“There’s a lot you don’t know about me.” He shrugged.
“He’s even a really good cook,” Caleb said. “Believe it or not, he makes the best Bolognese sauce.”
She straightened. “That settles it. We’re playing Quirkle together sometime and eating Bolognese.”
“I’d like that.” Max smiled.
His phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and glanced at the screen.
Kendra.
Can we talk?
The tension returned between his shoulders as Max stared at the message, considering if he should respond or not.
Then he locked the screen and slid the phone back into his pocket without replying.
Not tonight. Not right now. He had too many other things going on to deal with her.
A few minutes later, Caleb left.
Hadley had seen Max look at his phone. Had seen the shadow cross his gaze.
She was curious about who’d texted him, but she knew it wasn’t her business. She’d already asked the man to cook for her—words she’d regretted as soon as they left her lips.
Apologizing for them would only draw more attention to her slipup.
Instead, Hadley glanced at the puppies then up at Max. “I think they’re settled. You can go if you want. It’s getting late, and I’m sure you have a busy day tomorrow.”
Part of her didn’t want him to go—not after everything that had happened. She found comfort in knowing he was close in case trouble appeared again. But she’d learned to operate on her own. If she was smart, she wouldn’t forget those lessons.
Max didn’t move. “I do have a busy day tomorrow, but so do you.”
She smiled. “This is kind of what I do for a living.”
“True.”
“I’m just going to stay a little longer. I want to make sure Mama is okay.”
“Makes sense. I do need to check on a few of our other four-legged guests.”
“Let me know if any of them need me.” As a favor to her cousins—and as a testament to how much she loved animals—she volunteered her time here at the shelter.
“Will do.”
As Max walked away, Hadley rose and stretched. She’d already cleaned the pen, and she should probably give Juno a few minutes alone with her babies.
Hadley exhaled slowly as she watched Max check the clipboards on each run, clipboards containing care directions for each dog. “By the way, sorry to hear about you and Kendra.”
Now why had she brought that up? She knew—because she was curious. She’d wanted to ask Naomi about it, but it seemed too nosy. So she hadn’t.
But she really did feel bad about it, especially if the two of them had been happy. But she had a feeling that wasn’t the case. She’d never thought they fit together.
However . . . maybe asking Max wasn’t the best choice either.
Something in his posture shifted. “Don’t be. Things didn’t work out between us. But it’s better to figure that out now rather than later.”
“That’s true.” However, she’d looked for all those signs before marrying Ethan. She hadn’t seen any red flags, no signs that they wouldn’t make it.
