Chapter 18
Getting a dog wasn’t going to solve the Orla problem. I watched the Vegas game with Tangi at her place and listened to the booing every time Jeremy touched the puck. Thankfully, news of Orla leaving Lex hadn’t made its way to fans yet. If it had, I was pretty sure Coach Anthony wouldn’t even have dressed Jeremy to avoid any incidents.
The Kodiaks lost the game. Maybe the booing and the situation had gotten into their heads, not to mention the two prior losses. Whatever the case, the panel between periods had been more than kind to Jeremy with the exception of the one commentator I had doubts about. He questioned Jeremy’s judgment at length and wondered aloud—of course—if that had factored into Lex’s problems. Fortunately, the other commentators pushed back, but it was out there.
Tangi passed me Maddy as she got up to get more snacks, not that I was interested in eating. I played peek-a-boo with her, which elicited laughter. When that was over, I stuck my tongue out at her, which made her erupt in more laughter. When Tangi returned with more dip for veggies, she took a long look at me and smiled.
“Have you ever thought about having kids?”
“No.” That was an easy question to answer. After what I’d endured, there was no way I thought I had the capacity for being a decent parent. What role model did I have?
“Why not?” she asked, as Maddy rubbed her tired eyes. Tangi had already mentioned that it was past her bedtime, but Maddy seemed interested in how the whole “Jeremy in Vegas” situation would play out. Could I blame the kid?
“Because I’d be a terrible mom,” I said, getting up and walking Maddy around while gently rocking her. I’d done this before, and Maddy was usually down for the count within minutes.
“How do you know that? Please tell me you aren’t basing this on your mom,” she said, dipping a cucumber wedge into the dip.
“History repeats itself.”
Tangi’s hazel eyes opened wide. “You don’t believe that for a second. Look how you broke the cycle. You’re successful and look at how you’re caring for Maddy. You’re a natural.”
“I have been caring for Maddy for five minutes.”
“And she’s asleep,” Tangi said as if proving some point.
I looked down, and the little stinker was dozing away. “Doing this for one evening is one thing. Doing it for a lifetime is a whole other thing.”
She took a sleeping Maddy from my arms and said she’d be right back. I plopped down on her plush cream sofa and pondered what she’d said. Not once had I ever considered motherhood because there was no one in my life I wanted to have a family with. Part of me assumed I’d be single forever, and I was perfectly happy with that. I’d always been focused on my career and making something of my life. Kids weren’t even optional.
Tangi returned and seemed primed to resume our discussion. I groaned when she brought it up again.
“I get that you think you’d suck at it because your brain is so focused on your shitty home life. But you’re assuming you’d be doing it alone. Look and me and Ethan. He’s an amazing dad.”
Now she had me confused. “Last time I checked, I’m single.”
“True. Sort of. But I think you like Jeremy.”
I snorted out a laugh. So that’s where she had been heading with this? “Right now, Jeremy and I have bigger things to worry about.”
“A-ha! I was right,” she said, pointing at me.
I rolled my eyes. “I didn’t say you were right. Nor did I imply it. He’s a good guy, but I’m not interested in a relationship.” And no way was I going to tell her about the super-hot kisses we’d exchanged. All that would do was fire her up even more.
“If this helps, I see the way he looks at you too. I’ve known him a long time. Even Ethan has noticed.”
I covered my face with my hands in frustration. “Are you two talking about this all the time? And please tell me you haven’t broached this with Jeremy.”
“No, of course not. But the two of you are going to get a dog together. And let me make this very clear. A dog is a lifetime commitment. After this stunt is over, the two of you better not dump this dog back at the shelter, because if you do, I’m ending my friendship with both of you.”
I loved that she was always my conscience, but this time I had it covered. “No. I thought this through before I proposed the idea with Jeremy. One way or another, our dog will always have a home with one of us. I’m actually looking forward to having a dog.” And that was all true. I couldn’t wait to bring my new dog home. The thought that he or she would always be happy to see me was the main reason I wanted one.
