“So do you train the dogs?” he asked.
“Not personally. I work with trainers and organize schedules, get funding, things like that,” Naomi explained. “Walk with me, Ryan,” she told him before turning back the way she’d come. With Dougie by her side and the white stick still in her hand, Naomi maneuvered around the crowd a great deal better than Ryan felt he would’ve done.
“I’m really glad you’re here,” she told him once they had made it through the bulk of the crowd. They neared an open tent where a bunch of people were doing paperwork. Ryan wasn’t sure how he hadn’t noticed that at first. He wasn’t sorry, not when he got to meet Naomi. “I’ve contacted the Howlers a few times now asking if any of the players would be interested in working with us. I know you’re all very busy,” she added, to ensure it didn’t sound like a criticism.
It still made Ryan feel guilty. He wasn’t here because of any deep-seated impulse to do good. His motives were entirely selfish. Even knowing that, he’d complained a hell of a lot about being made to volunteer.
He pushed the guilt aside, determined not to dwell on it. It was easy enough, when he had a gorgeous woman he could talk to instead.
“You should’ve mentioned a run before,” he suggested playfully. “Not one of us can turn down a dose of healthy competition.”
Naomi laughed at that. Ryan was surprised by how rewarding it felt. It was so unexpected that he didn’t quite know what to do with the feeling. So obviously, he just buried it.
“Well, now you’re here,” she commented, leading him over to one of the tables. “Irene,” Naomi addressed an older woman. Ryan had no idea how she knew the woman was there, but Irene smiled.
“Yes, Naomi?”
“This is Ryan Newell, from the Madison Howlers?” she said. Irene’s eyes widened. Unlike Naomi, she could see Ryan. He was pretty sure she had recognized him before Naomi had finished talking. And then her eyes slid down to his crotch. Yeah... apparently that was a thing that happened after your nude got published online.
“Yes, um, hi,” Irene choked out. “You need your number,” she said. Naomi nodded.
“He does. And I think some people from the Howlers’ PR are here, too?” she asked. Irene nodded, handing Ryan a big ‘43’. It matched his jersey number. He had no doubt that must’ve been a touch from Ashley.
“There’s a photographer but he said he’d go take some pictures of the crowd before the race. I’m sure he’ll recognize Mr. Newell. Unless you want me to find him?”
“No,” Naomi said waving a hand. “It’s fine. The race isn’t for another fifteen minutes,” she told Ryan. “Do you want to meet some of the dogs you’re helping?”
If it meant getting to spend more time with Naomi, and less time potentially being ogled by the crowd, Ryan definitely wanted to meet the dogs. “You mean, apart from Dougie?” he asked. “Or is he not -” Ryan didn’t know how to ask whether Naomi had owned a guide dog before she’d started working for a foundation to support their training.
Ryan didn’t even know if that was an offensive question to ask.
“Is he not what?” Naomi asked. “One of the dogs you’re helping? No. I pay for Dougie,” she explained. Ryan once again found himself following her through the crowd. This time, they were heading to a pen, mostly surrounded by kids and filled with dogs. “He was found through Sunshine Foundation, but I’ve taken on the costs. I can and it means another dog can get trained through the charity.”
It sounded so simple when she put it like that. “That’s generous of you,” Ryan complimented. His lips quirked up in a small smile. “I guess I shouldn’t sound surprised that someone who organizes charity runs is a generous person. Is this something you’ve always wanted to do?”
It honestly wasn’t a job Ryan would have thought of as being possible. He’d wanted to play in the NHL since before he’d been big enough to hold a hockey stick. Other careers had kind of passed him by as he chased relentlessly after his dream.
“I’m not sure I’d say always. As a child I wanted to be an astronaut,” she explained, before giving a soft laugh. “The first blind astronaut! Unfortunately, it turns out you do actually need to be able to see. I did argue that dogs had already gone into space, so why couldn’t I go with a dog?” Naomi commented. Ryan could see how her face lit up at the idea, even now that she knew it wasn’t possible.
