“I’m sure they are. They’re all over the internet these days—and I hear they’re wicked expensive.”
“Tell me about it. The vet bills are ginormous, and apparently, pampering is a must.”
She laughs. “I meant expensive to buy—but, yeah, I’ve heard that too.” She bends her leg onto the chair with her, tucking it under the opposite one. “Why did you get a Frenchie if it wasn’t your first choice?”
Ouch. I set myself up for the question, didn’t I?
Despite the surreal wave ofknowingthat whacked me upside the head a minute ago, I also know that the likelihood of this thing between Everly and me going anywhere is microscopic. Still, just in case…why not test the waters with something of substance?
I set my mug away and lock my fingers into a clasp on my stomach. “My girlfriend wanted a dog, and she insisted on a French bulldog. So, I paid exactly one arm and one leg and gave Dozer to her on her birthday last year.”
Everly nods once, slowly. “I see.”
“To be clear, Becca is myex-girlfriend. She and Dozer didn’t bond, so I got custody.” I’m all about honesty, but I’m not ready to dive deep quite yet, so the wordfiancéedoesn’t make it past my inner censor.
The faint tension on Everly’s cheeks eases as her thumbnails click against each other. “Webroke up?”
“Well, I’m trying to not be overly pathetic here.”
Her smile is closemouthed and gentle. “She broke things off?”
“Yep.” I check my watch as if it’s a calendar. “Going on a year ago.”
“How long were you together? Was it serious?”
“A year and a half. AndImost definitely was serious.” Becca? I now suspect she was holding back from day one.
“I’m sorry, Knox. I’ve been there. It stinks.” Everly sighs. “And the relationship that messed me up was only six months.”
Messed up?One point for perceptiveness, Everly. “Length of time isn’t always the key factor.”
“True.” She focuses firmly on her knitted hands.
I’m curious as heck, yet it feels too soon to push. Dipping a toe in, testing the waters. That’s all. I smile big. “So, what about you? Any pets? Maybe a snotty cat that likes to pretend it doesn’t need you?”
Everly rewards me with a full laugh the quip hardly warrants. “Nope, no cat. No pet at all—but I am considering a dog once I get settled in my new house.”
“You’re buying a house?”
Her shoulders drop. “I wish. This was supposed to be the month I took the plunge into home ownership, but instead…” She swirls her hand in the air.
I catch her drift as it floats by. “Instead, Uncle Charlie went and had himself a massive heart attack?”
“Rude of him, wasn’t it?”
Grinning, I shake my head. “Some people, right?”
“I’m a terrible person, aren’t I? His heart attack issooonot a laughing matter.” I imagine her hands pressed between her knees as she inclines toward the table’s edge. “I truly do lovehim. I mean, he’s crusty and crotchety, and incredibly difficult to engage in pleasant conversation, but he’s family.”
“I get it. There’s a branch or two on the Herd family tree I’d occasionally like to snap off.”
Everly claps her palm over her mouth, smothering a beguiling laugh.
Beguiling? That’s a fifty-cent word that’s only a first step in describing how she draws me.
This evening, pleasant though it is, barely scratches the itch of wanting to know her.
Do it, Herd.
