“I know, right? Dani’s the absolute best.” Then he kissed me on the cheek, his tongue darting out for a quick taste, and I had to suck in a breath.
Dammit. There were children present.
“She’s totally the best,” Chloe chimed in. “Can I pet him?”
Gabe dropped down so he was closer to Chloe’s level. “Of course. Pucks is a big fan of anyone who wants to scratch his ears.”
“He’s so soft,” Chloe said after settling her hand on the dog’s head.
Gabe held Pucks’s leash, keeping a firm hold on him. It wasn’t like I expected Pucks to jump on someone he didn’t know. Hetruly was a well-behaved dog, for the most part, and he was too adorable the other times for me to care.
The kids took turns greeting Pucks. Gabe let out some of the slack on the leash but still kept the end firmly in his grip.
“He’s super-hot,” Mason said, sidling up to me. “And seems really nice. I approve, Miss Dani.”
I chuckled. “Why, thank you, Mason.”
“So, what are we doing today?” Gabe asked the kids.
“Anything but homework,” Mira replied.
Gabe gasped. “It’s Saturday. No one should be doing homework on a Saturday. You do that on Sunday night if your teacher is mean enough to assign work over the weekend.”
“I knew I liked this guy,” Mira said, smiling. Well, as much as a sarcastic teenager smiled.
“That’s not really a grown-up thing to say,” Mason said.
Gabe leaned in conspiratorially. “I may look old, but I’m basically just a kid. The other night I got zoomies on the ice.”
“Like a dog? My dog Frisky always gets the zoomies. It drives my dad crazy because he’s always jumping from one couch to the next,” Bentley said. He was fourteen and had just started coming to the Center last year with his younger brother Brady. Their mom had passed away shortly before they’d started coming, and their dad was still struggling with Bentley coming out two years ago. They’d come to see me for family therapy last year and I’d recommended the youth center.
“No, you did not,” Mason said at the same time.
“He totally did,” I interjected. “He went to jump into the group hug after the game and totally whiffed.” I couldn’t help but laugh at the memory.
“She’s not wrong. I got overexcited.”
“And you just jumped? Hold on.” Mira pulled out her phone, no doubt to find the video.
“Damn, total whiff,” she said when she found it.
“Oof, that must’ve hurt. You break anything? Loose a tooth?” Mason asked.
“Mason,” I scolded, but he just waved his hand at me.
“Nope. Nothing loose or broken. Now, I’ve only lost a few teeth anyway, but find me a hockey player who hasn’t,” Gabe said with a chuckle.
“Just looking out for you, Miss Dani,” Mason whispered.
I shook my head at him.
“I’d offer to show you guys how to play street hockey, but I only have goalie sticks in my car. I’ll remember for next time.”
My chest squeezed. He said it so easily, like this wasn’t a one-and-done situation.
He was genuinely just a nice guy.
And then he glanced over at me and gave me a wink that lit my body right up.
