Page 36 of My Three Hometown Firefighters
“There are dogs over there,” Jackson says, pointing to the far corner of the gym.
Yeah, buddy, I know there are dogs over there because of the very sexy redhead taking care of them. The very same woman who I feel like I can still taste on my lips, even days later.
I spotted Sienna as soon as we walked into the gym over an hour ago. I’ve tried to keep Jacks distracted by everything else here, other than the very thing I think he’ll be the most excited about.
He loves dogs, so I know seeing them would be the highlight of his night.
It isn’t that I don’t want to see Sienna. I do, believe me.But this will be the first time I’ve seen her since that night, and I don’t know what to expect.
Plus, I have Jackson with me. She knows I have a kid, but they’ve never actually met.
He peeks up at me through his lashes.
“You want to go over there?” I ask him, and he nods enthusiastically. “Let’s go then,” I say, starting to walk in that direction.
Sienna is leaning over the temporary pen she has set up, where several of the smaller dogs are roaming about. Her ass looks mouthwatering in her fitted jeans.
Dad mode. Dad mode. No staring at her ass. You’re at a school function.
It’s no use, though. It’s right there, and all I want to do is sink my teeth into it.
She stands, brushing her hands off on her jeans. She has on a simple white tee. Her hair is tied back in a loose ponytail with a yellow scarf that flows down with her wavy locks.
Her face lights up when she sees me.That’s a good sign.Her eyes soften when she sees the little boy at my side, who is staring wide-eyed at the dogs.
“Did you guys come to see the dogs?” she asks.
Jacks nods, not looking away from the pen of animals.
“Yeah, he loves dogs,” I say. I crouch down next to my son. “Jacks, this is my friend Sienna. She runs the animal shelter.” I look up at her. “This is my son, Jackson.”
She gives me a smile that’s swimming with warmth, then she glances down at Jacks. “Nice to meet you, Jackson. Do you want to pet the dogs?”
A silent moment passes where many adults would jump in and say something else, but she just waits patiently. He doesn’tsay a word, but he releases my hand. He steps right up to the fence that comes up to his chest.
She kneels a few feet away from him. I can’t quite hear what she’s saying to him as she points to the dogs that are playing in front of them. Two of the puppies roll around together, which makes Jacks giggle.
Sienna stands up, kicking off her brown sandals. She steps over the fence, grabbing one of the puppies who were just rolling around.
This one is mostly brown with a few white marks on its face. I would say maybe it’s a lab mix of some kind, but I am definitely not an expert in this area.
She holds the puppy in front of Jackson. He might have hesitancy when interacting with people, but he shows no such qualms with animals.
His little hand eagerly runs over the dog’s head. The puppy nuzzles into his touch, which makes Jackson giggle again.
“Do you want to pet the other one?” Sienna asks him, pointing to the black puppy playing in the corner of the pen.
Jacks gives a small nod. She sets the brown puppy down before grabbing the other one. Jacks starts to climb up over the fence.
I move to his side. “Bud, you need to stay out here.”
His shoulders droop along with his face, but he puts his foot back on the floor.
“I don’t mind if you come in here with me,” Sienna says, sitting down crossed-legged with the black puppy in her lap. She pats the floor next to her.
Jacks looks up at me with hopeful eyes.How do I say no to that?
Reaching under his arms, I lift him into the pen. He plops down at her side, petting the dog.
