Seeing Stars
48: Homegrown
"Got a good lookin' woman with her arms around me, I got everything I need and nothing that I don't..."
The road trip ended on a good note with the Stars getting another win in Winnipeg. Back in Dallas, the answering machine was riddled with messages from the real estate agent, rattling off information about the house. In her eyes, they didn’t have very long to come to an agreement on the price. Despite the negotiations that Jamie had been going through with the sellers, they didn’t want to go below two million, yet they desperately wanted to be able to say they sold their house to Jamie Benn.
After Cassidy pleaded with him to make the deal, Jamie called up the agent, said they’d approve the price, and on February 1st despite being jetlagged they went off to sign the paperwork. Within a few hours, they could call themselves homeowners. And although it would take awhile for the escrow to go through, as a couple they could say they had bought a place together. Even if it was Jamie’s money that had paid for it, Cassidy felt like this new house would be more like hers than Jamie’s current house ever could be.
With all the traveling that the team would be doing for the rest of the season, most of the work on the house would have to be done in the offseason. And plus with all the planning that Cassidy was doing for the upcoming wedding, there wasn’t much time for anything else. Right now, they were both going a hundred miles an hour, practically running on fumes. But after April, they’d be able to slow down a little bit more.
The first game of a short two game home stand could’ve ended better, but considering all things, at least the team came out with a point. As he usually did, Jamie called after he was done with the press and ready to come home.
“Come to the new house,” Cassidy murmured, smiling to herself.
“Why? There’s no furniture there; we don’t even have a key.”
“Because I’m there,” she could hear the car door shut, and the engine roar to life.
“You broke into our house?” Jamie chuckled.
“Yeah, we’re definitely going to need a security system because that was way too easy.” She paused, “so get here quick, because I might get stolen.”
He laughed again, “alright I’m on my way. And try not to get stolen, that’d put a damper on my night.”
Cassidy smiled as she put her cell phone away. Despite probably looking suspicious, she began lighting candles and setting them down throughout the living room. And by the time Jamie gently knocked at the front door, the flames dimly illuminated the blankets and pillows she had laid out for them.
She looked down at herself and then went to the door, pulling it open. Her expression changed to match Jamie’s as he stared at her in one of his dress shirts. It was buttoned down the front with the sleeves rolled up, and after forcing his eyes away from her body, he looked up into her eyes.
“This might be the last time I can do this and look good. In a few months, I’ll be too pregnant to do this.” She stepped back so Jamie could come in, and after shutting the door behind him, she turned to see him still staring at her.
“You’d look good no matter what.” He waited for her to walk beside him, and then he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, his hand hanging down in front of her so she could hold it. And in the moment they approached the living room, Jamie pulled Cassidy into him tighter, seeing the setup she had put together.
Cassidy led him to the blankets and then sat down with him, immediately leaning in to kiss his lips quickly. He smiled against her skin and wrapped his large arms around her back, wasting no time in cupping and squeezing her ass playfully. She giggled and pulled her lips away from his, looking up into his eyes as he cradled and laid her back along the blankets with him on top of her.
As she reached for the button on his slacks, Jamie looked down to watch her and tucked his fingertips into the waist to push them down his legs for her. With his pants down, Cassidy pulled at his boxer briefs, bucking her hips upwards to meet his. Jamie bent down and kissed her lips slowly, nudging to the side to get to her neck and nipped at it lightly.
She let out a light moan and reached for his hand, kissing his palm delicately as he fondled her neck. And with him distracted, she wrapped her lips around his index finger, knowing his attention would shift at the feeling of her tongue circling it. The way she was sucking, suggested that it could be something else in her mouth, and the moment Jamie realized it, he crawled away from her and repositioned himself in front of her head with Cassidy flipping over onto her stomach.
With his underwear down, Jamie wrapped his hand around his shaft, and got closer to Cassidy’s mouth. She dropped it open, sticking her tongue out to tease the tip of his cock as he pushed it into her mouth, and once she closed her lips around him, creating a tight seal, his own mouth dropped open and twisted into a pleased smile. Cassidy dragged her tongue along his length, paying most attention to the head while her hand stroked and squeezed his shaft.
