am,” I said.
“See, I told you, Momma,” the little boy in the buggy said. He had to be about eight years old; his whole face was beaming. He had on a red and white football jersey, the colors of our local Belmont team.
“What position do you play?” I asked him.
He puffed up his chest. “Linebacker, just like you. I want to be you when I grow up.”
I burst out laughing. “Is that so?” I walked over and gave him a high five. “I bet you’ll be better than me one day. Maybe I’ll see you on TV.”
He nodded vigorously. “You know it.”
His mother held up her phone. “Do you mind if I take a picture of you two? The odds of this happening again are slim to none.”
“Of course,” I agreed, lifting her son in my arms. He held on tight and giggled the entire time. I loved kids. They were always so full of life and eager to learn. The camera flashed, and I set the boy back in the cart. “Take care, little man.”
They walked off, and the second I turned back to my buggy, a woman with a warm smile greeted me. She had on the same pink scrubs, but now her hair was down, framing her heart-shaped face. “I guess you can’t go anywhere without someone noticing you, can you?” she asked.
“Not usually, but I don’t mind it.”
“So what are you doing here? I figured a person like you would have someone who did this stuff for you.”
I crossed my arms over my chest, narrowing my gaze humorously. “Are you saying I’m not capable of doing my own grocery shopping?”
“Oh my God, no, not at all. I just figured…” She slapped a hand on her forehead and chuckled. “What I wanted to say was that I didn’t think high-profile players would just go out in public and do their shopping. I guess if I were you, I’d be worried about being mobbed by my fans.”
I shook my head. “This is a small town. Nothing like that has happened to me yet. Now, when I go to my hometown in Oneida, that’s a different story. It can get pretty crazy there.”
“I’ll bet. You’re a superstar there.” She glanced at the contents in my cart and lifted her brows. “You must love steak.”
“I’m a growing boy, what can I say?” I teased. I copied her and looked into her cart. “And you must love ice cream.” The second I’d said it, I wished I could take it back. I knew better than to tease a woman who ate sweets. Most women would think I was calling them fat. Luckily, she shook her head and grinned.
“If you look closely, Mr. McLaughlin, you’ll see that the ice cream is made for dogs. I give it to my patients as treats. They love it.”
I groaned and bit my lip. “Sorry about that. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
She giggled and waved me off. “No worries. I do love me some ice cream, though. I’m sure by the weekend, I’ll be back to grab a couple of pints for me.”
“Speaking of your patients, how’s the dog from the other night doing?” I questioned.
Her face brightened. “Amazingly well. He can’t walk on his own just yet, but we put him in a doggie walker that helps dogs with missing limbs get around; it works perfectly. You should come by and visit him. I bet he’d love to see his other rescuer.”
There was no way I could tell her no, not with the way she smiled at me. “I might just do that,” I told her.
“Great, I can’t wait. Bear will love it.”
“You named him Bear?”
She shrugged. “It was the first name off the top of my head. What’s funny is that he responds to it. I guess he likes it.”
“That’s a good thing.” We stared at each other for a second before she tore her gaze away.
“I should probably let you go. I’m sure you have more important things to do than talk to me.” Actually, I didn’t. I quite enjoyed talking to her, much more than I cared to admit. She started to walk off but stopped and reached into her purse. “Oh, before I forget. I meant to give this to you the other night.” She pulled out my phone and handed it to me. “It’s
“See, I told you, Momma,” the little boy in the buggy said. He had to be about eight years old; his whole face was beaming. He had on a red and white football jersey, the colors of our local Belmont team.
“What position do you play?” I asked him.
He puffed up his chest. “Linebacker, just like you. I want to be you when I grow up.”
I burst out laughing. “Is that so?” I walked over and gave him a high five. “I bet you’ll be better than me one day. Maybe I’ll see you on TV.”
He nodded vigorously. “You know it.”
His mother held up her phone. “Do you mind if I take a picture of you two? The odds of this happening again are slim to none.”
“Of course,” I agreed, lifting her son in my arms. He held on tight and giggled the entire time. I loved kids. They were always so full of life and eager to learn. The camera flashed, and I set the boy back in the cart. “Take care, little man.”
They walked off, and the second I turned back to my buggy, a woman with a warm smile greeted me. She had on the same pink scrubs, but now her hair was down, framing her heart-shaped face. “I guess you can’t go anywhere without someone noticing you, can you?” she asked.
“Not usually, but I don’t mind it.”
“So what are you doing here? I figured a person like you would have someone who did this stuff for you.”
I crossed my arms over my chest, narrowing my gaze humorously. “Are you saying I’m not capable of doing my own grocery shopping?”
“Oh my God, no, not at all. I just figured…” She slapped a hand on her forehead and chuckled. “What I wanted to say was that I didn’t think high-profile players would just go out in public and do their shopping. I guess if I were you, I’d be worried about being mobbed by my fans.”
I shook my head. “This is a small town. Nothing like that has happened to me yet. Now, when I go to my hometown in Oneida, that’s a different story. It can get pretty crazy there.”
“I’ll bet. You’re a superstar there.” She glanced at the contents in my cart and lifted her brows. “You must love steak.”
“I’m a growing boy, what can I say?” I teased. I copied her and looked into her cart. “And you must love ice cream.” The second I’d said it, I wished I could take it back. I knew better than to tease a woman who ate sweets. Most women would think I was calling them fat. Luckily, she shook her head and grinned.
“If you look closely, Mr. McLaughlin, you’ll see that the ice cream is made for dogs. I give it to my patients as treats. They love it.”
I groaned and bit my lip. “Sorry about that. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
She giggled and waved me off. “No worries. I do love me some ice cream, though. I’m sure by the weekend, I’ll be back to grab a couple of pints for me.”
“Speaking of your patients, how’s the dog from the other night doing?” I questioned.
Her face brightened. “Amazingly well. He can’t walk on his own just yet, but we put him in a doggie walker that helps dogs with missing limbs get around; it works perfectly. You should come by and visit him. I bet he’d love to see his other rescuer.”
There was no way I could tell her no, not with the way she smiled at me. “I might just do that,” I told her.
“Great, I can’t wait. Bear will love it.”
“You named him Bear?”
She shrugged. “It was the first name off the top of my head. What’s funny is that he responds to it. I guess he likes it.”
“That’s a good thing.” We stared at each other for a second before she tore her gaze away.
“I should probably let you go. I’m sure you have more important things to do than talk to me.” Actually, I didn’t. I quite enjoyed talking to her, much more than I cared to admit. She started to walk off but stopped and reached into her purse. “Oh, before I forget. I meant to give this to you the other night.” She pulled out my phone and handed it to me. “It’s
Similar Books