They reached the puppy pen. It seemed unlikely that they’d get through the mass of kids to actually pet one. “This is something I kind of fell into doing. But I love it. Running a charity is a pretty big job.”
“Yeah, I can’t even imagine,” Ryan admitted. “I wasn’t expecting there to be so many people.” He’d - perhaps foolishly - assumed that a guide dog charity would be pretty small. After all, Ryan wasn’t sure he’d seen more than a handful of people in Madison with guide dogs. At least, not obviously so. “How many dogs do you train in a year?” he asked.
Even though Naomi couldn’t see him, she still managed to give him a look in response to his ignorance. Ryan blushed. He was glad Naomi couldn’t see that. “It’s not Ashley’s fault,” he said honestly. “She gave me all the information. I just didn’t absorb it.”
If Naomi took any offense at Ryan’s lack of knowledge about the charity, she did a great job of not showing it. “We take in about three hundred pups a year,” Naomi answered. “It’s not the most this type of organization can do, but it’s pretty significant. Hopefully with more money we can take in even more.” Presumably, that was where having someone like Ryan on board would help.
“Do you know anything about how guide dogs get trained?” Naomi asked.
Ryan shook his head. It took him a moment to realize that Naomi wouldn’t be able to see that, either. “No,” he said. “Three hundred seems like a lot.” Even though Naomi had said it wasn’t the most an organization might do, it was more than Ryan had imagined. “Does that mean you get three hundred guide dogs, or do some… suck?”
Naomi laughed at that question. She didn’t seem to take any offense to it. “We don’t describe it as sucking,” Naomi commented. “But yeah. Not all dogs can become guide dogs. There’s some that are just too... shy. Out of three hundred, it’s usually about ten. We find them different homes.”
Ryan knew nothing about how guide dogs were trained. He did remember reading somewhere that some number of police dogs just weren’t good enough to do the job. Maybe it was something like that. “Are they all as independent as Dougie?” he asked.
“No.” Naomi shook her head. She reached down to pet Dougie. “It’s not actually encouraged. Dougie’s a bit of a rebel. But he’s not my first guide dog, so I have experience. He wouldn’t really be suitable for someone’s first dog.” Ryan supposed he could understand that. Having a dog that wandered off seemed like a terrible thing if that was who you relied on to show you the way. Naomi seemed pretty okay with it.
Despite all the distractions of puppies and kids loving the puppies, Ryan found himself far more drawn to Naomi. Listening to what she was saying was fascinating. Even though Ryan wouldn’t have been interested had she not been so stunning.
“When we get puppies like this, they get different tests. We develop a personalized plan for each. For the next 14 months, they go off to live with a puppy walker,” Naomi explained. “They still come in for a few things, but in general, it’s after that initial 14 months that we train them into being guide dogs as a job.”
It was strange to think of a dog having a job. Even though Ryan knew that guide dogs - and police dogs, and sheepdogs - were called ‘working’ dogs, he had never really thought about what that actually meant. “Do they get days off?” he asked, suddenly curious. “I kind of imagined they just… become guide dogs. I didn’t think of it as being something they could take a break from.” Ryan also hadn’t imagined it would take more than a year. Suddenly, he could understand why the Sunshine Foundation wanted to raise more money.
“Guide dogs don’t work at home,” Naomi answe
red. “Once they get home, they’re done, they’re just... dogs,” she shrugged. “Some are trained to get medication and stuff if their owner needs it, but in general, most dogs just relax once they’re at home.” It wasn’t what Ryan had expected the answer to be. It just emphasized how little he truly knew about it.
“What about you?” Naomi asked, distracting him from all the other questions he had about guide dogs. “Have you got pets? I did say in my application that it’d be best if we got someone who at least didn’t dislike dogs.”
Ryan smiled. He knew he had a good smile - plenty of women had told him so. It took him a moment to realize Naomi wouldn’t have an opinion one way or the other. It was startling. Not in a good way. Ryan had never had to flirt without relying on his looks.
“I do like dogs,” he said, making an effort to put the smile into his voice. “I don’t have any pets. Training and away games means I’m not home enough. It wouldn’t be fair.” Maybe if Ryan got a fish or something, but he’d never really understood the appeal.