Jamie grinned through tightly pursed lips and flicked Cassidy’s blonde, wavy hair away from her face. “Jesus,” he groaned, tilting his head to the side to get a better view.
She flicked her eyes up to meet his and smirked as she pulled her lips away from him, strands of her saliva snapping back. Cassidy wiped her lips quickly and sat up in front of Jamie, cupping her hands over his length as he nimbly undid the buttons of her shirt. As the fabric fell away from her chest, he leaned in and bent down to kiss her collarbone, trailing his lips over her soft skin. Instead of pushing his dress shirt past her shoulders, just having it open sufficed. With it having been at least a week since they actually had time to themselves, Jamie really wasted no time in making sure they got to the good stuff.
He pulled Cassidy into his lap, her legs straddling his waist. All he had to do was lean back on his hands, kissing her back passionately as she worked herself closer to the point until she’d be ready to have him inside her.
Cassidy groaned and twisted awake with a stabbing pain in her chest. Sleeping on hardwood floor had done a number on her body, and now she was paying for it. Beside her, was the empty space where Jamie had spent the night. The pillows and blankets lay disturbed in his absence, and after Cassidy pulled his dress shirt back over her shoulders, she went off to explore the house and find her fiancé in the process.
Just when Cassidy thought the house wasn’t outrageously big, she got a firsthand lesson in the floor plan of a five-bedroom house. She found it almost comedic that behind every door she opened just revealed another empty room. She climbed the stairs, thinking she’d searched through every square foot of the first floor, and began to meander through the hallways of the upper level.
It was then that she saw Jamie standing in the middle of a bright room, his arms folded across his chest, as he seemed to be in his own state of thought. Cassidy snuck up beside him and curled her hands around his bicep, touching her lips down against his shoulder.
“Good nursery… close to the master bedroom, nice and bright, plenty of space. With a nice coat of paint and some furniture, could be quite a room,”
Cassidy smiled, “you’re killing me with the baby talk. You’re too adorable already being papa bear.”
“I’m not adorable… handsome, rugged, chiseled…” He glanced down at her and leaned in to kiss her forehead.
“Whatever you are, I like this room for the nursery too. But maybe we should hold off on planning that until everything’s laid out for the wedding.” She spun around and wrapped her arms around his waist, “I’m meeting with the florist and caterer today. And I’m dress shopping tomorrow with Kennedy. And then while you’re on your next road trip, I’m meeting with a few people for either a DJ or band, and with the cake decorator. Invitations are being mailed out in three days, and you have to make sure you sort out the suit or tux situation for you and your groomsmen.”
“You’re going to be a busy little girl,” Jamie set his hands on either side of Cassidy’s neck. “I’ll do the tux thing later. I’m just gonna have Jordie and Tyler.”
“Don’t wait until the last minute. I don’t want to see you at the altar in your knickers,” She smiled and backed up, padding out of the bedroom, “I won’t be at the game tomorrow, but call me before you enter the house so I can make sure the dress is hidden.”
Jamie muttered a response, which sounded like an explanation that seeing the dress before the wedding day actually wasn’t bad luck, but Cassidy ignored him and meandered through the rest of the empty house. Within an hour or so, Jamie would be spending the day in Frisco, and Cassidy would be starting the day with meetings upon meetings to make final arrangements for the wedding.
Without Jamie serving as a distraction, Cassidy was able to drag herself away from the palace she considered their new home to be, and got to Jamie and Jordie’s house with just enough time to shower up and get changed. She just narrowly avoided being late to the appointment with the florist, who seemed genuinely pleased to see her despite waiting a bit longer for her arrival.
Flowers, food, cake, music… that was all the easy stuff to the wedding. When it got down to it, people would forget what food they had, they’d forget the floral arrangements on the tables, and they’d surely forget which music they danced to, but come tomorrow, that decision would be much harder.
