“Yeah.” My grip tightened slightly on my phone. “I know.”
Covering adoption fees and supplies would barely put a dent in my bank account. What was the point of making millions a year and not using it for something good? I’d always been smart with my money, thanks to my brothers, so this was the perfect thing to spend it on.
A beat passed before Jonathon spoke again.“Are you sure about this?”
I didn’t even hesitate. “Never been more sure of anything.”
He sighed but agreed.“Okay, give me fifteen minutes to spread the word and talk to the team's owner. He won’t like being blindsided by this.”
“If the owner has a problem bringing good publicity to the team, tell him to take it up with me.” I was the best quarterback in the league, and he’d be insanely stupid to get mad and punish me for doing this.
“I’ll be there in thirty.”With that, he hung up. I didn’t feel an ounce of guilt for dropping this on him so suddenly.
My phone buzzed excessively in my hand, but I ignored it for a moment and glanced at Emmie. She gently stood up, holding a cute Chihuahua in her arms.
Her gaze locked on mine, a slow smile spreading across her face. “That was incredible.”
“Was a little over the top, wasn’t it?”
“Not at all.” She shifted the pup in her arms. “What do you need me to do?”
An hour and a half later,the shelter was busier than ever. People lined the walkway outside, patiently waiting their turn. The reception area was filled with people waiting to finish their paperwork to adopt a pet they found.
Wendy called a handful of people to come in and help, but even they weren’t enough with how many people were here. She was currently running around to help, excitement coming off her in waves.
When Emmie and I posted about being at the shelter and to come down to see the animals, I thought a few peoplewould show, not half the city. I knew they were all here to see the team, but every time someone walked by with an animal up for adoption, I hoped they took them home.
“Where do I go to fill out adoption paperwork?” Griffin, one of my offensive lineman, asked. Cradled in his giant arm was a tiny white kitten with bright blue eyes. For such a massive man, he gently held the animal like it was the most precious thing on the planet.
“Oh my gosh,” Emmie cooed, reaching out to gently pet the kitten. “She?”
“Yeah, I’m going to name her Junie.” I swore I saw hearts come out of his eyes. I grinned, not at all expecting that.
“Just head up front and they’ll get you taken care of,” Emmie said. Griffin shot her a wide smile and took off toward the reception area.
“That’s the third player to adopt,” I remarked. When I asked the team to come today, every single one showed up without hesitation. No arguments. Just ready to help. They posed for pictures, played with the dogs, and did whatever was needed. I hadn’t expected a few of them to actually adopt.
“Mateo, this is amazing,” Emmie breathed, looking out at the room with awe in her eyes. “I can’t believe you pulled this all together so fast.”
“My mom always said I was like a dog with a bone when I got an idea stuck in my head.”
“Well, it paid off.” She wrapped an arm around my waist, peering up at me. “You should be proud.”
Looking out at all the people here and the dogs and cats finding their forever homes, I did feel proud.
“Thank you for being here with me. For going along with my crazy idea.” I draped my arm over her shoulder, bending down to press a kiss to the top of her head.
“Like I’d ever pass up the chance to play with and cuddledogs all day,” Emmie scoffed. She had done just that, too. Her workout outfit was covered in dog hair and drool, her smile brighter than ever.
Before I could respond, her name was called from the other side of the room. She was in high demand today, constantly pulled into conversations by shelter volunteers or by my teammates. Emmie really just had that way about her.
“I’ll see you in a bit.” I kissed her head once more, then let her go. She walked away from me backward, shooting me a wink.
My agent suddenly appeared at my side. “Well, she’s been a hit today.”
This was only the second time I’d talked to him since he walked through the front doors. He was busy walking around and managing everything going on. He made sure everyone was happy and excited to be here, as well as made sure everything was running smoothly with Wendy.
“Yeah, she has been.” My eyes never once left Emmie as she stood beside one of the shelter's volunteers, Perry, and a family looking at a puppy.
