Against the Grain by Lainey Davis

Author:Lainey Davis [Davis, Lainey]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lainey Davis

16

Eila

Ben drives his own car away from the hospital and it doesn’t occur to me to ask him to take me home. Which is how I wind up at his townhouse, following him up his porch steps and listening for the clickity-clack of Maurice’s paws approaching the door.

“Hey, buddy.” Ben’s voice is very different when he’s talking to his dog. “I’m here. Yes, I know I’m late.” Ben gets the door open and immediately squats down to receive affection from his dog. I watch this uptight man who was afraid of needles revel in having his entire face licked by a mangy old dog and … it does things to my pants.

Ben reaches past Maurice for the harness I left sitting out on the table, and I wait for Ben to comment on my sloppiness, but he just seems excited to be reunited with his hound. He grins up at me as he fastens the leash. “Want to come walk with us?”

I nod, not quite able to articulate why I feel overwhelmed by the sight of all this. It’s not like I’ve never seen people with pets. Eliza has an entire herd of goats and a babysitter-donkey for them. But it’s different with Ben. He’s welcoming me into a very special partnership and it’s intimate. Responsible. Ben Barber is a real adult, and I like that about him. Very much. Even as I realize I am inadequately un-adult by comparison. This man has his entire life together and I don’t get why he seems so committed to helping me reroute mine.

He and Maurice amble slowly down the sidewalk toward the alley. It occurs to me that walking a three-legged dog at a snail’s pace is the perfect antidote for Ben’s sore legs from all the shots. I stuff my hands in my pockets and walk beside them, kicking gravel. I usually feel uncomfortable in silence like this, and I notice the absence of that discomfort right now. With Ben and Maurice, I feel … still. It’s nice.

Maurice raises a leg to pee on a trash can and we pause while he gets himself situated. Ben’s eyebrows lift up and he turns to me. “Oh. We didn’t do your lead collection.”

I wave a hand. “That’s okay. I’ll do it tomorrow.”

Ben presses his lips together, considering. “I should have taken you home.” He runs a hand through his hair. “I’m all out of sorts.”

I punch him softly in the shoulder and then freeze when he winces. “Shit. Your shot. Anyway, I was going to say it’s okay because, you know, I gave you rabies or whatever.”

“Hm.” Ben stoops to gather up Maurice, who started to dig in some garbage. We walk a bit and Ben sets the dog down near some grass at the corner. My breath catches when I look up and see the entire city sprawled below us, sparkling in the dark. All the lights of downtown shine against a clear sky with a bright, white moon.

“Wow.”

Ben makes a pleased sound.

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