Page 20 of No Rhyme or Roughing (The Golden Guardians Hockey Hearts #1)
CHAPTER TWENTY
RYDER
“What. Did. You. Do?” I stared down at my oldest friend as he sat on the floor of our living room, looking like he hadn’t just brought home a puppy. Not just any puppy—a golden retriever. Probably the neediest, most stubborn breed of dog.
And I loved them. Growing up, my neighbors had two golden retrievers, and I’d begged and pleaded with my mom to get me one. Sullivan and I even gave her a whole lecture about how it would teach us responsibility. But there was never enough money.
Unlike with Teddy. He had more money than sense.
He grinned up at me, cradling the dog in his lap. “Don’t be mad. He’ll hear you. ”
“He’s a dog. One currently peeing in your lap.”
“Oh, shit.” Teddy jumped up, holding the puppy out in front of him. “Hold on, baby!”
I would’ve laughed under any other circumstance, seeing Teddy sprint for the front door.
Instead, I rubbed my eyes and glared at Sydney, who was sitting on the couch, laughter rolling through her.
“This isn’t funny.”
“Teddy just got a living, breathing puppy,” she said, her grin widening. “He can barely take care of himself.”
She wasn’t wrong. If Rowan didn’t cook for him, Teddy would probably survive on DoorDash. And if I didn’t clean, this house would be a disaster zone.
I collapsed onto the couch beside her. “I just got a dog, didn’t I?”
Teddy returned, tossing the dog to Sydney before peeling off his pants. The pee had soaked through to his boxers. When he started to remove those too, I yelled, “Whoa!”
Sydney added, “No, no, no!”
He rolled his eyes and headed for the stairs, leaving the two of us with the puppy. The little guy circled once before curling up against Sydney.
“You have to admit, he’s the cutest thing you’ve ever seen,” she said, scratching him behind the ears. He leaned into her hand, clearly wanting more.
I sighed. “Of course he is. I want to stare at him for hours and let him nap with me. But that doesn’t mean we should have a puppy in this house.”
“That was… intense.” She leaned forward, burying her nose against his fur. “Mmm, he smells good. Like new puppy. ”
“There’s no such thing as a new puppy smell.”
“I beg to differ.” She tilted her head, still nuzzling the pup. “Smell his breath.”
“What? No.”
“Smell his breath, Ryder.”
After everything I’d confessed to her today, I couldn’t say no. I leaned in, taking a cautious sniff near the puppy’s mouth. My face was close to hers, her citrusy scent mingling with something… sweet.
“See?” Her smile softened. “Perfect, right?”
She was. I forced myself to lean back.
The puppy opened one eye and gave me a look—almost territorial. Like he too had claimed her.
I sighed again. “We’re keeping this dog, aren’t we?”
“Yes,” she hummed into his fur. “You are.”
Heavy thudding on the stairs announced Teddy’s return. He froze when he saw his sister. “No.” He crossed his arms. “You are not stealing this dog.”
“Too late.” She hugged the puppy possessively, locking eyes with her brother in a silent challenge.
Teddy huffed. “He’s meant to be inspiration for the team.”
“Okay.” She shrugged.
“His name is Guardian.”
“Fine.” She didn’t loosen her grip. “Where’s his crate? I think he’s tired.”
“Crate? You think I’m going to lock up my dog?”
Sydney closed her eyes, visibly summoning patience. I just watched.
“Okay, did you at least get food?”
Teddy frowned .
“Pee pads? A collar?” When he didn’t respond, she sighed. “What did you get?”
“Oh, I bought a lot.” He grabbed a bag by the door and handed it to Sydney. She rifled through it with her free hand.
“These are all toys.” She looked up at him, unimpressed. “You bought a dog and only thought to get him toys?”
Teddy jutted his chin out stubbornly. “I wanted him to be happy.”
“He’ll be happier if he doesn’t starve to death.” She stood, passing Guardian into my arms. “Ryder, you’re on puppy duty. I’m taking my idiot brother to the pet store.”
“Me? I—” I looked down at the puppy, at his tiny chest rising and falling as he slept. Damn, he really was adorable.
“He’ll be fine, Ted.” Sydney dragged her brother toward the door, grabbing her keys off the hook. “See? Ryder’s already a devotee to the almighty Guardian.”
I didn’t watch them leave. Instead, I focused on the little ball of fur. He was so soft, so tiny, so perfect. And ours.
Sitting there and staring at him for hours didn’t feel like a chore. But my reverie was interrupted by the doorbell.
“Come in!” I yelled, expecting one of my teammates.
But it wasn’t a teammate. It was my brother.
“Sullie?” I tried to stand, but Guardian made a small noise in his throat, so I stayed put. Babies needed their sleep.
“Uh, Ry? There’s a puppy in your arms.” Sullivan moved closer, his eyes wide .
“I’m aware.”
One corner of his mouth quirked up. “Finally got your golden?”
So, he remembered. It was odd sharing every childhood memory with a man I could hardly speak to now.
“Teddy got him as the new team mascot.”
Sullivan grinned. “That’s brilliant.”
“Really? You think Teddy Valentine having a living creature to care for is a good idea?”
“It’s not just him. You and Rowan are here. And Sydney.”
Guardian stirred and tried to crawl toward Sullivan. Traitor. I scooted away, holding him tighter until he settled.
Sullivan laughed. “You could loosen up a bit.”
“As if I didn’t just dance on the ice during a game.”
He shook his head. “Yeah, but there’s a reason you did it. You’ll do anything for anyone, Ry, but nothing for yourself.”
“That’s not me anymore,” I muttered.
His smile fell. “I know. And I know why.”
I’d tried to be everything for Sam, and it hadn’t been enough. She’d made the right choice, though.
“If you apologize again,” I warned, “I might break your nose.”
“I believe you would.”
“Why are you here, Sul?”
He sighed. “I miss my brother.”
We used to be so close—us and Teddy, a trio. The last year had seen too much distance, and I’d hardly allowed myself to miss him. But I did.
“I know.” I sighed. “This sucks. ”
“Thanksgiving is next week.”
“It is.”
“Sam and I are cooking a big meal. Some of the guys are coming. I want you to be there. Bring Sydney. Sam apparently really likes her, and I’d like to get to know her as an adult if she’s the woman my brother lo?—”
“I don’t.” Shit, I shouldn’t have said that. “Syd and I aren’t really… that kiss was for Sam’s benefit.”
A laugh burst out of him. “That’s pure gold, bro. Sam is convinced you’ll end up married soon after us.”
I coughed. “Um. No.”
“I’ve gotta say, I’m a little relieved. How weird would it be for you and little Sydy to end up together? Man, she used to idolize you.”
“And you.”
“No.” He shook his head. “We might be twins, but she always saw a difference in us. It was always you.”
“You really think it would be weird?”
He clapped me on the back. “I know she’s older now, but all I see when I look at her is that honest-to-a-fault, loud kid.”
The kind of traits she’d suppressed in herself.
He stood. “Anyway, I hope to see you at Thanksgiving. Dinner will be at six but come before that.”
“I’ll think about it.”
He held my gaze for a moment before nodding. There was a whistle on his lips as he walked to the door and disappeared.
Weird . I hated that word. When I looked at Sydney, I didn’t see any of that. Instead, I saw her quiet confidence as she danced, the way she tried to disappear when she didn’t .
Guardian squirmed in my arms, and I set him on the ground. Digging through the bag of toys, I found a teething bone, and he snatched it from my hand.
“You and I are so screwed, boy.” Because both of us were too far gone for Sydney Valentine.