by Kate Meader
There was something indefinable about her, a joie-de-vivre that was very attractive. She was the kind of girl who flitted about, in and out of people’s lives, leaving … impressions. She likely lacked the stability Bucky needed but he had no choice.
“There are a few toys in that box over there.” The pet store had some very cute ones. Reid had tested them by squeezing them near the dog’s face and the rubber bee was a winner. To be honest, he had yelped excitedly about 90% of them. Clearly, this dog hadn’t seen much in the way of simple pleasures.
“Sounds good.”
“I’ll reach the hotel in Philadelphia at about 5 p.m. Chicago time. I’ll call then so make sure you’re available.”
“Yes, sir!” She gave him a cheeky salute.
Her levity put his back up. “I’m serious.”
“Oh, I know.”
“Don’t leave him alone, if you have to go to the store or something. What about your other dogs?”
“I’ll bring him on my rounds tomorrow and see how he does with others. Dog gossiping is important. Lots of butts to sniff.” She chuckled, a husky sound that hit him in the balls. “Could you imagine if that’s how we let people know we were interested? Wouldn’t that be wild?”
Sure. Wild.
She laughed again, clearly finding herself supremely entertaining. “You probably should get going. You’re running late.” She added a wink so they all knew this was her fault. Ha ha, hilarious.
He headed into the living room, sat on the sofa, and gestured for Bucky to approach. Bending close to keep it between the boys, he murmured his goodbyes.
“Be good, Bucky. Don’t make any trouble for Kennedy, okay?”
The dog licked his face.
It shocked some. Delighted more. He looked up to find Kennedy watching him, a soft look in those silver-gray eyes.
Moving toward his luggage, something occurred to him. “You’ll have to take him out late. So he can pee.”
“Not my first dog-sitting rodeo.”
“Don’t go too far at night. Stay close to the apartment.” The last thing he needed was to be worried about the dog and the sitter. “Also, his collar has a GPS tracker. I left instructions about the app you can download and the login information. Not that you should let him off the leash.”
Or lose him. Please don’t fucking lose him.
She smiled. “We’ll be careful, I promise. This guy will take care of me.”
Reid doubted that—Bucky was a little pathetic—but it was late and he couldn’t give it any more of his mind’s capacity. “Call me if anything comes up.”
“Will do. Oh, and bring me back a cheese steak from Philly.” She held up a hand. “Never mind. Just a slice of cheesecake. Or a whole pie. Whatever you can carry.”
Was she serious? He thought she might be.
More laughter. It echoed in his ears and settled in his chest long after the door closed behind him.
9
With the door closed and the mean man gone, Kennedy turned back to her canine charge.
“Party time!”
She did a little jig while the dog watched with head cocked. When she didn’t stop, he moved away to observe from a safe distance. Wise decision.
“Okay, I’m going to unpack, take a shower, make lunch, and then we can go for a walk.”
Bucky barked, perhaps recognizing the word walk—clever boy—then milled about doing a little jig of his own. Very cool.
When she said unpack, she meant dump her suitcase in the guest room and unzip it, so it looked like a drawer. On second thought, maybe not the best plan given the uncertainty with the housetrained situation. No way did she want to emerge from the shower to find her stuff marked with puppy pee.
The queen-sized bed looked like the best thing to happen to her in four days. The bed linens were a pearl-gray bordering on blue and felt soft to the touch. She got her nose in there.
Just laundered. Hmm. She tried to imagine Reid getting this organized since they spoke yesterday evening. Perhaps he had a housekeeper-laundress on call. She lay on the bed, just for a moment, thankful that she’d managed to live to fight another day.
The rest of the room was filled with quality pieces—a dresser, a couple of nightstands. No Ikea here. A potted pink Calla lily sat on one of the bedside tables. Of all the flowers for him to choose … Was that his idea or whoever cleaned his place? Whatever the source, it made her throat tighten and her heart skip back to another time.
