Page 36 of Hound Dog
Haylee shot me a look before responding with, “Don’t tempt me.”
Haylee’s playful laugh cackles as Meryl sticks out her tongue, like it’s some sort of running joke they have.
Meryl cut her off with a wave as her eyes fell to me. “Finny Evans!”
I crossed over to her and bent to give Meryl a kiss on the cheek. “Hey, Meryl. How are you feeling?”
“As creaky as an unoiled hinge!” she laughed. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m going to help Haylee find good homes for some of your dogs.”
Meryl paused, silent for a long moment and fluffed her curly auburn hair. “Is that so? Well then, start with that rascally Jack Russell terrier mix. He’s a sweetie, but his barking gives me a headache.”
My brows shot up, and I darted a glance at Haylee who looked just as surprised as I was. “Aunt Meryl, does that mean you’re not going to fight me on this?” she asked.
“Not on that one,” Meryl said. “Found him wandering on the side of the road just outside of town. Poor thing was starving and covered in fleas. He’ll make a great companion for someone who’s more active. Make sure whoever adopts him will bring him to the beach. He loves playing in the waves.”
“Good to know,” I said.
After Haylee lowered her aunt into the reclining chair, she ran into the kitchen and filled a glass of water.
“I’m going to take Finn out to meet the dogs,” she called as she crossed from the kitchen to set the water down on the table beside Meryl. “Text me if you need anything else, okay?”
When Meryl didn’t respond, Haylee lowered to look her in the face. “Imeanit, Aunt Meryl.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Then she leaned over to look at me. “You’re a good boy, Finny. Not like that good-for-nothing fiancé of Haylee’s.”
“Fiancé?” I totally meant for that question to be in my head… and somehow, I asked it out loud.
But she never mentioned a fuckingfiancé.
Not once in the four conversations we’d had in the past two days. My gaze dropped to the thin band on her ring finger with a sliver of a sapphire so small I had to squint to see it.
Damn. I just thought that was a normal, everyday ring. Not an engagement ring.
Haylee rolled her eyes. “I’ve told you a thousand times, we’re not engaged, Aunt Meryl. He’s my boyfriend.”
Meryl scrunched her nose like some bad smell was in the air. “Then why do you wear that sad excuse for a ring on your finger?”
“It’s apromisering,” Haylee said. “A promise that someday he’ll propose. I’m not in any hurry.”
“Promise ring my ass,” Meryl muttered under her breath. “You supported him all through law school andthat’sthe best rock he could get for you?”
“He’s alawyerand that’s the ring you got?” I asked, mirroring Meryl’s thoughts.
Oh man. If looks could kill I’d have dropped dead right there on the spot from Haylee’s expression.
“And I know Maisie feels the same way!” Meryl said. “She told me so, herself!”
Haylee grunted and stomped toward the back door near the kitchen. “I’ll be outside with the dogs. Are you coming, Finn? Unless, of course, you and Aunt Meryl want to keep discussing my love life.”
“Is that an option?” Aunt Meryl asked. “Because I choose that!”
I pressed my lips together in a failed attempt to smother my chuckle as Haylee yanked open the back door. “Outside, Finn.Now.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
The first dog to greet mehadto be Jake. Haylee wasn’t kidding—he was massive. He must have been a Great Dane mix. And just as she described, he was clumsy as hell. He immediately stepped on my foot—all 120 pounds of him.
