Page 40 of Delayed Penalty

This is why I play hockey and did not go to school to be a doctor.

“No, I really can’t. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t really excited,” I say, smiling because it’s true.

“Me too,” she whispers, like she’s afraid to ruin something by saying it too loudly.

“When do we get to tell people?”

“Well, my guess is Peter’s already made the phone calls he needs to fuck up my life so we can tell whoever. Especially now that I’ve made it out of the first trimester, so the risk of loss is lower.”

Even hearing those words send a string of panic through me. The thought of losing this baby, this baby I’ve never met, yet feel such an intense love for is so overwhelming I feel the urge to put them both in a bubble for the next… six-ish months until they’re both safe and healthy.

But I’m pretty sure Avery might actually kick me in the dick if I try that.

“I mean, I have to tell my family… and my friends, but I was kind of hoping you’d be there with me when I tell my friends.”

“Really?”

“Yeah? I know the girls have been wanting to meet you, especially after they heard everything about you from the night at the bar. Their boyfriends are the biggest gossips I’ve ever met, but they’re all the best people I know. You’ll love them all,I promise. Oh, and Ellie and Trevor, they’re having a baby too. In… well, at the end of this year sometime. I’m not sure when exactly.”

“I mean… sure. What are they all going to think?” she says nervously.

“They’ll be thrilled. I promise. There’s not a damn thing for you to be concerned about.”

“Okay,” she says quietly, looking out the window, and I hate that she’s nervous. I hate that so much of today has been tainted by drama, and I only have from now until I get to her sister’s house to turn this around.

Unless I didn’t have to go straight back to Kelly’s…

“Do you have anything going on for the rest of the day?” I ask, both hands gripping the steering wheel, doing my best to give her some space.

“No, Kelly and her kids were going to the movies, and I was just going to lie in bed and read a book.”

“Do you want to hang out? I could introduce you to someone special to me. If you’d like to, of course.”

She eyes me skeptically, but eventually just shrugs.

“Might as well.”

Twenty minutes later, we’re walking into the shelter, the sound of barking echoing around us as the dogs are either outside playing, running around like little crazies, or waiting to eat their food. Either way, it’s full of happy, excited noises. I’m guessing Mrs. Andrews is out back with the dogs, probably throwing the tennis ball because these dogs seem to never get tired of playing fetch.

“This is where you sneak away to?” Avery asks as she looks around with a huge smile. She’s always loved animals—specifically dogs, though. It’s how I first met her that day on campus years ago—I was walking from practice, my friend had a Golden Retriever and dumped him on me because he had togo to class and his sister was late. When I walked by Avery, she immediately fell in love with the puppy, so we got to talking. I remember when we first started dating she told me that when she was older and had her own place, she wanted two dogs. One German Shepherd and one Golden Retriever. Part of the reason I just know she’s going to love this surprise.

“Yeah, I started coming here a couple of years ago and then realized they need help and just sort of made this my second home.”

Avery watches me for a moment as I make my way through the shelter, letting myself in until we get to the room where I know my girl will be waiting.

“She’ll be in here,” I say quietly, looking over at Avery who seems to be taking it all in. “Look, she might not be very friendly to you right away. In all honesty, she’s not very friendly to very many people, it’s something we’ve been trying to work on.”

“It's okay, people are scary, I can’t blame her.”

I pause, wanting to reassure her, but I can’t. I don’t know how this will go, or if Luna will even let her say hi.

“Pretty girl, I’m here,” I say as I step into the room, the sound of rustling comes from her crate as she bounces her way to the front already ready for me to open it and let her out.

I walk over and open the door, Luna immediately prancing over to me, standing up on her hind legs just waiting for me to give her a hug. She’s still growing, she’s already fifty-five pounds, and I can tell she’s going to be a big girl, and I love it because it means her hugs will only get easier.

Until she gets adopted.

I can tell the second she notices I’m not alone because she immediately stops bouncing around and puts her body behind me so she can peek around my legs over at Avery. Avery’s already on the ground, though, sitting down crisscross with her hand out, in her attempt at being as small as possible.

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