The dog was a beast, scarred and muscled, with a missing ear and a warped lip, but he spoke to it like it was a baby.
“You’re such a good girl. Do you want to hear more about our season stats? Maybe I can teach you how to wrap your stick properly.”
“Cian?” It felt wrong to interrupt this moment, and as the dog’s head swung up, her low growl made me wish I’d kept my mouth shut.
“Seelie,” he admonished gently, smoothing a hand down her flank with a look of wonder as he followed the movement with his eyes.
The dog swung its head around to look him in the eye before letting out a chuff and lowering her head back to her paws.
“She finally trusts me,” he breathed.
I dropped into a crisscross position on the floor and watched as Cian spent a few more moments stroking the beast before reaching into his pocket to retrieve a treat for her. She took it with a mouth far more gentle than I would have expected and seemed to know it was her cue to move. With a big sigh, she heaved her body off the man who tamed her and curled up in a pile of blankets against the far wall.
Cian used the wall at his back to pull himself up, wincing as he worked the blood back into his legs. I wondered how long she had been lying across his legs, especially as I held the gate open for him and he hobbled out, locking up behind him.
His eyes were dazed as we wandered toward the front of the shelter in silence.
“All finished?” Katie asked as we swapped our boots out for sneakers and headed for the front door.
“Yeah, we are. Sorry we didn’t help with the cleaning. I’ll come in before we fly out to lend a hand.”
He didn’t mention Seelie, and the omission made me feel like I’d had the opportunity to witness something private. Something special.
“Sorry I left you for so long. I guess I lost track of time,” he said as we headed toward his truck.
“It’s okay, it seems like you were doing something important.”
For once, I didn’t mean the observation as a barb. It wasn’t a jealous attack. I was genuinely glad he’d been able to form a bond with an animal that so clearly needed the love.
“Are you going to adopt her?” I asked, stretching my seat belt across my chest.
He grunted, starting the engine and easing the truck out from beneath the overhang.
“I’d love to, but I don’t think it’s fair to her with my schedule the way it is now. I couldn’t exactly ask someone to dog sit a traumatized rottweiler while I fly across the country.”
He had a point, but the thought of her staying in that small cage alone made my eyes water.
“Are you hungry?” Cian asked suddenly, like he was shaking off the untenable situation.
My stomach let out a growl, answering for me and making Cian laugh.
“There’s a dope burger place a couple of blocks from here. The waffle fries are next level.”
I’d seen a side to Cian today that I didn’t want to acknowledge existed. His vulnerability was crumbling my own defenses in a way I couldn’t allow.
But a burger couldn’t hurt. Right?
“Why not,” I said, not quite able to bring myself to fully agree.
Cian shot me a smile and put his turn signal on, smoothly sliding around the corner and onto a quieter street.
“It’s not a flashy place, but the food is amazing and the chance of us being recognized is small.”
The good thing about living in Texas was that hockey wasn’t the first sport that came to mind. Basketball? Rodeo? Football? Hell yes. Frozen rinks and ice skates? Not so much. The Aces fanbase was rabid, but to an everyday Texan, they were just big guys who didn’t care about throwing a pig skin.
After a couple more turns, he pulled up in front of a diner that looked like it had stood since the fifties. The faded turquoise bricks were coated in dust, and the neon sign had a busted globe.
“Trust me,” he said as he held his hands up, offering assistance in climbing down from the passenger seat. I could do it myself, already had at the shelter, but instead of making a fuss, I leaned out of the doorway and put my hands on his shoulders. His hands wrapped around my ribs, and I willed my heart to settle as he slowly lowered me to the ground. We stood toe to toe, neither of us dropping our grip on the other, and I licked my lips. His eyes darted down to track the movement.
