Max Go Touch Grass
Max
Go Touch Grass
Sadie/Smart/Witty/Maybe Cursed?
Hey, are you busy?
Why? Someone wander into the street again? Or are you trapped in the baby carrier?
Sadie/Smart/Witty/Maybe Cursed?
Neither, actually. But I wanted to run something by you.
I’m headed to the dog park.
Sadie/Smart/Witty/Maybe Cursed?
Max O’Reilly… Do you have a dog?
Nah. I’m just one of those creepy dudes who hang out at the park to play with other people’s pets.
I laugh as I scroll through my photo album, looking for the perfect picture of Benny and me to send her. My phone buzzes in my hand.
Sadie/Smart/Witty/Maybe Cursed?
That feels shockingly believable, actually.
I find the one I was searching for. It’s a photo of Benny and me cuddled up on the couch. Do I need to be in the picture to get the point across—no. But do I sort of want her to see me with him—yes. I send it, not stopping to assess the weight of the decision.
Sadie/Smart/Witty/Maybe Cursed?
SHUT UP! I’m in love.
Feels a little fast to be making those kinds of declarations, Sade. But I really like you too.
Sadie/Smart/Witty/Maybe Cursed?
Max! I meant the dog.
Okay, rip my heart out then. Benny is great, though. Very lovable. Are you coming to meet him?
Sadie/Smart/Witty/Maybe Cursed?
I’ll be there in ten.
I push open the gate, sliding my thumb down the lock as we make our way into the park.
Mage Hollow has always been pet-friendly, but in the past few years they’ve made several upgrades to this area—Benny loves them all except for the grass-covered ones.
Reaching down, I disconnect the leash from his collar, and my buddy takes off, tearing down the paved sidewalk until he finds a series of tunnels to race through.
"Hi Max!" Cindy, a bleach blonde dog park regular, waves from a few yards away where she’s perched on the bench of a picnic table.
I lift my hand, returning the gesture. Instead of walking over and chatting with her like I do every Friday afternoon, I wait by the gate for Sadie.
A few minutes pass, and I watch Benny as he races around the paved areas.
He pushes a ball toward Cindy’s pug. Buster just looks at him and walks away.
Benny follows him, but when Buster trots into the grass, I swear he turns around and smirks at Benny.
Can a dog be an asshole? Because if they can, then Buster definitely is—he was smug, prancing away knowing Benny won’t follow.
"Still not touching grass?" Cindy’s saccharine voice sneaks up beside me.
"What?" I bark out, glaring at her jerk dog and my sweet one still pacing the edge like he’s contemplating trying it out.
I get that it’s a weird thing for a dog not to like, and it even frustrates me most of the time. Benny is an angel, though, and he deserves a better friend. Jesus, I’m acting like he actually is my baby. Maybe Xav was right, and I need to get a grip.
"I asked if he was still refusing to touch the grass," Cindy repeats, judgement in her tone.
I grumble quietly. "Yeah. We’re working on i—"
The gate behind me unlatches, bringing a sweet peach scent with it, and Benny takes off, racing toward me.
He veers left, steering around Cindy and me, plowing through the grass like it’s never been an issue.
As I spin, a woman with long chocolate hair and a flowy green dress is bent over, picking him up.
Sadie.
"Oh my gosh, you’re such a sweet boy." Sadie’s voice is melodic, and something about the way she’s cuddling my puppy makes me feel… things. Her eyes lift, searching for mine. "Max, how could you keep him from me?"
I hear Cindy scoff as her feet slap the pavement walking away.
I run a hand through my hair, smiling at Sadie. "How did you just do that?"
She’s back to staring at Benny, running her hand along the back of his head and nuzzling her face into his. "Do what?"
"He doesn’t like grass. He’s never touched it. Why did he run to you like that?" I shift on my feet. I’m happy it happened, but did she wave a dog bone around or something? I’ve been bribing him for weeks, and nothing has helped.
"I just waved at him." She kisses his wrinkly face again, and I feel oddly jealous for the first time in a long time. "What do you mean he doesn’t like it? Is this one of those insults like, hey you need to go touch grass?"
Her sarcasm makes me laugh. "No, like he literally won’t walk in it." A couple with three dogs enters through the gate, so I reach for Sadie’s elbow, steering her out of the walkway. "I’ve tried to get him to go in my yard a million times, but he refuses… or I should say did—until you came along."
"That’s interesting." A shiver runs through her, and I notice goosebumps pebbling on her skin near my fingers, still wrapped around her arm. I squeeze gently, and the subtle shake of her shoulders happens again. Maybe I’m not the only one affected here.
The last week has been different for me.
I’m not a stranger to dating, or even a random hookup.
But since Sadie blew into town, I haven’t been able to get her off my mind.
I've been chalking that up to my curious nature and the mystery surrounding her. But whenever I spend time with her, I leave feeling lighter, dare I say happier than I have in a long time. She’s sassy—the mouth on this one is brutal—but she’s also pragmatic, funny as hell, and there’s something just so attractive about her.
It’s an effortless beauty, not overstated or glaring.
She’s pretty, poised, as if she thinks through every piece of her aesthetic but does it so quickly no one notices.
