Sit, Stay, Love

by Debbie Burns

  “Well, she could easily be adopted into a house with cats,” Kelsey praised, patting her. She relaxed and resumed rubbing Pepper’s ears, which the dog seemed to really enjoy.

  Finished with his sniff test, Mr. Longtail rolled onto his back and wiggled back and forth, marking his scent. Clearly, he didn’t mind that the dog next to him was practically ten times his size.

  “I see why Sabrina Raven liked him,” Patrick said. “He’s not your average cat.”

  Kelsey shook her head as Mr. Longtail stood up and strolled toward the back of the house without seeming to give them another thought. “No, he definitely isn’t. And I’m no longer worried about him getting too stressed out by all the dogs. He’s just so full of himself. He probably thinks they’re here for his amusement.”

  “Possibly.” Patrick watched the cat appreciatively before turning back to his Swiss Army knife. He was using the pair of microscissors to trim his nails. “Does the contract Megan signed tell which of you has more say? You or the handler?”

  Kelsey’s brows furrowed. “No, but he does, I would guess. He’s the professional.”

  “He’s letting it be your decision to keep Pepper.”

  “I suspect he’s being courteous.”

  Patrick pressed the scissors back into the thick knife and slipped it into a pocket in his pants. “You blush when you look at him.”

  Kelsey stopped rubbing Pepper’s ear midway through a stroke. Patrick had always been one to call things as he saw them. And they knew each other too well for her to try to hide her thoughts. “Back at the warehouse when I saw the shape one of the dogs was in, I pretty much threw up on his boots. And it’s obvious he thinks I’m not cut out for this. He said as much this morning before you came.”

  Patrick frowned. “I thought it was because you two liked each other.” Patrick was twenty-six and seemed to have zero interest in a relationship of his own. It came as a surprise that he’d have even the remotest interest in her finding one.

  Kelsey glanced at the house, a blush stinging her cheeks. She couldn’t see anyone through the open windows, but she was reassured that she and Patrick were too far away to be heard. “I’d have to be blind not to notice he’s good-looking,” she admitted, “but that’s as far as it goes.”

  Having had her ears abandoned, Pepper let her head sink to the ground and licked her lips contentedly.

  Patrick nodded but pursed his lips like he did when he disagreed but thought better than to say it aloud.

  “Patrick, I appreciate your enthusiasm, but he and I are going to be working together for a few months. Anything like you’re suggesting could get, I don’t know, weird.”

  “It was good for Megan to fall in love,” Patrick said as matter-of-factly as if he was stating that the sixty-five-degree day was refreshing.

  A hearty laugh bubbled out of Kelsey, and it caught Pepper’s full attention. The dog lifted her head and stared straight at her. With more agility than Kelsey would have given her credit for, Pepper was on all four feet in a flash. The hairs on the back of her neck ruffled as she stared Kelsey down.

  Kelsey realized how naive she’d been to allow herself to remain so comfortable on the ground next to such a powerful dog with a possibly traumatic history. “It’s all right, girl,” she chanted, keeping her voice calmer than she felt. “It’s all right.”

  Pepper took a step closer, and Kelsey dropped her gaze to her lap as she chanted the simple phrase. In the same calm voice, she added, “Don’t move unless you have to, Patrick.”

  There was a flash, and Kelsey felt a warm, wet tongue swipe the length of her cheek. The relief that swept over her brought tears to her eyes. Patrick let out a sigh like a balloon deflating as Pepper inundated Kelsey with fresh licks.

  Taking Patrick’s outstretched hand, Kelsey stood up and gave the dog a pat on the shoulder. She wiped her cheek dry with a shaky hand as Pepper shook her massive head, her collar jangling. “You’d almost think she’d never heard anyone laugh before.”

  From the direction of the house, a door swung open. Kurt and Rob appeared on the stoop of the front door, frowning in Kelsey and Patrick’s direction. They’d seen what happened from the windows. Because of course.

