Chapter 1 #2
“You’ve already made your feelings about it clear, and I just don’t care.
” Cami flips her long blonde curls over her shoulder as she marches toward the storage room where I have a small office.
“Besides, I know you’d do anything to make sure Combat Companions survives and continues doing this work.
You’d have given in, eventually. I don't have the patience to keep working on you until you realize it, so I’m saving myself the hassle. ”
“That’s it then? I have to give up one of our service dogs and prance around for some PR department for a sport I don’t even care about, so people who don't give a shit about what we do might throw a few bucks our way?” I ask, settling into my old chair as Cami perches on the edge of the desk and scrolls through her sleek, brand-new phone.
Mine is four generations old and held together by a rugged rubber case and a prayer. She gives me a scathing look.
“We both know you can prance just fine. I’ve seen you bust your moves out at a field party and on the dance floor, and I wish you’d let me teach you some social media trends we could use to go viral.”
“Hell fucking no,” I say with finality. I won't be learning any stupid TikTok dances for her.
“Well, for the Hydras, you’ll do whatever they say because they’ll be paying our bills this year, got it? Like it or not, we’re hockey fans now.” She flicks through her phone without looking at me. She had me beat before she even brought this to me, and she knew it.
“If we do this at all, I want strict rules in place for how this dog is treated at events. It’s still a service dog and needs to undergo all the proper training and procedures as well.
It’s not just some spoiled pet they can bring out for photo ops whenever they like.
” I cross my arms over my chest and pull out whatever bargaining chips I can, knowing this is inevitable.
“Of course, Tuck,” she says with an exasperated sigh.
“I’ve already discussed this with Ms. Kresley, so she knows what to expect of any dog we provide.
I’m not about to just offer up one of our babies to be a show pony.
They’re as serious about this partnership as you are about training dogs for vets. ”
With that, she taps her phone and holds it up to her ear.
I stare at her with a mix of frustration and resignation.
There’s not much that can stop the cyclone that is Camille Covington once she’s whipped up into a frenzy.
You just batten down the hatches and pray she doesn’t take you out along the way.
I can't help my curiosity as I listen to her side of the conversation.
“Hi, this is Cami with Combat Companions calling for McKenna Kresley. Yes, I’ll hold.”
She looks over and blows me a kiss. I scowl.
“Oh, hey there, McKenna, it’s lovely to speak with you again.
Mmhmm, yes ma’am, that’s why I’m calling.
I spoke with Tucker, and we’d be honored to work with the Hydras this season.
Yes, we’re so excited, too. I’ll look for the contract in my email.
Oh, a meet and greet with the team next weekend?
Yes, of course, we can have a puppy ready for you by then, and we would be happy to attend.
You just let me know all the details, and we’ll be there with bells on.
Mmhmm, yes, perfect. Thank you again. Goodbye.
” She ends the call and looks at me triumphantly.
“A meet and greet with the team?” I ask, horror skipping through my veins so quickly I feel like I might just throw up my lunch. I place my face in my palms and rub my eyes. I look up again when Cami continues speaking.
“This is the first of many photo ops you’ll have to be present for, so suck it up, buttercup. We’re going to the big city next week with one of Ivy’s new pups since they’re the latest to be ready for training.”
Her words have me bristling.
“Why do you get to decide which dog we’ll hand over to a bunch of strangers?” I ask as I cross my arms.
Cami stands slowly, places her hands on the desk, and looks down at me ominously. I swallow hard and try not to shrink back. Damn, she’s a scary little hellion when she wants to be. She reminds me of Mama.
“Tucker, I swear to God, you are the most obnoxious man on the planet,” she says slowly, her words filled with a quiet rage.
“Ivy’s litter is perfect. Labs make great service dogs and are super cute for photos.
It’s exactly what the Hydras would expect us to provide.
Pick which dog they get from the litter if you’re so inclined, but that’s what we’re doing.
It’s not like we have another set of puppies to choose from right now. ” She blows out an aggrieved breath.
I have the unsettling realization that she’s played me this whole time. The stupid phallic tight T-shirt and the social media content creation idea were a decoy to put me on my heels about something other than the partnership she’d already decided on. A bait and switch.
The diabolical little genius. If only she’d use her powers for something other than controlling my life.
I rub my hand along the back of my neck in resignation.
She’s got me there about the litter of puppies, I just don’t want to admit it.
“I swear, you’re going to be the death of me.
