Page 22 of A Little Puck Luck

I didn’t want to tell him I wasn’t angry since I still wasn’t used to voicing what I was feeling. I was startled and curious, but I wasn’t angry with him. After all, he had things tucked away really well.

There was something I really wanted to know about, but I was scared to even touch the container to taste it for myself. So, instead, I pressed him a little bit.

You didn’t answer me about the fluff.

It’s marshmallow spread. It’s awesome. I have an order for more since I think Eric would really like it on sandwiches and pancakes.

Chapter 18

Annette

Myphonerang,andI carefully fished it out of my pocket while trying to control Walter, which was no easy feat. The puppy was as big as many full-grown dogs and so damn prone to pulling after every squirrel, dog, and person it came across.

“Hello?”

Then I realized I never looked at the caller ID. What if it was Luke?

I still couldn’t shake the idea that he would come after me again.

“When are you done with your last walk tonight?”

My shoulders eased at Natalie’s voice, even though she sounded so stern.

“In a half hour,” I answered.

“Good. I’ve already spoken to Scuba. He’s going to watch Eric all night. But you’re coming with us to deal with a crisis.”

I was still finding my groove after my life with Luke. It was nice to be taken under Natalie’s wing. She has been like a big sister, and she brought me into the WAG fold. It was nice to have someone who knew how to be the perfect hockey girlfriend or wife.

But anytime I started to think of myself as a WAG, I had to remind myself that I was not Scuba’s girlfriend. I was only his kid’s mom.

Walter must have caught sight of a squirrel due to the tug to the right. I nearly lost my phone from between my shoulder and ear as I used both hands to gain control of the leash. This was when I wished I had some good headphones that I could use on walks.

“Look, I got to go. I’ll see you after I’m done walking Walter.”

“I still can’t believe you are walking that big boy. I’ll meet you at Scuba’s place.” She said that every time she heard me walking him, but at the same time, she was the one who set up the gig in the first place.

I ended the call and pocketed the phone in my fanny pack that I left open for treats. Of course, Walter sat down and gave me that big, soft smile he always flashed when begging for treats. He didn’t use puppy dog eyes. No, he lifted his chin with a big smile.

I gave the big puppy a couple of treats. I also held one more in my hand just in case I needed it to redirect him back to Scuba’s house. We turned around, but thankfully, Walter didn’t fight me at all with the turn.

Coming up to Scuba’s house, I saw Natalie’s car in the driveway.

She wasn’t wasting any time, so there must have been a crisis. Sadly, I hoped she was exaggerating when she said there was an emergency needing my help.

I pushed open the door, and Walter padded into the house. He trotted over to Scuba and Eric even before I could get the harness off him. I instantly regretted it and got into a defensive position. “Sorry. Walter, get back here.”

When nothing happened, I peeked into the room to see that Walter had hopped up onto the sofa and was giving Scuba and Eric kisses. As Walter licked Eric’s face, making him squirm, Scuba unclipped the harness. “It’s fine. Besides, Nat’s here for you.”

Fuck, I was blind. There she was, sitting right next to the boys. She wasn’t even hidden away. Nope, she was right in front of me.

Natalie waved at me, but she was already standing up. “Come on. Let’s go. I’ll explain in the car.”

“Be good, Eric, and listen to your dad,” I called out.

With that, we headed out the door from which I had just come.

We got into her SUV, and I stayed silent. I didn’t want to pester her for details. This was a learned behavior from life with Luke. But I knew I didn’t have to silence myself or wait for something bad to happen all the time.

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