“Can you leave this dog bed so you don’t have to lug it back and forth?” Edna asks, standing to gather her things.
She really did spread out her shit to work. There’s a laptop, her calendar, and the rest of her work life around her. It all packs neatly back into her bag, and I shake my head in awe.
It’s like a Mary Poppins bag.
“Yeah, we got her a few. Today got away from me, and I haven’t had time to call anyone,” Rhodes sighs.
“The only real concern is going to be when you travel. She’s an absolute angel, and she was really good for me today,” Edna says. “You’re rarely at the rink or stadium outside of practice, meetings, or games so I don’t think it’ll be an issue.”
“Are you offering to pet sit?” Skylar asks, raising his brows.
“I’ve decided no one else is better qualified,” she says with a shrug. “Bring her to me when you get to the stadium. I’ll be watching from the team section behind the scenes.”
The locker room extends further out in our stadium, and it’s where people are sharpening our skates, scheduling or talking with the press, and equipment managers hold court. It takes a ton of effort to keep a hockey team going.
“Okay then,” I say with a nod.
“When does the snow stop in Minnesota?” Rhodes asks. “I swear, we moved to the tundra.”
“It would be nice to see some sun,” Skylar admits, shrugging.
“Ah, I see. Buy sun lamps and thank me later,” Edna says. “It’ll thaw out soon. The owner wants to have a couple of outdoor games while it’s still cold and snowy, so be prepared for that to happen soon.”
“Are we doing that again?” I ask. “No seriously, it’s always so much fun.”
“You grew up with the snow, didn’t you?” Skylar asks.
“I did. I have to take you tubing in the snow,” I say with a grin. “I promise you’ll have fun.”
“It’s not like hockey. You’ll want waterproof gear for that,” Edna says. “Now, go. Take your big boy naps, and I’ll see you all later. I have a different list for traveling dog sitters. I’ll get that information to you.”
“Your lists are impressive,” Rhodes mutters.
“Of course they are,” she says, picking up the dog bed. “I’m the fixer. Sleep well, and then come back and kick some tail.”
The three of us walk out of the building, and a realization hits me so hard, I trip over air.
“You good?” Skylar asks, concerned.
“I’m fine,” I murmur. “Tripping on air is totally normal for me.”
Rhodes and Skylar side eye me because it’s not at all normal. They moved to a freezing state to be closer to me and upended their entire lives. Seasonal depression, less sunny days, nobeaches, the list goes on for miles of the downsides of what Minnesota has to offer.
“It’s just…you gave up a lot to move here,” I breathe.
The cold breeze seems to mock me as it rips through the parking lot, and Rhodes cuddles Princess Sunny closer to his body as we walk to the car.
“I’m sure it appears that way,” Skylar says. “However, nothing else mattered but getting here after we met our scent match.”
“I could have been an asshole,” I sputter. “Or, you could have decided you hated me once you transferred here.”
“We met at a charity event,” Rhodes snorts. “Now get in the car, Little Viking, so we can go home.”
My lips curl happily at the nickname and the fact that it’s our joke as I get into the vehicle. I’m overreacting. Things are good.
“We’re going sledding on Sunday,” I announce as I pull my seatbelt into place.
“Let’s do it,” Rhodes says beside me with a nod. “You can show us the cool things about snow, other than the fact that it’s wet.”
