Page 86 of Hound Dog
“I’m pretty sure I taught you better than that,” my mom said.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Finn
I startled,not expecting to see my mom here, only a few feet away, walking toward us.
Her purse strap hung over her forearm as she casually approached and looked at the small chalkboard menu Haylee had written today’s specials on.
“Mom, what are you doing here?”
“You’ve been in business for over a week. I wanted to come try a hotdog.”
“Yeah, but I made you a hotdog last week for dinner. You don’t have to come to the cart for them.”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. It was pointless to argue with her. Especially when it came to supporting one of her kids. “Okay, then… we have a banh mi dog today—I can do regular, turkey, or veggie. Or we can do a regular hotdog with any of the normal fixins.”
“How could I say no to a banh mi hotdog?”
Haylee smiled and opened the bin to pinch a regular hotdog with the tongs. “You got it, Ms. Evans.”
Mom’s gaze shifted to Haylee, and she smiled. I knew that smile. Mom was up to something. “You must be Haylee, Meryl’s niece, right?”
I knew it. One of my siblings had ratted me out… either Liam or Addy, since I was pretty sure Neil hadn’t met Haylee yet.
“Yes, ma’am. We met years ago when Aunt Meryl and I came for a visit. We bought cupcakes from you.”
Mom laughed and the sound thawed my frozen nerves. Her laugh was irresistibly beautiful. Sweet. And utterly contagious. “If I remember it right, you bought twodozencupcakes.”
Haylee joined in her laughter.
See?Contagious.
“Yep, that was us.”
“Well, you look wonderful, sweetheart. Meryl tells me you have a birthday coming up next weekend?”
Haylee cleared her throat, looking sheepishly at me for a brief moment. “Yep. Twenty-four.”
I knew her birthday was coming up soon, but I didn’t know the exact day.
Haylee shrugged. “It’s no big deal, though. After twenty-one, don’t all birthdays just blur together?”
Mom scrunched her nose. “That’s something someonemyage says. Are you sure you’re Meryl’s niece?”
“The one and only. Except I’m also my mother’s daughter. And she and Meryl were night and day.”
“You should have a party,” Mom said. “You’re way too young to just do nothing and treat it like any old day. I’m sure Addy would be happy to let you use the bar. Liam and Neil could provide the cupcakes. And Finn could make you a special birthday hotdog.”
I handed my mom the loaded banh mi hotdog and gave her a pointed look. “Mom, I’m sure she has plans already.”
“My boyfriend is coming to town for the weekend.”
Fuck. Me.I knew this day was coming of course. And at least he was decent enough to visit her on her birthday. But my stomach turned at the thought of him here. In my town. With her.
Two pink splotches appeared on Haylee’s cheeks as she continued talking. “Meryl, Ben, and I are probably just going to have dinner out somewhere. I think she’s starting to feel a little cooped up in the house.”
