People look at Carter wherever he goes. He’s not one of those hockey players who go unnoticed out of his gear. People spot him and they know him. He has this energy about him. That bigger-than-life persona. Even if you don’t watch hockey, you take one look at him and you know that he’s someone important.
Penny and Declan are already seated at a table near the back. Penny’s face lights up when she sees us, and relief hits me like a freight train. They’re safe territory. That table is my buoy.
Declan stands, slapping his hand into Carter’s, and when I finally get to my seat, Penny rises to her feet, too.
I freeze when she hugs me.
“I’m so happy we’re doing this,” she says, giving me a squeeze. I place a hand on her back before moving to pull away, but she squeezes twice more.
When I sit, I give a small wave to Declan, who smiles with a polite nod. Carter and Declan are talking about sports before my butt has even hit my seat, so Penny and I start our owndiscussion because…Well, the last thing I want to talk about at dinner is hockey.
When the waiter drops some drinks off in front of us, Penny leans across the table a bit.
“I took the liberty of ordering before you got here. I just grabbed a glass of a nice red. I didn’t want you to have to endure one second ofthiswithout some liquid medicine.”
A laugh erupts from me. I really, really like this girl.
“Any form of red medicine is my preferred medicine.” I take a sip, and am immediately grateful it’s a cabernet. That merlot at her house was nice, but I prefer a good cab. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”
She flashes me a wink.
“How are the pups?”
Her eyes light up, and I understand her immensely in that moment. For Penny, those dogs are her babies. Every decision she makes in her life is with them in mind. That unconditional love that explodes all over her face at the mere mention of them tells me more about her than anything else has up to this point.
“Good,” she says, leaning into the heel of her hand. She’s wearing this incredible white top that makes her chest look insane. It’s a halter, so her shoulders and arms are bare. Blonde hair pulled back into a long, wavy ponytail. “Gideon has training twice a week now. He came from a bad situation. We’re working on his reactivity. I still won’t leave him alone with the other two when we aren’t around.”
My heart sinks a bit. “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Don’t be,” she says, waving her hand. “If only we knew what they were thinking, right? But they all deserve a chance, and I fully intend on giving him as many as he needs.”
“What if he doesn’t change?” I ask, treading carefully.
She smiles warmly, shrugging a shoulder. “We’ll make itwork. Either way, I brought him into my family. He’s a part of it now. If that means we have to separate them from time to time, that’s what we’ll do.”
My heart warms. This is my kind of person. Kind, fierce, strong. I won’t ever tell him this, but I’m grateful Carter introduced me to her. She’s a friend I’d like to keep.
A hand finds the back of my neck. I glance over to Carter. He leans in, putting his mouth dangerously close to my ear. “We’re being photographed.”
“Mm,” I say with a nod, leaning into him a bit more.
Declan smirks against the rim of his beer bottle. He and Penny exchange a knowing look, and he reaches beside him to sweep his thumb over her chin like they’re also putting on a performance tonight. She melts into his touch a bit.
“So, Arden,” Declan says, and I straighten. “Are you coming to a game this week?”
I glance at Carter. That’s his call, on his schedule. He knows my shifts for the month, and those won’t change unless I pick up more. Which I will, on the nights he doesn’t need me.
“Saturday, I think,” I say, and Carter nods.
“Come with me,” Penny practically begs. “I’ll introduce you to some of the girls. We sit in the same few rows, so it’ll be a good chance to meet some of the other partners. Wy might come, too.”
Partners.
I almost laugh. Partners in crime, maybe, but not in any other way that matters.
“Are you sure?” I ask.
Penny’s brow furrows in the middle. “Obviously. It’s going to be you and me for a while. The benefit of being stuck with him is that you’re also stuck with me.”