  Kelsey’s growing confidence about being a good fit for this rehab disintegrated. Now for sure Kurt had to think she was an idiot. And if Patrick had been harboring hopes of Kelsey making a love connection while here, they were probably vanishing into thin air too.

  Everyone kept silent as Kelsey and Patrick walked Pepper toward Kurt and Rob. When they got close to the house, Kurt said calmly, “Can we please agree to stay standing around the dogs until we know them better?” Now that she was closer, Kelsey could see two deep lines making a V across his forehead.

  She wanted to sink into one of the dry cracks in the ground but instead locked her shoulders as they headed up to the porch. “We can if you can accept that I do know some things about dogs. I’ve worked in a shelter for seven years, and I haven’t misjudged a dog’s character yet.”

  Color flashed above Kurt’s collar. As he opened his mouth, Rob placed a hand firmly on his shoulder.

  “Of course you do,” Rob said, smiling congenially, “or none of us would be here today embarking on this rehab. Kurt, why don’t we walk them around inside and show them where we’ve placed the dogs? Kelsey, we’ve set up our biggest kennel on the screened-in half of the porch for the Rottweiler. And before I leave, we’ll go over the feeding schedule these dogs have been introduced to the last few days.”

  Kurt’s features softened a bit, and the lines disappeared from his forehead. Kelsey felt the muscles around her spine relax in response. Although something told her this wouldn’t be their only disagreement, she gave Rob a nod.

  What on earth would happen when no one was around to play peacemaker?

  * * *

  She wasn’t getting it. That’s what irked Kurt most. Undeniably, it was best to be calm and comfortable around any dog. But this wasn’t the shelter. The thirty-seven dogs brought here were going to be put to the test. He might not be able to accurately determine their individual stress levels. However careful he was, one of them could snap before this was over.

  And Kelsey needed to understand this. But Kurt suspected she intended to dive in like Snow White, singing and turning them into her soul mates. Maybe that would be fine, and maybe it wouldn’t.

  And that had him on edge. So did the people who kept driving slowly down the street and gawking at the house as if they suspected what was going on inside. That was the thing about the world now. So much information was at anyone’s fingertips. It was public record that the estate had been donated to Kelsey’s shelter. It wouldn’t take much detective work for anyone who’d listened to Kelsey’s interview to figure out this was where the rehab would be taking place.

  Kurt suspected that protesters would be camped on the street out front by tomorrow. And there’d be nothing he could do about it. The mansion stood at the end of a quiet city street, but unfortunately not a private one. As long as no one came onto the property, people could protest all they wanted. And that would likely set Kelsey and anyone else coming in to volunteer on edge, which the dogs would notice. Hell, just having come off duty as he had, the potential of an angry mob out front made the muscles in his arms and legs practically lock up. Which wouldn’t serve him well when it came to working with the dogs.

  Directly across the street was a big house with lots of scaffolding on the outside and a half-dozen sawhorses visible through the windows. He guessed it was empty and being rehabbed. That meant their only actual neighbor was immediately to the east and blocked by a long row of hedges. The second story was partially visible through the expansive trees, and Kurt had caught a glimpse of an older woman in one of the windows watching Kelsey and Patrick as they walked the Rottweiler.

  Thankfully, the mansion’s backyard was big and v
ery private. After he was caught up inside, Kurt would head out there to inspect the privacy fence for weak spots. He’d need to run to the store to get hefty locks for the gates as soon as he had time. He also needed to start building a few separated exercise runs as soon as possible. Hopefully, he’d have time to make a mental supply list and get those items tonight.

  What he could really use was Rob’s help for a few more days, but Rob had a warehouse of other dogs that needed his attention. There was Kelsey’s coworker, Patrick. Kurt wasn’t quite sure what to make of him. Patrick’s conversation and demeanor were a bit unusual, and Kurt wasn’t convinced all the dogs would take to him, but he seemed handy enough. If he kept hanging around, Kurt hoped to put him to good use.

