Page 19 of Face Off

Mitch’s eyes sparkled. “Are you going to adopt him?”

“Oh no.” I kissed the top of his furry head. “I can’t.”

“Why not?” Mitch reached out and scratched his ears.

“I’ve got too much going on right now, and I’m not home enough. It wouldn’t be fair,” I explained.

“I get that,” he said while still staring at the dog and playing with his paws. I took that moment to look at him, and I recognized a sadness and loneliness that felt so familiar. I wanted to reach out, to comfort him, but that was ridiculous. How could someone like him, surrounded by so many friends and teammates, feel the way I did? No, I was projecting my own problems on him.

8

Mikey

Did I want a dog, or did I just want to make her smile? I wasn’t sure and that was enough to stop me from seriously considering doing something impulsive. I couldn’t have a dog right now. I was rarely home and lived in an apartment. Even a puppy this small would go stir-crazy in a matter of days.

Overhearing—okay, eavesdropping on—her conversation with Mitch made my chest tighten in a rather uncomfortable manner. Why did I care that she was able to carry on with my teammates without venom in her eyes?

Mitch was friends with everyone, well, those he deemed worthy of his notice. He was quiet most of the time, but once you got him to open up, he could be the most loyal person you knew. Kind of like a dog. I looked back at the mutt in her arms.

The thought of coming home to someone, even a dog, held an undeniable appeal. What would it be like to know someone missed me? Needed me? Would be excited to see me at the end of a long day?

If I was being honest, it wasn’t a dog I craved. It was a person, a woman. I wanted to find my person. As much as I’d teased and joked with the guys for the past several years, I finally wanted what they had. Maybe it was maturity, maybe it was just being around the happy couples too much.

“Are you ready?” Taylor asked me and nodded toward the empty space before the backdrop.

“Oh, sure.” I looked around for a dog.

“Here.” Taylor handed me a leash attached to a medium-sized dog that could have possibly been partially boxer or Pitbull. I wasn’t sure.

“What’s your name?” I reached for his collar and patted his head. “Okay, Ali.” I positioned us over the X on the ground. “Do I look okay?”

Holly was now standing behind George, and Taylor was on the other side of the room. She scanned me from head to toe and then moved in front of me and reached up toward my face. I froze as her fingers tugged on the front of my hair. It was an innocent touch, but the spark that lit a fire in my stomach was not.

“You look great.” Her smile lasted only a second before she ducked her head as if she realized what she’d done and was embarrassed. I wasn’t going to let that happen.

“Thanks, those curls have a mind of their own half the time.” I wasn’t normally one to care, but if it meant she would touch me again, it would be my new obsession.

I turned and waited for George to instruct me on what pose he wanted.

He didn’t speak for a few moments, just stared at me, then the dog. “He’s small enough. Hold him up to your chest.”

I looked down at Ali and grimaced. He didn’t look like the kind of dog that enjoyed being held or cuddled. He grunted when I picked him up, and I struggled to situate him in my arms like I was holding a football.

“No.” George shook his head but gave no other pointers.

“Here.” Holly stepped in front of me and pulled Ali into her arms. He instantly relaxed and rested his head on her forearm. “Try this.”

I eyed the dog, and he gave me some serious side-eye back, daring me to take him from his new friend. I understood. If she was holding me, I wouldn't want anyone to interrupt either. Yikes. Thoughts like that would get me in trouble. I didn’t know her, and other than a strong physical attraction, I had no reason to want to. The guys had already warned me away. It would be stupid to think something might happen between us. Not right now. She was adjusting to her new job, and my own career was hanging by a thread.

“Come here, boy.” I lifted the dog from her and mirrored how she held him. It took a few seconds, but he relented and relaxed into me.

“Oh, perfect,” Holly cooed at him. “You’re so cute.”

“Why, thank you,” I teased her and red stained her cheeks, filling me with more joy than necessary. I liked that she wasn’t as calm and collected as Chloe or even Taylor. She was an open book.

She glanced back at George. “What do you think?”

He nodded. “Better.”