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“You’re being ridiculous.I demand you get rid of it.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Hadley Jo—”
“Hershey is staying, butyoucan go if you don’t like it, and from now on, I’ll visit at your house without bringing Hershey.”
“How dare you!I get scared within an inch of my life and you stand there and take up for a dog?”
“Mom, if you hadn’t barged in, she wouldn’t have barked at you.Hershey is just settling in, but she knows this isherhome now and I am her person.You can’t blame her for being protective of itandme.”
“If that’s the case, then why didn’t she growl at that man?Hmm?Why didn’t she bark athim?”
Bryson grinned, and even though he knew he’d outstayed his welcome, he lingered, wanting to hear what happened next.
“Because Bryson is our friend.”
“Oh, Hadley, you can’t be that naive.”
“Mom—”
“Go put some clothes on so we can talk.And take that thing with you so I don’t have to worry about it biting me.”
Hadley whirled around and stomped into the living room with Hershey faster than he could get out the door.Caught in the act of eavesdropping, Bryson met her surprised gaze.
Hadley opened her mouth as though to speak but then shook her head, giving him a silent expression filled with apology.
Bryson dipped his head in an understanding nod and quietly let himself out of the house, pulling the door firmly shut behind him so Hershey wouldn’t get any ideas.
The streetlights had come on while he’d been inside, and he used them to find the tools he’d dropped in his mad rush to get to the screaming woman.
Once everything was locked up, he found himself at a loss because he was in no mood to go home.
Drawn by the sound of the crashing waves, he headed toward the sand and spent the next hour walking along the shore.The salt air helped clear his head along with the surf, and soon he headed back to his truck.
Along the way, he passed by Hadley’s house and noted that her mother’s car was no longer parked in the driveway.
Bryson continued on by the hedges and into his yard.
“Hey.”
He lifted his head and found Hadley sitting in the shadows of the stairs, Hershey lying on the ground at her feet.The dog stood the moment Hadley spoke.“Hey, yourself.”
“I owe you an apology.”
“For what?”
“My mom can be amazingly…”
A low chuckle emerged and he shook his head several times.“Yeah, she can be.But there’s no need to apologize.That is, unless you feel the same way.”
“I do not,” she said firmly.“You’ve been nothing but kind and helpful and…a wonderful friend, not only to me but to Nan.”
Bryson stared at her, the knife sliding deep.
A friend.Okay then.
“Bryson?”