The next room over was a bathroom with a toilet and a shower stall. On the utilitarian end of the spectrum and lacking in personal grooming products, this was obviously the guest bath. She wandered back toward the master bedroom.
Reid’s bed was king-size (of course) and the room had an en suite bathroom. As soon as she entered it, her world flashed bright. A gorgeous glass-encased shower with pretty Moroccan blue tiles took up one corner, a hot tub the other. Kennedy was a whore for a beautiful bathroom and despite having access to the Y’s facilities, she still didn’t feel 100% clean. She’d start with the shower and work up to the tub. Make a real meal of it.
She left the bathroom door open while she took a twenty-minute hot-as-she-could-stand-it shower because when she closed it, Bucky whimpered outside. If Reid returned suddenly, she assumed he’d figure out the situation and not try to get a sneak peek.
If anything, Mr. By-the-Rules wouldn’t dare.
There was something oddly affecting about his reaction to Bucky showing love with a face lick, like he wasn’t used to doggie joy. He seemed determined to make a go of this dog ownership thing, which was good because she might have a promising gig here. The only thing was to figure out a place to live. It was great to have a temporary reprieve but she’d have to come up with a solution for the next six weeks soon.
She pulled out a pair of leggings and one of Edie’s chunky sweaters, and headed out to the kitchen with Bucky following her.
Music: B-52s
Mood: Hungry
Mantra: Inhale, exhale
“How about lunch?” Bucky’s bowl was already full to the brim—Reid must have done that before she arrived. A little too much for a dog this size, so she scooped some of it back into the bag and gave her new roomie a bowl of fresh water before washing her hands and starting on her own. On her way over, she’d stopped at Aldi and picked up some sandwich supplies and a few boxes of cheap-ass Mac & Cheese, enough to tide her over for the next few days.
Chewing on her sandwich, she walked the space, opening doors and noseying about. In-unit washer-dryer—nice! The place was unnaturally clean, though, not even a hint of cut stubble in the bathroom sink. A top-of-the-line Dyson stood sentry in the closet along with plenty of earth-friendly cleaning supplies.
There was something obsessive about Reid. She imagined him cleaning like a freak after a bad game (or maybe after a good game, which might be the way he kept the endorphins flowing). People got their kicks all sorts of ways and while cleaning wasn’t one of hers, she knew it worked to appease the demons in some.
“Okay, my friend, it looks like we’re going to do that walk!”
Bucky looked up from his spot on the living room rug and raised an eyebrow as if to say “now, you’re ready?” In that moment, he looked just like Peanut. That same sense of weary acceptance of his human’s foibles.
Her heart squeezed in memory. Poor Peanut had loved hiding out in dark places, too, just like this character. She grabbed the leash, hoping to motivate him, when a text came in.
Hot Jerk: Is Bucky okay?
Aw, he couldn’t have even left town yet. This guy was in deep, which did a lot to soften those razor-sharp edges.
She took a pic of Bucky lying on the rug and sent it.
Kennedy: He’s worn out after lunch. Look at that cute face
Hot Jerk: Okay, thanks. Let me know if anything happens.
Kennedy: Sure. Break a leg!
Shit, that was for theater and probably not appropriate for hockey.
Kenn
edy: I meant good luck.
No response. Okay. She returned to the leash and gave it a shake. “Let’s go, Bucky!”
After a vigorous run around the park across from Reid’s apartment, where Bucky had cowered in the face of a particularly vociferous blackbird, Kennedy took a moment for her own calm. She had grabbed her yoga mat from her car, and now she rolled it out in a nice roomy spot in the living area and began her warm-up poses. This was usually the only thing that soothed her racing mind.
That, and sex. She would have to do something about that soon. She had gone a couple of months without, a long time for her. There had been a customer at the coffee shop, then a few weeks later, one of the art students she modeled for at the community college. She had no hang-ups about her body or about finding pleasure where she could. She took care of herself, never led anyone on, or made promises. Permanence was not her goal. For the last six years, she’d moved around and made friends all over the world, a network she could turn to in times of need.
