Page 7 of Hound Dog
“Uh-huh,” I said, unsure whether or not I believed him.
Carefully, I made my way to the blanket and lowered myself to sit on the edge as far from him as I could get. In a moment of brazen confidence, I asked, “How many virtues have been taken here… in this spot… on this very blanket?”
From behind the lip of his can, I caught his half-obstructed grin. “I think you’re giving mewaytoo much credit.”
I rolled my eyes and took the sweating can of seltzer he offered me. “I may not be very experienced, but that doesn’t make medumb. Only a few hours after meeting me, you had a picnic planned with meat, cheese, and strawberries? Forgive me if I think you’ve done this once, twice, ortentimes before.”
Stretching his legs out in front of him, he leaned back on his elbow. “Haylee, I can honestly say, I’ve never taken a girl up here before. Iswear.”
“So, you justhappenedto know the secret way to break into this perfect, secluded spot with the best view of the lake?”
He gave me a ridiculous look that made me feel all kinds of stupid. “Um,yeah. Because I grew up here in Maple Grove. Once the sun goes down, you’re going to see stars brighter than anything you’ve seen in yourlife. My dad used to take me, my brothers, and my sister up here when we were really little. It’s one of my only memories of him.”
Finn paused, looking up at the stars, and he seemed to be lost in his own thoughts and memories. “I still come here when I want to be alone and think. I’ve never shown anyone this place—outside of my family—but I wanted you to see a side of Maple Grove that the tourist map wouldn’t give you.”
I swallowed hard, noting the part of his story that suggested his dad was no longer around. “Where’s your dad now?” I asked.
“He left us when I was really little. Maybe four. I remember he and my mom sitting all of us down and giving us this speech about how they both love us, and this wasn’t going to change anything. Even at four, I knew that was bullshit. My dad moved away and that was that.”
I winced. My dad had died long before he could ever disappoint or abandon me. But based on the stories I’ve heard and the articles I’ve read, I’m sure he would have. “You never saw him again?”
Finn shook his head. “Nope. At first, he used to pretend that he wanted a relationship with us. He’d call on our birthdays. Christmas. But after the first year or two, the phone calls stopped. And then one day,Icalledhim,and an old woman answered. He’d changed his number and didn’t bother to tell us.”
“And you don’t want to find him or anything? Just for closure?” I couldn’t imagine having a dad somewhere out there and not wanting to at least get to know him.
“I’ve searched for him off and on for most of my life,” Finn admitted. “A few weeks ago, I… I actually found him. Well, I found his previous address. His landlord even gave me his forwarding address.”
I jerked up, spine rigid. “Oh my God. You know where he is?”
He nodded. “He’s all the way down in Texas.”
“Texas,” I repeated. “Are you going to reach out?”
Finn shrugged and dragged his fingers along the grout of the brick wall. “Maybe. Don’t get me wrong, I want to see him again. I keep thinking maybe he’s changed. Or maybe he’ll apologize. Or if not, maybe I can punch him in the face.”
He smiled at me with a wink, and even though his tone suggested it was a joke, I wasn’t convinced of that deep down. “But I think it would kill my mom. She’s been so strong, but at night when we were kids, I’d hear her crying. She loved him. And he broke her heart. He broke all our hearts. He doesn’t really deserve a second chance. Not with me, my mom… any of us.”
“I’m sorry,” I said.
Even my sympathy felt lame. For the first time, though, I understood why so many people offered me ‘condolences’ after Mom’s death. There’s reallynothingyou can say to console something so unimaginatively painful.
“I didn’t grow up with a dad either. He died when I was just a baby.” I wasn’t sure why I said that. Maybe I was hoping for some camaraderie. Or that by sharing my circumstance, he wouldn’t feel as alone.
I cleared my throat, waving away a fly that buzzed around my legs. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to turn around and make it about me. That was selfish…”
“You think that’s selfish?” Finn chuckled. “It’s aconversation. That’s how dates work. I talk about me. You talk about you. And we get to know each other better.”
“This is a date?” My blush was back. Only this time it expanded down from my cheeks and across my neck and chest.
“Well… yeah. I hope so. Otherwise, the cheese and strawberries and stuff were probably overkill. But I promise, I’ve never taken another girl up here before.”
Scooting closer, he lifted the Tupperware containing the cheese and held it up to me. “I hear the cheddar pairs beautifully with the grapefruit seltzer.”
I giggled and took a cube of cheese and nibbled on the corner. “Well, I stillfeellike a jerk for turning the conversation back to me.”
“Don’t feel bad. Seriously. Tell me more about your dad. Do you remember anything about him?”
I shook my head. “I have one photo of him holding me when I was first born, but that’s it.” I pulled my phone free and brought up the picture that I’d scanned in years ago, holding it out for Finn to see. “He basically wanted nothing to do with me. Offered my mom child support in exchange for never bothering him again. She tore up the check and apparently never looked back. Impressive, considering he was loaded. We could have been set for life, but she didn’t want his money.”
