Chapter Eight
“Resistance is futile.” —Borg
Brody
Eight o’clock Sunday morning, CC and I pushed open the chain-link door at the park. Lily was already inside, and I could see Mack hauling ass to the gate as quickly as his short little legs would carry him to see his best girl. “Hey, buddy. Did you miss CC? You’ve got it bad, don’t you?” I squatted down to unclip CC’s leash and rub Mack’s head.
Lily came out from behind a pile of dirt and several straw bales with Jet in tow and smiled.
“It’s okay, pally,” I whispered to Mack. “I know exactly how you feel.”
After I stood, CC trotted by Lil to get a head pat before she commenced her perimeter check and ignored Mack as best she could.
“Morning,” I called. “What’s with all the construction?”
“There’s an Earthdog trial next weekend.”
“What’s Earthdog?”
“It’s generally for smaller dogs. Terriers, dachshunds. Dogs bred to hunt rodents. They dig tunnels underground and place rats in ventilated tubes for the dogs to hunt. It plays on their natural instinct to both hunt and dig.”
“Huh. Never heard of such a thing.”
Lily smiled. “Next month we’re having a Lure-Coursing trial. It’s part of the reason the center has this land, to do some of the dog sports better suited to outdoors. The owner is talking about putting in an above ground pool for DockDogs events, too.” Walking into the sun, she shielded her eyes. “How did CC’s class evaluation go?”
I literally felt my chest puff up. “She’s a star pupil.”
“Rob said she tested out of the beginning training class and is going into manners building class instead. That’s awesome, Brody.”
The pride I felt... I was turning into a dog dad and I didn’t even care. I understood on a whole new level why dog people got as excited to show off pictures of their pooches as most parents did of their kids. “She’s so smart, Lil. He ran her through some of the baby agility equipment, and after we finish up this class, we’re going to start agility for beginners.”
Lil’s grin was a mile wide and sly as hell.
“What? What’s that look about?”
She tried to school her face. “Nothing.”
“No, tell me.”
“I’m just really glad that you and CC are finding your normal, is all. That you’ve turned into a hard-core dog lover. It’s the best part for me—when someone gets it and becomes a dog person for life. You are such a dog dad. Like, soccer level dog dad. When are you getting your minivan and Who Rescued Who sticker?”
I felt my cheeks turn pink. “Pfft. Like I’d do that. I’m a truck guy.” Shooting her a slightly embarrassed smile, I mumbled, “Besides, I’ve already put the sticker on my truck.”
Lil busted out laughing and the sound was a shot of adrenaline straight down my spine and into my boxer briefs.
“I’d suggest before you start her in agility that you get her Canine Good Citizens certification,” Lily added. “Because she’s a Cane Corso, when you tell people she has her CGC title, it can go a long way to change how people see her and treat her.”
“Hmm. Rob mentioned that, too. I’ll check into it. Hey, you gotta see this picture I took of her sleeping on the couch.” I pulled my phone from my back pocket and started scrolling through pictures as my girl finished her perimeter check and wandered back up to sit on top of my foot.
“She was just sleeping like this. With her head on a pillow on the floor, and her ass on the couch.”
Lily chuckled as she scratched CC’s head. “Silly girl, how’d you even get into that position?” She leaned in closer as I scrolled through pictures, and the smell of her shampoo drifted to my nose. She was so close. All soft curves, confidence, and strength. Turning my head, I took her in. She was so totally at ease, content. In her element and so beautiful like that. Whether she realized it or not, Lily dropped her guard a little when she was with dogs. I understood why she called working with them her sanctuary. It was so fucking alluring, that little crack in the shell. It made me want to continue to chip away at it, to let her behind my own curtain. Lily would understand more about the ups and downs of life as a football player better than any other woman could—how this life weighed on me and played with my head.
Then, I thought about my last girlfriend and how completely blind I’d been. I’d trusted that she wanted me for me instead of what I could give her. It was the first and last time I made that mistake. Once bitten, twice shy and all that. Besides, I had an endgame and it wasn’t getting myself traded to another team.
When the gate slammed closed behind us, CC startled, and I went on high alert. It was time to stop mooning over what I couldn’t have and meet some more dogs.
“One of us. One of us,” a short blonde in a Nike jacket chanted as Lily continued to flip through pictures of CC. A light gray Miniature Schnauzer sniffed around Lily’s ankles.
“I guess so,” I said through a crooked grin.
“How’s she doing?” the blonde asked Lil.
