Chapter 3 #2
Our neighborhood is full of families, and the sidewalks and green spaces make it very dog-friendly. The streets are lined with flowering shrubs and sweet olive trees. It’s a little haven inside this giant metropolis.
I glance up at Owen, quietly observing the area, and despite my resolution, I can’t help wanting to know everything about him.
“What’s it like in Eureka? I love that name. It sounds like a discovery.”
He looks down, giving me a brief smile. “It’s just a little town near the coast. My whole family lives there. They’re part of the founding families.”
“On both sides?”
“Well, my dad and stepmom’s side. My stepmom Britt was an only child, but my dad has three brothers, which means lots of uncles and aunts and cousins…”
“Sounds like my life in Newhope.” Warmth fills my chest when I think of my dad and all his brothers, my aunt Dylan, and growing up with all my family there.
“That’s what Mav said.” He looks up to where Ladybird is following Spanky into a vacant, grassy lot.
“This is a good place to let them run.” I bend down to unhook Spanky’s leash. “If she’ll stay with us?”
He unhooks Ladybird’s as well. “She will.”
The dogs take off running, and I chew my lip. “I imagine it was nice to have your family around… being alone with your daughter, I mean. My uncle Jack was a single dad, too.”
He nods, watching the dogs. “They gave us a lot of love and support. They helped me get through the dark days, and I always had someone to help with Maddie. But Eureka is like that. It’s a small town where people band together, lifting each other up in good times and bad.”
“In that case, it’s exactly like Newhope.” I want to reach out and give his arm a squeeze, but I don’t.
“I don’t want Maddie to lose that.” His brow furrows, and his jaw clenches attractively. “Moving is hard, and I want to be sure she has all the love and attention I did growing up… despite my career.”
“How long have you played hockey?” He’s clearly older than most of the guys on the team, and he doesn’t have the typical, young-player cocky attitude, which is a nice plus, in my opinion.
“I played around before Maddie was born, but after Angie died, I got really serious, mostly as a way to distract my mind.” He looks down with a wince.
“I would put Maddie to bed, and it would be so quiet in the house… Hockey gave me a way to forget the pain of what I’d lost. I started making good money, and I felt alive again. I had something.”
He’s talking more than he ever has, and I’m hanging on his every word.
“My teammates were like brothers to me, and when I was flying on the ice, chasing the puck, I could forget about everything except winning.” He looks out at the horizon a moment, then with a blink, he seems to remember I’m here.
Clearing his throat, he looks down and concludes quickly.
“That’s when my little sister moved in to help me. She still does.”
“You must be very close.” I study his handsome face.
He nods, exhaling a chuckle. “She’s a lot younger than me, and I’m sure she’s ready for me to retire so she can do her own thing. I’d actually planned to retire at the end of last year.”
“But you didn’t.” Without realizing, I’ve drifted closer to him.
“I finally got my chance to play in the league.” He looks down, almost like he’s apologizing. “I had to take it. It’s a big pay jump, and well… it’s the NHL.”
“I get that.” I think of how I felt about Spanky this year. “When you’ve been doing something so long, it’s natural to want to go for the big prize. It’s like Best in Show.”
“Is that the top of the dog world?” He glances over at me.
“Yeah, it’s the top prize. Spanky’s been competing for years, but he’s never won it.”
“What do you have to do to get it?”
“There are certain qualifying competitions, like the one this weekend. If you win one, you can apply to compete.”
His brow falls. “That’s why you were grooming him…” With a wince, he looks out at Ladybird, who’s bounding around the yard now. “Is there another one you can do?”
“We can do it next year.” I do my best to give him a reassuring smile. “We’ve got plenty of time.”
“I’m really sorry, Gina…”
“No, no.” I wave him away. “Let’s head back. These guys are done.”
I can tell he’s not ready to let the grooming disaster go, but he relents.
I call Spanky, and Ladybird follows, running back to us.
We clip the leashes on, and with that, we head back to our little bungalow.
The two dogs lead us home the same way they led us here, like they’ve decided this is how it’s supposed to be.
Shaking that silly thought away, I recall his expression when he arrived this afternoon. “Tell me about house-hunting. From the look on your face, it didn’t seem like it went well.”
“I dunno.” He shrugs. “We looked at a lot of really beautiful houses. They’re all interesting to look at, but none of them feels like home. They’re all so much concrete.”
“They build them that way because of the wildfires.” I think about what he must be used to in coastal South Carolina. “When we moved here from Newhope, it took a minute to find something that reminded me of home. Luckily, Haddy grew up here, so she knew I’d like this area.”
He looks up at the trees. “I’m thinking about taking her advice and seeing if we can find something here. I like the trees, and it’s such a big change. I don’t want Maddie to feel like I’ve moved her to a different planet.”
“I hope we get to meet her.”
He looks over at me, and a light breeze slips through the dark hair around his temples, pushing it across his forehead. My fingers itch with wanting to reach up and slide it out of his eyes, but he does it instead, pushing his long hair away from his face.
We’re back at the house, when my phone buzzes, and I jump out of my daydream to check the text.
Haddy
Have you kissed him yet???
My cheeks flame at her words, and I’m about to shove the device into my pocket when another text appears.
Haddy
Stop wasting time… Oh, and ask him about the calendar. Mav said he has to be in it.
“You okay?” A teasing note is in his voice, and I look up, quickly turning the screen to my chest.
“It’s just Haddy… Did the guys tell you about the calendar fundraiser they’re doing?”
“Something about hockey and hounds?” He exhales a sharp whistle through his teeth, and Ladybird immediately heads in our direction as he starts for the door.
My jaw drops, and I point at him. “I’ve always wanted to do that.”
“I can teach you. It’s how I trained her back home.”
Spanky is right behind us, and we walk into the house, trying to remember what we were talking about when he turned into the sexy dog whistler.
“The calendar!” I say loudly, and he frowns. “Sorry, I was just… Haddy wants me to ask you if you’ll be in it with Ladybird. So far, she’s the only actual hound they have. Spanky and Peepee are the other two dogs.”
He holds the door, smiling down at me. “Looks like you have nine more to go.”
“You’ll do it?” My voice rises, and he grins.
“Sure, why not?”
“Haddy’s going to be so happy! Of course, that means you’ll have to spend a lot of time with me. Or at least, Ladybird will.”
“That doesn’t sound too bad.” My lungs tighten at the way he says it. “Just tell us where and when, and we’ll be there.”