Chapter Five

Aiden

“ H opper, sit. Down. Stay. Dammit, come on, man.” I sigh in defeat. Hop prances around my feet, ignoring every cue I try. He wags his tail, sniffing everything he can, pulling on his leash with excitement, which used to not be a big deal, but at eight months old, he is rapidly gaining weight and strength.

I’ve always loved dogs. A house has always felt more like home with a dog there too. Despite the lack of training, having Hopper has been a comfort in my quiet apartment since I moved.

But looking around this puppy training class, I realize how the last few months have really gotten away from me. I managed to scramble to find dog sitters while I wrapped up the season. But with Hop growing quickly and adapting to his inconsistent environment, any effort I made at training, even the most basic signals, completely fell apart.

I know it’s my fault for adopting a puppy right before my season started, and I need to give him the attention and consistency he needs. Now that the season is over, I can finally offer him that.

There are seven other puppies here with their families spaced throughout the room, and I’m wondering if Hop and I might be in the wrong class. The other dogs are calm and quiet while Hop is on his back making fake puppy snow angels on the tile flooring. The wiggles have taken over, and I know what comes next—tail-chasing zoomies.

A man around my age looks over at me with sympathy while his puppy sits calmly on the other side of his wife. This is the beginners’ class, right? I know we’re joining this class late, but could we really have missed that much in three weeks?

Then the guy does a double take, looking back in my direction. “Hey, you’re Aiden Price?” I nod. “Wow, glad to have you in Columbus. You guys really looked great at the end of the season, man.”

“Thanks,” I say with a nod. “Hoping we get in the playoffs and make a run next year.”

The Center for Faithful Companions was the highest-rated dog training facility in the city when I researched my options online. Countless inspiring trainee testimonies flooded their website. Enough to make me hopeful that maybe Hop and I aren’t a lost cause trying too little too late. The receptionist assured me we could catch up despite being unable to make it to the first few sessions. She even mentioned that our trainer is a favorite among their clients.

The room is large enough to fit eight large-breed puppies and their families. Some people are here with their dogs alone, like me, with a few couples thrown in, and one family including kids. I’m sitting in a folding chair in the corner with Hop, who is now trying to climb my leg into my lap, all fifty-plus pounds of him.

“Good morning,” I hear from the doorway to my right.

Holy shit, Bec?

She walks to the center of the square room, clipboard tucked to her side.

I haven’t seen her since our run-in at Dom’s house three weeks ago. It might have been one of the most awkward moments I’ve ever experienced walking in on her fighting for her life in what I can only assume is the worst blowout in diaper history. I barely got the chance to appreciate her perfect body. It’s been years since I’ve seen her, admittedly never that much of her. Her sun-kissed skin is glowing, and her toned legs carry her around the room in skintight leggings, showing off her thick thighs. Her ass looks incredible, just like I remember, and her simple Center for Faithful Companions black T-shirt hugs tight enough for me to see her full chest.

What am I doing?

Stop staring .

She scans the room, speaking to the different groups getting ready for class. She’s obviously our trainer today, which answers the years-long question of what Bec does for a living.

“Welcome back, everyone, let’s start by running through last week’s lesson. I’ll make my rounds to each of you to see how everything is going before we jump into a few new skills.”

She scans her clipboard. “We also have a new pup joining us today, uh…Hopper?” She calls out, quickly looking around the room to finally spot my dog, and then locking eyes with me.

If horrifyingly stunned was in the dictionary, I think I’d see a picture of Bec right now. I watch her jaw drop, the color drain from her face, quickly followed by an unmistakable blush rushing to her cheeks. She licks then bites her lower lip, seemingly frozen, standing in the middle of the room as the other trainees stand and space out to begin working through whatever skills they covered in the previous class.

I stand, deciding it’s better to push past the weirdness, and head to the center of the room with Hop chomping at my heels. “Uh, hey, Bec. So, about the last time I saw you, uh…shirtless, and I turned, and uh, I didn’t see anything, I swear…”

S hit, I’m rambling .

“I remember,” she quickly interjects. “No need to revisit it. Happens all the time. Wait, no.” She closes her eyes and shakes her head. “ It definitely doesn’t happen all the time. I mean it happened and now it’s over.”

Flustered, she breaks eye contact, studying her clipboard as if the answers to life’s greatest questions are written there. She sighs and looks up at me. Those blue eyes I remember so clearly staring up at me, sending a pulse of electricity through my chest, and her lip pales as she bites it again. How did I not notice she’s even more beautiful now than she was years ago? Oh right, the baby poop.

So much baby poop.

“Listen, I’m really sorry about all that. I’m embarrassed that I walked in like that, and I hope it isn’t too weird that I’m taking this class. I didn’t realize you taught here. Come to think of it, I didn’t know what you did until now.” I explain, hoping she doesn’t think I’m the world’s biggest creep.

“No worries, really. If anything, I learned a valuable lesson. Always wait to clean yourself up until after the diaper change is done. And if you think Luca’s done pooping, he’s not. Little man faked me out once, but never again.” She laughs, and I swear the sound alone has my mood soaring, transporting me back in time.

“Seems like you took one for the team. Of course, Dom arrived home just in time to miss diaper duty. I hope he pays you back for that one.”

“Oh, trust me, I plan to exploit his guilt for as long as I can.” Her posture softens as she seems to get more comfortable. Weird how much I like that she’s doing that around me again. “Well, anyway, tell me about this cutie you got here.” She bends down to one knee to get Hop’s attention, interrupting him as he paws excitedly, nipping at my shoelaces.

“This is Hopper and as you can see, we are in need of serious help.”

She looks up at me, beaming. “You mean to tell me I am in the presence of one Chief Jim Hopper?” She pets Hop, who immediately surrenders and flops over to show his belly, which she rewards with scratches.

I chuckle and scratch the back of my neck. “Yeah, I was binging Stranger Things when I brought him home, and obviously he has the seriousness of his namesake.” The contrast in personalities is exaggerated as Hopper’s tongue flops out onto the tile. “Honestly, he may be the biggest goof I’ve ever met.”

“Well, we can get him ready for Hawkins in no time, I’m sure. Though, I have to agree with you. He seems more like a Dustin to me.” She stands and winks at me. “You’re looking at a fellow fan.”

Damn, she’s cute.

Seriously, what is wrong with me?

Stop staring at her .

Since Dom got married, I often find my thoughts drifting back to memories of meeting Bec. They’d pop up randomly, unprompted but always welcome. The pang of lust and longing that would run through me when I remembered the way Bec felt in my arms always left me feeling empty. The bold confidence and carefree attitude she exuded were contagious, and even in my memories, they held me captive.

I shouldn’t be surprised, but it’s catching me off guard that Bec can still make me feel like a fresh breath of life is running through me. Like waking up because the sunshine crosses over your face, suddenly blinding you, making you realize how dark it was before.

Bec snaps my focus back to her. “Since you missed the first few classes, we can schedule a makeup session to catch you two up if you’d like. I usually offer those to clients on Sundays. I have an opening at nine tomorrow morning. I realize that’s short notice, so if you’re not free, we can find another time.”

“Sure, yeah. I’m free if you are.” Do I sound too eager to be alone with her?

“Great,” she says, smiling and looking down. “Time to get to work, Hop. Hawkins needs you in top shape.” His tail wags as he zooms around her feet, my heart racing as fast as he is.