“Give me all the juicy details.”
“Nothing much to tell really. We made out like teenagers, and then fell asleep.”
“Huh.”
“What? Huh? What’s that for?”
“Seems I was right. He’s not the playboy you think he is.”
“Maybe. He says you can’t believe everything you read, and I trust him. He’s given me no reason not to. He’s picking me up at my place after work and he just told me to pack a bag, so I guess I’m staying over again. Not that I mind. His bed is like sleeping on fluffy clouds. It’s insane.”
“The man in it isn’t so bad either, right?” She wags her eyebrows.
“Not bad at all.” I laugh as her phone rings.
“Cocky,” she greets her husband.
I tune her out, not wanting to listen to their conversation, and dig into the bag from the café. Sure enough, he got me my cinnamon coffee cake muffin, and Aubrey the banana nut. “He’s observant, I’ll give him that,” I murmur to myself.
“That was Chance. I told him about Landon and he’s going to send out a Tweet as well. Hopefully there are a lot of locals who follow him.”
“That’s great. Sounds like this event is going to turn around after all.” As soon as the words are out of my mouth, the phone rings. Aubrey answers and I take the chance to bite into my muffin.
“That was someone who saw Landon’s tweet. They wanted to know what time the event started. Holy shit, Emma. Maybe we’re not ready for this type of exposure.”
“Meh,” I say, waving her off. “That’s good press for the shelter. Hell, maybe we’ll even get some new volunteers because of it too.”
“Wouldn’t that be nice? Just think of all the things that we could finally do. That ever-growing to-do list we could mark off if we had more help.”
The phone rings again, and I answer this time. More of the same… what time does the event start and what time will Landon Barker be here. Aubrey and I scarf down bites of muffin between fielding calls. By the time the volunteers arrive for the day, we’ve managed to do nothing but answer the phone. Maybe Aubrey’s right—we might not be ready for a crowd of this magnitude.
“You know, maybe we should have a sheriff here. You know, crowd control and all that. I know it takes out of the budget, but with the way the phone’s been ringing, it’s probably a safe bet that having someone here would be beneficial.”
“I agree. I’ll call the sheriff’s department now and see if they have anyone willing to pick up a shift.”
I quickly give a rundown of what needs to be done to the volunteers and field more calls while Aubrey arranges security. In a matter of minutes, Landon has turned this into an “I don’t know how it’s going to turn out” to “this is bigger than we ever could have imagined.”
* * *
By the time I pull into my driveway at ten minutes after five, I’m exhausted. It’s been a long day of fielding calls. While it’s not the physical work I’m used to, mentally I’m drained. In a good way. I never could have dreamed that one simple Tweet from Landon could bring this kind of publicity to the shelter.
Before I even get my car in Park, Landon is pulling in behind me. His long legs carry him to my door and he’s pulling it open before I can even get the chance. “Hey, freckles.”
“Hi.” I smile up at him. He offers me his hand and helps me from the car. “Sorry, I still need to pack, and I could use a shower.”
“You can shower at my place. Rough day?”
“Mentally, yes. Your Tweet created a stir. The phone has rung off the hook all day long. I can’t thank you enough.”
“Don’t mention it. I got Case and a few of the other guys on board as well. Trent is going to bring his wife, Luna.”
“Seriously? You’re amazing.”
“Amazing enough for a kiss? It’s been way too long.” He leans in and presses a soft kiss to the corner of my mouth. “I missed you today.”
“It’s been like six hours since you saw me last.” I’m going for nonchalant like I didn’t miss him too.
He nods and the expression on his face is serious. “That’s too long, Em.”
“Get used to it, pal. What do you think is going to happen next week when you have an away game?”
“You know my schedule?” He grins.
“Is that creepy?”
He chuckles. “Not creepy at all. Come on. Let’s get you packed and we’ll pick up some food on the way home. I was going to make dinner, but I do believe my time is better spent holding you.” He wraps an arm around my shoulders and guides me into the house.
As I’m tossing items in an overnight bag, I wonder if this is all too soon. Am I rushing this? It feels right, though, and that’s what matters. I can only imagine what Aubrey would be telling me right now. She and Chance fell in love in a week. Not that I love Landon, but I do really like him. We’re both adults and as long as we’re both on the same page with where this is going, I’m not going to let my fear get in the way.
“You ready?” Landon asks when I enter the living room.
“Yes. I think I have what I need.”
“You know, I’ve never asked you, why don’t you have any animals?”
“The landlord doesn’t allow it. Doesn’t mean I haven’t brought a few home from time to time.” I shrug. “One day I’ll buy my own place so I can have a pet.”
“Dog or cat?”
“Dogs.”
He nods. “Yeah, man’s best friend. I had a golden retriever as a kid. His name was Ace. If I wasn’t at football practice, I was out in the backyard with him. He died my senior year of high school. I swear he was a member of the family.
