10. Chapter Ten
Chapter Ten
Millie
I’m playing with Peanut when Chase comes back. When he told me to join him somewhere this afternoon, the last thing I expected was to end up at the local dog shelter.
“Hey, you can leave Peanut here for a couple more hours,” Chase says, crouching down to scratch Peanut’s ears. “Then we can come back to pick him up.”
“Where are we going?” I ask again, curiosity bubbling up.
“It’s a surprise. Now, come on, baby,” he says with a mischievous grin.
We step outside, and he hands me a motorcycle helmet. “Seriously? A bike ride?”
“Yup. Trust me, you’ll love it.”
I put on the helmet and soon we’re zipping through the city streets. My confusion grows when we pull up to the United Center, the massive arena that is home to the Chicago Blackhawks.
“Why are we here?” I ask, bewildered.
Chase grins, pulling off his helmet. “I wanted to bring you somewhere fun. And give you a chance to play with little puppies and maybe meet some hockey players.”
I freeze. “You’re kidding, right?”
He frowns. “What’s the problem?”
I feel my face heat up with embarrassment. “Remember that ex I was telling you about? The one I want to beat up?”
Chase’s eyes narrow. “Yeah, the asshole I’d like to punch?”
“Yeah, that one. He’s the captain of the Blackhawks.”
Chase visibly relaxes, a chuckle escaping his lips. “Oh, then no worries. You’re meeting the Chicago Icebreakers, not the Blackhawks. Everyone knows the Icebreakers are better.”
I laugh, relief washing over me. He takes my hand and kisses my palm. “We can leave if you don’t want to do this, though.”
I lean in and kiss his lips. “No, I love the idea. Let’s go.”
We walk into the rink, the chilly air hitting me immediately. The sound of skates on ice echoes around us. Huge men glide effortlessly across the ice and I spot puppies on mats with a camera crew setting up.
“Wow,” I whisper, taking it all in.
Chase squeezes my hand. “See? It’s awesome.”
We move closer and I see the players interacting with the puppies, laughing and posing for photos. The puppies are bouncing around, tails wagging like crazy.
“Hey, can we help with the puppies?” Chase asks one of the crew members.
“Absolutely,” the guy says. “Just sign these waivers and you’re good to go.”
We quickly sign the forms, and soon enough, I’m holding a squirming little puppy in my arms. “This is the best surprise ever,” I tell Chase, who’s also holding a tiny, fluffy dog.
“I knew you’d love it,” he says, his eyes sparkling.
We join the players on the mats, surrounded by a flurry of puppies. One of the hockey players, a tall guy with dark hair, hands me another puppy. “This little guy seems to like you.”
I take the puppy, laughing as it licks my face. “I like him too.”
Chase is talking to another player, who’s showing him some hockey moves. I catch snippets of their conversation about upcoming games and the team’s prospects this season.
“You play hockey?” I ask Chase, teasingly.
He grins. “Nope, but I might start.”
“Right,” I laugh, watching him fumble with the stick someone handed him.
The puppies are getting playful and soon there’s a mini chaos of barking and laughter. I see a few more players from the Icebreakers joining in, their faces lit up with genuine joy.
“This is amazing,” I say again, feeling completely at ease.
Chase looks over at me, his expression softening. “I’m glad you like it.”
The camera crew starts setting up for interviews, and one of the player’s gestures for us to join them. “Come on, you guys should be in this too.”
We get roped into a few shots, holding puppies and answering questions about the event. I’m a little nervous at first, but the players are so down-to-earth that I quickly relax.
After the interviews, we continue playing with the puppies. I see Chase chatting with a few more players, probably getting tips on how to impress me further with his non-existent hockey skills.
“Hey, you okay?” one of the players asks, noticing me looking around.
“Yeah, just...I thought I saw someone I knew,” I say, trying to shake off the weird feeling.
He nods, understanding. “Happens all the time. Small world, right?”
“Yeah, definitely.”
“I’m Troy by the way, and you are?”
“I’m Millie.”
“Nice to meet you!”
Chase comes over, a big grin on his face. “Ready to head back to get Peanut?”
“Sure,” I say, handing the puppy back to one of the crew members.
We thank everyone and make our way out of the rink. The sun is setting, casting a golden glow over the city.
“Thank you,” I say to Chase as we walk back to the motorcycle.
“For what?”
“For today. It was perfect.”
He pulls me close and kisses me deeply. “Anything for you, Millie.”
“Actually, let me rush back in and use the bathroom then we can get going. Okay?”
Chase squeezes my arm. “I’ll be right here.”
