Second Chance Soldier

by Linda O. Johnston

  He looked across the table directly into the brown eyes that studied him so intently. “Not yet,” she said. “I hope we can get other kinds started fast, which was why I wanted to update our website right away. You’ll need to work with our shepherd pups, too, but I know enough to understand it’ll be a while before they’re ready to be sold to police handlers and become actual K-9s, although I want word to get out that it’ll be coming. It would also be good if we get some interest now from officers who bring working K-9s in for additional training.”

  “I agree,” Evan said. “And as for these pups, you’re right that it’s usually best not to turn them over to handlers until they’re a bit older and well trained, but if they progress well things could go faster.”

  “Really?”

  He liked the way Amber smiled at him, although he glanced over her shoulder after meeting her eyes.

  “Really,” he said.

  Their server returned with rolls and butter, so the conversation stalled just when Evan had thought it most interesting. But when they were alone once more—as alone as they could get in this crowded restaurant—he continued. “You’ve talked about therapy and service dog training, too.”

  “That’s right,” Amber said, looking down toward the menu, then back at Evan’s face. “Assuming I find the right trainers to assist you. I recognize they’re not your specialty. I’d eventually love to do even more than my dad did. But I want to do things right and not rush into anything.” Those eyes narrowed a bit, as if she was trying to look into his mind, determine how quickly he could settle in and get down to work—and what he thought about service dog training.

  Uncomfortable, he glanced away but made himself look back at her. “I understand. I’ll want to know more of your expectations about those other classes, including K-9s, though we did touch on the possibilities when we communicated by email. But for now, tell me about the people you expect will be here tomorrow. What’s their background in being trained so far, with just pets, right? Did they all start their classes with your father at the same time? And—”

  He stopped abruptly as Amber’s eyes looked away from his and widened hugely. She looked troubled, and he ignored his sudden urge to stand and take her into his arms for comfort.

  He wouldn’t—couldn’t—have done that even if she hadn’t been his employer. Instead, he turned to see where she was looking.

  A woman was making her way between the people seated at the crowded tables, heading toward them—a woman in a cop uniform.

  And Evan hoped that he was about to learn at least something about Corbin Belott’s murder.

  *

  It wasn’t surprising to see anyone in town here at The Joint, Amber told herself. Although, this evening, no one here that she knew had done more than toss a few friendly greetings toward her and return to their meals and conversations.

  But Assistant Police Chief Kara Province was clearly heading in her direction.

  Amber had met Kara after a local parade, then chatted with her at various town functions when she had come home to visit her parents. She was glad now that she had, since even though Kara wasn’t the primary cop assigned to investigate her father’s murder, she was at least somewhat forthcoming and kind, and kept Amber as apprised as she could about anything the police found.

  Which so far hadn’t been much.

  She reached their table at the same time their server did. “I’ll come back in a minute to take your order,” the server said, looking with irritation toward the cop as if she didn’t like the delay. Then she hurried away.

  Kara was a tall, slender woman who looked completely at home in her black police uniform. She was only in her thirties, yet she had already risen through the ranks to become assistant chief of police, which Amber had admired even before she had any need to know a cop.

  “Hi, Amber.” Kara’s soft voice was surprisingly audible over the louder voices around them. She glanced briefly down toward Evan, then back at Amber.

  “This is my new dog trainer, Evan Colluro. Evan, meet Assistant Police Chief Kara Province.”

  Amber watched them shake hands as Evan stood politely and glanced toward Kara’s face, but only briefly. Kara’s eyes rolled down him as if assessing him with interest. Amber didn’t like the pang of irritation that shot through her. Kara was most likely looking him over as a potential suspect in something, maybe even the murder of her father, but nothing personal. And even if she was flirting, well, so what?

  “We haven’t ordered dinner yet,” Amber said. “Would you like to join us?” She glanced toward Evan to see his reaction to the idea, and assumed he wouldn’t appreciate it. She was surprised, therefore, to see a positive expression on his face as he nodded his approval.

  “Not for dinner, but I will join you for a minute, if that’s okay.”

  “Of course.” But Amber felt her body go slack. Was Kara about to tell them something new in the case regarding her dad?

  If so, something helpful—or not?

  Not, as it turned out. “I just wanted to let you know that we haven’t forgotten about you or your father, Amber,” Kara said, taking a seat at the side of the table between Evan and her. “But so far we have no new leads. We’re still—”

  “I’m sorry,” Evan interrupted, “but I hope you don’t mind if I ask a few questions. I’m not in law enforcement, but I have a military background, and have also been taught to work with police K-9s and other dogs.”

  “Yes, I figured at least part of that from Amber’s introduction of you as a new trainer at her ranch,” Kara said.

  The server returned and placed glasses of water in front of all three of them. She must have assumed Kara was joining them—which was true, if only for a short while.

  “I don’t know much about the case,” Evan continued, “but I checked out the ranch before applying for the job. I understand Mr. Belott was found on his ranch’s grounds, and he had been shot.”