Choosing the right dress to be married in seemed to be the most important decision of them all, because a bride not only wanted to look modest, but sexy as well. For a dress she’d only spend a few hours in, Cassidy wanted to make sure it was the right one. She wasn’t quite sure how’d she know when the right dress appeared; usually it was evident when the bride’s mother burst into soft sobs. But seeing as though she didn’t have a mother, and the only person accompanying her would be Kennedy, she feared they might accidentally miss or pass by the right dress.
With all this on her mind, it was hard to focus on tulips and roses and orchids. The color scheme for the wedding was all planned out. With the rustic-ness of the barn, Cassidy wanted that aspect to shine, while flashy colors could take a back seat. Mostly everything in terms of decoration would be white, as to not draw attention away from everything else. And with a pale green as an accent, the splash of color would add a lively feel.
Even though Jamie would be fronting the bill for it all, the outcome of the planning would be a surprise to him until the wedding day. With charges piling up almost on a daily basis, he didn’t really ask too many questions about it. But Cassidy doubted his lack of inquisition came from a place of not caring. More than likely, he trusted her enough to know that she wouldn’t parade around Dallas, flaunting and spending his money extravagantly. Which, that was true. Beneath every swipe of the credit card was a twinge of guilt.
After spending more time with the florist than intended, Cassidy settled on arranged bouquets of white tulips and dogwood flowers. She then rushed over to the caterer, nearly tripping over her own feet as she hurried into the kitchen. The caterer wasn’t as pleasant as the florist had been. He was more business, less casual, and was purely focused on the food. He was adamant on keeping the meeting to under an hour, so right as Cassidy stepped in, plates of steak, chicken, fish, and vegetables were being thrust into her face.
Overall, she couldn’t complain. Spending the day eating free food seemed like a good way to waste time, and the food was good. The steak was mouthwatering, a perfect medium-rare. With the caterer getting antsy, Cassidy eventually decided on the chicken and steak options, and told him she’d be in touch.
Jamie had texted her awhile after her meetings had finished, just as he was on his way back to Dallas from Frisco. Cassidy had every intention of going back to the house, greeting him after practice, but as she was walking back to her car, she passed by an animal shelter where a small family was walking out with a puppy. Her heart almost caught in her throat, and she ditched the idea of getting to her car, and entered the shelter, heading for the dogs.
She replied to Jamie’s message, letting him know where she was so he wouldn’t worry, and then dropped her cell phone into her purse, crouching down at the first kennel, where a little terrier stood at the metal gate, shaking his butt, which simultaneously wagged his tail. He was just as excited to see her as she was to see him, and she poked her fingers past the bars, rubbing the top of his snout softly while murmuring baby noises to it.
After spending some time with the terrier, she scooted down to the next kennel, looking in at a thin-looking German Shepherd. The tag said her name was Lily, and despite being an outgoing breed, the dog sat timid by the water bowl, staring at Cassidy cautiously.
“I’m not gonna hurt you, honey…” Cassidy spoke quietly but higher than usual. She tucked her fingertips around the bars. “You’re a pretty girl, Lily.” The dog looked around nervously, “It’s okay, it’s okay.”
Cassidy sat still, mumbling softly until a few minutes later, Lily approached the gate slowly, each step taken deliberately. When she got to the bars, she sniffed Cassidy’s fingers, taking her time before eventually nuzzling against them. Cassidy smiled and stroked the dog gently. As employees of the shelter passed by, they all seemed equally surprised that Lily had approached her at all.
She went down the line of kennels, spending a little time with each dog, and then when she got to the last kennel and looked in, she locked her eyes on the two puppies jumping at the gates, vying for her attention. A delighted squeal escaped her lips, and when she bent down to pet them, an employee approached beside her.
“They just got here a few days ago, and because they’re puppies, we don’t expect them to be here for very long. If you want them, I wouldn’t wait to buy them.” The woman paused, “would like to sit in there with them?”