I hurry back inside the rink, weaving through the crowd. As I near the restrooms, I spot the little girl from the elevator, wearing a cute pink dress with little white flowers.
She sees me and starts waving excitedly. She’s holding hands with the tall man who was with her last time. Her father. What was his name again? David? No! Declan. He’s tall and muscular with short dark hair, blue eyes, and a rugged jawline.
He’s wearing a purple and black Chicago Icebreakers jersey, which surprises me. I had no idea he played hockey, but I guess I should have guessed from his physique.
Declan seems to be in a serious conversation with an older man and neither of them looks happy.
“You are co-captains, and you missed the whole thing,” the older man says.
“You don’t get it,” Declan is saying. “He had to go home and get Lily for me, and then he went back to deal with everything else. If you should be mad at someone, then be mad at me.”
The little girl tugs at her dad, and both men turn their attention to me.
“Hey!” I wave, walking towards them.
“I know you!” Declan says.
“Millie. We met in your apartment’s elevator,” I remind him.
“Oh! The woman with the dog,” he nods.
I crouch to say hey to the girl. “Lily,” she says before smiling.
“Nice to meet you,” the older man adds.
I stand and shake his hand. “I’m Millie. I was here with Chase.”
“Chase?” Coach asks.
“Anderson,” I reply.
“Oh, the vet,” he smiles. “Coach Nathan Thorne.”
“Nice to meet you,” I say.
Declan just nods in my direction. “I was looking for the bathroom, but I seem to have lost my way.”
Lily tugs at her dad’s hand. “I want to go to the bathroom too.”
Declan sighs and says, “I’ll show you. Coach, I’ll find you after.”
Lily takes my hand, and Declan holds her other hand as we walk.
“So, what brings you here?” Declan asks.
“Chase surprised me. Said something about playing with puppies and meeting hockey players. I didn’t realize I’d run into familiar faces.”
“Well, you’re in for a treat. The Icebreakers are pretty cool,” he says with a smirk.
“I met most of them. Did I interrupt something? Your coach looks pretty damn mad,” I tell him.
Lily swings our hands as we walk. “Don’t say that. It’s a bad word.”
I cover my mouth and smile. “Sorry about that, honey .”
“It is okay,” she replies. “Where is your dog?”
“Someone is looking after Peanut, but I’m actually on my way to go pick him up,” I tell her.
“You named your dog Peanut?” Declan asks.
Lily giggles. “That’s a funny name.”
We reach the restrooms, and Declan points. “Ladies’ room is right there.”
“Thanks.”
Lily tugs at her dad’s hand. “I want to go to the bathroom too.”
Declan looks flustered. “Uh, Millie, do you mind...?”
“Not at all,” I say, smiling at Lily. “Come on, Lily.”
We walk to the restroom together. I help Lily with the sink and then we head back out. Declan is waiting, looking relieved.
“Thanks, Millie. I appreciate it,” Declan says.
“No problem,” I reply.
He sighs, running a hand through his hair. “I haven’t seen Lily take to anyone like that in a long time. Since her nanny...”
He trails off, looking sad. I ask, “What happened with her nanny?”
“If I start talking about it, I might end up saying some really bad words,” he admits, his jaw tightening.
“I hope you figure it out,” I say sincerely. “Good night, Declan. Bye, Lily.”
Lily waves enthusiastically. “Bye, Millie!”
“We will walk you back,” Declan says.
I walk back toward the exit, feeling a strange mix of emotions.
Chase is waiting by the bike, a smile on his face. “Ready to go?”
“Yeah, let’s head out,” I say, giving Lily a quick hug. “Bye, Lily.”
“Bye, Millie!” she waves.
“Bye, Declan!” I tell him.
“Goodbye Millie, and again, thanks.” And then he is carrying Lily back inside.
Chase takes my hand and we walk towards his motorcycle. “So, how was the bathroom break?” he asks with a grin.
“Eventful. Ran into some familiar faces,” I say, squeezing his hand.
“Yeah? Who?”
“Remember that guy from the elevator with Lily? Declan?”
“Yeah, I remember. Small world, huh?”
“Definitely.”
We put on our helmets and get back on the bike. As we ride away, I can’t help but feel a strange sense of connection with Declan and his daughter. Life has a funny way of bringing people together and today was no exception. I wonder if we will see them again. I hope so.
We pull up to the shelter and retrieve Peanut. He’s bouncing with energy, happy to see us. We load him into a doggy backpack that I shrug over my shoulders before getting back on Chase’s bike. As we ride home, I feel a warmth spreading through me.
Today was unexpected, but it was perfect in its own way.