Dell huffed out a laugh.
“I don’t believe I agreed to sell to you.”
Mae leaned down to pick up her bag, along with a pizza box from Greyfin Pizza Junction.
She gave him a look as she brushed past him, a look that Dell, decidedly, did not feel in his toes.
“I’ll be back in a month.”
Dell, again, rubbed a hand over his face.
He’d gotten Mae Kellerman off his porch.
But somehow, he’d just lost a game he hadn’t even known he’d been playing.
* * *
Dell only picked up his phone again after he’d successfully dropped off the packages at the post office. Swiping open the screen as he climbed back into his truck, he half expected to see another message from Mae. But there was nothing.
Which was good. Obviously.
He tapped over to the earlier text from Liv, the one stating he had a gal on his porch. Which he only opened because he had to text her about the dogs anyway.
no comment, he replied.
He only added the next thing because he knew Liv would hate misgendering someone.
Although I’m not sure she’d consider herself a gal. she/they pronouns, just fyi
Of course, as soon as he pressed send, he knew he’d stepped his foot in it.
HA!!!!!Liv texted back immediately.so you DID talk to them!!
And I consider gal gender neutral
you’re a fine gal yourself, Dell McCleary
And even though Dell truly did not want to be texting with Liv about Mae Kellerman at all, he felt himself snort.
For one second, he contemplated texting back,thanks?
But he shook his head at himself. The question mark would be disingenuous. He knew Liv meant it as a compliment. Knew a good chunk of him had accepted it as one, too. That it had made a small flutter rise up in his chest.
He shook his head again, about to type what he’d actually meant to text in the first place when Liv kept going.
I don’t know, Dell, I like this one
They could be good for the place
Dell stared at those texts for longer than he should have.
And then he did the most sensible thing he’d done all day, and ignored them.
You can still take care of CSNY tonight, right?
yeah, Liv responded.But don’t be surprised if Young is missing when you get back
Dell smirked. Liv had been hounding him for years to add a Young to his Crosby, Stills, and Nash. When he saw a collie mix pop up on the Instagram of his favorite coastal shelter six months ago, he couldn’t say no.
