CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
MOTHERDUCKER
TUCKER
There’s a knock on the door and I run a hand through my hair, probably mussing it up.
The guys decided to go to the arcade with a group of teammates after we came back from the vet. I’m grateful that they let me have the place to myself. I’ve been waiting for the opportunity to spend some time alone with Taryn since the night we met, but the stars haven’t aligned until tonight.
“Hey.” When I open the door, my heart skips a beat. “You look beautiful.”
I mean it.
I love the way Taryn dresses. No one makes a flirty little summer dress look cuter and sexier at the same time.
“Thanks.” Her eyes travel the length of my body as she checks me out. “I guess we aren’t going out as planned?”
My hand goes to the back of my neck as I step aside to usher her into the apartment. “The guys went out with Vaughn and a group of other teammates. So I thought we could stay in and maybe watch a movie and order a pizza. Is that ok?”
Something passes in her gorgeous green eyes. I can’t quite put my finger on it. She doesn’t exactly look disappointed, but she doesn’t look happy either.
“Sure,” she says, giving me another appraising look. “Are you ok? You seemed really set on going out earlier.”
Is she nervous about being alone with me? I hope she knows that we don’t have to do anything she isn’t ready for. Of course I would be crazy if I didn’t hope to get closer to her, but I’m really into her. I’m willing to wait as long as she needs.
Maybe I should say that, but I don’t want to sound presumptuous. “Yeah, I’m fine. I’m sorry for changing our plans. Something came up, and I didn’t feel comfortable leaving the house, but I didn’t want to cancel our date.”
“Something came up?” She looks like she doesn’t really believe me.
“Yeah. Or maybe I should say someone. Come, I’ll make some introductions.”
I walk Taryn into the living room where Baety is napping on a small dog bed on the couch.
“Do you have a baby chick?” She asks.
“This is Baety, my rescue baby mallard. She lost her mama and the rest of the baby ducks and decided to move into my duffel bag while the guys and I were relaxing in one of the hot springs in the wellness area of the campgrounds.”
Taryn leans in to take a closer look at Baety. “Aww. She’s adorable. Is this why you asked if we could stay in?”
I nod. “Yeah, do you mind? I ordered her a playpen that I can leave her in, and I paid for express delivery. It should be here tomorrow morning, hopefully. I’ll have to use a large cardboard box while I’m at practice and lock her into my room. Hopefully, she doesn’t destroy everything. But there’s no way I can skip morning skate. Coach Harrison would only accept a sickie if it was confirmed by the team’s doctor.”
“She’s adorable, Tucker. I’m sorry if this sounds unsupportive, but couldn’t animal protection find a better place for her? You’re going to be busy training and playing that summer tournament, and we aren’t allowed pets at camp.”
I sigh. “Yeah, I know. And I swear I tried to leave her at the vet. But she started quacking really loudly, like she was upset every time I tried to walk away. She had been bundled in an old pair of my underwear that she found in my duffel bag when we found her. The doctor said that when birds bond with someone other than their mother, they identify with that person. It’s called imprinting, and it happens when they’re super young. So Baety must have hatched pretty recently. And it seems that she has imprinted on me. She leapt out of the doctor’s hands when I tried to leave and followed me. I didn’t have the heart to leave her.”
Taryn brushes her fingers over Baety’s fluffy feathers. “So she thinks you’re her daddy.”
“No,” I correct her. “According to the doctor, she thinks that I’m her mommy. The guys have been ribbing me and calling me ‘motherducker.’”
She giggles. “They’re the worst. So, are you really keeping her?”
“She follows me everywhere, and she wants to be with me. And it’s up to me to teach her how to be a duck. She quacked when we found her, so she learned at least the very basics of that. The doctor thinks she’s around one week old, and she might never learn how to communicate properly with other ducks. Or to fly. Maybe instinct will take over, or maybe she will never fly. With imprinting, it’s impossible to tell how much she’s gonna identify as a duck and how much as a human.”
“Or a hockey player, in your case.” Taryn smiles.
I take her hand in mine. “I hope she doesn’t develop behavioral problems. The doctor said it’s entirely possible. Butthere’s no guarantee other ducks would accept her, and she’s too young to survive on her own. So I feel responsible, and I’m going to do my best to make sure she thrives.”
Taryn frees her hand from my grasp but cups my jaw. “That’s so sweet of you, Tucker. Baety was lucky to find your duffle bag rather than someone else’s. Or a predator.”
