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They took the elevator to their floor, Blake leading the way to his apartment. He handed her the puppy once they were inside. “I’ll grab some towels from the bathroom.”
Erika cuddled the shaking puppy close to her chest, cooing to it in a comforting voice. “You’re okay, you sweet baby. Don’t you worry. We’re going to take good care of you.”
Blake returned with two large bath towels. Laying one out on the island in his kitchen, he took the dog back from her, placing it in the middle while using the other towel to gently dry the puppy.
“Wonder how old it is?” Blake pondered aloud. “Doesn’t look like it was just born.”
Erika agreed that it wasn’t a newborn, as its eyes were open and now that it was dry, it was starting to move around on the towel. She carefully lifted it, peering underneath. “A girl.”
Blake used his pointer finger to stroke the puppy’s belly, the action provoking the first tail wag and a little yip. He chuckled, then walked over to his fridge. “Poor little thing is probably hungry. Think she’s old enough for solid food?”
Erika pulled out her phone and did a quick Google search. “I don’t know,” she said after scanning a couple of articles. She found an emergency “milk” formula recipe that Blake made, as they decided to play it safe in case the puppy was too young for real food.
He offered the milk to the dog, who quickly devoured it. Blake only gave her only a little, since neither of them was sure what the puppy should be consuming.
Erika didn’t have a clue what breed the cute thing was. Most likely a whodunit, though she thought she detected a bit of terrier.
“I can’t believe someone would toss a dog out like trash. Especially on a night like tonight,” she murmured, furious at the thought. “What would have happened to her if we hadn’t found her?”
Blake didn’t answer because he didn’t have to. There was a good chance the puppy would have died. The rain was a cold one, the temperature continuing to drop. Without any way to stay warm or dry, she likely would have frozen to death.
Folding the towel a couple of times, Blake picked up the puppy, wrapping her like a baby in a blanket. Erika smiled at the tiny thing nestled in Blake’s muscular arms. The puppy wriggled a little bit before settling down and closing her eyes.
“So sweet.” Erika softly stroked the puppy’s head. “I always wanted a dog when I was little.”
“Never got one?” Blake walked to the living room, where he sank down on the couch. Erika followed him, not wanting to be too far away from the puppy.
“No. My mom was attacked by a dog when she was a kid, so she was terrified of them. Big or little, it didn’t matter. I begged for a puppy for the better part of my fourth-grade year. I even wrote a letter to Santa, asking for one, so of course, I was sure I was going to get one for Christmas.”
Blake handed her the puppy, still wrapped in the towel. “I’m guessing Santa didn’t come through.”
She grinned as she cuddled the tiny bundle in her arms. “Depends on what you consider coming through. I got a fluffy stuffed dog. I tried to pretend it was real, even going so far as to walk Corky on a leash. But dragging a toy around just wasn’t the same thing.”
“Corky?”
Erika laughed. “I have no idea why that was my chosen dog name when I was a kid, but I always said if I ever got a dog, I would name it Corky.”
“Why haven’t you adopted a dog since moving into your own place?”
“Doesn’t feel fair to any pet I might get. I mean, I live alone and work long hours.”
Blake nodded. “I get that. I’d love to have a dog. In fact, I’ve always said the first thing I’m going to do when I retire from the game is adopt one. But like you…it’s not something I can do on my own. Hell, I’m on the road forty-five, fifty nights out of the year, depending on playoffs. There’s no way I can take care of a dog properly.”
Erika sighed, staring down at the sweet puppy in her arms. The tiny thing was sleeping soundly, clearly exhausted from the trauma of being left out in the rain in a cardboard box.
“I’m off tomorrow,” she said. “I’ll take her to the vet, get her checked out, make sure she’s okay.”
Blake twisted toward Erika, resting his arm along the back of the couch, his hand near her shoulder, his head bent close as he watched the dog sleep. “She is a cutie.”
Erika nodded, then shivered, suddenly recalling that while they’d dried off the dog, the two of them were sitting there in damp clothing.
“Here. Leave her with me and go change into something dry.” Blake rose, tilting his head toward the door in response to her trembling. He reached for the dog, but she was reluctant to hand her over.
Blake chuckled as he took the puppy from her. “Change your clothes, Erik. I promise I’ll give her right back the second you return.”
She begrudgingly agreed, anxious to stay with the dog. She felt a bit like that fourth-grade girl again, like she’d gotten a redo on Christmas and finally had her puppy.
Dashing across the hall, she quickly changed into a pair of leggings and a warm sweatshirt before returning to Blake’s.
