Page 188 of Pucking Sweet

“Look who I found,” Colton says in greeting, a hand on Lukas’s shoulder. “He heard we were doing a pet adoption, and he just couldn’t volunteer fast enough.”

Claribel glances between the three of us with a smirk. She may have caught me kissing Colton last week.

“You’re late,” I say, nerves on fire.

Why is Lukas looking at me like that?

“You said 11:30,” Colton replies.

“No, I said—” I let out a breath. “It doesn’t matter. I’m just glad you’re here.” I wave forward our Human Society rep. “Okay, so Wendy is gonna get you set up with your animals, while Claribel and I go track down a few more warm bodies.”

“Pop—” Colton calls after me as I spin away.

Oh goodness, what is happening right now? I mean, Colton’s kept me informed over the past few days as he’s been camped out over at Lukas’s house. I think the idea is mad and, frankly, a little invasive. I mean, if I made it clear I wanted out of a relationship, if I made it clear I didn’t want the child that was the product of that relationship, I think I’d be pretty upset if my ex-partner then moved himself into my freaking house.

Colton assures me it’s the right plan of action, and that he’s “helping him get out of his own way.” I’m personally less convinced. I love Lukas, and I want him with us, but he has to want to be with us. He’sright, I’m done accepting anything less than what I deserve, and I deserve to not have to beg him to love me.

I spy Ryan Langley sitting in the stands at the other practice rink. Oh, he’s perfect. With that baby face and the green eyes and the floppy blond hair? Shove a puppy in his hands, and you have PR gold. Waving him down, I call out. “Yoo-hoo, Ryan!”

He looks like a bunny who just got his name called by the Big Bad Wolf. Behind me, Claribel snorts. Am I really that scary?

I step up into his bleacher row and walk toward him. “Hi, Ryan. You got a minute?”

“What’s up, Poppy?” he says in welcome, giving Claribel a nod.

“We’re looking for one more Ray to help us with this commercial spot, and you’re perfect. Come on.”

“Well—wait—”

I glance back.

“I—” He groans, shifting his weight as he gestures out to the ice where the other forwards are skating. “Well, I can’t just leave. Coach wants me watching practice.”

“This will only take a few minutes,” I say. “Now, come on, handsome. The camera crew is waiting.”

He follows us down the bleachers. “What are we doing?”

“We’ve partnered with the Jacksonville Humane Society to shoot a pet adoption promo,” I explain as we turn the corner. “I found one,” I call out with a wave to our waiting camera crew.

I try not to let my heart flip at the sight of Lukas and Colton laughing and holding dogs. Well, Colton is laughing. He’s holding the cutest little Labrador mix. The yellow puppy licks his chin and I think my ovaries are going to explode.

Too late. I’m already pregnant.

“Nov, look,” he says as the puppy squirms. “Look, I think he likes me.”

I glance at Lukas and fight a smile. He looks miserable. He’s holding the ugliest dog I’ve ever seen. It’s a little Chinese Crested, with a poof of white hair on his head. Otherwise, his speckled pink skin is completely hairless. I smirk at Wendy. Did she do this on purpose? The poor thing looks more miserable than Lukas.

“Come on, this is bullshit,” Lukas says at me. It’s the first words he’s spoken to me in eight days. “You know I’m allergic to dogs.”

“Which is why I gave you the hypoallergenic one,” I reply, flashing a wink at Wendy.

“Dude, I told you, that’s not a dog,” says Colton. “It looks like that thing that sits on Jabba the Hutt inReturn of the Jedi.”

“Ryan, come take your pick,” I call. “We’ve got a cute little bulldog over here, a few kitties—oh, sweet heavens—look at the way she’s looking at me.” My heart is suddenly fit to burst as I take in a fluffy gray and white kitten with big green eyes peering out through the bars of her cage. The little thing puts her white paws up, mewing at me like I’m her momma. I stick out a finger, brushing it over her soft little toes. She sniffs my finger and I wanna die. “Claribel, tell me I don’t need a cat,” I whine, feeling like my heart will break if they take this kitten away from me. Screw love at first sight between humans. This right here is the purest kind of love.

“You don’t need a cat,” Claribel says at my shoulder.

“Can we hurry this up?” Lukas calls out. “This thing is hairless, and this is an ice rink. I think it’s getting frostbite.”

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