Being with him had felt like a triple espresso shot. But that was just her broken heart remembering better times, right?
She was relieved when a knock on the door pulled her from her thoughts. Paul Farmer stood there with a big grin on his face…and her grandmother’s wheelchair in front of him.
“Surprise!” Her grandmother extended one arm for a hug, grinning from ear to ear. Her other arm held a cardboard drink holder with three milkshake cups.
On hearing his owner’s voice, Bowie shot from his bed straight to the door. Hadley had to gently hold him back so he wouldn’t jump on her grandmother, but he only settled for putting his head on her leg and wagging his tail so hard his entire body seemed to be wagging too.
“My sweet boy!” Gran kissed Bowie on the head over and over. “I missed you so much!”
Jagger, never the wallflower, decided to run circles around the wheelchair. Hadley made a lunge to stop him but Gran beckoned him into the fold. “Come here, Jagger.” Gran wiped tears from her eyes. “There are plenty of kisses for you too.”
Hadley felt a little teary. That was her grandma. She loved everyone.
Even Cam, she thought wryly.
Paul intercepted the milkshakes while Hadley gave her grandma a big squeeze. She looked a little tan and was smiling, and she had on a bright pink blouse and matching flip-flops. All a far cry from how she’d looked in the hospital.
“You look amazing!” Hadley said. “Bowie and I have missed you so much.” Bowie had not budged an inch from Gran’s side. “Hey, Paul.” Hadley gave him a hug too.
“So nice to see you, Hadley,” he said softly. His tidy gray beard, spectacles, and bow tie made him look like the distinguished gentleman he was. As he bent to pet Jagger, he asked, “And who’s this character?”
“Poor little guy,” Gran said. “Doesn’t look like he’s had much love, does he?”
Paul smiled as Jagger looked up at him sweetly. “Did you say little?”
Jagger was too busy getting love to take offense. “What are you two doing here?” Hadley asked.
“I’m officially a week out from surgery,” Gran said proudly, “and I got the okay to go to the park.”
Paul gave a laid-back laugh. “But she conned me into taking her a little farther.”
“So you’re AWOL.” Hadley wasn’t surprised. “But what’s in the cups?”
Paul handed them to Hadley as he wheeled Gran to a more open space. “Breakfast ice cream,” he said.
Gran laughed and gave him a look that Hadley could only describe as…smitten. And Paul was giving her the same exact look back.
Awww. She loved what passed between them, even as she wondered if someone would ever look at her like that. If she would trust anyone again after all her hurt. And more importantly, if she would trust herself.
“Okay.” She pulled herself away from the edge. “What is breakfast ice cream?”
Paul chuckled. “Well, you won’t know until you taste it, will you?”
Hadley laughed. “I’m always up for a challenge.” Then she held up her milkshake in a toast. “To busting out.”
Her grandma laughed again as everyone raised their cups. “To busting out!”
Inside the cup was cold, smooth, caffeinated deliciousness. A coffee milkshake? Frappuccino? Something? “Wow.”
A close second to holding hands with Cam—no, no, she didn’t mean that.
“You like?” Paul looked a little pleased with himself.
“I love it. Can I marry it? What’s in here?”
“Lots of caffeine, like your grandma requested. And my secret blend of coffee and ice cream.”
“Breakfast ice cream,” Hadley mused.
“I have another way to make it with low-fat yogurt and skim milk but my philosophy has always been don’t wait to enjoy the good stuff.”
A few months ago, Hadley wouldn’t have even touched it, too afraid of being plastered on seven different magazine covers looking like she actually ate food. But she had to admit, he had something there. When life gave you ice cream, you said thank you and enjoyed it, regardless of the time of day.
“Will you give us a few minutes, Paul?” Gran smiled. “Then I promise I’ll be a good patient and go straight back.”
Paul checked his watch. “Only fifteen, because your nurse is going to skin my behind if I don’t have you back under that tree by ten-thirty.”
“I promise.” As they watched him leave, Gran said, “He’s a good friend.” She lowered her voice. “And a drill sergeant. He means what he says about having me back exactly on time.”
“It looks to me like he might be more than a friend.” Hadley waggled her brows.
“Oh, stop, Hadley.” She waved her arms so adamantly that Bowie startled.
“He’s wonderful to you,” Hadley said, “and I can see that he cares a lot. So what’s the problem?”
“Look at me.” Gran said. “I’m…old.” She was blushing again. “Anyway, I’m not here to talk about my love life.”
This was new, seeing an area where Gran might be the one to need advice. “You have a brand-new hip. You’ll be dancing again in no time.”
“Listen,” she said, effectively closing off that discussion, “I want to know how you’re doing here.” Gran took a sweeping glance around. “Still no business, I see.”
Hadley set down her shake. “I didn’t open for business yet. I wanted to wait and talk with you. What I am doing is walking dogs. I’ve got a handful three times a day. It’s bringing in some income and keeping us busy. So far, I’ve said no to boarders and to people wanting doggie day care. But there’s another issue.”
As if on cue, there was an urgent rap on the window. Outside, Anita Morales stood not with Jesse, her poodle, but with a little brown squatty-looking dog, who was scratching urgently behind his ear.
“I was walking my Jesse when this little guy followed us home,” Anita said through the screen door, a little out of breath. The dog, a miniature pinscher the color of a Hershey bar, scratched again, the poor little guy.
“He’s full of fleas, Hadley, and I don’t dare come in.” Anita held the leash away from her as if the fleas were about to jump on her too. “I dropped Jesse off at home so he wouldn’t get them. And I need to take this one straight to the vet, but my elderly mom is coming for a visit later today. I was wondering if maybe you might take him? Maybe someone will claim him? I’ve already called the police and the pound in Evanston.”
Hadley walked outside and looked the dog over. “He has fleas, all right. If you’re willing to take him to the vet, I can take him in.” She bent down to the dog’s level. “You’re kinda cute.” But the poor miserable dog only batted his ear in response.
“I’ve got to go.” Anita glanced at her watch. “The new vet said he could squeeze me in right now. He’s very young and handsome. Have you met him?” Anita peered through the screen again and did a double take. “Maddy, is that you?”
Anita was saying a quick hi to Gran when Hadley’s phone rang. “I’m giving you a heads-up,” Lucy said on the other end of the line.