CC watched the new dog, but didn’t move away from me.
“Cautious,” Lily answered. “She’s taking her time, but you can see the wheels turning. She wants to check Jasmine out.”
Finally, my girl got up and went to sniff the Schnauzer’s rear.
“Brody, this is Kate.” Lily gestured to the blonde. “Jasmine’s indifferent to other dogs so we’re starting with her.” For the most part, the small silver dog ignored CC, but I couldn’t help it. I was tense all over. CC could’ve easily made a snack out of the little dog if she wanted to.
“She’s quite curious.” Kate said. “Confidence will come, don’t you think?”
Lily nodded, but never stopped watching CC. “Brody, you need to relax. If you relax, CC will, too.”
Making a physical effort, I twisted my neck to each side to stretch out the tension just as the gate slammed again.
A short lady with sandy blond hair and kind eyes wearing a T-shirt with dogs doing yoga walked up next to me. “Darlin’ it’s going to be fine. Let Lily work her magic.”
“Ahh, sorry. I don’t have a lot of experience with dogs and it’s all making me nervous.”
“Naturally.” Her smile was soothing. “I imagine it would be much the same if any of us were to step on the football field with you. My goodness, you’re handsome up close. The TV doesn’t do you justice at all. And so big. Lily, did you see how large this boy is? What size shoe do you wear? I’m Carrie, by the way.” She batted her lashes, putting a hand on my biceps. “Oh my, Lily. Have you felt these? They’re so firm. Arm porn, isn’t that what you girls call it? Brody’s got the arm porn.”
Amusement marched across my face, and I felt the tips of my ears turn red as an older gentleman walked up next to her. Carrie was at least in her fifties. Lil wasn’t even trying to hide her giggle, and my cheeks flamed to match my ears.
“Damn it, Carrie. Stop flirting with the boy. He’s half your age. I apologize for her, son.”
I grinned, sent him a conspiratorial wink. This man was clearly her husband, and this wasn’t the first time they’d been through this routine.
I noticed absently that two more dogs were running in and out of our group. “To tell you the truth, I never mind flirting with a pretty lady, ma’am.”
“Oh, flattery will get you everywhere. You could take some lessons, Everett.” She pointed at her husband while squeezing my biceps.
“Which dog is yours?” I asked, and slowly turned to extricate my arm from her grip.
“Oh, the red merle Aussie.”
A laugh burst from a woman coming through the gate with another red merle Aussie. She had a warm brown ponytail sticking out of a baseball cap and a smile to match. Behind her came in a tall, curvy woman with mermaid-colored hair. “Sorry, it’s a running joke in this group,” Baseball Cap said. “Carrie’s dog is Sasha.” She pointed to the dog circling Jasmine trying to get her to play. “I’m Regan. Ping is my red merle.” She pointed after the dog chasing Jet. He was bigger than her, his build heavier.
“The Aussie chasing Mack right now is Kiwi,” Regan continued. “That’s Melissa’s dog.”
The woman with mermaid hair waved.
“The yellow Lab swimming in the pond over there? That’s Gus. He belongs to Dave, who’s currently preoccupied with throwing the ball into the water for him.” Dave was a big guy, but probably in his sixties if he was a day. Yet, I’d bet he’d delivered a sack or two once upon a time.
“And I’m Everett, in case you hadn’t figured it out.” The gentleman in beat-up Wranglers and a John Deere hat stuck his hand out. “Glad to meet you, son. Mine is the German Wasteofur over there chasing Gus into the pond. Orion is his name.” He pointed to a big Shepherd mix.
The group chuckled, but it took me a minute to get the joke. “German Waste O’ Fur.” I laughed.
“How’s the shoulder treating you?” Everett nodded toward it. “Gonna be ready for camp come July?”
“Yes, sir. I believe so.”
“Glad to hear it. You got a nose for the ball, that’s for sure. Gonna be a helluva addition to the Hall of Fame someday.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Oh, Lord, here we go.” Melissa shook her head. “I know down here you all think this man is the second coming of Dick Butkus, but will you get real? Seriously.”
Not able to stop it, I barked out a laugh. She was passionate, I’d give her that. Most people who followed football were. I didn’t blame her for defending her team. Besides, I happened to agree.
“True enough. Nobody will ever be number fifty-one but number fifty-one.”
Everett waved her off, leaned over with a stage whisper. “Melissa’s from Illinois.”
But Melissa didn’t slow down. “Every year with you Bulldogs fans. Win two games in a row and you start talking championship.”
