Page 20 of An Inconvenient Plan
“I’ll take care of everything, Mom,” Hailey said in a bland tone. “You just enjoy being a bride.” Clearly Hailey didn’t want to plan with him. No problem. He was happy to leave it all up to her.
His dad and Brandy exchanged a look that said,Well, we tried.Like he and Hailey were a hopeless case.
The waitress stopped by to take their order, one of his new employees. She did a good job, though he was a little distracted by Rose’s paws marching across his lap to sniff out his other wrist. She went to town on it, stretching across his lap, her little tongue tickling his wrist.
“Oh my God!” Hailey exclaimed. “Rose is sitting in your lap!”
Rose didn’t even react, just dug in further, holding his wrist with both paws and licking like crazy. He shifted his wrist so it was less obvious, and Rose rolled to her back, trying to get her head under his arm again.
“I guess she likes me,” he said casually. The butter had to be gone by now, but Rose wouldn’t stop licking.
Hailey stared at Rose, who was now sniffing up his bare arm in a T-shirt, probably looking for more delicious butter.Just call me dognip.He scratched Rose behind the ear and she licked his wrist enthusiastically.
“She’s giving you kisses,” Hailey whispered in an astonished voice. “She must trust you.”
Rose went up on her hind legs, rested her front paws on his shoulder, and licked the dab of butter behind his ear.
“She’s hugging you just like she hugs me!” Hailey exclaimed.
“She likes me.” He turned to Hailey. “Maybe she knows I got her a present.”
Hailey’s jaw dropped, her eyes wide. “You did?”
He held onto Rose with one hand as he shifted to pull the small collar from his back jeans pocket. It was pink with rhinestones. Just the kind of sissy dog-wear Hailey put on Rose on a regular basis. He handed the collar to Hailey. “For when she attends weddings.”
Hailey snatched it from his fingers. “It’s darling! She’ll love it. Thanks so much!”
“No problem. I know she’s a big part of your business.” Rose’s tongue wandered, licking his neck. He must be covered in dog slobber at this point. He handed Rose to Hailey. “Here. Try it on her.”
She took Rose, cooing over her as she switched out the collar.
His dad gave him a smile and knowing look across the table.
Yeah, that’s right, I kissed up to her dog. Sue me.
Hailey held up Rose proudly, wearing her new collar.
“Beautiful!” Brandy exclaimed.
“Very nice,” his dad said.
Hailey turned to him and flashed a smile that grabbed him by the balls. She was pure incandescent happiness shining in his direction for the first time ever. It took his breath away. Why hadn’t he thought of kissing up to her dog sooner?
She settled Rose back into her dog purse on the bench seat between them. Rose scrambled out to climb on his lap and promptly fell asleep. If only Hailey were that easy to get into his lap. Ha! Not for sex, that door was closed. More of a trust thing. He wanted to earn back her trust most of all.
Dinner was…interesting. Brandy kept up a steady stream of conversation, his dad chimed in on a regular basis, and Hailey was quiet, sneaking glances over at Rose curled up on his lap, and glancing up at him like she still couldn’t believe it. He’d put his napkin over Rose so he wouldn’t spill on her, and it looked like a little blanket.
As soon as the check arrived, his dad snatched it up. “My treat as congratulations for Garner’s. You going to keep the name?”
“Thanks, Dad. I’ll keep the name for now since everyone knows it.”
“Thanks for dinner, Joe,” Hailey said.
“Of course,” his dad said with a smile.
“Yes, thanks,” Brandy said.
His dad smoothed a lock of Brandy’s hair behind her ear. “What’s mine is yours, sweetheart.”