"Do you want to sit down?" The question comes out gravelly.
"Oh, sure." I take Benny from her arms, whispering in his ear about how proud I am.
"Should we go to a table so he can play with his friends?
" she asks, and my heart triples in size. Sadie cares about Benny spending time with his friends, and I think I might have just tumbled off the edge of a cliff that I shouldn’t have been anywhere near.
We walk to a table on the other side of the park, one far enough away from Cindy that our conversation will remain only ours. I sit Benny down, his tiny fur-covered paws landing on a fluffy patch of green. Waiting for the yelp that usually comes, I remove my hands slowly, backing away.
Benny picks up one foot, angling his head to the side as if he’s unsure.
Instead of glancing in my direction for approval, he looks to Sadie.
She smiles at him, all straight white teeth and rosy cheeks—it’s a stunning sight.
My dog practically leaps through the air, more confident from one look from her than he’s ever been, and charges toward Buster, who’s playing happily with a ball.
I slide onto the picnic table bench, sitting next to her so that we can watch him together. There’s space between us, but the pull to scooch closer is strong. "I still can’t believe this is happening."
Sadie laughs. "I mean, I never thought I had a gift with animals, and this seems like normal dog behavior…"
My gaze shifts to the side of her face. I can’t help noticing her hair as it whirls in the breeze, and a stray piece that’s slightly curled sticks to her cheek. There’s a smattering of freckles along the bridge of her nose, and a small gold stud in her ear—simple, understated.
"Take the win." My voice is barely above a whisper, so I clear my throat and shake my shoulders. "What did you, uh… want to talk about?"
"Is that one his friend or no?" Sadie nods her head toward Benny and Buster. They’re fighting over a ball, and it looks like Buster’s back on his bullshit.
"That one is an asshole"—I point at Buster—"he’s always taking stuff from him. And before today, pulling it into the places that Benny wouldn't go."
Sadie cracks up, laughing so hard she’s clutching her chest. I raise an eyebrow, not sure what’s hilarious about it. "She’s a bitch. Probably not unlike her owner."
"Wait, what?"
"Buster is a girl, Max. Not very difficult to see that… and that means she's, you know, a bitch." Her eyes widen meaningfully.
"Who the fuck names a girl dog, Buster?" I chuckle to myself, not believing that I never noticed.
Sadie shrugs, twirling a piece of hair between two fingers absentmindedly. "Glad I could clear more than one thing up for you today." She turns her attention toward me, smiling at me the same way she did to Benny earlier—it’s breathtaking.
"What did you need help with today?" I ask again, reaching to brush the stray hair off her cheek without thinking. My fingers tingle when they touch her skin, and her mouth opens slightly when she inhales.
There’s a moment of silence that passes between us, eyes locked like we both feel something we haven’t allowed ourselves to consider—until now.
"So you know how I told you about my job…"
"Yeah, do you need a reference or something?" I blurt, too eager to help.
Sadie smirks. "Um, no. But thank you." She fiddles with her hands, staring at her fingers as they roll over themselves. "Some strange things have been happening, and I just… I need to work them out before my leave is over."
"Strange how?" I lean my elbow onto the picnic table and inch my upper body toward her.
Her cheeks warm to a light pink, and she chances a glance at me. "Do you believe in magic? Like the paranormal kind, where things can’t be explained."
A wave of awareness settles into my bones. Maybe Howie wasn’t lying. "If you’d asked me that question six months ago, I would have said no." I spin my hat backward. "But now… I do."
Sadie visibly shifts through a range of emotions: shock, followed by fear, then something close to relief in her features.
"Can I ask what changed? Like, why now?" She chews her bottom lip, her eyes trained on me.
"My sister-in-law was cursed last fall." I scan the park, making sure Benny is still good before continuing. "She went to a tarot shop uptown—"
"When did we get one of those?"
I laugh at her interruption. "We didn’t.
Irina sought Olive out at the Hollow Hearts Festival.
She asked to wear her heart on her sleeve, or so I’m told.
I wasn’t there." Sadie leans in closer, enraptured by the story.
"She ended up with a tattoo on her arm that changed with her thoughts and feelings.
It was pretty crazy and definitely threw Sam for a loop. "
Sadie gasps, covering her pouty lips with her hand. "Is she… how is she now?"
"Ollie is fine. She found the Irina lady on Halloween and asked her to undo it."
"Irina… like Beth’s sister?"
I shrug. "Guess so… although I didn’t know she had any."
"That’s what I’m saying!" Sadie shouts, standing abruptly to pace in front of me. Her emerald dress whips with each step she takes, and her chest heaves above the cinched top. "Sorry, continue." She waves her hand at me.
"There’s not really much else. She reconnected with my brother. It was a whole weird breakup thing… and the tattoo came back, but it’s a permanent picture of their love story."
Sadie takes her seat next to me once more, this time close enough that our thighs touch. "But like, she’s fine… so if someone was in a similar situation, she would probably tell them to roll with it? Hypothetically, of course."
I narrow my eyes at her. "Olive is fine, but I think she’d tell you she only got through it because she has great friends like Howie… and me." I reach out and wrap my hand around hers. "If you need help, Sade, all you need to do is ask."