Page 82 of Hound Dog
Enzo cringes. “You really want to stay with a guy because you feel like you ‘owe’ him something? That’s time you could be spending with someone you actually like.”
I rolled my eyes. “Someone like Finn, you mean?”
Enzo smirked. “I meant whoever.You’rethe one who brought Finn back into it.”
I should have known they’d play this angle together. Finn was Enzo’s best friend. And Addy’s little brother. No matter how close I already felt to these women, his relationship with them trumped mine here.
“Were you feeling this way before hanging out with my brother? Because if you’re thinking of ending things with Ben because you think Finn is some sort of knight on a white horse, you’ve got another thing coming.”
I snorted and shook my head. “Hell no. I know who Finn is. Remember? He and I met years ago when Meryl first moved to town. So, believe me, I know.”
Addy narrowed her eyes. “Yeah, but … do youknowknow?”
“We’ve been over this already.”
Were they trying to get me to crack? To admit some little detail they thought I’d been lying about? Licking my lips, I considered how to best navigate these landmines. “I don’tknowknow… but I came close.”
Enzo scrunched her nose. “This code is getting confusing. Did you bang Finn years ago or not?”
I laughed. You had to admire Enzo’s ability to just say the thing everyone else skirted around.
“No,” I said. “And contrary to what I led you to believe the other night, I didn’t turn him down.Hestoodmeup.”
“What?” Addy said, shaking her head. “That doesn’t even make sense. Why would he do that?”
I shrugged. Even though I knew the answer—or at least the answer he told me—it wasn’t my part of the story to tell. “Guess you’ll have to ask Finn.”
A deep booming voice came up behind me. “Ask Finn what?”
Well, shit.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Finn
I knew justwhat she was telling them to ask me, but I wanted to hear her say it.
And I definitely delighted a little too much in watching Haylee squirm. Watching the pink flush creep over her high cheekbones and the way she jumped in her seat when she heard my voice.
To be fair, none of them had heard me come up. There were large topiaries surrounding the outdoor dining area that provided cover as I approached.
“This damn town is too small,” Haylee muttered as I pulled a chair over from an empty table.
Addy sat straighter and looked me square in the eye. “We’re supposed to ask you why you—”
The table jostled, and I was pretty sure Enzo had kicked Addy beneath the table. Before Addy had time to recover, Enzo interjected, “—ask you if you’re planning to adopt one of Haylee’s dogs. She mentioned last night that you seem to really like one of them.”
“I’m thinking about it. But if she’d check her phone more, she’d see that Nick texted me last night and decided he wants to adopt Birdie.”
“He did?” Haylee’s face lit up at that. Launching to her feet, she pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head, then threw her arms around my neck.
Wow. My pulse sped up, racing beneath my breastbone. Haylee was gorgeous on any given day when she typically wore yoga pants, t-shirts, and no makeup. But today? Today she was breathtaking.
The sundress she wore hugged her firm curves. Makeup highlighted her brown eyes, dainty nose, and full lips. And as she hugged me, I buried my nose in her wild curls and inhaled the grapefruit scent deeply.
Haylee pulled back from the hug, curiosity washing over her expression. “Wait—you texted me? But… but I didn’t hear my phone.”
Then, that curiosity morphed into fear, and she lunged for her purse, tearing through the items in search of her phone. “Oh my God. Aunt Meryl. I told her to call or text me if she needed anything!”
