Page 9 of Cole (Dirty Misfits MC 4)
Give me a quiet piece of property with a couple of nice neighbors any day of the week.
Still, after getting the kids fed, we decided to take Max to the dog park. I knew the kids wanted to get out of the house, so the dog park across town was perfect since it had a children’s park right beside it. We were at the park at least once a week, but the dog park was a new addition that I had been aching to check out for a while now.
So, we loaded ourselves into the SUV and headed for the other side of Santa Cruz.
“Whoa,” Cody whispered.
“Wait, is all of that the dog park?” Sandy asked.
I pulled into a parking space right between the two parks, and I had to admit that even I was shocked at the extent of the damned thing. The fenced-in portion of the dog park had to be at least half an acre, if not more, which was really hard to find in Santa Cruz. There were dogs of every breed, shape, and size frolicking about, and the little tunnels, stairs, and jungle gyms made specifically for their little paws made it all the more welcoming.
“Sandy, you get Max on a leash. Cody, make sure to grab his snacks and his bottled water. I’m going to pull out our cooler just in case we get peckish.”
We gathered everything we needed and headed straight for the dog park, but it didn’t take long for the kids to divert to their own playground. I sat by our cooler, batting dogs away softly while Max rushed around and sniffed other dogs. There was a leash law, so he couldn’t go very far, however that seemed to suit both of us just fine.
Until I heard Sandy raising her voice.
“Cut it out, Cody! Geez!”
Cody laughed heartily. “You can’t get me, na-na-na-na-boo-booooo!”
“Cut it out!”
“Hey! You two!” I exclaimed.
The kids turned to face me as I drew in another deep breath. “If I have to come over there, we’re going home. Got it?”
They nodded and quickly got back to playing, but I saw Cody out of the corner of my eye throwing mulch into Sandy’s hair.
“Hey!” I exclaimed as I stood. “What did I just tell you!?”
“See!?” Sandy shrieked as she pointed to her head.
I watched Cody turn and run into one of the tunnels and I got up from my seat. I wrapped Max’s leash around the leg of the bench we had sat on and jogged over toward the fence that separated the dog park from the kid’s park. And as I leaned over the top of it, I cupped my hands around my mouth.
“Cody Reeves! I need you over here right now!”
Cody sighed and hung his head as he walked toward me, but the second I heard Max’s bark sound, I peered over my shoulder. I settled myself back down onto my feet and watched in horror as the leash loosened up, came undone, and ultimately allowed for Max to shoot across the dog park on all fours, heading straight for the opened gate someone had forgotten to close.
“Max! No!” I exclaimed.
I took off running after him, trying to gain ground as his little legs made him look as if he were soaring across the ground at lightning speed. I lunged for him, trying to step on the leash and pick it up as the kids screamed for him. Sounds sort of blurred together as I watched in horror as Max made it to the opened gate. A few people darted around from all angles, trying to help me chase down this dog that had somehow turned into the business end of a bullet.
Then, out of nowhere, an angel stepped in his way.
“Whoa-ho-ho there, buddy! Where do you think you’re going?”
The kids clapped and yelled out their thanks behind me as I jogged up to the guy at the fence, breathless and sweating. I watched the brutish man bend down, allowing Max to sniff him before he petted his head.
And I saw a beautiful German shepherd sitting next to his side as he doted on Max.
“Oh, I know, that feels good doesn’t it? Yes, it does. My Opie likes to have that spot scratched, too. Yes, he does. Yes, yes, yes he does.”
Even in his crouched position, the man seemed… out of place. His leather jacket and rugged jeans made him stand out in the crowd of people that sported designer leggings, polished tennis shoes, and bedazzled water bottles. As he continued to pet Max, I noticed that his knuckles were marred with scars. I saw the briefest glimpse of what looked like a black-ink tattoo etched against his wrist.
But when his eyes turned up toward mine, he stole my breath away.
The man was positively gorgeous, and I found myself quickly helpless in his presence.