  It was the first day, and he could feel his ADHD kicking into overdrive. Everywhere he turned, something needing his attention called to him. The stairs. The fence. The far-east corner of the roof that seemed to be leaking. The electricity. Thirty-seven attention-deserving dogs.

  Kelsey was a hard worker and would match him effort for effort. He knew this before the afternoon was halfway over. It was nearly three o’clock, and she hadn’t slowed down for as much as a bite of food all day. And while she wasn’t the frail type that looked like a strong wind could blow her over, he could see the fatigue setting into her features.

  “Pizza,” he said after passing her in the kitchen and deciding to act on a whim. She was at the sink, washing the new stainless-steel water bowls. Rob and Patrick had left twenty minutes prior, and it was Kurt’s first attempt to break the silence that had been hanging in the air ever since. “And not the crappy chain kind. I’m talking traceable-to-a-genuine-Italian recipe.”

  Kelsey’s lips pressed together as if she was working to keep back a smile. Switching to a new bowl, she turned to face him, resting one hip against the sink as she worked her thumb under the edge of the sticker. The sun was streaming in the window, causing her long, golden highlights to shine. “Was that supposed to be a statement or a question?”

  “Unless you’re superhuman, you have to be hungry. I’m hoping that since this is your stomping ground, you’ll know someplace worth trying. I haven’t had a really good slice of pizza in years.”

  “Hmm, that seems pretty close to torture. What kind of crust do you like? Are St. Louis–style cracker crusts popular in Fort Leonard Wood?”

  Kurt made a face that made her giggle. “Popular enough, but for now I’d like to skip any pizza that’s associated with the word ‘cracker.’ The best pizza I ever had was in this little mom-and-pop shop down in Branson. The owners were first-generation Italian. They said the secret’s in the crust. It should be hand-tossed and made fresh in-house. And not too thick or too thin. Know any place like that? My treat.”

  “With you having been deprived of good pizza for so long, it’s a lot of pressure, but I think I can come up with something. What are your favorite toppings?”

  “I’m not picky as long as they’re processed in a factory and not grown in a garden.”

  She laughed again. “I would’ve figured that.”

  “Let me guess. You’re a vegetarian?”

  “No, I’m not. I’ve given it consideration, but I haven’t been able to go more than a few weeks without Philly cheesesteak sandwiches calling my name. Black-and-blue cheeseburgers are pretty high up on my list too.”

  “Both worthy candidates, if you ask me.”

  He could practically see the tension falling off her and knew it wasn’t a good time to mention that he wasn’t ready to leave her here alone in case she’d want to play Snow White with one of the dogs while he was away. Instead, he chose a safer route.

  “Come with me. I could use a tour of the area,” he said, locking the dead bolt on the back kitchen door in case one of the passengers in the cars that had been casing the place decided to try something stupid. This reminded him that the Rott was kenneled alone on the back porch. It was screened-in but could be broken into easily. He unbolted the door. “On second thought, let’s put the Rott’s kennel in the kitchen before we leave. I’ll move it if you’ll walk her out back for a bathroom break.”

  Kelsey bit her lip. He’d done his best not to leave her an out. Maybe that was a mistake. She seemed pretty willful.

  “That wasn’t a question, and you didn’t say please,” she said, her voice light, “but I’ll go with it, considering you’re still acclimating back into a world where people actually do say please and thank you on a regular basis.”

  Kurt splayed his hands. “You’ve got me there. Kelsey, would you please accompany me on a quick excursion for takeout pizza and beer?”

  “I am a bit starving, so yes I will—what was it Rob called you?—Staff Sergeant Crawford?”

  “Kurt will be just fine. I’m hoping to settle into civilian life as effortlessly as possible.”

  It was Kelsey’s turn to make a face. “Should I remind you that the cops at the warehouse the other day seemed to pick up on your military vibe even before you shared it with them?”

  “There’s a Semper Fi sticker on the back of my Mustang. I’m guessing it was that more than any sort of vibe. Though we can go with vibe, if you’d like.”

  “Oh,” she said. “Makes sense now.”

