love that dog. Besides, it will give me an excuse to talk to you whenever I want.” He kissed her. But only briefly. He was feeling a little sick.
“I want to bring him to New York,” Carly said. “I love him, too, and I hate being without him—”
“Loyal and obedient. Lab.”
They both turned as Jamie entered the room. He’d removed his apron. “His name is Duke.”
“I can’t wait to meet him,” Carly said. “Baxter, come.”
The dog came forward, his tail wagging with anticipation, happy to be called.
“He’s missed you,” Max said. “We’ve all missed you.”
“Loyal and obedient. Duke,” Jamie said.
“Carly, I have to go,” Max said. “Can we talk later?”
“Sure. Yes. I just . . .” She dragged her fingers through her hair. “My love to all the dogs, okay? Send me a picture, will you?”
“His name is Duke,” Jamie said. “He’s good with dogs.” He walked out of the house before them. Baxter ran behind him, and Max tossed Hazel a biscuit as he followed Carly and Jamie out.
Carly put Baxter into her car, then waved at Max before slipping into the driver’s seat. Max waved back. But even from that distance, he could see the look in her eye. She knew. Just like he knew. This thing between them, this beautiful, unexpected, wonderful thing, could not overcome the forces in their lives. It couldn’t knock them off the roads they’d labored to pave for themselves.
“Loyal and obedient,” Jamie said.
“That’s right,” Max said. “His name is Duke.”
* * *
Duke’s arrival in his new home was not without incident. He was overexcited and couldn’t stop jumping and drooling on everything. Hazel took exception for some reason, and there was an immediate issue over who would be the alpha and who would not. Duke, a happy Lab, quickly acquiesced, but the first day was tense.
Jamie was beside himself with joy. He’d bought Duke a neon green collar, and because Duke was a black Lab, at night, when the lights were off, it looked a little like a disembodied collar moving around the house.
Max tried more than once to FaceTime his dad so that he could see Duke and be here for Jamie’s big day. But he couldn’t get the old man on the phone. He assumed that his father was honeymooning.
He texted Carly, but she said that her sister was having trouble, sick with her pregnancy and no one to watch the kids. Plus, they were worried that they couldn’t get ahold of either parent.
It felt as if everything was moving so fast. The weekend had rushed past before Max could catch a breath. Carly arrived Sunday night to meet Duke and to drop Baxter off again. Baxter raced into the house toward Hazel, but Duke hadn’t seen him coming and was startled. A lot of barking and shouting ensued, Jamie shrieking that Duke was loyal and obedient. Duke hadn’t gotten the memo.
When they got the dogs calmed down, Carly asked Max once more if he was certain he was okay keeping her dog.
“I’m certain. Baxter is part of the family.”
Carly couldn’t stay. She had to pack and then go check on her parents’ houses, as Mia was still feeling ill and they still hadn’t heard a word. “My family,” she said with a shake of her head.
“Are you worried?”
“Nope. I know where Mom is, and my guess is Dad is back with his very young girlfriend. What about your dad?”
He shook his head. “I have no doubt he’s living his best life right now.”
Carly nodded, but she was looking over her shoulder at her car. Max took the opportunity to impress this image of her on his hippocampus. He wanted to remember every freckle, every loose strand of hair. He didn’t want to forget her like this, wrapped in a wool coat, the tip of her nose pink from the cool air, her lashes long, her hair silky on her shoulder.
When she turned back to him she said, “I guess I better go.”
“So this is it?”
“No,” she said. “But sort of. And if you make a thing out of it, I will cry.”
“I will join you,” he said, and wrapped his arms around her.
“I’m so sorry, Max,” she said into his coat.
“Don’t be. The worst thing would be for you to give up this opportunity and then one day wake up and resent the hell out of the fact that you stayed.”
“I know,” she whispered. “I wish it was different. I so wish it was different.”