Page 99 of Someone to Have
On the other hand, Bryan keeps turning up like a bad penny, mainly under the guise of giving me moreconstructive criticism. Enough already. Every time he approaches me with a clipboard full of notes, my jaw clenches so hard I’m surprised I haven’t cracked a tooth.
Even Eric being out of my life doesn’t change the fact that I don’t want Bryan in it. And it feels good to take back my power, not just in public speaking but with life in general. I learned I don’t have to apologize for taking up space or having opinions. Eric taught me that, even if he doesn’t know it.
I knock on the farmhouse’s front door, and a cacophony of barking greets me. Sadie appears a moment later with an animal closely resembling a ball of fuzz in her hand.
“I just got everyone in their crates,” she says. “Ignore the chorus. This is Pringle.”
“Hey, Pringle.” I reach out to scratch behind the dog’s ears. His pink tongue darts out to lick my finger. “That is one fluffy dog.”
She rolls her eyes. “He’s twelve pounds of trouble and had an early morning bath because he started the day rolling in deer poo.”
I grimace even though there’s something endearing about the canine mischief. I imagine myself with a dog someday. And a husband. And kids. Maybe a white picket fence. But the way my heart hurts at how things ended with Eric, I can’t help but wonder if love is worth all the trouble.
I follow Sadie into the house, past the mudroom, where a neat row of dog crates lines the wall, each labeled with a different name in Sadie’s neat handwriting. The renovated farmhouse opens into a stunning great room with soaring ceilings supported by massive beams, while wide-plank floors gleam under thick rugs. The furniture looks like it was crafted to last generations and fitan NFL legend with oversized leather sofas and a stone fireplace big enough to stand in.
“It’s weird to walk into your house and not have half the furniture in the main room be dog crates.”
“Don’t get her started down memory lane,” Ian tells me as he walks down the wide staircase leading to the second floor. “You don’t know how much effort it took to convince her we only need crates in the mudroom.”
“I promise I’m joking.” I give Ian a quick hug. He’s tall, handsome, and built like a superhero, but I have zero reaction to his version of a stud athlete. My body only goes haywire for one particular hockey hottie. “I figured out here you’d have a whole room dedicated to the dogs.”
“We have two rooms,” Ian clarifies.
“I also use the indoor arena in the barn for training,” Sadie adds with a grin. “I’ll give everyone a tour after breakfast.”
Ian drapes an arm around her shoulder and pulls her close, placing a tender kiss on the top of her head.
“We keep some crates in the main living area for socialization,” Sadie explains.
“Because she’s addicted to dog fur,” he tells me with a wink.
“To be clear,” Sadie says as she rolls her eyes, “this is coming from the man who built a set of stairs so his favorite dog can access our bed whenever he needs to nap.”
“You’re going to ruin my reputation,” he tells her, then leans in for another kiss. “You keep insisting on revealing to everyone who comes through the door that I’m a sucker for the chicken dog.”
“It adds to the mystique,” I assure him.
I’ve met Ian’s favorite, Beast, and describing the canine as a chicken dog is not an exaggeration. Sadie hands over Pringle, and Ian holds him close like a football.
“Enjoy your brunch. I’ve got a call with Brady in five, and then I’ll check in to make sure things aren’t getting too wild.”
“You aren’t fooling anybody, sweet hubby of mine,” Sadie says. “You’ll be checking in to snag one of Avah’s homemade cinnamon rolls.”
He tries to look innocent and fails miserably.
“You love my dad bod,” he says, patting his flat stomach.
With the dog tucked under his arm, he turns and disappears up the staircase, taking them two at a time.
I lean in for a hug with Sadie and whisper, “He mentioned Brady. Does he mean Tom?—”
“Yeah, they’re working on some charity event together.”
“Wow.”
Her eyes widen along with her smile. “Hey, I’m pretty sure Brady’s single. Do you want Ian to introduce you?”
Before I can register how much that boggles my mind, Sadie holds up a hand. “No, wait. When she dropped her dogs off for daycare yesterday, Mel Wilson told me she saw you on a date last weekend. Are you holding out on us? Did you already meet your extra-credit bucket list challenge?”