Tangi popped another cucumber wedge in her mouth. “Interesting. It’s almost like your nurturing side is coming out. You know, most couples adopt a pet before taking the plunge.”
I glanced at my watch. “Wow, is it that late? I should get going. Jeremy and I have a big day coming up.”
“That’s okay, run away from the truth,” she joked.
I gave her a hug and left before she came up with any other theories.
Two days later, people were still talking about Lex, and that meant they were still talking about Jeremy. Thankfully, news that Orla had left her husband hadn’t come out yet, and if she was smart—and I had no idea if she was—she’d keep quiet about it. The Kodiaks maintained their silence on the matter just as we’d agreed to, and instead, we let local journalists do all the talking. I had to hope that some other news items would push this off the radar. The problem was that a player as talented as Lex getting indefinitely suspended was big news.
I had to stop worrying about this, so I went dog shopping. I got two sets of everything for Chloe, our new dog. The rescue had already assured us no one else would adopt her, and I’d found myself staring at her picture Friday afternoon while I should have been editing some promotional articles. Her bio said that she liked to cuddle, was good with other people and dogs, liked walks, and wasn’t much of a barker. That was a good thing since I’m sure my neighbors wouldn’t appreciate any barking.
I’d even asked Whitney if we had a no-pets policy at Graham Place. Maybe I could bring Chloe to work with me so she wouldn’t be alone. Whitney said she didn’t know, but she put Oliver on it. Just as I was packing up for the day, he told me there was no policy about pets, and that no one had ever brought one in before. If Chloe was as sweet as her bio said she’d be, then having her around the office wouldn’t be a problem with no policy in place. And if someone demanded a policy, I’d make sure Chloe was grandfathered in.
The lady at the pet store was kind enough to assist me. She helped me choose food and suggested something that closely resembled people food. She explained what was in it, and that it was safe for humans to eat—not that I planned to eat it. She then cautioned me to start Chloe on it slowly while I weened her off whatever food the rescue had been giving her.
We picked out collars, leashes, and a raincoat, because who was I kidding? It was Vancouver. I grabbed some dog treats, dog bowls, and an assortment of toys. A few hundred dollars later, and weighed down by two huge bags of dog items, I set off for home. I’d wanted to pick up some dog beds, but since I was walking, there was no way I could carry it all, so when I got home, I sent Jeremy a text, asking him to pick up the beds. Yes, I was ready for Chloe.
As I got into bed that night, I kept thinking about what Tangi had said. Did I want kids? No. I was still pretty sure that I didn’t have a maternal bone in my body. Sure, I was excited about Chloe, but she was a dog. That was a whole other ball game from a kid. More importantly, I didn’t have anyone to start a family with, and that included Jeremy. He was a nice guy, super-hot, but we weren’t a match.
When I got up the next morning and ate my breakfast, I stared at everything I’d gotten Chloe. My normally half-empty fridge was all filled with dog food. This sweet girl was going to have it all. I’d never really considered pet ownership before, and I didn’t know why. I’d loved animals growing up. Wolseley’s family always had at least three or four cats, and I loved having them on my lap. I also loved the Kildare’s German shepherd named Steve. Tangi didn’t know this, but when they’d had to put him to sleep when he’d gotten cancer, I’d cried myself to sleep that night. I loved that dog, and he’d loved me.
I finished breakfast and quickly got ready. Jeremy was due in less than half an hour. As usual, it was raining when he arrived. I let him up, and he whistled when he saw all the dog stuff. I couldn’t help but smile when I saw him carrying two large dog beds.
“Someone is going to be spoiled.”
“I want her to have a good life. Did you read her whole bio? She had a litter and her family dumped her at the shelter. Who does that?”
“Shitty humans.”
“Right. Very shitty humans.”
He set the beds down. “I picked them up on my way over here. I figured I’d let you pick which one you wanted. Thanks for picking up stuff for me. Let me know what I owe you.”