Cassidy smiled and nodded eagerly. Once the employee opened up the gate, Cassidy shuffled in, being bombarded by the hyperactive puppies. She sat down and paid attention to both of them equally as she looked up at the gate, reading their information.
They were Rhodesian Ridgebacks, just seven weeks old, both males, and not yet given names by the shelter. For their age, they were already gigantic, and judging by their paw size, there wasn’t any sign of slowing down the growth process. When she looked back down at the puppies, they had settled down only slightly, still clinging to her. And that’s when she heard the voice she swore she’d never forget.
“When you said you’d be at the shelter, I didn’t think you’d actually be in the shelter,” Jamie smiled and pulled open the gate for himself. This riled the puppies all over again and they wrestled to get to him as he sat beside Cassidy and pecked her lips quickly.
“I’m in love with them. That one’s Truman,” she pointed to the one in Jamie’s lap and then looked down at the puppy cradled in her arms, “and this one’s Shiloh.”
“Cassidy you shouldn’t name them. You’re getting too attached, and it’s going to kill you when someone adopts them.” Subconsciously, Jamie ran his fingertips over the ridge along the puppy’s back.
“Well then we should adopt them,”
“You know we can’t right now. We just bought a new house, you’re planning the wedding, and I’m pretty much on the road for the rest of the season. Plus after the wedding, we’re heading off on a honeymoon, and we can’t just leave them with someone; they’ll be huge by then.”
Cassidy nodded, knowing that Jamie was ultimately right. She shouldn’t be naming things that were not hers to name in the first place. But how could she not want to? These puppies were acting like children, depending on her to keep them safe and take care of them. And she wanted to, but now just wasn’t the time.
“If we can’t have these puppies, I think we should have puppies like them. Big dogs, no little dogs. Something our kids could climb all over and not worry about hurting.”
Jamie moved the puppy out of his lap and pushed against the ground to stand up, reaching for Cassidy’s hand, “okay, okay.” When they were both standing and reaching for the gate, the puppies jumped at their legs, “bye guys.”
The road trip ended on a good note with the Stars getting another win in Winnipeg. Back in Dallas, the answering machine was riddled with messages from the real estate agent, rattling off information about the house. In her eyes, they didn’t have very long to come to an agreement on the price. Despite the negotiations that Jamie had been going through with the sellers, they didn’t want to go below two million, yet they desperately wanted to be able to say they sold their house to Jamie Benn.
After Cassidy pleaded with him to make the deal, Jamie called up the agent, said they’d approve the price, and on February 1st despite being jetlagged they went off to sign the paperwork. Within a few hours, they could call themselves homeowners. And although it would take awhile for the escrow to go through, as a couple they could say they had bought a place together. Even if it was Jamie’s money that had paid for it, Cassidy felt like this new house would be more like hers than Jamie’s current house ever could be.
With all the traveling that the team would be doing for the rest of the season, most of the work on the house would have to be done in the offseason. And plus with all the planning that Cassidy was doing for the upcoming wedding, there wasn’t much time for anything else. Right now, they were both going a hundred miles an hour, practically running on fumes. But after April, they’d be able to slow down a little bit more.
The first game of a short two game home stand could’ve ended better, but considering all things, at least the team came out with a point. As he usually did, Jamie called after he was done with the press and ready to come home.
“Come to the new house,” Cassidy murmured, smiling to herself.
“Why? There’s no furniture there; we don’t even have a key.”
“Because I’m there,” she could hear the car door shut, and the engine roar to life.
“You broke into our house?” Jamie chuckled.
“Yeah, we’re definitely going to need a security system because that was way too easy.” She paused, “so get here quick, because I might get stolen.”
He laughed again, “alright I’m on my way. And try not to get stolen, that’d put a damper on my night.”
Cassidy smiled as she put her cell phone away. Despite probably looking suspicious, she began lighting candles and setting them down throughout the living room. And by the time Jamie gently knocked at the front door, the flames dimly illuminated the blankets and pillows she had laid out for them.