You know I asked for a little brother, right?
” Falling back on childhood taunts is our go-to when we fight.
It doesn't matter if I’m over thirty and she’s close to it.
I couldn't use the adopted story since we look too much alike, so I stuck it to her with wanting a brother instead.
She walks around the desk and pats my shoulder before tipping my baseball cap up in a practiced move I should have been ready for.
“You got me. Deal with it. At least I’m not like Hunter and Max.
It could have been much worse,” she says.
Her mention of our cousins, who are the worst kind of small-minded losers, makes me shudder.
While Cami has set out to be annoying, I know she cares about me and has my back when it counts.
I can’t say the same about our closest cousins.
“When are you gonna find someone else to torment?” I ask, standing from the desk and opening the door of the storage room-office combo.
“Hmm, maybe when you find some nice man to settle down with who’ll help you see reason,” she says, walking over to the whelping room and looking through the window in the door. “Oh, those babies are so stinking cute.” Her one-eighty from surly to saccharine sweet is truly whiplash-inducing.
I sigh, opening the door for her so she can crawl into the puppy pile with the roly-poly lab puppies.
I walk in and pet Ivy, the sweet mama who has given us some of the best service dogs I could have asked for.
The puppies have been weaned as of last week, but I like to give them extra time together when I can.
“Don’t hold your breath for that, Cam. I don't know if there’s a man out there who can handle my kind of life.
It’s not every day you find a gay country boy who raises and trains dogs, wants a simple, quiet life in the woods, but still wants a masculine partner.
It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack, trust me. ”
I’ve done my share of looking and always find the wrong guys.
It seems like straight men are usually my type, and if I can get them to look twice at me, they might be interested in fucking around but never want to settle down.
And even less eager to acknowledge me in public.
I’ve never been good enough for anyone to want a public relationship with, even though my ass and mouth are good enough for their dicks.
“Maybe we can find you a cute hockey player at the meet and greet next week. That’s a group of hyper-masculine men, for sure.
” She holds up a black lab puppy and cradles it in her arms before looking up at me with a kinder smile.
“You know, the goalie came out as bi and just got married to one of the Atlanta Condors football players last month. I think the team is more progressive than most.”
I scoff. “Yeah, hell will freeze over before a professional hockey player looks at me any kind of way.” I gesture at her.
“You have a better shot at bagging one of those guys. They like skinny blonde women who wear red-bottomed shoes and carry fancy handbags. I live in baseball hats, wear flannel shirts covered in dog hair, and my shoe collection consists of dirty work boots. We are not the same. That guy you’re talking about was probably the only one on the team who might have given me a second glance. ”
Cami laughs as the puppies crawl over her lap and lick her hands. “The fact that you know about Louboutin heels at all, despite being this big, gruff country boy, is going to be such a turn-on for your boyfriend someday. I got the best brother ever, even if you are a pain in my ass.”
“Pot meet kettle,” I grumble, sitting on the floor by Cami as Ivy settles next to me, putting her big blocky head in my lap for ear scratches.
“You can blame Callum for any knowledge I may have about shoes. He forces me to know more about fashion and boring shit than I would ever care about on my own. You know he has those red-bottom shoes, but for men?”
“You do have an interesting group of friends, but Callum is my favorite.” She smiles up at me, and I know she’s thinking of their many karaoke dates or trips into the city.
“He loves you too, probably more than he likes me, which is saying something because that man has been trying to get into my bed since I met him three years ago.” I shake my head. Poor guy. The feeling is not mutual.
“He’s coming by soon to remodel the barn for the puppies' new space, right? We desperately need to expand. This new litter is ready to move out of the whelping room and into full-size kennels. There’s barely enough room as is.”
I nod. “He’ll be starting on the project soon, but don’t expect a linear timeline with him. He’s too scatterbrained for that. I have no idea how long it’ll take, how much it’ll cost, or what he’s doing first.”
“Well, at least you have something else to focus on now, so Callum doesn’t drive you crazy during the remodel. And I know what I’ll be focused on.” She rolls a puppy onto her lap and scratches its belly.
“Oh yeah? And what’s that?” I ask, unable to fight my curiosity.
“Finding you a big, strong man to keep you occupied so I can do my job without you interfering and making life harder than necessary.” She grins like the evil she-devil she is and holds up the puppy in her arms, making it wave a paw at me. I drop my head back against the wall in defeat.
Oh, fuck my life.