Page 41 of The Edge of Summer
I chuckle. “Yeah,that one.”
She sighs. “Fine, I’ve thought about it. And it’s not happening.”
“Why not?”
I probably shouldn’t pry. We barely know each other, and we only just agreed to play nice. But I ask anyway. Her lips part, ready to respond, but my phone interrupts her. I swear I see her sigh in relief as she gestures for me to answer.
As I listen to Jodi on the other end of the line, Delilah tries to pretend she isn’t paying attention to me. But I notice the way her eyes trace the changing expression on my face.
“Everything alright?” she asks after I hang up.
I shove my phone back into my pocket. “I have to go. There’s a bad accident on the causeway and they need me.”
“Oh. Of course.” Worry softens her expression. “I hope everyone is alright.”
I nod in acknowledgement, ready to head back to my truck. But then my eyes land on Riot. Delilah still has a hold of his leash and now he’s lying in the grass at her feet, chewing on his ball. My next words are out before I can stop them, but I don’t take them back.
“Can you do me a favour?”
If I thought she was surprised before, then she is even more so now. Which is fair. I really haven’t been the nicest guy lately. The familiar ache of guilt churns in my stomach. I’ll just have to fix it. Not sure how yet, but I will.
“Uh,” she stammers, “sure.”
“Do you think you can take Riot? I don’t really have the time to stop at home.”
She doesn’t hesitate to nod. “Of course,” she says. “I’ve got him.”
“You’re sure?”
“Go. He’ll be fine, Luke. I have no doubt you would track me down if he wasn’t.”
As I back away, I point a finger at her. “I know where you live, Delacroix.”
She mock gasps. “Is thereactuallya sense of humour hiding in there?”
When I glance over my shoulder, I let her catch a corner of my smile. And then I walk away, choosing to trust her in a way I’m not sure she entirely understands.
Later that night, I find myself steering my truck onto Hawberry Lane. The last time I was here, I had to deal with a leaking sink and Delilah dressed in those goddamn sleep shorts. Keeping my hands off her was decidedly difficult. I’m hoping this encounter goes a whole lot smoother.
Though the sun is still casting a faint glow across the sky, the porch light is on at the pink house. And when I ascend the steps, I’m surprised to find Delilah outside.
She sits on the porch swing my dad and I installed for Muriel two summers ago. One foot is tucked beneath her while the other, bare, skims the wooden slats below, controlling the pace of her back and forth movement. Riot lies on the porch, chin resting on his front paws. He barely opens his eyes on my approach.
“Hey,” she says with a smile. A smile I’ve begun to look forward to.
I lean back against the railing, bracing my hands on either side of my body. The chipping white paint digs into my palms. I make a mental note to mention it to Dad. Technically, this is Clara’s domain, keeping an eye on the rental properties, but if I can give her one less thing to worry about, then that’s what I’m going to do.
“Thanks for taking him,” I say. “Sorry it’s so late. I meant to ask Clara to pick him up, but it slipped my mind.”
“It’s okay,” she assures. “Is everything alright? With the accident?”
For a moment, I’m too stunned to answer. I clear my throat. “It wasn’t pretty, but it could have been worse. After some time in the hospital, everyone should make a full recovery.”
She looks…relieved. She doesn’t even know the people that were involved, yet she clearly cares. Enough to ask about them anyway. I can’t help comparing her to Kristina. My ex hated when I had to blow her off for work. It wasn’t often, and my job isn’t exactly something you feel good saying no to, yet it always caused a fight. If I had left her with Riot, it would’ve been even worse.
Delilah bends and strokes the dog’s back. “Well, feel free to need a favour more often. Soph had a blast, and I think Riot did, too.”
That explains why he hasn’t even acknowledged my presence. Usually I get a tail wag at the very least, but he looks like he’s dead to the world. I might even have to carry him to my truck. “I owe you one.”
