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What had he expected? She was hardly going to hang out with them. He’d screwed up big time with her at the airport. And even when Molly had forced them to talk to each other at the restaurant, he’d only reiterated that he wasn’t going to ask her out.
Ava heaved a big sigh. “I wish you could.”
Grady looked down at his niece. She’d surprised him. He wouldn’t have expected her to echo his own thoughts like that.
She looked up at him. “You two are supposed to be friends now. And you never get the chance to hang out with your friends.”
“I do. I hang out with you all the time.” He wanted to make light of it, but Ava wasn’t going to let him.
“That doesn’t count. I’m only eight. You should have friends your own age.”
He had to laugh at the way she said it.
She looked at Hannah again. “Do you have a boyfriend?”
Grady was tempted to put his hand over the kid’s mouth. There was no way this could lead anywhere good.
Hannah’s cheeks tinged with pink, but she smiled at Ava and shook her head. “I don’t, do you?”
“No. But I’m not old enough. You are.” She looked up at Grady. “You should ask her out, she’s very pretty.”
Grady smiled through pursed lips. He met Hannah’s gaze as he said, “She’s very, very pretty. But she wouldn’t go out with me.”
Ava turned to Hannah. “You would, wouldn’t you? You like him; I can tell. And he likes you.”
Grady cringed and gave Hannah an apologetic smile. “Sorry. We should get going.”
Hannah nodded; she looked as embarrassed as he felt.
He tugged on Ava’s hand. “Come on, Pixie. They’ll come to take us around to the kennels in a minute. We can wait outside.”
Ava stood her ground. “We should wait here with Hannah. You like her. I know you do.”
Grady ran his hand over his face as he chuckled. “It’s not always that simple, Ava.” He glanced at Hannah; his words were intended for her more than his niece. “Yes, I like her. But when I first met Miss Hannah, I messed up. I’m lucky that she’s friends with Aunt Molly, because that means that we might see her around sometimes. But the best I can hope for is that she might really want to be my friend. There’s no way she’d ever go out with me.”
Ava frowned, then looked at Hannah. “Will you be our friend?”
Hannah looked from her to Grady and back again. He could see that she was weighing her answer carefully.
“Say you will?” Ava pleaded.
Grady felt bad; there was no way anyone with a beating heart could turn the kid down when she turned on the big eyes and hopeful face.
Hannah nodded. “I’m sure we’ll all be friends.”
“Yay!” Ava went to her and threw her arms around her waist. “Thank you.”
Grady’s heart clenched in his chest again as he watched the two of them. Hannah hugged Ava back like she was clinging onto a life preserver. He wouldn’t have believed it, but it seemed that she was as hungry for affection as Ava was. He closed his eyes. He couldn’t let his thoughts stray anywhere near what that might mean.
“Hi, Hannah.” Ellen, the woman who ran the shelter, appeared in the doorway behind the desk. “Do you want to come through?”
Hannah gave Ava one last squeeze before she straightened up. “Okay.” She met Grady’s gaze for a moment. “It was nice to see you both.” She turned and followed Ellen but just before she disappeared through the door, she looked back over her shoulder. She didn’t smile, but she didn’t look like she hated him, either.
Ava came back to him with a big smile on her face. “I like her.”
“I do, too.”
“You should ask her out. If she was your girlfriend, we’d both get to hang out with her.”
