Page 47 of Hound Dog
With a laugh, I nodded and held up my fingers in a scout’s honor. “I promise. I’m not that girl.”
“I know you’re not. But he may be that boy.”
Oh, he was definitely that boy.
“And,” Maisie continued, “snap a picture of Finn for me. I need to see this guy.”
After I hung up with Maisie, I plodded my way to the kitchen, with Freckles in my arms and roughly a dozen dogs following at my feet.
I entered the kitchen to find Aunt Meryl already up and balanced on her crutches over the coffee maker.
With a frustrated breath, I set Freckles down to play with the other dogs, then crossed over to her. Taking the coffee pot from her hands, I turned on the sink and filled it with water. “What is it going to take for me to convince you tositand let me help you?”
Atleastshe was using the crutches today. That was more than I could say for the last few days. Which meant that she was either finally starting to listen to me or, more likely, her ankle was hurting her more today.
She harrumphed and hobbled over to sit at the kitchen island. “Well, it’s nearly ten-thirty and you weren’t out of bed yet, lazy bones.”
I turned over my shoulder, so that she could see my eye roll. “I’ve been up since eight. I was teaching a lesson over Zoom. Don’t tell me you couldn’t hear the piano because my students could hear every single one of these little dudes barking.”
I paused, bending to pet Jake who was sitting at my feet, begging for toast. “Besides, my students all understand that I may be popping in and out if you need something. So youknowto text me.”
I poured the water into the coffee maker and inserted a fresh filter into the cone.
“What am I supposed to do?” Aunt Meryl squawked. “Text you every time I have to pee? I’m a sixty-something-year-old woman… I’d be texting you every fifteen minutes!”
The aroma of coffee filled the room as I opened the bag of coffee grounds and scooped several tablespoons into the filter. “Then text me every fifteen minutes,” I said with a sigh. “I don’t mind.”
“Well,Ido.”
I hit the brew button and spun around, pressing the counter into my back. Warm brown eyes, so familiar to my mom’s, met mine. “I mean it, Aunt Meryl. You took care of me for years. Let me repay the favor.”
Her mouth twisted in an effort not to smile. “You’re a good girl, you know that, Haylee?”
I chuckled and pulled the chair out next to her, plopping into it. Dropping my cheek to her shoulder, I nuzzled in. “Yeah, I know.”
“If the dogs are too loud for you to teach, why don’t you move your keyboard out to the guest house? Lord knows I won’t be looking for a new tenant any time soon with how I’ve been feeling. If you won’t even let me pee alone, God help me if I tried to run my rental business,” she said with a smile and a wink in my direction.
Having peace and quiet in a separate building would be helpful when teaching. “I might do that. Thanks.”
“Of course, honey.” She smoothed my frizzy hair and pressed a kiss to my forehead. “Yipper went to that sweet blond girl?”
I nodded. “Yeah—Sarah. They’re a good match. She’s super active and loved playing with him on the beach.”
Aunt Meryl grew silent for a long moment, but I heard the sniffle she tried to mask by clearing her throat. “Good,” she finally said. “Good. That dog deserves a mom who can give him all the activities.”
“Have you given any thought to which dogs you want to keep?”
Another sigh from her. “It’s easier whittling down which ones are better off with new families… like I did with Yipper.”
“What about Ellie? She’s pretty active, too.” I felt Aunt Meryl’s nod as two little paws scratched gently at my leg. Then, the telltale shrill bark of Rosie, the Chihuahua.
I bent down and picked Rosie up, giving her a kiss between her ears. “And… maybe Rosie?” She was another yappy dog. Sweet as could be, but definitely believed that she was the alpha in the pack, despite her tiny size.
Aunt Meryl’s chest hitched. “Not my sweet Rosie.”
“Rosie’s a great dog, but she’s small and can get underfoot really easily.”
“That’s true,” Aunt Meryl’s voice cracked.
