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