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Authors: Susan Hatler
Tags: Romance
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at home, I practically inhaled my dinner so I wouldn’t be late. Then I set my plate in the dishwasher, grabbed my keys off the counter, and was heading for the door when Mary Ann arrived unexpectedly. She insisted on coming with me to Sarah’s house, and I took her up on her offer to drive since my hands were shaking.
The drive was only a few miles, but I couldn’t remember any of it. I’d chewed on my thumbnail the entire ride, knowing I’d never be able to open my heart up to another dog like I had with my beloved Checkers. If only my dad had given me some other task since this one just reminded me of the sweet companion I’d lost, causing stabbing pain through my chest.
“What’s going on, Melinda?” Mary Ann pulled into the right side of Sarah’s driveway, and pushed her gearshift into park. “Spill, so I don’t have to start guessing.”
“What makes you think anything’s going on?” I opened the door, gave her my most innocent look, then jumped out of the car before she could respond.
Mary Ann’s blond head popped out of the driver’s side. “I asked about the hot guy from the bakery several times, but you’ve totally ignored me.” She pushed her driver’s side door shut. “Plus, you’re suddenly adopting a dog? Animal hair drives you nuts . I mean, really. You flinch any time Gilligan or The Professor rub against your ankle.”
I normally smiled at the mention of my roommate Ginger’s cats’ names. It was hilarious how she and Mary Ann totally had the Gilligan’s Island thing going on. But my nerves were too raw right now. I was about to adopt a dog, and all I could think about was the ripping pain I’d felt when Checkers had died. I’d need to keep emotional distance from this new dog. That’s all there was to it.
“See? You’re doing it again, ignoring me. And you’re wearing the same expression I had when my facialist moved to Tahiti with her boyfriend. Not exactly the look of someone excited to bring home a pooch. Am I wrong?” She raised her brow as we traipsed up Sarah’s front walkway.
At the doorstep, I turned to Mary Ann, whose eyes grew large with concern. I sighed. Here she was, once again, reaching out to me. Part of me wanted to tell her how my dog died when I was fourteen and how that had crushed me. That my dad had died soon after and the idea of losing someone else I loved gave me this deep dark sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.
But I’d learned to keep a heavily guarded wall around my heart, and it forced me to hold back. Although I longed to open up to the bubbly blonde who spoke everything on her mind, and to the adventurous rebel who rode a motorcycle (oops—I promised myself I wouldn’t think of Nate tonight), the thought made me feel entirely too vulnerable.
So I turned to Mary Ann as I pressed the doorbell, wishing I could be more like her and just say everything that was on my mind. I decided to try the short version for a start. “My dad died when I was fourteen, and my mom just found a letter he’d written to me in his will—”
“I’m so sorry.” She reached out, threw her arms around me, and squeezed. “How awful. I had no idea.”
I froze, momentarily stunned at how easily she was able to let her feelings fly. I patted her back awkwardly. “Thanks, Mary Ann. That’s . . . very sweet of you.”
The front door opened with a squeak. “Are you guys all right?” a female voice asked.
I quickly turned to smile at the pretty woman with silky brown hair who looked about my age, dressed in dog-hair covered sweats and a warm smile.
“Melinda’s dad died when she was fourteen, and her mom just found a letter he’d written to her.” Mary Ann sniffed, then dabbed the corners of her eyes. “Melinda, this is Sarah. Sarah, Melinda.”
Sarah’s smile grew even wider. “Nice to meet you, Melinda. I’m very sorry to hear about your dad. How surreal to get a letter from him after all of this time.”
“You don’t know the half of
The drive was only a few miles, but I couldn’t remember any of it. I’d chewed on my thumbnail the entire ride, knowing I’d never be able to open my heart up to another dog like I had with my beloved Checkers. If only my dad had given me some other task since this one just reminded me of the sweet companion I’d lost, causing stabbing pain through my chest.
“What’s going on, Melinda?” Mary Ann pulled into the right side of Sarah’s driveway, and pushed her gearshift into park. “Spill, so I don’t have to start guessing.”
“What makes you think anything’s going on?” I opened the door, gave her my most innocent look, then jumped out of the car before she could respond.
Mary Ann’s blond head popped out of the driver’s side. “I asked about the hot guy from the bakery several times, but you’ve totally ignored me.” She pushed her driver’s side door shut. “Plus, you’re suddenly adopting a dog? Animal hair drives you nuts . I mean, really. You flinch any time Gilligan or The Professor rub against your ankle.”
I normally smiled at the mention of my roommate Ginger’s cats’ names. It was hilarious how she and Mary Ann totally had the Gilligan’s Island thing going on. But my nerves were too raw right now. I was about to adopt a dog, and all I could think about was the ripping pain I’d felt when Checkers had died. I’d need to keep emotional distance from this new dog. That’s all there was to it.
“See? You’re doing it again, ignoring me. And you’re wearing the same expression I had when my facialist moved to Tahiti with her boyfriend. Not exactly the look of someone excited to bring home a pooch. Am I wrong?” She raised her brow as we traipsed up Sarah’s front walkway.
At the doorstep, I turned to Mary Ann, whose eyes grew large with concern. I sighed. Here she was, once again, reaching out to me. Part of me wanted to tell her how my dog died when I was fourteen and how that had crushed me. That my dad had died soon after and the idea of losing someone else I loved gave me this deep dark sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.
But I’d learned to keep a heavily guarded wall around my heart, and it forced me to hold back. Although I longed to open up to the bubbly blonde who spoke everything on her mind, and to the adventurous rebel who rode a motorcycle (oops—I promised myself I wouldn’t think of Nate tonight), the thought made me feel entirely too vulnerable.
So I turned to Mary Ann as I pressed the doorbell, wishing I could be more like her and just say everything that was on my mind. I decided to try the short version for a start. “My dad died when I was fourteen, and my mom just found a letter he’d written to me in his will—”
“I’m so sorry.” She reached out, threw her arms around me, and squeezed. “How awful. I had no idea.”
I froze, momentarily stunned at how easily she was able to let her feelings fly. I patted her back awkwardly. “Thanks, Mary Ann. That’s . . . very sweet of you.”
The front door opened with a squeak. “Are you guys all right?” a female voice asked.
I quickly turned to smile at the pretty woman with silky brown hair who looked about my age, dressed in dog-hair covered sweats and a warm smile.
“Melinda’s dad died when she was fourteen, and her mom just found a letter he’d written to her.” Mary Ann sniffed, then dabbed the corners of her eyes. “Melinda, this is Sarah. Sarah, Melinda.”
Sarah’s smile grew even wider. “Nice to meet you, Melinda. I’m very sorry to hear about your dad. How surreal to get a letter from him after all of this time.”
“You don’t know the half of
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