I make sure to scratch her between her ears, rub her belly, and scratch her wiggling butt before I stand back up and go outside, where Beau and Mr. Miller are.
"August," Mr. Miller says.
I blink twice when I see that he also has a mustache.
"Want a burger? We just put the patties on the grill."
"Uh, yeah." I point to him. "Hey, has anyone ever told you that you kind of look like?—"
"Tom Selleck?" Beau finishes my sentence. "Ever since he grew a mustache after seeing James and me, that's all I hear from women. It's weird." He bends at the waist and opens the cooler next to him, pulling out three beers for us.
"Thanks." I grab it from him and twist the cap off.
He holds his beer bottle up and looks straight into my eyes like he did when we went to the resort for Rowan's birthday. I laugh but look him in the eyes.
"Cheers, buddy." I clink my bottle to his.
"I think I just fell in love with you more," Beau says.
"Appreciate it." I clasp his shoulder with my hand before sitting down.
"So, what brings you here?" Mr. Miller says and flips a burger.
I place my beer down on the glass table and watch the condensation roll down. Beau sits next to me, letting out a relaxing sigh. The deck sits high in the backyard, connecting to the house. They still have the playground set that we used to go on when we were kids.
The grass is green and bright. The tall bushes give them extra privacy. String lights hang around the deck; troughs of edible plants sit atop the wooden rail.
"I don't know if you've heard," I start, "but my dad decided to get the surgery."
"Oh shit, really?" Beau says, patting me on the back. "That's great, man."
"Yeah." I rub my neck. "My mom and dad told Ellie and me that it's going to happen soon. They said the recovery process is going to be long and they're going to need all the help they can get."
Mr. Miller smiles as he stacks the patties onto a glass plate. "Well, that's great, August. I'm glad to hear it."
"Yeah." I look down and nod.
He sets the plate on the table, all the condiments and buns already spread out like a feast. Beau starts to build his double cheeseburger, and his dad sits down next to me.
"Look," I say to Mr. Miller, turning to him. "I want to thank you."
He's putting together his own burger. "For what?"
"To convince my dad to get the surgery."
Mr. Miller stops what he's doing and looks at me with pinched brows. "You think I convinced him to get it?"
"I remember you telling me about your mom and what you went through. You said you would talk to him, see where his head is at. I saw you two talking at the bakery's opening."
"This burger slaps," Beau says through a mouthful, getting mustard in his mustache.
Mr. Miller clears his throat. "I did talk to your dad, but I'm not the reason he changed his mind. Sure, I told him about my mom and that I understood what you and your sister were going through, but it wasn't because of me."
I'm confused by what he's telling me. Mr. Miller talked to Dad, but he wasn't the reason Dad changed his mind. So, then, what did?
"Did he tell you why he changed his mind at all?" I ask.
Beau reaches across the table, working on his second burger.
