Finn nodded. “Wouldn’t miss it.”
Patricia brought the fancy drink in clear glass to her lips, a near-smile teasing at her stiff cheeks. Satisfied, Patricia started on her next hot tip. Finn disappeared as she seemed to be heading into foreplay advice.
As she began what was likely to refer to male genitalia, again, Haley interrupted. “So, Claire, any interesting cases lately?” Haley really, really couldn’t handle her mother saying the word penis again. Especially when she was still enjoying the image of Finn… well, of Finn enjoying their conversation this afternoon as much as she had.
Claire eagerly responded, “Always. I was rounding on a ranch a few miles downriver a few days ago. Most of the stalls were filled with the horses I had expected to attend to, but the last stall, typically empty, held a dog. An Australian shepherd in labor. The poor thing looked so exhausted. I jumped in and attended while she delivered seven healthy mutts. The family had no idea their dog was pregnant; they thought she’d been getting into the cat food again.”
Grady reached under the table to link hands with his fiancée. His tone was dripping with sarcasm, but his smile genuine, as he said, “You are looking at the parents of a first-pick brown-and-blue-eyed mutt. In eight weeks.”
“As if you could turn one down after helping with delivery.” Claire gazed at her husband, grinning and utterly turning her fiancé to mush.
“As if I could turn down a free puppy. Not with that look in your eyes.”
Patricia picked up her drink and took another sip. “I suppose your friend knows his drinks.” Hey, a compliment. She really was trying. “We need to bump up that wedding so you can make me grandbabies. I will be a wonderful grandmother.”
Silence. No one dared respond to that one. Patricia hadn’t changed a poopy diaper or soothed a crying baby in her life.
Shutting her up, Grady grew a devious smile and said, “Why wait? We’re practicing on a nightly basis.”
“Really?” Patricia’s eyes lit up.
“Well, there’s an IUD in the way, but we keep trying anyway.” He winked at Claire.
That shut up Patricia for at least five minutes. For all her talk of penises, she was flummoxed at the idea of her son using his.
Speaking of penises. Damn, not a good segue. Haley had been rather fixated on one in particular all evening. Didn’t help she had a perfect view of him working the tap, tossing t-shirts and silverware bundles and whatever else back and forth with the server. She knew exactly how hard those arms were, how smooth and warm that skin was, and how those lips tasted like a guilty pleasure and kissed as skillfully as he caught a football.
And that cowlick. Who knew she was a sucker for rebellious hair?
Okay, shift those thoughts. No penises at dinner. “You know,” she began, “It’s so weird being back. I’m bummed Trace is gone for the summer; aside from you guys, I don’t know many people in town anymore.”
The server discreetly delivered their meals and disappeared. Haley inhaled the savory scent and dug into her sweet potato fries.
Claire released the lip she’d been gnawing on and lit up with a smile. “Sophie’s been bugging everyone to make a hiking day happen. You would have been in Pippa’s grade, right?”
Nodding her head, Haley swallowed her bite and said, “A year behind. Aside from Trace, Pippa was one of my besties in elementary school.”
Grady looked up as if remembering. “I’d forgotten about that. If you don’t mind sharing friends with your brother, we’ll rope you into hanging out. Trace, well, she hangs out sometimes, but I’m not so sure… Anyway, we get together at least once a month with Pippa and Lincoln, Asher and Sophie, Zane and Freya. Finn and… well, Finn’s a regular since he got back a few months ago.”
“I don’t remember Finn from when I lived here before.” Was that too obvious of a lead-in to find out more about him?
“Oh yeah, you wouldn’t. The Halseths moved to town after you left.” Grady looked over at the bar, but Finn was busy taking orders. “He’s had a rough time over the last few months, so we’ve been trying to drag him out.”
“Oh, that’s too bad. How so?”
Patricia chimed in, gesturing with her fork. “Footballplayeris the least of it. His mother was diagnosed with breast cancer last year. He chose to finish off the football season, not even coming home until he was injured. When it got into her bones, he grieved by hooking up with an old flame. Now he’s working as a bartender for his family’s restaurant when he could be doing something meaningful, like getting on SportsCenter or something.”
Grady shook his head. “Gee, Ma. Tell us how you really feel.”
“I was just expressing my—”
Grady cut her off again. Good thing, as Haley wanted to kick her. “He’s a good guy. Has had a shitty year. And he’s my friend. Leave him alone. Whatever your gossip ring is spreading around, they ought to check their facts, and you can remember that you are a physician and would never treat one of your patients with such disrespect.”
Spine straightening, Patricia took a delicate bite of lettuce. “My apologies.”
Damn, Haley had missed a lot since her last visit. She’d never seen Grady stand up to their mother this way, or anyone, really. Nor Patricia back down so quickly.
Finn caught her eye, things finally stabilizing at the bar as he’d caught everyone up. Seeing Patricia’s stubborn expression, the awkward pall that had fallen over their table, he smiled sympathetically. Looking around the restaurant first, he nodded his head toward the back. He caught the server, said something Haley couldn’t hear, then disappeared to the back.
