BLOCKED (Boston Terriers Hockey Book 3) Page 14

  Chapter Twenty

  Maddie

  I climb into Shaw’s truck, fastening the seatbelt across my chest.

  “Do you mind holding Buddy while I drive?”

  I hold my arms out. “What a dumb question, Masters. Gimme, gimme.”

  He places the warm, blanketed bundle in the cradle of my arms. Immediately, I flatten my nose against the top of his head, smelling his puppy scent. When I straighten, I find Buddy staring up at me with his deep, brown eyes. They do kind of remind me of Shaw, which makes me snicker.

  “What’s going on over there?” Shaw asks, directing the truck onto the road.

  “I just noticed that Buddy has your eyes.”

  “What?” he barks out a laugh.

  “For real. His eye color is very similar to yours.”

  “If you say so.”

  “Have you thought about where you’ll keep him during the daytime when you’re at school or hockey practice?”

  “I’m going to crate him in my room when I’m not home.”

  “What about at night?”

  “I’ll crate him then too.”

  I snort. “Sure you will.”

  “Why are you doubting me, woman?” he jokes.

  “I give you a few nights before he’s sleeping in your bed with you.”

  “No way.”

  I titter. “I’ll remind you of this conversation in a few days and see if I’m right.”

  “You won’t be.”

  “Don’t be so sure. Puppies are a lot like babies, they get scared and cry at night. A lot of people just put them in their bed to reassure them and so they can get some sleep.”

  “I don’t want any dog sleeping in my bed.”

  “I’m sure it won’t be the first one,” I quip. But I really don’t want to think about how many girls he’s shared his bed with or anything else for that matter. So, I guess the joke’s on me.

  He drums against the steering wheel and then points at me. “Har har.”

  “You should put an old t-shirt of yours in the crate so he can lie on it. He’ll smell your scent and it might help keep him calm.”

  “How do you know all this?” Shaw asks.

  “You don’t remember the summer I helped out the Jenkins family with dog walking and dog sitting?”

  “Nope. When was that? I don’t even think I knew they had a dog.”

  “I don’t think it’s been walked since the last time I took her out. But they have a huge fenced-in backyard, so she runs around all day.”

  “I might have to think about a fence at the frat. I don’t want him running into the street; there’s a fairly constant flow of vehicles to worry about.”

  “Fences are pretty expensive to have put in.”

  “Not if I put the frat members to work. All it will cost me is beer and pizza. Maybe some wings too.”

  “Good point.”

  He signals and turns into a strip mall, parking near the popular pet store. “Do you want to stay out here with Buddy or do you guys want to come in and help me shop?”

  “Hello, girl here. Of course I want to help and so does Buddy.” I rub my nose against his cold one. “Don’t you think you should have a say in what your bed looks like, cutie?”

  “You’re going to spoil him. He’ll be demanding and it’ll be your fault.”

  “If you don’t like his behavior, I’ll be glad to take him off your hands.”

  “You live in a dorm.”

  “For him, I’d move.”

  We head into the store and Shaw grabs a carriage while I continue to hold Buddy. He snuggles into my chest and I smile. He’s a typical male already. Is there ever a time they don’t gravitate toward tits?

  Shaw pulls the list of supplies from his back pocket. “We need to get him bowls for food and water.” We progress down the first aisle, finding some with the Bruins symbol on them. We also find a popular brand of dry, small-bites puppy food.

  “Don’t forget treats. You can reward him for going to the bathroom outside. It encourages them and helps them to house train faster.”

  “Okay, I’m not going to argue with anything you say. You’ve got more experience in this department than I do.”

  “He needs a collar and a leash,” I suggest. “How about red since he’s a Boston Terrier and so are you?” I wink.

  Shaw chucks me under the chin. “You’re so cute. You can pick out one that you think will have the bitches sniffing after him. He doesn’t look good in pink, though.”

  I lift a brow. “Bitches?”

  “Female dogs,” he explains.