A funny thing happened around then. As I was listening to them argue about my Hall of Fame prospects, it dawned on me they were distracting me on purpose. I’d relaxed like Lily had asked me to and CC wasn’t by my leg anymore.
Lily was engaged in a conversation with Regan and Dave, but she brushed me with her shoulder to get my attention and nodded at my dog. My girl was circling back and forth under Kate’s hand as the woman cooed to her in a soft voice.
My mouth fell open. She’d never willingly let anyone touch her except me and Lil. Not even Rob.
“Her issues aren’t with dogs. They’re only with people. She approached Kate on her own. Which means she’s learning to trust.” Lily’s near whisper had my abs tightening as I wondered what those lips would feel like against my ear. I turned to her. When she saw the heat in my eyes her own widened.
Fuck if I didn’t want to kiss her.
Something told me that mouth with its perfect little bow and slightly larger lower lip would taste like fine wine against my tongue. She must have read my mind because she took a step back and exhaled a heavy breath.
Shit. This woman was dangerous to my self-control.
Then, the most remarkable thing happened. Mack cut a swath straight to CC, all wiggles and smiles and drool.
Standing in front of my girl, he slapped his paws against a patch of bare earth and the smell of clean, cool dirt rose to meet my nose. Ass-end in the air, elbows on the ground, Mack twisted his head this way and that while making grunting noises that had everyone smiling.
My girl’s nub tail went a million miles an hour, but she hesitated.
Lily mumbled under her breath, “C’mon, CC. Play with him.”
Jet circled behind CC, pulled up shoulder-to-shoulder with my girl. Jet broke into a bouncy run and CC launched a split second later. When Mack joined them, most of the other dogs fell into the chase.
My girl was playing! The first time we’d come, she’d followed Jet, tolerated Mack, but was more concerned with her surroundings. Now, it was as if she’d woken up and said, “Look, there are other dogs for me to play with!” Swear to God, I knew what the Grinch from the children’s book felt like when his heart grew.
Out of the blue, the little red Aussie turned on the afterburners, and I figured out why Lily had named her Jet. But then CC did the same.
Holy shit. CC. Was. Fast. Especially for a big dog.
Not as fast as Jet, but her long legs made up some of the difference. When Jet hit the brakes and cut back, so did CC. Mack—who’d taken a line-of-sight to catch up—plowed into CC’s shoulders, bowling her over. My heart jumped into my throat, but my girl shook it off and slapped the ground with her massive paws. The two of them bounced around, pushed and shoved each other as the other dogs came to check out the wrestling, as Mack mouthed the skin on CC’s face and CC swung her butt around, knocking him over.
“Mack’s found himself a wrestlin’ buddy,” Carrie said. I hadn’t realized that the conversations had stopped to watch the play. “That’s a fine dog you got there, sugar. With that kind of speed and athleticism, we’ll see her in novice agility class in no time.”
Regan spoke up. “You can tell she hasn’t been given a chance to be a dog, and people are scarier for her, but her confidence will come in no time.”
And that’s when CC nipped Mack. Hard.
The little fireplug howled, and I tensed, started for the dogs, but Everett grabbed my elbow. “Wait, son. She’s about to find out if she gets too rough, he won’t play with her.”
“Not gonna let a fight break out.”
“Watch, young Skywalker. There are things other dogs can teach her quicker than you can. They won’t fight. The energy between dogs about to fight is different. If you’re paying attention, you can sense the shift when a fight is coming.”
Lily was watching the interaction closely. She gave me a short nod of reassurance. “Everett’s right. Besides, Mack won’t fight with her. He’d run. Jet would fight for him.”
Princess Jet trotted between the two with her nose in the air and CC turned to sniff at the wet Lab, who’d come to check things out.
Crisis averted.
“How did y’all know that?”
“Time and experience, Shaw.” Lily grinned. “When you have a defensive player about to lose their temper, what do you do?”
“I get in front of him, tell him to take a walk. Cool off.” Jet had done what would have been my job on the football field.
Lily sent me a cocky smirk. “I’m going to give you a couple of books on canine body language.” Taking a step forward, she let out an ear-splitting whistle. Jet’s head turned, and all the dogs followed as the Aussie returned to the group of people.
This woman.
She couldn’t be more than five foot two. But I had no doubt that Lily led this pack. If Jet ran the defense, Lily was her coach.
And damn if that didn’t turn me right the fuck on.