  Amber closed her eyes and shuddered. She knew that, yet every time she was reminded of it, she wanted to break down and cry. She made herself open her eyes again and looked toward Evan, only to find he was watching her, maybe more directly than he had done since they had met.

  His sympathetic expression only made her want to cry even more.

  “That’s correct,” Kara responded.

  “Does your department have a K-9 unit?”

  Of course he would ask that. The question almost made Amber want to smile. Almost.

  “Yes, although it’s a small one, only two officers. Both they and their dogs were partially trained by Mr. Belott, in fact. And before you ask, yes, we did have them examine the crime scene. That didn’t lead to any results.”

  “I see,” Evan said. “Well…do you have any suspects?”

  Amber noted Kara’s glare, as if Evan had told her she wasn’t doing her job, but she answered anyway. “There are several persons of interest, partly because we were told by a few of Mr. Belott’s students that he’d been arguing with some of their classmates. We’re more inclined to believe, though, that it was a robbery gone wrong, since his wallet and cell phone were missing, and someone attempted to use his credit card shortly after the murder—in Nevada. We’ve looked at visitors to this area then, including guests at nearby hotels, but haven’t yet zeroed in on anyone, including whoever attempted to use the card. Anyway, I’d better go back to my own table.” Kara stood as Amber swept the room with her gaze and saw other uniformed officers at a table at the far wall. “But please feel assured, Amber, that we’re still on the case.”

  “Thanks, Kara,” Amber responded, even as she wanted to shout that they hadn’t gotten anywhere so far, so why try? As Kara left, their server returned to take their order.

  Amber wasn’t surprised when Evan ordered a hamburger dinner with several sides, a substantial meal.

  She, on the other hand, ordered a relatively small salad.

  She had lost her appetite.

  *

  Evan had continued
to watch Amber’s face when the cop was present at their table and afterward.

  His new employer’s attitude had gone from “I’m in charge so listen to me” to “I’m lost.” He might not be thrilled that she could ultimately give him orders about dog training—his specialty, not hers—even though she was, in fact, his boss. But he hated to see her appear so sad.

  Well, as he’d said, he wasn’t in law enforcement, but he did train K-9s and their handlers. He was also well aware that any help well-trained K-9s might have been able to offer before was probably impossible this long after the crime.

  But he would be on that ranch with dogs he was training. Were any of the students he’d be working with tomorrow considered potential suspects? Would he wind up working with additional former students who were? Did any of them present a potential danger to Amber or her mother?

  He’d try to check about who the primary suspects were. And it certainly wouldn’t hurt for him to learn exactly where the crime had occurred, in the remote chance that there still might be clues that a dog could sniff out.

  Then, maybe, he might be able to get his gorgeous, sexy employer to smile at him…at a time he could smile back.

  Chapter 4

  But this evening came first. He wanted to get through it in a manner that could only help his future career here. In a way that would hopefully impress Amber.

  That resulted in Evan surprising himself. Tonight, he was the one to start conversations.

  It almost appeared as if Amber and he had traded personalities. She wouldn’t look at him as she ate her salad. She didn’t seem interested in talking to him.

  Not at first. Not until he stopped attempting banalities, like how good his food was and how nice the crowded restaurant was with its homey decor, its tables filled with talkative patrons…and that police presence in the far corner.

  Not until he jumped into a subject he knew would be difficult, but would at least grab her interest.

  “So tell me.” To keep himself going, he picked up another wheat roll from the basket in the center of the table and started to butter it. “How did your father get into dog training? Knowing that will help me figure out the best way to follow in his footsteps—or paw prints, so to speak.”

  She actually looked up from watching the fork she twisted in her salad greens and shot him a brief smile. “So to speak,” she repeated, “or so to bark?” Her tone was lighter now, and he felt damn good about it as her expression grew pensive. “Interesting enough, there are a lot of similarities, I think, between your background and my dad’s. He was career military, though. He stayed in the army for twenty years, so that defined my early life, too. I’m not sure how or when he became a K-9 handler, but he did.”

  A look he couldn’t interpret passed over her face, but it seemed awfully sad. He wanted to reach out and hold her hand but didn’t. “Hey, he had to have been one smart, amazing, wonderful soldier, like all K-9 handlers,” he said instead, hoping his joke would cheer her a bit.

  “Of course.” She shot him a look that suggested she was irritated, yet somehow appreciative of his attempted humor.

  “Okay, continue,” he said. “Tell me more.”

  “Well, when he got out, he decided to come to this area, near where he grew up in San Luis Obispo, but that’s a larger town than Chance. With my mother’s okay, he bought this ranch, which was vacant then, to train dogs here. Away from most people, except for us and minimal contact with others. I wonder now that I’ve met you…well, maybe he had some form of PTSD, too. His decisions after his military retirement may have been before PTSD was as recognized as it is now. Or maybe I’m wrong. But he seemed to have decided he’d spent enough time surrounded by people.”

