finally asked.
Wow, her brother had invited her to dinner and wanted to ask a favor, all in one evening. If not for her sprained ankle currently throbbing in time to the country music playing on the jukebox, she might have thought this was her lucky day.
“Of course! Anything.”
“I hate when people say that. How do you know that until I ask? What if I want you on my support team while I become the first one-eyed, one-armed asshole to climb Mount Everest?”
“Then I guess I’ll have to buy a better parka.”
He rolled his eyes. “You’re a nut. You know that? It’s not quite that extreme. I just need a dog sitter. Can Tuck stay with you for a couple days?”
“Of course!” she said immediately. She loved having that big goofy dog around to fill the empty spaces. He almost made her want to get one of her own, if she didn’t hate the idea of leaving the creature alone most of the day.
“I hate to ask when you’re on the DL.”
“Oh, please. I only have a sprained ankle, I’m not on the disabled list. I might not be able to take him for runs but I can still throw a stick for him in the backyard.”
“Thanks. I’ll drop him off tomorrow on my way out of town.”
“How long will you be gone?” she asked.
“Two nights. Three at the most.”
He didn’t offer any further explanation about where he was going. She desperately wanted to ask but forced herself to let the silence drag on.
Finally, he sighed. “I’ve got to run into Denver to the VA for a couple adjustments. Should be easy enough, just a quick surgery, but they might have to keep me overnight. I don’t want to leave him at the house on his own or in a hotel room somewhere.”
“I’m happy to have him stay. I love the company. I hope you know you can ask anytime. Do you need somebody to come with you to the hospital?”
He shook his head, which she could have predicted. “It’s no big deal. I’ll be fine.”
She wanted to encourage him to ask the doctors to refer him someplace where he might find help through his grim moods. The words clogged her throat and she forced them down. Dylan was reaching out to her—in a small way, yes, but more than he had since he’d come home. She wasn’t going to push him and risk losing what little progress they had made.
At the table next door, she heard Peyton make a snide comment to her father but missed Spence’s low reply. A moment later, Peyton climbed out of the booth and headed for the ladies’ room.
“Do me a favor,” Dylan said, his eyes serious. “Don’t tell Pop or any of the brothers, would you? It’s a minor procedure. I don’t want anybody making a fuss.”
He couldn’t have made that more clear in the past few months if he’d taken out a billboard. She could just picture a big one hanging over the entrance to his driveway in Snowflake Canyon, flashing ten-foot-high letters that blinked Leave Me the Hell Alone.
It went against all her instincts, but she finally nodded. “What if somebody asks me why I’m keeping Tucker?”
“Just tell them I had business out of town.”
As far as she could see, the only business Dylan was conducting involved the liquor store and copious purchases of alcoholic substances, but she decided not to comment again. Instead, she pulled her crutches to the side and stood up. “I need to use the ladies’ room before I head home.”
Her brother nodded and she hobbled through the diner dodging tables. She waved at a few people, hoping the crutches gave her a good excuse not to stop and talk.
When she entered the ladies’ room, she was greeted by a retching sound coming from one of the stalls.
“Peyton? Are you okay?”
It had to be her, since Charlotte hadn’t seen her come out yet, but a long moment stretched out before she answered. “Yeah. Fine.”
“That doesn’t sound very fine to me. Do you need some help?”
“No. No, I’m okay.”
She waited before going into the other stall, concerned for the girl. A moment later,
Wow, her brother had invited her to dinner and wanted to ask a favor, all in one evening. If not for her sprained ankle currently throbbing in time to the country music playing on the jukebox, she might have thought this was her lucky day.
“Of course! Anything.”
“I hate when people say that. How do you know that until I ask? What if I want you on my support team while I become the first one-eyed, one-armed asshole to climb Mount Everest?”
“Then I guess I’ll have to buy a better parka.”
He rolled his eyes. “You’re a nut. You know that? It’s not quite that extreme. I just need a dog sitter. Can Tuck stay with you for a couple days?”
“Of course!” she said immediately. She loved having that big goofy dog around to fill the empty spaces. He almost made her want to get one of her own, if she didn’t hate the idea of leaving the creature alone most of the day.
“I hate to ask when you’re on the DL.”
“Oh, please. I only have a sprained ankle, I’m not on the disabled list. I might not be able to take him for runs but I can still throw a stick for him in the backyard.”
“Thanks. I’ll drop him off tomorrow on my way out of town.”
“How long will you be gone?” she asked.
“Two nights. Three at the most.”
He didn’t offer any further explanation about where he was going. She desperately wanted to ask but forced herself to let the silence drag on.
Finally, he sighed. “I’ve got to run into Denver to the VA for a couple adjustments. Should be easy enough, just a quick surgery, but they might have to keep me overnight. I don’t want to leave him at the house on his own or in a hotel room somewhere.”
“I’m happy to have him stay. I love the company. I hope you know you can ask anytime. Do you need somebody to come with you to the hospital?”
He shook his head, which she could have predicted. “It’s no big deal. I’ll be fine.”
She wanted to encourage him to ask the doctors to refer him someplace where he might find help through his grim moods. The words clogged her throat and she forced them down. Dylan was reaching out to her—in a small way, yes, but more than he had since he’d come home. She wasn’t going to push him and risk losing what little progress they had made.
At the table next door, she heard Peyton make a snide comment to her father but missed Spence’s low reply. A moment later, Peyton climbed out of the booth and headed for the ladies’ room.
“Do me a favor,” Dylan said, his eyes serious. “Don’t tell Pop or any of the brothers, would you? It’s a minor procedure. I don’t want anybody making a fuss.”
He couldn’t have made that more clear in the past few months if he’d taken out a billboard. She could just picture a big one hanging over the entrance to his driveway in Snowflake Canyon, flashing ten-foot-high letters that blinked Leave Me the Hell Alone.
It went against all her instincts, but she finally nodded. “What if somebody asks me why I’m keeping Tucker?”
“Just tell them I had business out of town.”
As far as she could see, the only business Dylan was conducting involved the liquor store and copious purchases of alcoholic substances, but she decided not to comment again. Instead, she pulled her crutches to the side and stood up. “I need to use the ladies’ room before I head home.”
Her brother nodded and she hobbled through the diner dodging tables. She waved at a few people, hoping the crutches gave her a good excuse not to stop and talk.
When she entered the ladies’ room, she was greeted by a retching sound coming from one of the stalls.
“Peyton? Are you okay?”
It had to be her, since Charlotte hadn’t seen her come out yet, but a long moment stretched out before she answered. “Yeah. Fine.”
“That doesn’t sound very fine to me. Do you need some help?”
“No. No, I’m okay.”
She waited before going into the other stall, concerned for the girl. A moment later,
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