Sometimes life gave you little choice but to move on.
“Do you really think Charlie would be able to help Bobby?”
“Like you said, Charlie would be a great companion dog, just as she is. As far as acting as a service dog, I think with the right training, she’d be perfect.” The bigger question was, would she be able to provide that training? Dozens of dogs had graduated from her programs, but obedience and agility weren’t the same as training a service dog. Still, a thrum of anticipation had nerves in her belly fluttering.
Had Patrick still been alive, he would have encouraged her to take this chance. He would have seen the challenge as not only an opportunity to give back but also a way for her to push herself. He’d always been her biggest supporter, and Mollie was ready to prove—if only to herself—that he’d been right to put his faith in her.
“I’d really like to work with her to see if there’s even more she could do to help Bobby with his PTSD.”
“You’d do that?” Zeke’s eyes lit, and he took a step forward.
One Mollie countered by stepping back. Not again. She wasn’t going to make a fool of herself again. Just because for a split second it looked like Zeke wanted to reach out, sweep her into his arms and kiss her, she knew better.
Some of the excitement in his expression dimmed as he ended up running the hand he’d lifted through his short hair. “That’s—that’s great, Mollie. How soon do you think you can get started?”
“Well, I’ll have to read up on the type of training Charlie will need. How to teach her to recognize Bobby’s cues and what responses he’ll need from her.”
“I hope this isn’t going to be too much for you to take on. I didn’t even think about that when I asked. I was just thinking of Bobby and wanting to find some way to help him.”
A shadow crossed his face. Helping people was so much more than a job to Zeke. Was it any wonder she couldn’t stay angry with him? Mollie swallowed a sigh. Was it any wonder she couldn’t stop loving him?
Shoving the depressing thought aside, Mollie straightened her shoulders. This wasn’t about her or about Zeke. This was about helping Bobby Doyle, a soldier like her brother who had sacrificed to serve his country.
“Don’t worry about me, Zeke. I can handle this.” Thinking about her brother, she added, “In fact, I’ve already been doing some new training with Arti lately.”
“With Arti?”
Mollie didn’t miss the slightly skeptical lift to his brow.
Hearing her name, the long-eared dog gave a quick bark. After butting her head against Zeke’s legs a few times, she rolled onto her back at his feet, shamelessly begging for a belly rub when he didn’t respond to her first oh, so subtle hints.
With a soft snort, Zeke gave in and bent down to run his hands over the goofy dog’s rib cage and belly. Loving it, Arti snorted and groaned, twisting from side to side as she rubbed her back on the area rug, blissfully soaking up the attention.
“Hey, she’s smarter than she looks,” Mollie argued. She couldn’t blame Zeke for questioning Arti’s abilities. Her furry friend had a well-earned reputation as a crazy hound dog—obnoxious bark, stubborn streak, food obsession and all. But she also had genetics on her side and a nose that wouldn’t quit. “After all, she’s got you right where she wants you.”
Despite the brave words, nerves danced in her belly. Scent work wasn’t the same as service work, but all training was based on rewarding the dog for the wanted behavior. She and Arti had worked hard, and she really wanted to impress Zeke.
She’d hoped, when Zeke unexpectedly showed up at her door last night, that he would be impressed then, too. She’d ended up disappointed, but putting on a dress and makeup and a pair of heels, that wasn’t really her. This, training dogs, this was who she really was.
“Give me half an hour,” Mollie vowed as Zeke pushed to his feet, “and I’ll show you what this girl can do.”
* * *
Glancing at his watch as he stood with Arti on the back porch, Zeke wasn’t sure what to expect when the ten minutes were up. Mollie had left him with instructions to give Arti the command to “go find” before handing him a familiar dark blue Best Friends T-shirt emblazoned with her company logo—an outline of a cartoon dog sailing through a hoop. The flapping ears and streaming tail of the dog in the image made it more than clear that Arti was the inspiration. He was a little surprised Mollie hadn’t added some kind of cape—like the one worn by the old Wonder Dog cartoon.
