get some spot remover for the carpet.” I plunked the damaged pillow back on the bed and threw the wad of stuffing into a wastebasket. “I’ll go take the dog for a walk.” I started to stride past Anna.
S he put out a hand to stop me. “You were just out there for over an hour. She’ll be okay.”
“I want to walk the dog. I need to get out of here for a while.” I felt a tic flutter under my left eye and realized I was just barely hanging on to my temper.
“Wait. Are you mad? I’m sorry about how that came out at dinner. I was talking to my mom earlier, and it just slipped out. I know I should have spoken with you first. It was a weird, wrong way for me to accept your proposal.”
I shrugged off her hand on my arm. “Do you even want to get engaged, or was it in the heat of the moment? I don’t want to be some tool you use to get back at your mom for whatever issues you have with her.”
“No ! It’s not like that. Jason…” She tried to take my hand, but I pulled away again.
“ You told your mom, and what did she say? That you’re making the biggest mistake of your life?” The head of steam driving my anger was rising. I needed to breathe some fresh air before I blew a gasket. “I can’t talk about this right now. I need to take a walk. Just let me go. And don’t worry. I won’t get lost this time.”
I hurried down the hall and the stairs , half expecting Anna to come after me.
But she did as I asked and let me go.
Chapter Seven
Anna
As I watched Jason march stiffly away from me, a weight constricted my chest until I could hardly breathe. I’d screwed up, and I’d hurt him. The bitter memory of how much I’d ached for him when he vanished from my life last time broke over me. I wouldn’t lose him again because of some stupid misunderstanding.
I longed to rush after him and continue to try to explain myself . But I’d been around Jason long enough to recognize when he wanted to be alone to pull himself together. Right now, he needed space, and I had to clean Baby’s urine from my mom’s carpet. Later we’d talk and sort everything out.
Haynes was still standing there, hands full of fluff, staring at me. “Sorry,” he said in a tiny voice. “We just wanted to play with Baby.”
I smiled at him. “I know, honey. Why don’t you go down and see your mom ? I think she wants to talk to you.” I took the stuffing from him, and he slowly made his way toward the door as if about to face a firing squad.
“Haynes, I don’t think you’re in too much trouble,” I said.
He gave me a little smile before scuttling out of the room.
I went downstairs to get cleaning supplies from the laundry and, in passing, heard Chloe reading the riot act to her two little scamps. I wasn’t a big fan of misbehaving kids but had to admit Haynes was kind of cute. Besides, smuggling a dog into the house was exactly the sort of thing I would have done as a kid. In fact, one time I had. I’d brought home a stray dog I knew my mom wouldn’t let me keep and managed to keep it hidden for part of a day before she discovered it.
I returned to the guest bedroom with the rags and laundry spray to find my mother sitting on the edge of the bed, piecing together the chewed spot in the quilt.
“I’m so sorry, Mom. I’ll pay for anything Baby ruined and have this carpet cleaned professionally if you’d like.”
She waved a hand, dismissing my offer. “It’s not your fault. Anyway, I purposely put an old spread on this bed because I know how little boys can ruin things. As for the carpet, a little spot cleaning should be fine.”
As I spritzed and scrubbed at the yellow stain on the rug, she came over to join me.
“Remember that little scruffy dog you brought home that one time?” She laughed.
“Yeah, I was just thinking of him. Or her. I never checked to see which. I was so mad when you got rid of her.”
“I remember. Ten years old and you were stubborn enough not to talk to me for almost
S he put out a hand to stop me. “You were just out there for over an hour. She’ll be okay.”
“I want to walk the dog. I need to get out of here for a while.” I felt a tic flutter under my left eye and realized I was just barely hanging on to my temper.
“Wait. Are you mad? I’m sorry about how that came out at dinner. I was talking to my mom earlier, and it just slipped out. I know I should have spoken with you first. It was a weird, wrong way for me to accept your proposal.”
I shrugged off her hand on my arm. “Do you even want to get engaged, or was it in the heat of the moment? I don’t want to be some tool you use to get back at your mom for whatever issues you have with her.”
“No ! It’s not like that. Jason…” She tried to take my hand, but I pulled away again.
“ You told your mom, and what did she say? That you’re making the biggest mistake of your life?” The head of steam driving my anger was rising. I needed to breathe some fresh air before I blew a gasket. “I can’t talk about this right now. I need to take a walk. Just let me go. And don’t worry. I won’t get lost this time.”
I hurried down the hall and the stairs , half expecting Anna to come after me.
But she did as I asked and let me go.
Chapter Seven
Anna
As I watched Jason march stiffly away from me, a weight constricted my chest until I could hardly breathe. I’d screwed up, and I’d hurt him. The bitter memory of how much I’d ached for him when he vanished from my life last time broke over me. I wouldn’t lose him again because of some stupid misunderstanding.
I longed to rush after him and continue to try to explain myself . But I’d been around Jason long enough to recognize when he wanted to be alone to pull himself together. Right now, he needed space, and I had to clean Baby’s urine from my mom’s carpet. Later we’d talk and sort everything out.
Haynes was still standing there, hands full of fluff, staring at me. “Sorry,” he said in a tiny voice. “We just wanted to play with Baby.”
I smiled at him. “I know, honey. Why don’t you go down and see your mom ? I think she wants to talk to you.” I took the stuffing from him, and he slowly made his way toward the door as if about to face a firing squad.
“Haynes, I don’t think you’re in too much trouble,” I said.
He gave me a little smile before scuttling out of the room.
I went downstairs to get cleaning supplies from the laundry and, in passing, heard Chloe reading the riot act to her two little scamps. I wasn’t a big fan of misbehaving kids but had to admit Haynes was kind of cute. Besides, smuggling a dog into the house was exactly the sort of thing I would have done as a kid. In fact, one time I had. I’d brought home a stray dog I knew my mom wouldn’t let me keep and managed to keep it hidden for part of a day before she discovered it.
I returned to the guest bedroom with the rags and laundry spray to find my mother sitting on the edge of the bed, piecing together the chewed spot in the quilt.
“I’m so sorry, Mom. I’ll pay for anything Baby ruined and have this carpet cleaned professionally if you’d like.”
She waved a hand, dismissing my offer. “It’s not your fault. Anyway, I purposely put an old spread on this bed because I know how little boys can ruin things. As for the carpet, a little spot cleaning should be fine.”
As I spritzed and scrubbed at the yellow stain on the rug, she came over to join me.
“Remember that little scruffy dog you brought home that one time?” She laughed.
“Yeah, I was just thinking of him. Or her. I never checked to see which. I was so mad when you got rid of her.”
“I remember. Ten years old and you were stubborn enough not to talk to me for almost
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