Only she hadn’t maintained it properly here in Chicago as her efforts to find a place to live attested. She couldn’t leave just yet, not while Edie was going through this transition period. To be honest, it suited her. Sometimes, it was fine to take a breather, as long as she kept busy while doing it. Filling her time pushed away thoughts about the past or the future.
Music: Bon Iver
Mood: Serene
Mantra: I Am Here, I Am Now, I Am Enough
Scattering her worries to the corners of the sparse room, Kennedy focused on her body. Breathing deep, filtering out the negative. She caught Bucky’s (one) eye as he watched her from his new favorite spot on the end of the sofa.
“Want to join me, boy?”
Head flop. No, thanks.
Her phone buzzed and as she was close to the end of her practice, she checked it to find a text from Mia followed by a link. Is this you?
Her gasp on clicking it made poor Bucky jump. The lake rescue had made the news!
Just as Kennedy suspected, that woman had been filming. Even without the added wrinkle of a famous—she supposed—sports star doing the rescuing, it was an interesting enough event in itself. Two people had jumped into the lake to save a dog. She would have filmed it, too.
Kennedy: Yeah. Long story.
Her phone rang immediately. “You and Reid rescued that dog from the lake together?”
“Reid did. I just happened to be there.”
Mia wasn’t buying it. “You were in the water! In Chicago! In November! No wonder Reid was trying to track you down. There’s something almost fated about it.”
“What? That’s—that’s ridiculous.” She didn’t subscribe to the notion of fate, or not the romantic view of it, anyway. Buddhists believed that we’re in control of our ultimate fates, and while not a die-hard adherent, Kennedy subscribed to the tenets that resonated with her, particularly about human life being one of suffering. Physical work, meditation, and good behavior were the ways to achieve enlightenment.
She was usually sorely lacking in the good behavior department.
“He called last night,” Mia continued, “worried you’re some fly-by-night party girl who’s going to rob him blind. So, uh, don’t do that.”
“Of course I wouldn’t.” That Mia even entertained the idea stung, but of course they didn’t know her from a hole in the wall. “I’m a professional.” Even if she had used that amazing shower. There had to be some perks.
“I know you are. I told Reid you’re amazing with Gordie Howe.” Mia chuckled. “Having a dog might get him to lighten up.”
Glad that she’d brought it up, Kennedy asked, “So what’s his deal? Is he always so …”
“Rude, abrupt, grouchy?”
“In a word or three.” She might add intense, sexy, and hot as hell. That Reid X-ray death glare when she showed up a few minutes late was its own sex position.
“He’s just one of those guys who’s uber focused on his game. There’s a lot of competition. Also, the players move around frequently so not all of them are here to make friends. That’s Reid in a nutshell, but I don’t know. I think the grumpster thing is a bit of an act. As soon as people see that video, he’s going to be making a whole lot of friends. People love that shit!”
Kennedy didn’t doubt it. She saw it now: Reid making friends with women in coffee shops, bars, nightclubs, hotel lobbies, airports … Not that she cared. She wasn’t even sure why she had thought it.
Probably because she had just been thinking about sex. Hot Jerk was attractive, yes, but she liked her bedmates a little less on the cranky side.
Which might make her problem solvable. Looking around, she thought about this big apartment, Reid’s doggie day and night care needs, and her own housing dilemma. Surely there was a way to make this work …
Foreman approached Reid in the Philly visitors’ locker room after the game.
“Good work out there.”
Reid eyed him, knowing he had played well with an assist. He wasn’t the reason they’d won but he hoped his contribution would be noted by the people in charge. He certainly didn’t need a patronizing pat on the pack from the likes of Foreman, though. Now they had the dog as their connective tissue, the last thing he wanted was for Foreman to get ideas that this was the start of a beautiful friendship. That was not how to keep ahead of the pack.
“You see this?” Foreman turned his phone around. A video was playing.
Damn, he had known that woman was filming. “Has everyone seen it?”