She looked down at herself and then went to the door, pulling it open. Her expression changed to match Jamie’s as he stared at her in one of his dress shirts. It was buttoned down the front with the sleeves rolled up, and after forcing his eyes away from her body, he looked up into her eyes.
“This might be the last time I can do this and look good. In a few months, I’ll be too pregnant to do this.” She stepped back so Jamie could come in, and after shutting the door behind him, she turned to see him still staring at her.
“You’d look good no matter what.” He waited for her to walk beside him, and then he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, his hand hanging down in front of her so she could hold it. And in the moment they approached the living room, Jamie pulled Cassidy into him tighter, seeing the setup she had put together.
Cassidy led him to the blankets and then sat down with him, immediately leaning in to kiss his lips quickly. He smiled against her skin and wrapped his large arms around her back, wasting no time in cupping and squeezing her ass playfully. She giggled and pulled her lips away from his, looking up into his eyes as he cradled and laid her back along the blankets with him on top of her.
As she reached for the button on his slacks, Jamie looked down to watch her and tucked his fingertips into the waist to push them down his legs for her. With his pants down, Cassidy pulled at his boxer briefs, bucking her hips upwards to meet his. Jamie bent down and kissed her lips slowly, nudging to the side to get to her neck and nipped at it lightly.
She let out a light moan and reached for his hand, kissing his palm delicately as he fondled her neck. And with him distracted, she wrapped her lips around his index finger, knowing his attention would shift at the feeling of her tongue circling it. The way she was sucking, suggested that it could be something else in her mouth, and the moment Jamie realized it, he crawled away from her and repositioned himself in front of her head with Cassidy flipping over onto her stomach.
With his underwear down, Jamie wrapped his hand around his shaft, and got closer to Cassidy’s mouth. She dropped it open, sticking her tongue out to tease the tip of his cock as he pushed it into her mouth, and once she closed her lips around him, creating a tight seal, his own mouth dropped open and twisted into a pleased smile. Cassidy dragged her tongue along his length, paying most attention to the head while her hand stroked and squeezed his shaft.
Jamie grinned through tightly pursed lips and flicked Cassidy’s blonde, wavy hair away from her face. “Jesus,” he groaned, tilting his head to the side to get a better view.
She flicked her eyes up to meet his and smirked as she pulled her lips away from him, strands of her saliva snapping back. Cassidy wiped her lips quickly and sat up in front of Jamie, cupping her hands over his length as he nimbly undid the buttons of her shirt. As the fabric fell away from her chest, he leaned in and bent down to kiss her collarbone, trailing his lips over her soft skin. Instead of pushing his dress shirt past her shoulders, just having it open sufficed. With it having been at least a week since they actually had time to themselves, Jamie really wasted no time in making sure they got to the good stuff.
He pulled Cassidy into his lap, her legs straddling his waist. All he had to do was lean back on his hands, kissing her back passionately as she worked herself closer to the point until she’d be ready to have him inside her.
Cassidy groaned and twisted awake with a stabbing pain in her chest. Sleeping on hardwood floor had done a number on her body, and now she was paying for it. Beside her, was the empty space where Jamie had spent the night. The pillows and blankets lay disturbed in his absence, and after Cassidy pulled his dress shirt back over her shoulders, she went off to explore the house and find her fiancé in the process.
Just when Cassidy thought the house wasn’t outrageously big, she got a firsthand lesson in the floor plan of a five-bedroom house. She found it almost comedic that behind every door she opened just revealed another empty room. She climbed the stairs, thinking she’d searched through every square foot of the first floor, and began to meander through the hallways of the upper level.
It was then that she saw Jamie standing in the middle of a bright room, his arms folded across his chest, as he seemed to be in his own state of thought. Cassidy snuck up beside him and curled her hands around his bicep, touching her lips down against his shoulder.
“Good nursery… close to the master bedroom, nice and bright, plenty of space. With a nice coat of paint and some furniture, could be quite a room,”
Cassidy smiled, “you’re killing me with the baby talk. You’re too adorable already being papa bear.”
