She cringes. “Ugh. I’m sorry. Was it horrible? Were they jerks?”
“It was fine. Better than when I was seventeen and they told me they would break my nose, shove me in a locker naked, and let me bleed to death if I touched you.” I smile but she looks positively horrified.
“They said that to you?”
“No. They said it to Kevin Ritchman when he made some comment about how hot you were at lunch,” I explain. “To me they just said don’t do it. It will ruin our friendship forever.”
“Kevin Ritchman liked me?” she blinks. I nod. Now she grins, it lights up her whole face and the whole room suddenly looks brighter. “Wow. I wonder how many other potential boyfriends I’ve lost because of those dickheads.“
“Would you like me to write you a list?”
Her smile turns cheeky. “Yeah, I mean maybe I have options I didn’t know about.”
Her hair is in two braids, then ends of which sit on her collarbones and I want to reach out and grab them both and tug her to my mouth again to show her exactly why she doesn’t need to revisit anyone else. But Declan blows through the kitchen door. He’s in a charcoal suit with a burgundy tie and pocket square. I step back from Terra. “HeySuccessionextra.”
Declan smirks. “HeyChicago Fireextra. You here to see River meet the fur ball?”
I nod. Declan grabs a full cup off Terra’s tray without so much as a thank you and takes a sip. “You guys still allowed to eat and drink?”
“Until noon,” Terra replies. “Then it’s pre-op fasting time.”
“You should order everything on the menu for breakfast,” Declan jokes and smiles at me, but then he sighs, staring out the window as Nova squeals in delight as Chewie licks her cheek. “This is the last thing we need right now. Another problem.”
He turns and walks back into the kitchen. Terra scowls after him. “He’s never happy for anyone.”
A car pulls into the parking lot. “Bethany is here. It’s go time.”
“Oh!” Terra reaches into the front pocket of the overalls she’s wearing and pulls out her phone as she charges toward the door. “I don’t want to miss this!”
I follow her outside. Bethany’s gotten out of her red Toyota and is walking around the car to open the back passenger door and let River out of his car seat. Her eyes are glued to Chewie who is biting at his leash at Logan’s feet. “Logan… what’s going on?”
“I got a dog,” Logan replies and she freezes. “Let him out of the car, Beth.”
She looks like she’s furious but she does lift River out. River looks across the parking lot and sees his dad and Chewie and gasps in the overdramatic, adorable way only kids can. He starts to run. “Slow down!” Bethany yells, but of course he doesn’t.
“River. Stop!” Logan commands when the little guy is a couple feet away. River listens despite his excitement. “What have I told you about approaching dogs you don’t know?”
River’s nose and forehead scrunch as he thinks really hard. Then he starts walking toward Chewie, his little hand out. He takes one little step at a time. Chewie is yanking on the leash to get closer too. Logan commands him to calm down, which the puppy sort of does. He sniffs River’s hand and immediately licks it and River squeals and pulls it back, and Chewie’s tail starts wagging.
Terra is filming the whole thing beside me on her phone and it’s almost impossible to not pay attention to her over this Hallmark moment. I just love the glee on her face. It rivals River’s when Logan says. “He’s ours buddy. You and me. His name is Chewbacca.”
“Really? He is mine?” Logan nods and River moves closer and pets Chewie softly on the head. Chewie licks him again and River squeals. “I love him, Daddy!”
Lucy sniffs. She’s crying happy tears, and I realize Logan’s timing on this is perfect. Everyone needs a happy distraction from what comes next with Terra and me. Bethany, on the other hand, doesn’t see it that way. “Logan, can I talk to you? In private.”
Logan glances over at her. She still hasn’t really approached the family, standing closer to her car than us. He hands me the leash and walks over to Bethany like he’s walking a plank on a pirate ship. “That woman…” Terra hisses. Luckily, River is too busy playing with Chewie to hear her. “He’s tied to her for life. Ugh.”
Aspen pops into my brain but I push her out. It’s not the same thing. Aspen is a good, kind person who isn’t expecting a ring from me. Bethany was. She had a truck load of expectations Logan never met so she’s bitter.
A few minutes later, Logan and Bethany are still arguing by her car. No one can hear what’s being said, but arms are flailing and expressions are grim.
“Who is this?”
We all turn and see Charlie lumbering up from the dock. He’s in a pair of rubber fisherman pants, pulling off his gloves, just off the boat from emptying the lobster traps. River wraps his arms around Chewie’s neck. “This is my dog, Grampy!”
Charlie makes the most exaggerated shocked face I have ever seen and Terra giggles beside me. “Are you sure?”
“Yes! Yes! He’s mine and his name is Chewbacca, and I love him with my whole heart.” Okay, now the kid has me wanting to tear up. Charlie smiles down at his grandson and ruffles his hair before doing the same to the top of Chewie’s head. He takes the leash from my hand.
