Page 24 of Kylo
“Is he friendly?”
“God, no,” I said with a laugh. “He was a rescue, and it doesn’t sound like he came from the most loving home. So he doesn’t really want to be handled. He just wants to eat and watch the goings-on.”
“So, you’re into birds?”
“I never considered it before. I was more of a dog person. But I would be open to a bird, I guess.”
“I fall down rabbit holes of cute birds doing crazy things. Like that one Amazon that cries like an actual baby. Can you imagine? Sixty years of listening to a ‘baby’ cry.”
“Mackie heard a fire alarm ring once for all of fifteen seconds when cooking set it off. He still makes the sound on occasion, years later.”
“Do you know it’s him, or does it make everyone rush for an exit?”
“I think everyone has realized the need to listen for a couple of seconds before we decide to investigate or flee.”
“Ernest lets me know when there is a fire siren going off anywhere in a twenty-mile radius. Even dead asleep, he will just start howling. It’s actually kind of cute, not annoying.”
“Was he always so lazy, or was he a normal puppy?”
“Even as a puppy, it was almost impossible to get him out of bed. But that was okay with me.” Something deep and sad crossed her eyes then, like the memory of that wasn’t a great one. Though I couldn’t understand what was bad about that. Unless maybe she’d wanted a puppy who would be more interactive and playful.
“And now he is calm enough to be with you all day.”
“Exactly. He’s perfect. And the customers love him.”
I finished my coffee as she washed the dog’s bowl, then she sent him out the back door to do his business while we debated the plants, hemmed and hawed pots, and discussed care requirements.
“Shit,” I said when she let Ernest in, making me realize that the sun had fully set.
“What?”
“I’ve kept you from closing on time, haven’t I?”
“Oh, only by about an hour,” she admitted, flipping the sign.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I honestly had nothing planned. And you saved me from staring at the list that has been driving me nuts all day,” she admitted as she moved behind the desk.
“What’s the list?” I asked as she began ringing things up.
“Well, apparently, my very extroverted grandmother has a more packed social calendar than I do. Which means she is worried about me and my complete and utter lack of one. So I’ve been working on a list of possible clubs, hobbies, or classes I could take.” She waved toward the list. “Though it has become a bit of a bucket list now too.”
“May I?” I asked, getting a flick of her wrist.
“Improv troupe? You’re into improv?”
“God, no,” she said, looking pained. “I only added it because my grandmother thinks that I need to practice saying yes and getting comfortable doing uncomfortable things. I figured the only way that was going to happen was if I was around a bunch of other people saying yes and doing uncomfortable things. But I’m ninety-eight percent sure I will never actually do that.”
“What about… parasailing?”
“I actually do want to do that. It would mean overcoming both my fear of high speeds and heights, though. And, also, it’s not exactly a social activity.”
“Why is your grandmother so worried about your social life?”
“I literally don’t have one. I didn’t really even have any friendships back in Chicago, but I don’t have anyone here. Except Traeg. But he’s kind of too young for me to hang out with.”
“Is it really a problem if you don’t mind it?” I asked.
