Page 6 of Wrapped Around My Heart
He motions for me to hand over the dog, but I clutch her tighter.
“No, like…one look at her and I just know she’s supposed to be mine.” I look back down at Cora, her head now resting against my shoulder as she starts to fall asleep.
The volunteer comes back over with a smile on his face and holds out his arms to take her from me, but I shake my head andstep back. I can feel Landon’s stare burning into the side of my face as I take another step away before turning on my heel.
“Dude, you can’t steal a puppy!” Landon shouts after me, but I don’t stop even as I yell back.
“Not stealing, just making sure no one else gets her.” I pick up my pace, heading back down the tunnel and getting curious remarks and looks from my teammates as I pass them. By the time I make it back to where we started, Cady is about to hand Dominik, one of our team’s best defensemen, the leash that’s attached to a chocolate lab. She pauses when she spots me.
“Dean, is everything all right with Cora?” She hands over the leash to Dom before moving to join me. Dominik trails her, the lab with him following without hesitation.
“She’s mine,” I say simply.
“Yeah, I paired her with?—”
“No,” I interrupt, pointing to the sleeping pup. “She’s mine, as in Cora is coming home with me. I want to adopt her.”
Cady’s eyebrows shoot to her forehead, and she glances back at the short line of players waiting for their dogs, but I don’t care.
“You sure about that, Dean?” Dominik asks, watching me closely but at least not brushing me off. “Puppies are a lot of work.”
I hold his stare, even as I gently pet down Cora’s back. “In my gut, I know this is my dog.”
I stay as still as I can while Dom searches for something. After what feels like an eternity, he finally grins.
“I can already guarantee Lilly will call dibs on watching her during away games.” His acceptance makes me relax and I turn back to Cady.
For a brief second, I wonder what Arianna will think of the puppy but get distracted by making sure there’s no doubt that Cora is coming home with me.
“Cady-Cat. I know I say it every year, but this one, Cora, she’s different. You can’t let someone else take her when I know she’s meant to come home with me.”
To my relief, Cady smiles. “It’s a good thing I’ve got all her documents with us.”
“So you won’t let anyone take her?”
She shakes her head, reaching to take Cora from me, and laughs when I hesitate to give her up.
“Cora will be here for you after the game. I’ll wait for you outside of the locker room so we can go through paperwork and stuff.”
I throw my fist in the air, grinning when I find Cora awake and watching me from Cady’s arms. Stepping closer, I cup the puppy’s face in my hands.
“I’ll see you after the game, baby girl.”
CHAPTER 3
Arianna
“Red or white, Ma?”I hold up the two bottles of wine in question for her to see even though it’s her collection that I’m raiding.
“Hmm, while that is my favorite red, do the white since we’re having chicken.”
I nod, placing the red bottle back in its designated spot, and close the wine fridge before heading to the cabinet where my parents keep the wine glasses. While I fill our glasses, not stopping at the halfway mark since that would require us to refill sooner, I listen to my mom update me about the ski trip in Vermont they just returned from.
“We ended up having dinner with the sweetest man! Apparently, the poor guy’s car broke down and he was stuck there. Luckily, he had business to do in town anyway, but oh the guy was a charmer. I tried finding out if he was single for you but?—”
“Mom!” I sputter, almost dropping the glasses in my hand. “I don’t need you playing matchmaker with strangers!”
“Lucky for you, he said he wasn’t interested in dating,” she says while rolling her eyes, whether at me or at the idea of not dating remains to be seen.