  I shake my head. “What are we going to do with your daddy, Buddy? I’m worried he might be a bad influence on your innocent mind.”

  “Of course I am. And he’s going to love me for it.”

  I remove a red collar and matching leash from the display, placing them in the carriage. “Oh, for the record, Buddy looks good in all colors, even pink.” We stroll down a couple more aisles and don’t find anything we need.

  “What’s next on the list?” We could be here all day if we don’t get a move on. Which wouldn’t be the worst way to spend my time. I’d still be with Shaw, but I really want to get Buddy to his new home and see how he reacts.

  “Chew toys and a crate,” Shaw reads off.

  “What does that leave?”

  “Dog shampoo.”

  “We also need to get him a bed. And it needs to be one of those fluffy, comfortable ones, like he’s sleeping on a cloud.”

  Shaw grunts.

  “I guess your daddy disagrees, Buddy. Good thing I’m here to make sure you get the best of everything.” I point to a bed that would be perfect.

  Shaw checks out the price. “Jesus. I could buy a mattress for myself for a little more money than this costs.”

  “Not a good one,” I fire back.

  “Yeah, but he’s a dog. He won’t know the difference.”

  I gasp and cover Buddy’s ears, wrapping my hand around the back of his head. “Shh. He’ll hear you.” I glare at Shaw until he squirms. “Tell him you’re sorry.” He must see the steely determination in my eyes because he tips his head in a slight nod. I uncover Buddy’s ears.

  “I’m sorry. I’ll try to be more thoughtful when it comes to your comfort.” He scratches behind Buddy’s ears and his eyes drift shut.

  Shaw looks so remorseful, I have to bite my lip to hold back my smile. I almost laugh when he adds the expensive bed to the carriage. I was kind of joking, but it is the best one in stock.

  By the time we check out and load up his truck, Buddy is asleep in my arms.

  “Forget kids, give me all the puppies in the world.” I nuzzle my face against his soft head.

  Shaw laughs. “He is pretty damn cute. And you’re not so bad either.”

  Straightening up in my seat, I turn my head and meet Shaw’s gaze. I flush, the heat rushing to my cheeks when he shoots a flirty wink my way.

  “How do you feel about coming back to the house with me and helping to get Buddy settled?”

  “Are you kidding? I might never want to leave him. He’s straight up the cutest thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life. I might have to climb inside his crate with him.”

  “Good thing I bought the larger one then. Consider it the two bedroom version.” He laughs.

  “I thought you were crazy when you wanted to get the great dane sized one, but now I think it might be a genius idea. I wouldn’t have fit into the smaller one.”

  “I’d pay money for you to sleep in there with him.” He snickers.

  “How much? Because honestly, I’d probably do it for free, just to be near this little cutie.”

  “Hurry up, Buddy. Take a piss,” Shaw orders.

  “I don’t want to criticize, but…” I pause, smiling mischievously.

  “Sure you do.” Shaw aims a knowing look toward me.

  “You’re right, I love to tell you what to do.” I clap my hands together. “You should probably come up with a more soc
ially acceptable term than ‘take a piss’ whenever you bring him outside.”

  “Take a shit? Is that better?” He smirks.

  “How about ‘do your business’? Then it’s good for both, tinkle or poopie.”

  Shaw shudders. “My dog doesn’t tinkle or do poopie. He pisses and shits. He’s a city dog.”

  “Fine. He pees and poops?”

  He shakes his head. “Nope. He pisses and shits. You’re not getting your way on this one.”

  “Can you understand why you should give him a command you can say in front of anyone?”

  “I know why you’re suggesting it, but do you really think the guys in the frat or on my team are going to be offended by pissing and shitting?”

  “Oh my God, enough of those words. It’s like nails on a chalkboard for me, and I’m sure I’m not the only one. I realize you spend a lot of time with ‘the guys,’ but at some point you’re going to want to impress a potential girlfriend.” My stomach is nauseous just mentioning him being with another girl.

