Maybe I should get a dog. Then I’ll have something to look forward to coming home to. It’ll also force me to slow down my work hours. Pierce really doesn’t need me at the winery at all hours.
That’s a road to cross another day. Right now, I need to get this sweet girl home to her family. I’m sure they miss her.
She jumps into the front seat of my truck with ease and I shoo her to the passenger seat. Piper would lose her mind if she saw this. Me, letting an animal into my pride and joy.
I start the truck and Alice lies down in the seat as it hums to life. There’s no need to plug in the address. As soon as I saw the address, I knew exactly where this person lived. It’s Beau’s childhood home. He’ll be glad to know it’s finally sold and there’s no threat of his parents coming back.
It doesn’t take me long to pull into the driveway of Alice’s home. Except there is a truck in the driveway I recognize.
My best friend is making his way down the sidewalk to where I’m parking and is to my truck as I open the door. “What the hell are you doing here, Miles? Did you already get friendly with the new person in town?”
It’s not like it’s a stretch to think it’s possible. He’s always been someone who can hit it off with pretty much anyone.
“Gross, dude. No.” He glances behind him where a woman and what looks to be a teenager stand. “My sister moved back to town with her daughter. I thought I told you she bought this place.”
“No, I feel like I would remember that.” I comb through my memory to see if he did in fact tell me. And he didn’t. “When did they move back?”
“Over the past week. It’s why I’ve been so busy lately. I was making sure everything was ready for her.”
“Oh, well, I guess this beautiful pup is hers?” I point my thumb over my shoulder to the dog sitting in my passenger seat.
“Yes.” The sigh of relief is something I’ve never heard from him before. Not even when he was overprotective of his sister when we were kids. He moves to the passenger side and opens the door. “Come on, Alice. Alexandra is excited to see you.” Alice jumps down with her tail wagging.
Before I have a chance to ask who Alexandra is, a girl comes running down the sidewalk and Alice breaks free from Miles. Clearly this girl is Alice’s human.
“I take it this girl is Alexandra?” I really am clueless here.
“Yeah, she’s, my niece. Callie’s daughter.”
It makes sense. I haven’t seen Callie since she hightailed it out of town after graduating high school. She hasn’t been back since…until now.
“Oh.” It’s the only thing I can think of to say.
“Come on.” He slaps my shoulder. “Say hi to Callie and officially meet her daughter.”
Shrugging my shoulders, I follow Miles up the sidewalk. There’s nothing better to do tonight. All that awaits me at home is my video game. Plus, it’ll be nice to catch up with an old friend. If I can call her that. She mostly tagged along when we were kids. We wouldn’t have gotten away with half the shit we pulled if we left her behind. She always threatened to tell her parents or mine.
“Thank you so much for finding Alice.” The girl, Alexandra, cries before throwing her arms around me. “I was so scared she was gone forever.”
My arms are out to my side because I don’t know what to do in this situation. I’m rarely around teenagers. Do I hug her back? Or stand here, awkward, until she calms down?
“It was, um, no problem.” I pat her shoulder because I don’t know this kid. “I’m just happy I was able to find her owners. Does she do this often?”
With one last sniffle Alexandra takes a step back. “No, we always lived in the city so there were never fireworks. I didn’t think she’d react like that.”
“Now you know, and you’ll have that information for this summer.” Shit. That sounds like I’m chastising her for something she had no control over.
“I mean, it’ll help you take precautions.”
Alexandra’s lip quirks up in a half smile. “I knew what you meant.”
Hopefully it’s dark enough she doesn’t see my relief. “That’s good.”
“I’m Alexandra.” She holds out her hand to shake mine. “Apparently we’re neighbors.”
“I’m Peter.” I give her hand a quick shake before releasing it. Are all teens like this? “I’m friends with your uncle.”
“And not my mom?” Now she’s crossing her arms, and I don’t understand what I did wrong.