  She followed him to the back porch, and their hands brushed again as Kurt passed her the Rott’s leash. The hair on his arms stood on end, and a wave of yearning rocked through his core. It’d been a while since he’d been with a woman and even longer since he’d been with someone who stirred him the way she did.

  The wind picked up, and Kurt caught her soft scent—flowers and a touch of citrus. He didn’t know whether it was perfume or a hair product. He wanted to lean in and smell it again. Wanted to brush his thumb along the ridge of her jaw. Wanted to wrap his arm around the small of her back and pull her against him.

  The fact that Kelsey didn’t seem the type to let anyone do any of those things until she was ready made him want her even more.

  He cleared his throat hard and hoisted the bulky kennel as she headed for the backyard, talking softly to the dog. He wished the kennel was heavier. Wished it was more of a distraction. He’d be needing a lot of distractions over the next few months. Without them, he was going to end up letting her in.

  And doing that would make a complicated rehab even more complicated.

  Chapter 7

  Kelsey took a calculated swallow of beer. Any more than half a bottle and she’d start to get tipsy, something she wasn’t about to risk while working. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a beer in the middle of the day. When Kurt ran into the grocery store while she held the pizzas on her lap, she hadn’t been thinking about how unappealing the tap water here seemed or that the jug of water she’d brought with her this morning was empty. When it had come to a bottle of beer or a glass of sketchy tap water, she’d chosen the beer.

  Kurt had no worries about drinking water from the faucet, but she bet his system had tolerated worse. He’d downed a glass before they headed out and didn’t comment on the rusty taste. Now he was enjoying a beer, but she was thankful he wasn’t going for a second when the dogs still needed so much attention.

  They were seated at a bulky iron table on the half of the wide back porch that wasn’t screened in. After Kurt had scoured the privacy fence for holes, he’d turned one of the pit bulls, a recently spayed female, loose to roam the yard while they ate. She sniffed around for a while, then clambered up the four wooden steps to the porch and eyed him curiously as he ate slice after slice.

  He had purchased three large pizzas after making sure one of them had Kelsey’s favorite choice of toppings. When Kelsey commented that it was enough pizza for an entourage, he said the leftovers would be something to put in the empty fridge.

  Kelsey settled back in her chair, taking a moment to savor the day. The weather couldn’t be better. No humidity, sunny, blue skies, and
temps in the sixties. “So how long were you in the marines?”

  “Five years. And about three with the army before that including basic training.” Kurt had just finished his fourth slice of pizza and was reaching for her longtime favorite, ham and pineapple.

  “That’s a lot of service.” She was halfway through her third slice and regretting it. If it weren’t for the dogs needing human attention, she would have had a hard time getting motivated. The last couple days had been a whirlwind, and she was feeling it.

  At least she could go home tonight to her quiet apartment and sleep like a log. After she stopped by her parents’, anyway. They had invited the whole family over for a cookout around the fire pit in their backyard, and Kelsey hadn’t seen her nieces in several days.

  Kurt would stay here, and even if the house didn’t seem as creepy now that the main floor was alive with the sounds and smells of the dogs, Kelsey doubted it would be a peaceful night. The house was creaky and drafty, and the dogs were sure to be unsettled their first night in a new place.

  “It felt like enough,” he said, answering her unasked question about his length of service.

  When he didn’t add anything else in clarification, Kelsey wondered if he might not want to talk about it. Before she could bite her tongue, her curiosity got the best of her, and another question slipped out. She’d never met a military dog handler before. “Were you hoping to work with dogs when you enlisted, or did you fall into it?”

  “Dogs, no question. Rob was my mentor. He worked at the post before he retired. After he did, he focused on training guard dogs in the private sector.”

  Since Kurt didn’t seem opposed to talking about it, Kelsey continued. “My whole life, I wanted to work with dogs, but I never thought of the military.”

  “Yeah, well, you didn’t grow up on a post, did you?”

  “You mean you lived at Fort Leonard Wood before you joined the army?” She’d also never known anyone who grew up in circumstances so different from her traditional suburban background.