The wonder dog in question was currently making a guttural groan as she scratched at one of those long ears with a back paw.
Zeke shook his head a little as he waited for the timer on his smart watch to go off.
“You really think you can find our girl using this, huh?” he asked the dog as he waved the shirt in his hand.
Years ago, Mollie had given him one exactly like it, but as he rubbed the cotton between his fingers, he didn’t remember the shirt he owned being quite so soft. And it was kind of crazy, knowing that Mollie had pulled the garment from the hamper and not straight from her body, but he swore the material felt heated, as if clinging to the warmth of her skin.
She’d told him that she didn’t want to use an article of clothing that had been recently washed as the scent wouldn’t be as strong. Her cheeks had turned a little red as she’d handed him the shirt, as though she was embarrassed to be literally airing her dirty laundry in front of him. Which was nuts considering how long they’d been friends.
Whatever she did, Mollie gave it her all. She worked hard—training her dogs, volunteering at the rescue, remodeling her house. As she’d told him the other day, she wasn’t afraid to get dirty. But the only scent he caught from the soft material was fresh linen fabric softener and a hint of wildflowers that smelled like Mollie and Mollie alone...
The alarm on his wrist sounded and Zeke jumped, flinching as if he’d been caught—well, doing exactly what he’d been doing. Sniffing Mollie’s clothes.
What the hell was wrong with him?
Arti made a low sound in her throat, as close as he’d heard the dog ever come to a growl, and Zeke’s face heated even more. “Yeah, I know, I know. You’re supposed to be the crazy hound dog.”
Shutting off the timer, he bent down to the dog’s side, placed the shirt in front of her nose and gave the command. “Go find, Ar—”
He barely got the words out before Arti lunged off the porch, nearly dislocating his shoulder as he stumbled down the steps after her. Once they hit the ground, she slowed slightly, sweeping her nose along the ground, her ears practically dragging through the long grass.
Zeke wanted to give the dog a hint by leading her to the back gate, knowing that Mollie had left the yard, but he held back. This was Arti’s—and Mollie’s—chance to show what the dog could do, and he wasn’t going to rob either one of that.
He just hoped Arti was as good at this as her owner thought she was.
Though the area around Spring Forest had spread out into planned communities, including the highly popular Kingdom Creek, as young professionals with families moved out of the nearby cities for a slower paced, more rural lifestyle, the area north of town still held fast to its surrounding forests and creeks.
The open spaces and lack of close neighbors were the main reasons Mollie had bought the run-down house. Though both he and Patrick had encouraged her to start the business, Patrick had worried about Mollie living so far from town and all on her own.
“I’ll be fine,” Mollie had insisted. “I’ve got Arti with me, and she’d never let anything happen to me.”
Only now, Arti wasn’t with Mollie. The dog was with Zeke, and as five minutes stepping over rocks, ducking under low-hanging branches, pushing through dense bushes turned to ten and then to fifteen, Zeke’s pulse started to pound. He was in good enough shape that the distance and the terrain shouldn’t have been en
ough to elevate his heart rate.
Wiping his free hand across his sweating forehead, he doggedly followed Arti’s wagging tail. He should have insisted Mollie take a phone with her. Even though cell service could sometimes be spotty in this area, it would have been better than nothing. As Arti started to circle back, nose to the ground, sniffing every rock, every leaf, every bush, Zeke felt his patience begin to wane.
What if Mollie really had gotten lost? Was he honestly supposed to trust her rescue to a dog who was terrified of the vacuum cleaner and more than once had nearly knocked herself silly whacking her head into a piece of furniture while chasing her own tail? Could Arti really do this?
I can do this, Zeke.
Mollie’s stubborn voice echoed through his mind.
How many times had she said those words over the years? As recently as a few days ago, when he’d questioned her about bringing Chief and Charlie home with her...to as far back as the day they’d rescued Shadow.
Mollie still swore he’d saved the dog’s life by jumping into the rushing stream. But when Zeke jumped into the water, his only thought had been to save Mollie.
