Page 124 of Wag More Bark Less

“You obviously want to go back, Noles.”

Wanting to go back and being wanted back were two very different things. It wasn’t just Luke who ghosted me, it was everyone else in that town. I’d hoped for check-in texts. And yet . . . nothing. I hadn’t even heard from Alyssa. So much for making genuine female friendships. Maybe I should get another dog.

Ellie looked up at me, as though reading my mind. I probably imagined the glare, but it made me chuckle nonetheless. I stroked her neck again, silently thanking her for being the best thing in my life.

“I’m not moving again for some guy, Vi. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt.” I pinched the neck of the shirt, pulling it out. “Literally.”

Violet let out a loud laugh and immediately slapped a hand over her mouth. She looked over the back of the couch, toward the hallway, waiting in silence. After several seconds, her shoulders sagged with relief.

“I really didn’t want to kick my own ass for waking the baby,” she mumbled. Then she looked at me, staring hard. “Luke is not Jason. You get that by now, right?”

“Yes, I know.” Luke was as much Jason’s opposite as any man could be. “But it’s the same pattern. Go on vacation, meet a guy, fall for said guy, decide to uproot my life, and then have it epically backfire.”

“You were on vacation, sure,” Violet agreed. “But Luke wasn’t.”

“What are you saying?”

“You never met Jason’s mother or anyone else in his life until you moved to Washington. You had no idea who he truly was because you’d only met the fun, no-responsibility version of him. But Luke? You met his whole damn family. You told me his grandparents invited you to family dinner.”

I wanted so badly to believe my sister was on to something, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get past Luke not kissing me goodbye. After slow-dancing in the street, practically acting like a couple, and several nights in a row in his bed, why would he not kiss me goodbye?

It was clear to me that what we had meant more to me than it did to him.

“Would you go back if Luke didn’t live there?” Violet asked.

“Yeah,” I said without having to think it through.

“Then go back because you want to.”

I wanted to be that brave. I wanted to go home. But the only place I was going right now was to bed.

FORTY-FIVE

LUKE

“Why the fuck do I keep getting birdseed on inventory day?” I grumbled, resisting the urge to crumple the paper on the clipboard and walk my ass out of the hardware store. Connor offered me yet another pass, but I thought it’d do me good to stay busy. These days, I clung to most excuses to avoid being home.

Home reminded me too damn much of Maggie.

I kept finding reminders of her—a pink hair tie under the couch, a tube of lip gloss behind the nightstand, and long, stray, honey-blonde hairs on my couch, in my bed, on my flannel jacket. They were almost as plentiful as the dog hair Ellie left behind on every surface.

She was everywhere.

And yet, I hadn’t heard a fucking peep from her since she made it to the hospital over a month ago. I’d started and deleted so many texts these past several weeks that I lost count. But every time I pulled up our message history, that photo popped up. Maggie cradling a baby in her arms. There were bags under her eyes, but they were hardly noticeable in comparison to the joy on her face.

She was where she belonged.

And I was . . . here.

“If you want to show up early and print off the inventory sheets next time, then you can choose the assignments.” Connor was trying to rile me up, and it was working.

“I don’t have to be here,” I reminded him.

“Then leave.” Connor challenged me with a smile on his face. I wanted to punch it right off.

“Connor, why don’t you go grab us some lunch,” Dad said, clapping him on the back. “I’ll help your brother count the birdseed.”

“I don’t need help,” I muttered as Connor headed out the front door.