  “Maybe she won’t mind me saying that.” He shrugs, and I catch something in his expression that makes me think he’s amused by this conversation.

  “Are you messing with me?”

  He rakes his teeth over his bottom lip, and then breaks out into a wide smile. “Dammit. I was trying to hold it together as long as I could but your outrage was too hilarious.”

  “You’re an ass. So, what are you going to say every time he goes out so he knows he has to do his duty?”

  “Business works.” He looks so smug.

  “I hate you a little right now.”

  “No you don’t. You couldn’t hate me even if you wanted to.”

  Isn’t that the truth.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Shaw

  I’m relieved to find none of my frat brothers inside the house. Not just because Maddie is with me, but also so Buddy can get acclimated without a bunch of loud fuckers around.

  Leaning over, I set him down on the hardwood floor. He shuffles his tiny legs, propelling him forward toward the kitchen, as if he already knows where he’s going.

  Opening the bag of supplies, I pull out his bowls and grab a bottle of water from the fridge.

  “You’re not going to wash the bowls first?” Maddie moves closer to me. I can feel her disapproval.

  “I wasn’t going to. He’s a dog. They lick their own asses. Does his bowl really need to be clean?”

  She rolls her eyes and snatches them from me. “I’ll take care of it.”

  Removing all the items from the bag, I set them down on the kitchen table. Maddie sets the bowl of water on the floor for Buddy to drink. He wanders right over to it, slobbering the water everywhere as his tiny tongue slurps it up.

  Opening the bag of dog food, I pour a small amount in the washed bowl and set it down next to the water. Maddie picks it up before the puppy notices.

  “Shaw, he has tiny little teeth, so you’ll need to add a little warm water to it each time to soften the food.” I nod my head in agreement and watch Buddy move right over to where she sets the bowl down. First he sniffs the contents and then he digs in. The sight of his tiny face inside the bowl is hilarious. I purchased a small size, but where he's so minute, it’s still too big for him.

  “He’s so stinking precious. I want to eat him up.”

  I gaze side-eye at her. “Should I be worried about you eating my dog?”

  She whacks my chest with the back of her hand. “It’s an expression.”

  “I know. I just can’t resist messing with you.”

  Buddy finishes every crumb of his food and lies down on the floor. “I know the feeling, bud. When I eat too much, I like a nap too.”

  “We should walk him in like fifteen minutes, in case he needs to do his business.”

  “Sounds good. I’d rather take him out extra for now if it means not having to clean up accidents inside the house.”

  “Accidents are going to happen, no matter how much you take him out. He has a teeny bladder and he can’t hold his pee.”

  “I’m not going to get mad at him if he slips up.”

  “Good, because he’s too young to know better. That’s why they call it an accident.”

  “Thank you, oh wise one.” I pretend to bow at her feet.

  “Why do I want to be your friend? You’re kind of annoying. How did I forget this about you?”

  “I think I’m worse now than when we last hung out. It’s the maturity I’ve gained.”

  “Is that what you call it? I think it has something to do with living in a house with ten other guys and no females.”

  “You’re here.”

  “I mean living here.”

  “You can move in if you want. We already know Buddy has extra room in his crate.”

  “You sleep in there, I’m taking your bed.”

  Oh, Maddie, I’d sleep in the crate every night for a week straight if it meant one night to sleep with you in my arms.

  Maddie hands me my jacket and she slips hers on. “Don’t forget to put some treats in your pocket to reward him with.”

  “You got it.”

  “Why is he being such a stubborn little shit?” I ask, yanking on the leash to get Buddy moving along the sidewalk.

  “He’s probably never been on a leash before. He’s only eight weeks old.”

  “I should've named him mule for being a mule-headed little fucker.”

  “Shaw, he’ll hear you. Name calling isn’t acceptable. How would you feel if your parents called you that?”

  “My dad has called me much worse and I’m fine.”