He’d always been a strong swimmer, but the normally gentle stream had been swollen from record-breaking spring rains. The fast-moving rapids had threatened to overwhelm him as he fought to pull Mollie and the dog to safety.
His muscles had burned with the effort, and Mollie had tried to help, her skinny legs kicking furiously, choking as the undertow dragged her down, still clinging to the struggling puppy.
Let it go, Mollie! You’ve got to let the dog go!
With her red hair streaming across her face and her freckles stark against her pale skin, she’d shouted back at him. I can do this, Zeke!
And she had. She’d held on to the puppy, he’d held on to her, and somehow the three of them had collapsed together on the muddy bank. Waterlogged, gasping for breath and totally exhausted.
Too tired to move, the poor puppy had still managed to lick both of their faces, tail wagging in gratitude. Mollie had laughed, pushing her sopping curls out of her face as she gazed over the puppy’s head at him. “You did it, Zeke.” Her eyes had glowed as she added, “You saved her.”
As a somewhat geeky sixteen-year-old, he’d basked in her admiration, thoroughly enjoying her preteen case of hero worship. He’d liked the idea of being there when she needed him. He still liked the idea...even if Mollie didn’t need him quite so much anymore.
As for thinking of him as a hero, that light in Mollie’s eyes when she looked at him would forever fade if she knew the truth about Patrick’s last visit home and how completely Zeke had failed her brother.
Let it go, Zeke...
He stumbled as he caught his foot on a rock on the uneven ground.
He didn’t have the strength, the tenacity, the courage Mollie had had as a twelve-year-old girl.
Zeke was jarred back to the present as Arti let out a sudden unmistakable howl. The dog charged forward, crashing through the underbrush and practically dragging Zeke along behind him. He had to fight the urge to try to bring the dog to heel, instead following Arti’s lead and doing his best just to keep up.
Hoping to hell the dog hadn’t caught wind of a squirrel, he muttered, “Go find, girl. Go find.”
The dog dove into a thick cluster of underbrush, still baying at the top of her canine lungs, but even with all that racket, Zeke heard a sound that set his blood singing in his veins.
Ducking down, he caught sight of Mollie huddled between a cluster of bright green winterberry bushes, her head tipped back in laughter as she tried to avoid her dog’s exuberant and drooly greeting. Mollie had clearly meant it when she said she was going to hide. As she climbed out from between the bushes, she had a few leaves caught in her curls, a smudge of dirt on one cheek and mud stains on the knees of her jeans.
He’d never seen her look happier...or more beautiful.
“Good job! Who’s the best hound dog? Who’s my best girl ever?”
Catching sight of Zeke on the back end of the leash, Mollie grinned up at him and all he could think was... My best girl ever.
“I told you she could do it,” she bragged as she pushed to her feet. She took the hand he offered to help her up, only to stumble slightly when he accidentally pulled too hard...on purpose.
She landed against his chest with a slight exhale of breath, her blue-green eyes wide as she gazed up at him, her hands clutching at his shoulders and her lips parted in surprise.
“I never should have doubted it, Mollie.”
He never should have doubted her.
They’d known each other for years, and yet he couldn’t help feeling he was seeing her for the first time. How strong and beautiful she was, inside and out.
“Zeke...” Her delicate throat moved as she swallowed, her voice trembling on his name, and even though he and Arti were the ones who’d found Mollie, he didn’t know when he had felt more lost. He was drowning. So he did the only thing that made sense. He grabbed Mollie and held on.
But the minute his mouth closed over hers, a tidal wave of desire crashed over him. He was swirling through eddies of emotion, tossed in one direction and then another...until Mollie reached up and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.
Her lips parted beneath his, and it no longer mattered if he couldn’t breathe. Who needed air when he had this? When he had the taste, the sweetness, the warmth of her surrounding him. Grounding him at a time when he didn’t know which way to turn. Centering all he was, all he had to give, in this one amazing kiss.
She ran her fingers through his hair as his hands discovered the supple curve of her spine and the softness of her hips. He pulled her body tighter to his, that softness a seductive contrast as his body hardened to the point of pain.