“Probably.” No one was paying them any mind but Reid was on deck for post-game press duties. “Worried it makes you look like a softie?”
Yes. He would prefer to care for the dog without all the baggage that came with caring for the dog.
Yesterday, he had called Kennedy to ask how Bucky was doing the moment he landed in Philly. Fine, apparently. Absolutely fine. He had wanted to switch to FaceTime but felt weird about it. Kennedy would probably make some assumption about his attraction to her—so what if it might be half-true—and wouldn’t believe that he wanted to see his dog. He didn’t quite believe it himself.
But now he wanted to talk to her and warn her about the video. He needed to find somewhere private.
Back at the hotel, Foreman stopped at the bar for a drink with Petrov and the crew, which gave Reid at least thirty minutes before he pounded in, probably eager to have phone sex with Mia.
Don’t think about phone sex right before you call an attractive woman, connard. Focused on his task, he exhaled a few breaths, dialed using FaceTime, and waited.
No answer.
It was 10:30 p.m. in Chicago. Had Kennedy gone out and left Bucky alone? Or taken him for a walk? That wasn’t a good idea. The GPS tracker app only worked within a few miles, so he couldn’t check on their safety.
He tried again. This time she answered, but she looked a little flushed. It was … nothing. Absolutely nothing.
“Okay, hold your horses. I’m here!”
“Where were you?”
“The bathroom. I might be able to get away with an audio call in there but not a video one, right?” She grinned, and foreign warmth flooded his chest cavity. Around her he felt weird. “You win your game?”
“I did.”
She cheered and fist pumped with a loud “Whoop! Whoop!” Barking soon followed. Reid’s heart thumped hard, probably confused as all hell about what was going on. His brother had texted good game, as did his mother. Nothing from Henri yet.
This was the first time he could recall someone outside his family or unconnected to the hockey industrial complex, weighing in on his game with such positivity. She hadn’t even seen it. He got the impression she wasn’t a sports fan.
“Is Bucky okay?”
“Oh, he’s fine. We just got in from a nighttime jaunt and the-world-is-my-toilet excursion. Now he’s excited because I’m excited. Here, take a look!” She reversed the camera so he could see the dog milling about. He looked so happy, and yet
again Reid lamented missing another important moment in person.
Mental headshake. This was absurd. He wasn’t missing anything.
“Is he eating and sleeping okay?”
She turned the camera back to her. “Yeah. I put out a little less food today because he’ll pretty much eat anything you put in front of him. For a dog his size, we can take the measurements down a touch.”
“I thought he’d stop eating when he was full.”
“They’re like humans in that respect. Not much willpower when confronted with gads of food. It’s best to train them on the ideal amounts. It’s all about portion control.” She smiled, tempering what could have been an admonishment. “Don’t worry, you guys will learn together.”
“Would it be okay if I … talked to him?”
Those silver-gray suns lit up. “That’s a great idea. Hold on a sec.” A moment later, she had reversed the camera again so the next face he saw was Bucky’s. Now that Reid was on the spot, he felt foolish and tongue-tied. He wished Kennedy would leave the room, but then this wouldn’t be possible without her holding the phone.
Like an idiot, he said, “Hello, Bucky. Just … uh, checking in.”
Kennedy’s words of encouragement filled the silence. “It’s Daddy. He’s calling home. Give him a bark.”
The dog kept his thoughts to himself.
She turned back. “You know something? I think your face isn’t big enough—ha, bet you never heard that before! Do you have a computer?”
“Yes, there’s one in my bedroom.”
“Let’s take a walk. Come on, boy.” A couple of minutes later, she was logged into his computer. (He had to give her his password which he would now have to change the moment he got home. She had made a joke about hoping there was nothing incriminating in his search history.) “Okay, I’m going to send you a video call link, and you can answer back on that.” She hung up.
This seemed like a lot of trouble, but everyone was already committed to their roles. He clicked the link in the message she sent and a few seconds later, there she was with Bucky in her lap. The angle was a little different, further away, but then she put Bucky closer to the screen.