I looked at the bed and picked the one with a hint of pink. By the looks of it, he’d picked up the most expensive ones. “I figure after we pick her up, we could hang out here for a while to get to know her. Gemma, the woman at the pet store, said we should be careful about walking her until she gets to know us. Problem is that we don’t have backyards, so I got these ultra-safe harnesses. She isn’t going anywhere.”
He smiled and was biting back laughter.
“What is so funny?” I asked.
“You are really into this.”
“I’m not going to lie. I’m pretty excited.”
As we walked to the office since I still hadn’t bothered to get a car, I told him that I planned to take her to work with me. He thought it was a great idea.
“We also have to make sure we have the same discipline for her. We don’t want her to be confused.”
“Just so you know, I told the rescue director that we lived together. I think we should stick to that story today. I don’t know that they would love the idea that we are shuttling Chloe back and forth to our apartments. Dogs need an adjustment period. And since you have a more stable home, it’s probably best you keep her for at least the first month or two.”
How had I missed that? I’d been researching dogs since we’d decided to do this, but I guess people rarely adopted dogs they’d co-own. “You’re right. I’m sure you’ll come around and visit her?”
“Of course. She is our dog.”
When we got to the shelter, one of the attendants brought us into a meeting room. A few minutes later, the executive director and the same attendant returned with Chloe. She seemed a little shy at first, her tail firmly between her legs. She had floppy white ears tinged with black and the cutest face. Her eyes had almost a human quality as she stared at us, sizing up who was about to take her home.
I guessed she was about twenty to twenty-five pounds, and when Jeremy held out a treat for her, she tentatively made her way over. After taking the treat, she took one from me too. We talked to Wanda, the director of the rescue, while Chloe sniffed us both. I so badly wanted to reach out and pet her, but I knew she needed to let us know that was okay.
Part of me was worried she wouldn’t like me, but within minutes, she was coming up to me for pets and doing the same for Jeremy. I was in love with her already.
“Why don’t we give you some time with Chloe in our courtyard? That way you can make a final decision. In the meantime, Mr. Vaughn, do you mind taking some pictures with the staff? I know we shouldn’t ask, but we love our Kodiaks.”
“Not at all. And I’d love to meet some other dogs, if that’s okay.”
“I want to meet the other dogs too,” I said in a whinier voice than I’d ever heard myself use.
“We’ll take turns,” Jeremy said with a laugh. “You bond with Chloe, and then we’ll switch spots. Sound good?”
“You bet.”
I followed Amanda, the attendant, outside with Chloe. Chloe trotted alongside me like the pretty girl she was. Once outside, we played fetch and she barked in delight. I asked Amanda questions, and she answered them to the best of her ability. I had no idea how much time had passed when Jeremy and I switched places. Wanda took me through the kennels, and I wanted to take all the dogs home. She explained they were a no-kill shelter that relied on donations. She thanked me for the donation Jeremy and I had made. I nodded along like I knew what she was talking about.
When it came to filling out the adoption papers, I used my address. While I was doing that, Jeremy was taking more pictures and then it was time for Chloe to take her picture with us. Jeremy held her while I beamed next to her. Wanda and Amanda took a few photos, and then it was time to go. Or so I thought.
“Just one more thing,” Jeremy said, setting Chloe down on the ground. “Wanda, do you mind taking Chloe for a second?”
“Not at all,” the older woman said.
He nodded at Amanda, and I was totally confused. Was he trying to score a date with her? But instead, Amanda whipped out her phone and took more pictures. What was going on?
“I’ve only known Jill for a few months, but she’s changed my life. I’m not sure what life would be like without her. She makes me laugh and love, and now we have little Chloe to make up our new, little family.”
He fumbled around in his pocket, and I was totally confused. Why was he going off script? I turned to Wanda and Amanda, looking for some answers, but they had silly smiles on their faces. When I faced Jeremy again, he was getting down on one knee. What was he doing?!
“Jill, I knew from the second I met you that you were the one. I love you with all my heart. Will you marry me?”