Page 11 of Melting the Ice

I laughed. “Crispy-edged?”

“What? People love a good crispy cookie. Now, come sit down and tell me all about your day.”

Damn, had her smile always had a chokehold on me?

“Nothing special. Just practice and a team meeting. Going over some videotape of the teams we’re playing on our road trip. We’re flying out day after tomorrow, and I’ll be gone for six days. Also, I got you a ticket for tomorrow’s game. You’re coming, right?”

“Absolutely. I can’t wait to cheer for you. Should I paint my face?” she teased.

My lips quirked up. “You’d do that, wouldn’t you?”

“Maybe. Have to show my support for the best defenseman in the league.”

My throat caught at the sincerity in her voice. I liked that she was a fan and was clearly following my career. Maybe I liked it abit too much. That was a slippery slope I needed to steer clear of. “Want me to get you a jersey?” I asked.

“Nope. I already have one of yours.”

“You do?” A stupid thrill shot through me, and I was diving headlong down that slope.

“Of course. I’ve always had your jersey. Why wouldn’t I support my favorite player?”

“Um. Oh. Uh, thanks.”

“Are you blushing?” she asked, her eyes sparkling again.

“What? No, of course not. So, what did you do today? Aside from make a mess in my kitchen?”

Get back on track, man. Back on track.

“I vegged on the couch. Then I went to the grocery store to get stuff for dinner and snacks because you don’t have nearly enough food that actually tastes good in this place. Oh, and I walked the dogs before all of that.”

“Walked the dogs? What dogs?” I asked, looking around my living room. Did she have a dog in here that I didn’t know about?

She giggled. “There are no dogs here, I promise. Although you should totally get one to keep you company.”

“I’m on the road too much for that.” But when I retired, I was definitely getting a dog. Or maybe a cat. They were less work, but they also could shred furniture.

“You need something snuggly to come home to.”

Brain out of the gutter, man.

“So, the dogs?” I prompted.

“Oh, yeah. It’s one of my jobs. I’m a dog walker. I have a few clients right now, and I’m hoping to get more. I get to take them for walks, play with them, and then bring them back to their owners. Total win-win. Lola freaking loves playing in the snow. That’s one of the dogs I walked today. She’s a chocolate lab and husky mix. She likes swan-diving into the snow. It’s so adorable. Oscar is an Australian shepherd and still getting usedto his snow booties.” She paused with another giggle. “He kept trying to shake them off. It was hysterical. Oh, and Sheldon, the beagle, had to sniff every five steps. Today was my easy day. On Mondays and Wednesdays, I have nine dogs to walk.”

My eyes widened. “At the same time?”

She laughed. “No. Four separate families scattered throughout the day. They’re pretty flexible as to times, and it’s fun. Beats sitting at a desk all day.”

“I’m not going to argue with you on that.”

“And don’t worry. I’m looking into other stuff, too. I have been doing some freelance sketching and designing for a few random companies, and I’ve got a few feelers out there.”

“Josie… it’s not… that’s not.” I paused. “Don’t feel like I’m rushing you to get work or anything. I just wanted to know how your day was.”

“I know.” She sighed. “Blame it on years of my family asking me when I was going to get a real job.”

I reached toward her, but she spun back to the stove and loaded up a large plate with chicken and steak that was currently making my mouth water.

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