Page 56 of Unrivaled Love (D.C. Renegades #2)
Bryson
Forced Fun by Felix Fornier
We’re headed to the playoffs. And we get a whopping two days off. Coach Bradford acknowledged our solid season clinching the playoffs two weeks ago as second highest point earner in the division behind Carolina, with a light skate this morning and an afternoon away from the arena.
But instead of crawling into bed and vegging out I’m meeting the boys for Felix organized team bonding.
Yoga-tta be kidding me! Guess what Felix has planned?
I couldn’t possibly begin to guess.
Puppy Yoga. I’m leaving my place now to drive to the studio.
LOL! Send videos or it didn’t happen.
You’re going to be wrecked after this class. Why would Felix do that with your first play off game on Sunday?
OMG Caroline just told me she’s going to be there too.
Damn, I wish I was there to see this.
I wish she was here, too. It physically hurts to miss her as much as I do.
This stretch of time away from each other has been a little easier.
It gets easier every time. But I wanted to be there when she took the field for her first game of the season for SLCFC.
Instead I was in a locker room in Toronto.
And I wanted to be waiting for her at home after the team’s first loss. I could see the defeat in her shoulders as she walked off the field with her hands on her hips.
I had to settle for a phone call as she drove home. I stayed up way past my self-imposed bedtime to talk to her but it was worth the drag I felt the next day.
But we’re figuring it out. And staying true to ourselves while doing our best to support each other.
Hockey players are way more bendy than soccer players.
Before I reach the door my phone buzzes in my hand.
Aiden might be. You? Doubt it.
Oh, it’s on.
***
Oh, it’s off.
Fuck. All I’m doing is holding a down dog pose with both my feet on the ground and the back of my legs from my heel to my ass are on fucking fire.
“Bry Guy, you okay?” Aiden asks cockily from the mat in front of me. He has barely broken a sweat .
“Yep, all good.” I say through gritted teeth. I close my eyes and try to breathe through the pain when something fuzzy rubs up against my arm. “Hey little guy.” I coo as I drop to my knees using the puppy as an excuse for leaving the pose early.
The pup nuzzles into my palm and I instantly forget the strain I was under.
Puppies are good for the soul.
The instructor asks us to roll to our backs so I pull the pup onto my chest and get into position for bridges.
“Hey teach, watch me.” Duncan calls out, pulling the attention of Elle, our instructor. He thrusts his hips up into the air quickly three or four times and she rolls her eyes.
“Speed isn’t important. Today is about increasing your range of motion and improving endurance.” She says and Felix slaps Duncan across the shoulder from the mat next to him.
“Stop hitting on my friend’s sister.” He scolds.
“Why?” Duncan asks. “Are you harboring feelings for Elle Thorne, Cap?” He teases.
I just bite my tongue and pet the puppy. Felix Fornier doesn’t talk about his love life much, if at all. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a thing for Elle but based on what I’ve seen so far today they’re almost like siblings.
“That is neither here nor there.” Felix replies as he slowly lifts his hips up into a bridge position.
I turn to look at Crosby who usually will help rein Dunc in if he’s getting too randy. Just over my shoulder, Crosby is laying on his back with three puppies surrounding him. One is laying on his feet. Another is snuggled up against his side. And a third has his nose nuzzled up in Crosby’s neck.
And Crocs is fast asleep.
I’ve never seen him look so peaceful.
“Now if you’re able, pull your right ankle over your knee for a Supine Pigeon hold. Thread your hands through the opening between your legs and pull gently towards your chest.” Elle leads. “We’ll hold for a minute here, switch, and move into the final resting position.”
I keep the pup on my chest as I stretch. Again my legs burn but it feels good. I might end up using my foam roller at home as I settle in to watch Jo’s afternoon game today. Really work out any knots I have left before the playoffs start.
Two of the puppies that were on Crosby make their way over on floppy legs and jump on my stomach. I huff out the breath I was holding and switch legs as they move on to terrorize Caroline’s long ponytail.
The door to the studio opens behind us and Harper’s friend Wes walks in with the group from the shelter who brought the dogs in.
I give him a little nod because he was the camera man for a FaceTime between Harper and Aiden last year that I coordinated.
I know Felix takes credit for getting them together, but no one remembers what I did to keep their connection alive.
Elle guides us to a seated position, except Crosby who is dozing away.
“We are honored you took the time to do puppy yoga with our four legged friends today.” The shelter employee starts.
“They each have a profile on Forever Home and we’d love to use your star power to draw in some new interested families.
Do you mind if we take some photos real quick of you with the dogs? ”
“We’d be honored.” Felix says.
“Shirts on or off?” Duncan asks as he flexes and flicks his gaze to Elle. I laugh because she actually blushes.
The room returns to life and I gently wake Crosby as Elle’s brother, Austin Thorne, comes in followed by two blondes. One is his fiancè, Maggie, who I have met a few times through Felix, and the other is new to me but she has a camera slung around her neck .
She organizes us into a line and sets up a mini backdrop near the window.
The staff members fix little shamrock bandanas on the puppies.
We take our turns smiling with the pups and she snaps picture after picture.
Lydia is here with The Renegades social media team taking videos.
There will be lots of evidence for Jo to pick from.
I step up and the photographer extends her hand. “Liz Collins-Sutherland.”
“Nice to meet you, Bryson Svoboda.”
“Hi Bryson. You’ve got Peanut here for your photo and I’d love it if you could hoist him up so your eyes are at the same level and hold him there.”
“Okie dokie.”
I bring Peanut up to my face and smile. The brown spotted mutt turns and starts licking my cheek so I duck back and laugh and I hear the camera shutter going off in quick succession.
“Ohmigod. Perfect!” Liz cheers as she quickly glances through the shots.
“Got it?” I ask.
“All set, you can give Peanut back to Wes and the team.”
“Will do.”
I set Peanut down in the pen and grab my things to get ready to leave. As I do, I see Elle slide on a long-sleeved t-shirt with a book cover on the front.
Timeless Treasure.
The first pirate and princess time travel novel Jo and I read.
And role played.
“Umm, excuse me. Where did you get that shirt?” I ask her.
“My company. Why?”
“Your company?”
“Yes, I own GirlFox Publishing and we published this book last fall.”
“No way.” I am meeting a hero. I reach out and start shaking her hand up and down aggressively. “Thank you! I loved it. My girlfriend did, too. I can’ t believe I'm meeting the person responsible for getting it out there. The only thing better would be meeting the author. Bryn K. Lee is a genius.”
I’m rambling but my brain is short circuiting.
She laughs. “You’re welcome Bryson, I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
“Wow. Just, wow.” I let go of her hand and stand there staring for a moment.
“You good?” She asks.
“So good.” I grin. “Can I take a quick selfie for my girlfriend?”
“Sure.”
I turn around and snap a picture with Elle who holds the shirt taut so it’s easier to see the book cover. I stare down at the image after taking it, reveling in the feeling of meeting a hero of mine.
“Okay, then.” She claps her hands together and takes a step backwards away from me. “Oh look, your friend is taking a friend home.”
I turn around and see Crosby walking out of the studio with the puppy who was resting on his chest as he slept on a leash.
The dog’s paws flop in four different directions making little zig zag movements, and Crosby tries to keep a straight path.
I look up at Crosby’s face and the motherfucker has the biggest smile I’ve ever seen.
“You got a dog?” I ask, astonished.
“How could I not? Estelle here snuggled in and I haven’t been so relaxed in my entire life.”
“That’s great man.” I clap him on the shoulder. I don’t know how the man who has his coffee order timed down to the minute is going to handle a dog during the playoffs, but there’s no going back now.