“I’m not adorable… handsome, rugged, chiseled…” He glanced down at her and leaned in to kiss her forehead.
“Whatever you are, I like this room for the nursery too. But maybe we should hold off on planning that until everything’s laid out for the wedding.” She spun around and wrapped her arms around his waist, “I’m meeting with the florist and caterer today. And I’m dress shopping tomorrow with Kennedy. And then while you’re on your next road trip, I’m meeting with a few people for either a DJ or band, and with the cake decorator. Invitations are being mailed out in three days, and you have to make sure you sort out the suit or tux situation for you and your groomsmen.”
“You’re going to be a busy little girl,” Jamie set his hands on either side of Cassidy’s neck. “I’ll do the tux thing later. I’m just gonna have Jordie and Tyler.”
“Don’t wait until the last minute. I don’t want to see you at the altar in your knickers,” She smiled and backed up, padding out of the bedroom, “I won’t be at the game tomorrow, but call me before you enter the house so I can make sure the dress is hidden.”
Jamie muttered a response, which sounded like an explanation that seeing the dress before the wedding day actually wasn’t bad luck, but Cassidy ignored him and meandered through the rest of the empty house. Within an hour or so, Jamie would be spending the day in Frisco, and Cassidy would be starting the day with meetings upon meetings to make final arrangements for the wedding.
Without Jamie serving as a distraction, Cassidy was able to drag herself away from the palace she considered their new home to be, and got to Jamie and Jordie’s house with just enough time to shower up and get changed. She just narrowly avoided being late to the appointment with the florist, who seemed genuinely pleased to see her despite waiting a bit longer for her arrival.
Flowers, food, cake, music… that was all the easy stuff to the wedding. When it got down to it, people would forget what food they had, they’d forget the floral arrangements on the tables, and they’d surely forget which music they danced to, but come tomorrow, that decision would be much harder.
Choosing the right dress to be married in seemed to be the most important decision of them all, because a bride not only wanted to look modest, but sexy as well. For a dress she’d only spend a few hours in, Cassidy wanted to make sure it was the right one. She wasn’t quite sure how’d she know when the right dress appeared; usually it was evident when the bride’s mother burst into soft sobs. But seeing as though she didn’t have a mother, and the only person accompanying her would be Kennedy, she feared they might accidentally miss or pass by the right dress.
With all this on her mind, it was hard to focus on tulips and roses and orchids. The color scheme for the wedding was all planned out. With the rustic-ness of the barn, Cassidy wanted that aspect to shine, while flashy colors could take a back seat. Mostly everything in terms of decoration would be white, as to not draw attention away from everything else. And with a pale green as an accent, the splash of color would add a lively feel.
Even though Jamie would be fronting the bill for it all, the outcome of the planning would be a surprise to him until the wedding day. With charges piling up almost on a daily basis, he didn’t really ask too many questions about it. But Cassidy doubted his lack of inquisition came from a place of not caring. More than likely, he trusted her enough to know that she wouldn’t parade around Dallas, flaunting and spending his money extravagantly. Which, that was true. Beneath every swipe of the credit card was a twinge of guilt.
After spending more time with the florist than intended, Cassidy settled on arranged bouquets of white tulips and dogwood flowers. She then rushed over to the caterer, nearly tripping over her own feet as she hurried into the kitchen. The caterer wasn’t as pleasant as the florist had been. He was more business, less casual, and was purely focused on the food. He was adamant on keeping the meeting to under an hour, so right as Cassidy stepped in, plates of steak, chicken, fish, and vegetables were being thrust into her face.
Overall, she couldn’t complain. Spending the day eating free food seemed like a good way to waste time, and the food was good. The steak was mouthwatering, a perfect medium-rare. With the caterer getting antsy, Cassidy eventually decided on the chicken and steak options, and told him she’d be in touch.
Jamie had texted her awhile after her meetings had finished, just as he was on his way back to Dallas from Frisco. Cassidy had every intention of going back to the house, greeting him after practice, but as she was walking back to her car, she passed by an animal shelter where a small family was walking out with a puppy. Her heart almost caught in her throat, and she ditched the idea of getting to her car, and entered the shelter, heading for the dogs.