In the back of his mind, his conscience protested. This is Mollie... Kissing her is wrong! But his body, thrumming with desire, disagreed. This was Mollie. And nothing could be more right...
* * *
The unexpected kiss, after so many years of waiting, hoping, dreaming, caught Mollie so off guard that at first she couldn’t move, couldn’t think. Her body felt as stiff and still as those mannequins in the store windows. But then, like some wish had been granted, she came to glorious, magical life in Zeke’s hands as he finally, finally realized she was a real girl.
She lifted her arms to wrap them around his neck. His shoulders were as strong and solid as she’d always imagined, and she’d been imagining for so long... Wondering if he would taste like the rich, dark coffee he favored...if the thick hair that brushed against his collar was as soft as it looked...if he would kiss her in the same fierce, possessive way he had protected her for all these years...
She discovered all of that and more.
Most of all, she discovered that wanting Zeke Harper from afar was nothing compared to wanting him with his fingers digging into her flesh, his tongue staking claim to her mouth, his hardened body pressing into hers.
Mine, mine, mine! The words matched the rapid, vital beat of her heart, but she knew it wasn’t true. Her heart had always been something of a liar where Zeke Harper was concerned.
He broke the kiss to suck in a sudden breath, but Mollie didn’t need air. She could live on the light-headed, intoxicating way he made her feel. Too greedy to lose the contact of her mouth against his flesh, his taste on her tongue, she kissed her way along his jaw to the strong column of his neck. His pulse leaped as she parted her lips, his heart pounding in a rhythm so close to her own, she could almost believe the wild, reckless beats had become one.
“Mollie!” He groaned out her name once and then again. But the second time sounded different. Like a sleepwalker waking from a dream, uncertain where they were, what they were doing, who they were with...
For a long moment, he stood still, his breath still rasping in her ear, his chest still heaving agai
nst her breasts, their limbs still so closely entwined. But then he pulled away—a few inches maybe, less than a foot, but it may as well have been a mile.
“I’m sorry, Mollie,” Zeke said, his voice deeper than usual and with a ragged edge she’d never heard before. He closed his eyes for a moment before whispering, “I didn’t mean—”
At his words, all the life drained out of Mollie. Her arms to drop to her sides. Wooden...and empty.
He didn’t mean it.
“It was—a mistake.”
Just when she thought she couldn’t possibly feel any worse, Mollie thought dismally, swallowing against the ache of tears grabbing hold of her throat. A mistake. Zeke had called the most wonderful kiss she’d ever shared a mistake. A mistake he hadn’t even meant to make. At least, not with her, the kid sister he’d never wanted.
She stared at him silently until he ran a hand through his hair, and then she had to look away. She could still feel the chestnut strands sifting through her fingers. Running her tongue over her lower lip, Mollie tried to recapture his taste. Only when she realized what she was doing did she snap out of the sensual daze.
Her cheeks, flushed only a moment ago with passion, now burned with embarrassed humiliation. Kneeling down, Mollie grabbed Arti’s leash and started back down the trail at a near run, as if super speed could turn back time and wipe away the kiss. Zeke jogged along beside her, his longer stride easily keeping pace.
“Mollie—”
“Don’t. Whatever you’re going to say, don’t.” Whatever apology, whatever regret, whatever bright idea about fixing her up with some other guy Zeke had, he could keep it to himself.
Chapter Eight
“Hey, Mom.” Zeke followed the scent of yeasty rolls and cinnamon into the kitchen. Though his parents had recently remodeled the space, the mouthwatering smell of his mother’s cooking always took him back to his childhood.
Spotting a pan of sugar-glazed buns cooling on the large granite island, he headed in that direction. Unfortunately, his mother knew his sweet tooth all too well. As trim as ever in denim capris and a blue-striped T-shirt, her short brown hair only starting to turn gray, Margaret Harper still had all the instincts of a school teacher. Without even turning around from where she stood at the glass-top stove, she swatted him with a dishtowel as he reached out.
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