“Have you always had dogs?” he asked.
“Growing up my family had cats,” she answered, smiling back at Ryan. Unexpectedly it made his stomach flip, like he had done something right to get Naomi to smile at him. “I got my first guide dog when I was sixteen - Sunny, he’s who the foundation is named after,” she explained.
“There was Arnie in between. Now I’ve had Dougie for about three years.” Dougie gave a light bark at that, almost as if he knew he was being talked about. “Guide dogs... change lives, they really do. So I’m not just being nice when I say we appreciate you contributing to our cause.”
Again, Ryan felt a stab of guilt. He hardly wanted to explain to Naomi why he’d agreed to volunteer. Not when she was probably the only woman he was likely to meet today who hadn’t already seen his dick. Maybe Ryan could hint at the truth without telling her the full story. That would feel fair.
“Well, it’s not entirely generosity of spirit on my part,” he began. Before he could get any further, a loudspeaker crackled into life, announcing that runners were requested to move to their starting positions.
“Darn,” Ryan muttered, remember just in time that they were surrounded by kids. He’d been hoping to spend more time chatting. Who knew when he’d see Naomi again? “Ashley said she’s lined up other appearances for me,” he remembered. “Will you be around?”
Naomi laughed again. Ryan couldn’t help but think how nice her laugh was. “I’m pretty much always around when it comes to Sunshine Foundation,” she assured. “But yeah, I’ll be at the finish line. I think Ashley wanted to get some pictures with me and you in them,” she added.
Ryan hadn’t even thought about the fact that Ashley and Naomi must have spoken. It sent a cold sinking feeling through him. After a moment, he realized it was because he was worried about what Ashley might have said about him.
Yet, Naomi had been nothing but nice. She had given absolutely no indication that she knew why Ryan was there. Other than his good-doing nature.
“Have a good race,” Naomi wished. Ryan nodded, before remembering - again - that she couldn’t see him nod.
Once he’d managed a thanks, and another smile which Naomi couldn’t see, he went off to join the other runners. It thrilled Ryan to know that he’d see her at the finish line.
He also had to remind himself that once he got home, he really needed to read that folder Ashley had handed him.
For now, all Ryan had to do was run. Seeing Naomi again at the finish line was excellent motivation for Ryan to beat his own personal best.
Chapter Two
It was impossible not to know about soulmarks. There was no point during Naomi Stone’s life when she could remember being unaware that soulmarks existed. Her parents hadn’t been lucky enough to have found their match. In fact, they had been one of the many couples who thought they were lucky enough.
By the time Naomi was five, her parents were already divorced. Barbara Stone - or rather, once again Barbara Holland - had focused on finding the right Eric, the one that would match her soulmark. In turn, it had been Eric Stone who’d taken full custody of his daughter.
Naomi knew that it couldn’t have been an easy task. Raising a kid on your own was hard. Raising a blind kid on your own was a lot harder. Luckily for Naomi, her dad was pretty excellent at it.
Having been born blind, Naomi had never seen a soulmark. Of course, she knew that people covered theirs. Her own had come through when Naomi was ten. The name ‘Ryan’ written on her hip. It made it easy enough to hide. Naomi had even learned how to put a sticker on it - mostly so it wouldn’t make others uncomfortable.
She understood the ideas about soulmates. Romance movies told stories about them, books wrote elaborate meet-cutes, songs proclaimed such great love at meeting your soulmark. Well, some songs. Others proclaimed that only sadness might come from the soulmarks.
Naomi didn’t much care for any of it.
Her friends said it was because she couldn’t see the name of her soulmate. She would never see her own name written on someone else’s skin. And sure, Naomi saw their point. It was true that she had a lot less attachment to the hope of meeting her soulmark. The fact was... anyone could tell Naomi her name was inked on their skin.
At least one ex had tried. Luckily, he’d been stupid enough to presume that Naomi wouldn’t know what her own soulmark read.
For the most part, Naomi only thought about soulmarks when the subject came up in the media. She had plenty of other things to focus on.
