her mother’s judgmental attitude. For as long as she could recall, she’d been under a microscope, and no matter what she did, it hadn’t been good enough for her mom.

Her dad, on the other hand, had been her friend and her confidant and her playmate when she’d been little. He’d let her get dirtywhen they played, he’d taught her sports, and he’d let her decide who she wanted to be and what she wanted to do with her life.

There wasn’t a day that went by that she didn’t miss his warmth, acceptance, and counsel. Or his ability to run interference with her mother.

Linc poured everyone a glass and handed them out. “I’ll let you all visit.”

“No way,” Natalie said. “You should join us.”

Her mother nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, you must. It’ll give us a chance to get to know you. You are, after all, living with my daughter.”

Hazel cast him a quick apologetic look.

“Sure, I’d love to get to know both of you as well. Did Hazel tell you that she met my family a few weeks back?”

Her mom shot her a benign smile. “She did not. Where did this occur?”

“I had some meetings in San Francisco, which is where I’m from, so Hazel accompanied me, and she met my mother and my two brothers.”

“How wonderful. And what does your father do, Linc?”

Linc took a swallow of tea. “My dad passed away a few years back.”

Mom gave him a sympathetic look, along with laying her hand on his forearm. “Oh, Linc. I’m truly sorry. I lost my first husband, too, though it was quite some time ago. How’s your mother doing?”

“She’s doing well, thanks. I think this is the first year where the anniversary of his death didn’t totally wreck her.”

Her mother nodded. “I understand. Grief has its own individual timeline. For me, it was several terrible years. Natalie and Hazel can attest to what a mess I was. There were days, especially in the beginning, where I couldn’t face getting out of bed.”

Linc nodded. “My mom went through that, too.”

“I thought I was never going to make it without my love. But months passed, and then years, and friends and family made me put one foot in front of the other and start doing normal life things again. And then I met Paul. Well, he swept me off my feet, first as friends, then we fell in love. He was so sweet and kind and generous, and while he’s nothing at all like the girls’ father, he’s his own person and loves me in his own unique way.”

Hazel had never heard her mom talk about Dad that way, about how losing him had been so hard. She’d been wrapped up in her own grief, of course, so she probably hadn’t noticed how much pain her mother had been in. Hazel was happy when her mom found Paul. He really was a great guy, and he treated Mom like gold.

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