Chapter 2
Dean
“Dude. This is the best day ever.” I bounce on the ball of my feet as we wait in line with the other players from the team.
“You say that every year at this same event.” Landon points out, glancing over his shoulder at me with a smirk.
“And every time I’m right.” I try to peek around him as the line moves forward.
Every year, the team partners with the local animal shelters to help raise both money and awareness. If it weren’t for the fact that by the time we finish the game all the dogs we show off get adopted, I might have said fuck it and left with one of my own.
I rock back on my heels, leaning into Greyson, my favorite former grump and one of the best forwards I’ve ever seen. It’s the first time he’s ever participated in one of these photo ops, and I have a feeling the only reason he’s doing it is because his girlfriend convinced him to.
“What kind of dog do you think they’ll give you?”
“As long as it’s not a corgi, we’ll be good.” He crosses his arms and frowns as Landon steps up to take the leash of a golden retriever. “If Harper sees me with one, there’s no way I could say no to bringing it home.”
“That girl definitely deserves a corgi,” I tell him but don’t hear what he says since it’s my turn to step up to the volunteer. “Who ya got for me this year, Cady-Cat?”
Cady has been working for the shelter longer than we’ve been doing this event. She’s always the one in charge of pairing which dog each of us gets. The woman has some sort of magical power for knowing just who to put together so there are no issues.
She grins up at me. “Oh, I picked out a special pup for you this year, Dean.”
“Hell yeah.” I throw my fist in the air and finally get a peek at the gated off area where they’re keeping the dogs.
There are dogs of all ages, shapes, and sizes playing while they wait their turns.
My brain bounces between all the different options, trying to predict who she’s going to bring me.
Except Cady turns at the last second, aiming for one of the smaller kennels instead of the play pen.
The second she coaxes the puppy out of the crate, my heart nearly explodes.
Cady picks the puppy up and heads toward me, but my attention is locked on the most adorable creature I’ve ever seen. The colors alone give her away as a German Shepherd, but the floppy ears make me pause to wonder if she’s mixed with something else. Whatever it is, she’s absolutely perfect.
“This is Cora,” Cady says, stopping in front of me and offering for me to take her.
“She’s a shepherd-Labrador mix. She’s only twelve weeks old and her litter was found abandoned by a dumpster, but her siblings have all been adopted.
She does have a leash, but she’s a cuddly little thing and I think it’ll go better if you carry her. ”
The second Cora is in my arms, I know there’s no way that I’ll be able to let her go. She tilts her head back, her ears flopping back with the movement, and her nose gets to work. Once she’s sniffed all that her nose can reach, she doesn’t hesitate to start covering my face in little puppy kisses.
“It appears I picked right,” Cady says with a nod of approval before turning to get Greyson his dog.
I’m supposed to be making my way down the tunnel for the photo op, but I’m still stunned in place as I take in the cutie in my arms. I don’t know what finally makes my feet move, but I somehow manage to snap into action.
With Cora in my arms, we make our way through the tunnel, which is just a long, semi-underground hallway that leads us to the back entrance of the locker room and rink.
I make sure to show off Cora for the cameras, unabashedly taking silly photos while the pup continues to lick and nuzzle my chin.
By the time I catch up with Landon at the end and wait behind him in the line that we’re supposed to hand our puppies back to the volunteers, I know without a doubt what I’m about to do.
“Do you think anyone will notice if I just…didn’t give her back?” I whisper to Landon.
He turns around, taking one glance at the dog in my arms before grinning and shaking his head. “Cute. But you’re not allowed to steal puppies.”
“Dude, I think…” I pause, cradling Cora in one arm so I can gently pet her face with my other. “I’m adopting her.”
Landon shrugs, handing the leash of the dog he walked down over to the volunteer. “You say that every year. Just hand her over and you’ll change your mind by the end of the game.”
He motions for me to hand over the dog, but I clutch her tighter.
“No, like…one look at her and I just know she’s supposed to be mine.” I look back down at Cora, her head now resting against my shoulder as she starts to fall asleep.
The volunteer comes back over with a smile on his face and holds out his arms to take her from me, but I shake my head and step back. I can feel Landon’s stare burning into the side of my face as I take another step away before turning on my heel.
“Dude, you can’t steal a puppy!” Landon shouts after me, but I don’t stop even as I yell back.
“Not stealing, just making sure no one else gets her.” I pick up my pace, heading back down the tunnel and getting curious remarks and looks from my teammates as I pass them.
By the time I make it back to where we started, Cady is about to hand Dominik, one of our team’s best defensemen, the leash that’s attached to a chocolate lab. She pauses when she spots me.
“Dean, is everything all right with Cora?” She hands over the leash to Dom before moving to join me. Dominik trails her, the lab with him following without hesitation.
“She’s mine,” I say simply.
“Yeah, I paired her with—”
“No,” I interrupt, pointing to the sleeping pup. “She’s mine, as in Cora is coming home with me. I want to adopt her.”
Cady’s eyebrows shoot to her forehead, and she glances back at the short line of players waiting for their dogs, but I don’t care.
“You sure about that, Dean?” Dominik asks, watching me closely but at least not brushing me off. “Puppies are a lot of work.”
I hold his stare, even as I gently pet down Cora’s back. “In my gut, I know this is my dog.”
I stay as still as I can while Dom searches for something. After what feels like an eternity, he finally grins.
“I can already guarantee Lilly will call dibs on watching her during away games.” His acceptance makes me relax and I turn back to Cady.
For a brief second, I wonder what Arianna will think of the puppy but get distracted by making sure there’s no doubt that Cora is coming home with me.
“Cady-Cat. I know I say it every year, but this one, Cora, she’s different. You can’t let someone else take her when I know she’s meant to come home with me.”
To my relief, Cady smiles. “It’s a good thing I’ve got all her documents with us.”
“So you won’t let anyone take her?”
She shakes her head, reaching to take Cora from me, and laughs when I hesitate to give her up.
“Cora will be here for you after the game. I’ll wait for you outside of the locker room so we can go through paperwork and stuff.”
I throw my fist in the air, grinning when I find Cora awake and watching me from Cady’s arms. Stepping closer, I cup the puppy’s face in my hands.
“I’ll see you after the game, baby girl.”