Read Online Lost and Found by Chris Van Hakes - Free Book Online Page A

with Dr. Wild at that—”
    He rubbed a hand over his face. “Don’t call him Dr. Wild. It just gives him an ego.”
    “I don’t know. It feels weird to call him Michael.” Ursula pulled away from her cousin’s shoulder and looked at me. “I hear you’ve been mean to my girl, O.”
    “I was.” He stepped away, leaning against the carved wood rai ling of the landing as he eyed us.
    “He’s really not so bad,” I said, smiling at Oliver.  “Anymore,” he added with a smile, leaning even farther away from me.
    “Are you okay?” I asked him.
    “Sure. Why?”
    “You just seem like you’re trying to get as far away from me as possible,” I said.
    “Nothing like that,” he said, but he didn’t budge, and his eyes fell to my legs. “You always wear tights. It’s eighty degrees out and you’re wearing tights.”
    Ursula said, “How’ve you been, Oliver?”
    “Why’s she always wearing tights?” Oliver asked her. “Is she dating a tights fetishist?” He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes, and Ursula shook her head and glared at him. He shrugged and said, “What?”
    “ Noth-ing,” I said with a sing-song. “Want to come in?” At the sound of my key in the door, I heard the familiar whine of the dog, and then a scratch. “I can’t believe Mary let you keep a dog,” Oliver said.
    “Mary likes me,” I said.
    “Mary?” Ursula asked, and Oliver and I said, “Landlord,” in unison. The dog climbed up my legs with her front paws, and I snuggled her. Oliver walked into my apartment and crouched down to scratch behind the dog’s ears. If the dog could have purred, she would have.
    Ursula looked on in horror. “That’s your new dog? Whoa. Uh, Delaney, I think that thing might be ra bid.”
    “Hush. This dog is my new family. You have to be nice, just like when someone has an ugly infant. You pretend. You smile. You go home and post ugly infant photos to Instagram with a very strong filter. You do not tell the child’s mother that her baby is rabid.
    “Besides, I think this dog was meant for me. Look at her.” I picked up the dog so she and I were nose-to-nose, my gray streak touching a patch of white fur on the dog’s head. “Don’t you think we look kind of similar?”
    “Jesus. No, Delaney,” Ursula said, sounding a lot like her cousin, and Oliver, grabbing a cookie from my kitchen said, “I told her, too. I think she’s in love with the thing.”
    I stood up and grabbed the leash, deciding to ignore my new fam ily member’s detractors. “I have to give her a short walk. I’ll be right back. Make yourselves at home,” I said as I gestured to my red sofa with curlicue arms. “I can’t believe you still have this,” Ursula said, and Oliver gave me a questioning look.
    “I found the sofa on a street corner in college, and a friend with a truck hauled it for me. It called to me b ecause it was beautiful,” I said. “It’s been in storage for years.”
    “You do love beautiful things,” Ursula said. “Like Cliff.” I stepped on her toe as Oliver looked at me for elaboration, and when I gave none, he sat down.
    “Free is my favorite price,” I said.
    Ursula shook her head. “Delaney’s always finding things. She found me. She found this sofa. Did she find you?” She narrowed her eyes at her cousin.
    “Sounds familiar. And nope,” he said, giving me a broad smile. “I found her.” I stepped out the door with the dog’s leash in my hand and said to him, “And I didn’t even know I was lost.”
    When I returned, I found Oliver and Ursula deep in convers ation.
    “I’m sorry to miss it, but I just won’t be able to go to the we dding,” Oliver said.
    “But you have to go, O,” Ursula said.
    “What are you two talking about? Who’s getting ma rried?” I asked cheerfully, but Oliver’s face fell when he saw me and his mouth clamped shut.
    “Boring family stuff. Don’t worry about it,” Ursula said.
    “Oh, okay.” I was missing something very