Wouldn’t that be nice?
Ashley overheard. “Are you finally leaving the catering job?” she asked. “You know Mom and Dad have offered to help you get started in your own business.”
“Sure, if it’s a bakery,” I said. “They don’t exactly want to fund a gourmet dog treat business.”
“I mean, theymight?”She sounded doubtful now. “It’s just that they want whatever you do to have every chance of success. A bakery is a surefire bet.”
“But it’s not what he wants,” Hank said.
Ashley glanced between us. “Right,” she said slowly, “that’s important too.”
“Jamie has been filling orders for dog owners in town for a while. My boss gives them out to our customers, and they love them.”
“What is it you do, Hank?”
“I’m a dog groomer.”
“A dog groomer!” Dad boomed as he came into the room. “Well, you two are a matched set, aren’t you? Do you love dogs as much as Jamie?”
“Probably more,” I said. “Dad, this is Hank. Hank, my dad.”
Hank stood to shake my father’s hand. “Nice to meet you, sir.”
Dad looked approving. “You too. We’ve all been very curious about Jamie’s mystery man.”
My cheeks heated as everyone started joking about how long they’d wanted to meet Hank and how I kept hiding him away. Hank took it all good-naturedly, chuckling at the notion he’d been the subject of family dinners for three weeks now.
“I’m glad to finally put the rumors to rest,” he said. “I’m a real man.”
“You sure are,” Ashley said appreciatively.
Her husband, who’d stayed outside until just before dinner, nudged her. “Sitting right here.”
She turned and kissed his cheek. “And you’re the best, babe. But you have to admit, Jamie didgood.”
My sister-in-law giggled into her glass of wine as Mom set the salad in the center of the table. My brother carried a platter of roast chicken out of the kitchen, raising his eyebrows. “What are we talking about?”
“Nothing,” his wife said, exchanging a grin with my sister. “Just talking about how lucky Jamie is to find someone willing to put up with all us brats.”
My brother smirked. “It does take a special sort.” He glanced at Hank. “Hope you know what you’re in for.”
Hank took hold of my hand. “I can handle it,” he said. “Jamie’s family is my family.”
“Dang,” Ashley said. “This one’s a keeper!”
I smiled into Hank’s eyes, chest warm. “Yeah, he is.”
CHAPTER 29
Hank
As Dogtober Days neared,BowWow got incredibly busy. Sammi had created the festival partly to market the business, but neither of us could anticipate the grooming demand that would hit thanks to Lula Miller and her poodle, Skittles.
Lula brought her poodle to us along with a TikTok video of a dog sporting a pink fro, a teal ball on the end of her tail, and all the colors of the rainbow in between.
“I want this! Her name is Skittles, so it’s perfect!”
We’d had to order in some safe dying supplies, and I’d had to watch a few YouTube tutorials. But I agreed to dye Skittles like every flavor of the rainbow, and Lula was delighted.