  “That’s debatable,” she quips. “Come on, sweetie, be good for your daddy and walk like a good boy.” Wouldn’t you know after Maddie’s instruction the stubborn little fella starts trotting along like a little angel. “See,” she gloats. “Encouragement goes a long way. Haven’t you heard the expression you get more bees with honey than you do with vinegar?”

  “I have. I’ll try to keep that in mind.”

  I keep my expression as blank as possible. I’m waiting for her to catch on to the fact that I’m pretending I don’t know what I’m doing. I’ve read countless articles online and even some books about how to raise a well trained dog. But the more aggravated I act with Buddy, the more likely she’ll be to help me out. Which means plenty of time in Maddie’s company. It’s a genius plan, if I do say so myself.

  I bump the back of my hand into hers as we walk. “Are you hungry?”

  “Actually, I am. We’ve been so busy, I hadn’t noticed. But now that you mentioned it, my stomach feels like it’s going to eat itself.”

  I tug my phone from my pocket and hold it out to her.

  She looks at my phone like it’s a bomb about to go off. “What do you want me to do?”

  “Take it and order pizza from wherever you want.”

  “What’s the code?”

  “I don’t have one.”

  Her eyebrows jump on her forehead. “That’s unexpected,” she confirms her surprise.

  “Why? Should I have one?”

  “I assumed you would. I mean, doesn’t everyone?”

  “I don’t know about everyone, I can only speak for myself. I’ve never had one because there’s nothing on my phone that I would care if anyone else saw.”

  “No naked pics of you?” she prods.

  “Not yet. But I can remedy that if you’d like.” Her cheeks pink up and it reminds me of the color her hair used to be. “What happened to your pink hair?”

  “I got sick of it and wanted a change. I’ve tried a few other colors, but keeping it my natural color is the easiest.”

  “I liked the pink, but I love the blonde. It’s who you were meant to be. You’re naturally beautiful. You don’t need to change your hair.”

  “That’s sweet of you to say. I think it was a phase I was going through. Teenage self-doubt and all those painful things we have to endure to get to this point.”

  “Yo
u seem different to me.”

  “How so?” Her eyebrows dip downward in contemplation while she watches me.

  “You’re more confident all around. You’re not afraid to say what you want to and to be heard.”

  “Thank you. I’ve worked hard on getting to this point. I worked with a therapist when I was at U.N.H. and she helped me grind through a lot of my issues that stem from my mom. Although, I don’t want to blame my mom alone. I’m complicit too because I chose to let her affect me the way she did.”

  “Hold on a minute.” My hand lands on her arm, stopping her. Sliding it down to her dainty wrist, I continue until our fingers are slotted together. “I don't know that you chose to do anything when it came to your mom. You were a child and she was an adult. She should’ve known better. I think things in life affect us how they will and we just do the best we can to get through them to the better times. And hopefully we grow from the bad experiences and something positive comes out of them.” I lean forward, peering into her eyes. “That’s what you did.” I squeeze her hand.

  Her eyes instantly seem extra shiny. Is she going to cry? Oh jesus. I was trying to make her feel better, not worse. I don’t think I can take it if she cries. It’ll break my heart.

  “Thank you.” Her whisper is hoarse. “It means a lot to me that you understand what I’ve been through. I know plenty of people who have had it worse than I did, so I’m not going to feel sorry for myself. But it does give me a sense of accomplishment whenever I speak my mind or stand up for myself.”

  She’s an amazing human being. She always finds the good in a situation.

  “I’m really proud of you, Maddie. I know admitting you needed help had to be difficult.” Leaning forward, I press a soft kiss to her forehead. “Come on,” I tip my head in the direction we were walking, “let’s get this little bugger to do his business.”

  She slaps her palm to her forehead. “Oh no. I forgot to order the pizza.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Maddie

  Spending today with Shaw has been the most fun I’ve had in a long time. He’s still so easy to be with. In fact, in some ways, it feels more comfortable than ever before. Of course, that probably has more to do with me than him.