  “Yeah, I can identify with that.” He looked her straight in the face for a few seconds. Then he decided he needed some water and glanced toward his glass as he grabbed it. “So you lived with them at the ranch for…well, how long?”

  “I was in my late teens when we moved here. I went off to college at San Diego State after about a year, though I always came back for holidays and the summer. But when I graduated with my business degree I stayed in San Diego and got a job with the home office of a big retail manufacturer—Ever Fitting.”

  Evan had definitely heard of Ever Fitting. In fact, everyone who ever wore jeans and casual clothes probably had.

  “Impressive. Do you think you’ll go back there?” He didn’t want to ask if she had quit or been fired or anything like that.

  “I have a K-9 ranch to run now.” He couldn’t tell from her tone if she was unhappy or thrilled with the idea. He hoped it was the latter, but in any event how happy she was with this area might wind up depending on him.

  That kind of pressure wasn’t what he was after. But working well with dogs and their training was. He could handle it. He would handle it.

  For now, he needed to keep this conversation going. “So how did your dad start his training classes here?”

  For the next few minutes, he listened as Amber, a pensive smile on her face, described their move here from her father’s last military assignment, which had been in Fort Leonard Wood, in Missouri, not far from St. Louis.

  “I’m not sure how he found the ranch property, but my dad was always very goal-directed. He knew what he wanted to do and the general area where he wanted to do it.”

  When they moved to the ranch, Corbin had apparently also found ways of getting word out about his K-9 training background and the kinds of classes he intended to begin, such as teaching others, in small classes or one-on-one, and how to train dogs, including their own pets. Plus, he’d contacted breeders of German shepherds and Belgian Malinois to acquire his first puppies to teach as potential police K-9s.

  “For them, he went to a bunch of breeders who already had pups available and chose three at a time that he thought would have the best potential of being wonderful K-9s. All three were eventually acquired by smaller police units when they were older and trained. Their new handlers would come to the ranch for training, too, and to decide which to choose. My dad always acknowledged this was a small ranch in a remote location, but said it was definitely worth visiting by anyone with, or wanting, a dog.”

  “Your father sounds like one smart and determined man,” Evan responded, then wished he hadn’t. His comment apparently reminded her of what had happened, not that it was likely to be far from her consciousness.

  “Yes,” she said simply, “he was.” Her voice was gravelly and when he glanced at her he saw tears in her eyes.

  Damn whoever had killed the man! Evan had already imagined trying to solve the crime while working for this lovely woman who was his boss. Now he was determined to dedicate himself to investigating in his spare time.

  When he wasn’t busy training the dogs and handlers Amber had hired him to teach.

  *

  She hadn’t intended to do anything at this dinner besides answer Evan’s questions about how his new position should start and evolve. But after their conversation with Kara, Amber had let her emotions run away with her.

  Especially now.

  “Okay,” she said, gathering all shreds of bravery within her that she could find, “enough of this. Here’s what I want to do tomorrow. The first class you’ll teach will be in the afternoon. In the morning, I want us to go out on the lawn with Bear so you can run him through what he knows as a demonstration and a lesson to me on how you’ll be instructing those and other students. Does that work for you?”

  She was amused that Evan not only glanced toward her, but also met her gaze, appearing surprised she’d gotten her guts back, or at least that’s what she figured.

  “It sure does,” he responded.

  They didn’t discuss her dad for the rest of the meal, a good thing. She missed him. She loved him. And she couldn’t replace him, but she had to get the K-9 ranch up and running again, return it to its former state, minus him.

  Would they ever figure out what had happened to him? Who’d killed
him and why?

  She hoped so, but whether or not that occurred she still had her life to live, her mother to help and the Chance K-9 Ranch to run to benefit a lot of people, and dogs, too.

  At least for the moment she believed she had found the right person to take over the training now that her dad couldn’t do it.

  She’d find out for sure soon.

  *

  It was a business dinner, Amber had tried to convince Evan. And it was, but it had been his idea.

  He didn’t have a lot of money as a partially disabled veteran, but he had been working in LA at random jobs at dog-training schools and even sometimes with police K-9 units.

  He certainly had enough to spring for this dinner—but his new boss had made it clear she was in charge and she was going to pay. Period.

  Which both annoyed and amused him, especially now that they were back in her car, with her driving back to the ranch she owned and ran.

  Good thing he had no romantic interest in her, or her asserting her position like this, no matter how appropriate, would have destroyed it.

  Yet now, as he sat beside her in her car, he found himself glancing at her often, admiring how pretty she was, how sexy despite her insistence about being top person around here.

  Or maybe there was something about her being in charge that he oddly found sexy…

  “What time do you want to start working with me in the morning?” she asked while driving along the narrow road up the mountain leading to her ranch.

  He had no food at his place for breakfast and needed to factor that in. But before he suggested a time, she added, “Of course, you’ll eat with us first. I haven’t given you time to buy groceries. I know you have food for Bear, though, in the back of my SUV.”