She replied to Jamie’s message, letting him know where she was so he wouldn’t worry, and then dropped her cell phone into her purse, crouching down at the first kennel, where a little terrier stood at the metal gate, shaking his butt, which simultaneously wagged his tail. He was just as excited to see her as she was to see him, and she poked her fingers past the bars, rubbing the top of his snout softly while murmuring baby noises to it.
After spending some time with the terrier, she scooted down to the next kennel, looking in at a thin-looking German Shepherd. The tag said her name was Lily, and despite being an outgoing breed, the dog sat timid by the water bowl, staring at Cassidy cautiously.
“I’m not gonna hurt you, honey…” Cassidy spoke quietly but higher than usual. She tucked her fingertips around the bars. “You’re a pretty girl, Lily.” The dog looked around nervously, “It’s okay, it’s okay.”
Cassidy sat still, mumbling softly until a few minutes later, Lily approached the gate slowly, each step taken deliberately. When she got to the bars, she sniffed Cassidy’s fingers, taking her time before eventually nuzzling against them. Cassidy smiled and stroked the dog gently. As employees of the shelter passed by, they all seemed equally surprised that Lily had approached her at all.
She went down the line of kennels, spending a little time with each dog, and then when she got to the last kennel and looked in, she locked her eyes on the two puppies jumping at the gates, vying for her attention. A delighted squeal escaped her lips, and when she bent down to pet them, an employee approached beside her.
“They just got here a few days ago, and because they’re puppies, we don’t expect them to be here for very long. If you want them, I wouldn’t wait to buy them.” The woman paused, “would like to sit in there with them?”
Cassidy smiled and nodded eagerly. Once the employee opened up the gate, Cassidy shuffled in, being bombarded by the hyperactive puppies. She sat down and paid attention to both of them equally as she looked up at the gate, reading their information.
They were Rhodesian Ridgebacks, just seven weeks old, both males, and not yet given names by the shelter. For their age, they were already gigantic, and judging by their paw size, there wasn’t any sign of slowing down the growth process. When she looked back down at the puppies, they had settled down only slightly, still clinging to her. And that’s when she heard the voice she swore she’d never forget.
“When you said you’d be at the shelter, I didn’t think you’d actually be in the shelter,” Jamie smiled and pulled open the gate for himself. This riled the puppies all over again and they wrestled to get to him as he sat beside Cassidy and pecked her lips quickly.
“I’m in love with them. That one’s Truman,” she pointed to the one in Jamie’s lap and then looked down at the puppy cradled in her arms, “and this one’s Shiloh.”
“Cassidy you shouldn’t name them. You’re getting too attached, and it’s going to kill you when someone adopts them.” Subconsciously, Jamie ran his fingertips over the ridge along the puppy’s back.
“Well then we should adopt them,”
“You know we can’t right now. We just bought a new house, you’re planning the wedding, and I’m pretty much on the road for the rest of the season. Plus after the wedding, we’re heading off on a honeymoon, and we can’t just leave them with someone; they’ll be huge by then.”
Cassidy nodded, knowing that Jamie was ultimately right. She shouldn’t be naming things that were not hers to name in the first place. But how could she not want to? These puppies were acting like children, depending on her to keep them safe and take care of them. And she wanted to, but now just wasn’t the time.
“If we can’t have these puppies, I think we should have puppies like them. Big dogs, no little dogs. Something our kids could climb all over and not worry about hurting.”
Jamie moved the puppy out of his lap and pushed against the ground to stand up, reaching for Cassidy’s hand, “okay, okay.” When they were both standing and reaching for the gate, the puppies jumped at their legs, “bye guys.”
Notes
This chapter is titled after "Homegrown" by Zac Brown Band.
Hope you all enjoy this chapter. I'm going to post another one tonight or tomorrow, and then not again until early October.
please update!!!!
5/2/16