Sunshine’s Guide Dog Foundation had been a small project that Naomi had started after Sunny died. The process of getting a new guide dog had made Naomi appreciate just how complex the system truly was. Sunny had been her eyes for six years. It had, Naomi was certain, changed her life.
What she hadn’t anticipated was how big the Foundation would get. Now - fifteen years after she’d first met Sunny - Naomi was getting 300 dogs through training each year. It felt... pretty great.
She was very excited to get the Howlers on board. Naomi had been sending letters to them for what felt like years. There had been donations, sure, but having an actual player join the ranks to raise publicity? That was going to be great for them.
Ryan Newell wasn’t quite what Naomi had expected. He sounded very nice. But Naomi had been able to almost feel the way he wasn’t quite comfortable with her gratitude. Which, of course, made sense.
Naomi knew precisely why Ryan had been delegated to do charity work for the Foundation. In fact, it had been Irene who had assured her that Ryan’s dick looked ‘like a fun plaything’. It had seemed a bit pointless to bring it up with him. Well, the fact that she knew. Naomi wasn’t sure in what situation she could bring up the fact that Irene wanted to climb Ryan like a tree. A filthy, dirty tree.
Whatever Naomi had imagined Ryan to be like... She couldn’t quite explain it, but Naomi wanted to learn more about the man. Especially if she was going to have to spend a lot more time with him, working at events and such.
Like she’d said, Naomi was at the finish line when Ryan crossed it. He hadn’t come first. Naomi suspected that had been intentional. She’d gotten Dougie to walk her over to Ryan once someone had told her he’d finished.
“Got you some water,” Naomi said, once she heard him. “Good race?”
She could hear the sound of Ryan’s breathing, faster than it had been before, but not labored. As a professional athlete, even if he wasn’t a runner, Naomi had assumed he wouldn’t struggle.
“Yeah,” he said. There was a slight pause, then Ryan’s fingers brushed against her hand as he took the water. He swallowed, giving a satisfied sigh. “Thanks for that.” He sounded pleased.
“Did you have a lot to do while you waited for the race to finish?” he asked.
“Other than cheering?” Naomi asked, with some amusement. Growing up blind meant that she was very used to meeting new people who didn’t quite know how to act around her. Most got used to the fa
ct that they could just treat her like a normal person pretty quickly.
“Though, I suppose I have abandoned my post to come congratulate you,” she observed. It was certainly true. Naomi had no intention of going back. She wanted to talk with Ryan more. It was a draw she couldn’t explain.
Ryan chuckled. “Well, I did finish in the top twenty,” he said. “I suppose that deserves congratulation.” It probably didn’t really, not when Ryan played sports for a living. Naomi liked to think they both knew that wasn’t entirely why she’d come over.
Ryan swallowed again, his breathing starting to even out. “Is there much of a… community around the Sunshine Foundation?” he asked. “I mean, do all the owners of the guide dogs know each other? Get together for…” He trailed off, apparently unable to imagine what dog owners might get together for.
“Blind walks in the park?” Naomi teased. “We organize some events specifically for meeting up with people, yeah. Those are mostly coffee mornings - or the occasional walk in a park,” she grinned. Despite the fact that Ryan obviously had no idea what the Foundation did apart from fund dogs, Naomi appreciated that he at least asked.
She shifted slightly, tugging a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “Not everyone knows each other. We have a lot of people we work with, but I probably know quite a lot of them.” Even so, now that the Foundation was as big as it was, Naomi didn’t deal with everyone who came through it.
“Do you know everyone in the NHL?” she asked, her tone playful. Naomi had no idea how big the NHL was. It was pretty big, she did know that.
Ryan gave a bark of laughter, obviously surprised. “No,” he answered. “I do know everyone who plays NHL hockey in Madison. But we don’t have coffee mornings. Maybe we’re missing out.”
As the crowd shifted around them, Ryan took a step closer. His shoulder brushed against Naomi’s. Between them, Dougie leaned against her legs. “What do you do for fun?” Ryan asked.
Empty Net (Madison Howlers Book 3) Page 2
