Page 13 of Small Town Sash

"Thanks, Michelle," he said, eager to escape the conversation before it could venture into even more uncomfortable territory.

"Don't mention it. And Braden?" she called out as he turned to leave. "You can do this. I happen to know she works out at the local gym every night at seven."

"Thanks for the heads-up," he told the coffee shop owner.

"You're welcome. Just do right by her, okay? She's a great girl, and you'd be lucky if she agreed to go out with you."

He left the shop with a small wave and an embarrassed smile, cringing internally. He noticed during several visits to the CoffeeLoft that Michelle was always able to read people like open books, and right now, he was an all too predictable chapter.

Back at the veterinarian clinic, Dash's tail thumped eagerly against the floor at the sight of his human companion. Braden reached down to ruffle his golden coat. He could tell he was ready to go to the park and run some energy off, but Braden had a pressing priority to handle first.

"Soon," he murmured to Dash, "first, we gotta make things right with Hadley."

After a brief run-down of his checkup—during which Dash behaved impeccably—they headed out. Braden held the muffin in one hand while the other held Dash's leash absentmindedly.

Nearing the gym's door, he felt a pang of anxiety. What if she didn't accept his apology? What if she had already made up her mind about him? He shook off these thoughts, reminding himself that worrying wouldn't help anyone.

With a deep breath, he pushed through the door. The gym was a hotbed of activity. The hum of treadmills, the clank of weights, grunts from weightlifters, and popping hip-hop music filled the air. There in the corner, punching the stuffing out of a boxing bag, was Hadley, dressed in a black tank top and matching leggings. The outfit enhanced the curves of her body, and Braden couldn't take his eyes off of her. Though, he was surprised that of all the activities in the gym, that was where he found her. Then he remembered everything he'd heard about her mother, and he figured it might be the only way she could safely let out her frustration.

Braden steeled himself and approached her, Dash by his side. "Hey, Hadley," he started, voice slightly shaky against the thumping bass around them.

She stopped her punches and turned to look at him. Sweat was dripping down her face. Her black hair slicked back in a tight ponytail. "Braden?"

"Yeah…" He rubbed the back of his neck, flustered. "And Dash."

At that, the golden retriever got excited and ran toward Hadley wagging his tail.

Hadley smiled down at Dash before looking back up at Braden. "What brings you both here?"

"I...uh...I wanted to apologize," he said with a sincere smile.

"For what?" She seemed genuinely surprised.

"Well...for sticking my foot in my mouth earlier, and..." Braden hesitated. He hadn't really thought this far ahead. He looked down at the muffin he brought for her. Maybe food would do the talking for him. "With this." He held out the muffin toward her, hoping she'd get what he meant. She glanced at it and then back up to him.

"Is that a peace offering?" she asked with a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth.

He shrugged and gave a half-smile. "Something like that."

For a moment, she just stared at him before bursting into laughter. She took the bag and looked inside. "I've never gotten a muffin apology before."

"Then I'm glad to be the first," Braden said, relief spreading over his face. He could see Hadley's eyes soften, her laughter filling the air between them with a sense of camaraderie.

Dash had, by now, lost interest in the two humans and found himself a stray tennis ball. The dog raced around, chasing the ball all over the room.

Watching Dash's antics, Hadley chuckled, "Your partner is quite an athlete."

Braden nodded, smiling with admiration. "Yeah, he's always like that. A real bundle of energy, which is why I need to be going soon to take him to the park. You want to come with us?"

Her eyebrows shot up as she took a swig of water from her bottle. "I guess I could cut my workout short and go with you."

"Good, because we need to get out of her right now. We're getting a lot of irritated looks because of Dash's behavior," Braden confessed.

Hadley broke into a wide grin as she took a bite of her blueberry baked good. "So, do I get muffin apologies every time I see you now?"

He shrugged, "I guess that depends on whether I mess up again or not."

"You're assuming you won't mess up?"

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