Chapter 4 #2
“You have brothers too?” he asked without knowing why. Other than he was suddenly curious. Though Dylan occasionally spoke of Haylee, he always spoke to her character. He rarely divulged details. Or if he had, Logan hadn’t been listening.
“Two of them.”
“I always wanted siblings,” Logan admitted.
“You’re an only child.”
“Yeah. Dylan was the closest thing I ever had to a brother—”
“I’m sorry,” Haylee said, reaching for his gloved hand and squeezing. “I’ve been so selfish since you showed up. You lost your best friend, and all I can think about is that stupid letter.”
“It’s not all you can think about,” he pointed out, referring to Melly.
“Still, I’m very sorry for your loss. Truly I am.”
“Thank you,” he said, squeezing her hand back.
Their gazes snagged and held, and something inside him shifted.
The too-intimate moment had him quickly squirming in his boots.
He pulled his hand free and stuffed it in his pocket in search of the spare tennis ball.
The red bootie was Velcroed to it, making him wonder how many more he’d be searching for before they headed back to the cabin.
He let out a whistle that stopped both dogs in their tracks.
This time when he threw the ball, it sailed three quarters of the way down the park.
“Is Jasper a military K9?” Haylee asked.
Logan let out a laugh at that as he watched the dogs race one another, both with bright yellow tennis balls wedged in their mouths. Only two booties were still secure to Jasper’s paws.
Another one down.
“Hardly.”
“So, you’re not like an MP or anything,” Haylee said.
“Military Police?” Logan shook his head. “I adopted Jasper after I returned from a deployment overseas. He was dropped off at a shelter because his previous owners couldn’t control him.”
“Control him?” Haylee repeated, sounding as shocked as he was when the volunteer at the shelter used air quotes to describe Jasper’s supposed issues.
“They were one of those types who believe in breaking dogs, and Jasper was too high spirited for their liking.”
“That’s awful.”
“He just needed someone who understood him, you know?” That pup had been his saving grace after Dylan passed. He gave Logan purpose and something positive to focus on. “He also needed someone willing to exercise him. Not that any dog should spend most of the day locked up in a crate.”
“Allie has free run of my apartment,” Haylee said on a laugh. “My oldest brother, Marc, brought her back from a local Husky homestead. He’s one of the veterinarians in town. He makes periodic visits out there.”
“A Husky homestead?”
“It’s one of those places where they train mushing dogs for the big races.
Don Kingston has a whole setup where you can actually go and pet Husky puppies to help with their socialization skills.
I took Melly last summer and she loved it.
She loves dogs. She’s grown up with them since she was a baby. All my siblings have one.”
“Do they do anything for the winter at this homestead?” he asked, thinking of Grandma Charlotte.
“Oh, yeah. You can book tours for dog sled rides.”
“Allie was supposed to be a sled dog?” he guessed.
“Initially, yes. But they thought she was too . . . lazy. So, Don asked Marc to find Allie a good home. Or so the story goes.”
“You think it was something else?”
“I didn’t think Melly was ready for her own dog. We were still living with my parents then, and I thought it would be too much. I was furious when Marc showed up with her, but that didn’t last long.” She nodded toward Allie. “As you can see, I caved pretty quickly. Zero regrets, by the way.”
They looked out at the dogs now, still racing in fast circles, taking turns chasing one another. At this rate, there wouldn’t be any snow left. But at least the pups would sleep hard tonight.
“We come here most evenings, weather permitting. If not, she’d probably have eaten my furniture by now,” Haylee added.
“Where’s your daughter, if you don’t mind my asking?”
“With my parents.” Haylee wrapped her arms tighter around herself as the temperature continued to slide.
“My mom was beside herself when we moved out earlier this month. She made me promise to let them have Melly at least once a week for their own special dinner and movie night. They’ll drop her off at school tomorrow, and I’ll get a night of sleep without getting kicked in the side. ”
“Sounds like a pretty sweet deal.”
“I can’t complain.”
“It’s too bad Dylan—” He caught himself before he finished that sentence.
The last thing he intended was to make Haylee feel any guiltier than she already did.
Though he didn’t know her well, he felt certain she had a good reason for keeping the secret she did.
If he just followed Grandma Charlotte’s advice and gave her time, she might eventually open up to him and tell him what that reason was.
“I’m really cold,” she said, calling for Allie. “I think we’re going to head back.”
“Haylee—”
“I’ll meet you at The Dipper at eleven thirty. It’s caribou chili day, so any later and you risk missing out.”
“Can I walk you back?” he offered, feeling a little bit like a jerk for the slip.
“We’re literally right there.” Haylee pointed at the apartment building he’d visited a couple of days earlier as she clipped on Allie’s leash. It was less than a block away. “Besides, I think you have some dog booties to find. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”
“Tomorrow, then.”
Jasper stood by Logan’s side, and the two watched the pair walk back to the apartment building. He waited until they disappeared inside before retrieving the booties and eventually clipping on Jasper’s leash. They headed in the opposite direction toward their rented cabin.
He wasn’t sure what to make of Haylee Evans, and for a reason he couldn’t quite pin, that amused him more than anything had in quite some time.