Looking for moral support, Zoe laid her hand on the Belgian Tervuren’s head and scratched behind her silky, erect ears. Fellow students had teased her about being assigned to a dog whose fur almost matched her own dark brown hair. That was fine with her.
“All right. I’ll speak to Ellen for you,” Sophie said.
Zoe thought she’d better give Sophie a little more information about Sean, including that he and his son would be staying with her. She explained about the PTSD. “And he’s a widower. His wife overdosed while she was supposed to be watching their son, Patrick. The boy survived almost drowning but was left with brain damage. It’s a really sad story.”
“Well, sounds like he has a good friend in you,” Sophie said. “All right. As soon as your friend gets settled, bring him in for an interview. What do you intend to do with Sean’s son while he’s being assessed and maybe trained?”
“I thought I’d see if Marilyn and Josie would accept him in their day care. Patrick does have special needs, though.”
Sophie nodded. “Lily likes it there, and Ryder and I are pleased with the facility. She’s not my stepdaughter yet but it won’t be long.”
“Hey, if the police chief approves the place and so do you, I’m sure that’ll put Sean at ease.” Encouraged and uplifted by her trainer’s support, Zoe laid a hand lightly on Sophie’s arm. “Thanks. This means a lot to me.”
“Don’t thank me,” Sophie said. “Nothing has happened yet.”
“But it will, God willing,” Zoe countered with a grin. “This is the perfect time of the year. Patrick can go to Sunday school and maybe even participate with other kids in the Christmas pageant.”
“We can always use another shepherd or angel,” Sophie said. “Lily and I are playing Magi. I’m working on camel costumes for Ryder’s old dog Titus and another yellow Lab. Probably Tristan McKeller’s Jesse.” She paused. “Come to think of it, Tristan’s a former soldier. Maybe he can offer your friend some advice.”
Zoe stopped smiling and shook her head slowly, thoughtfully. Tristan, a Desert Valley police officer, was a good guy, but... “I don’t know. Sean may not want to air his problems. It will all come out if and when he qualifies for the Canine Assistance program, of course, but since I didn’t ask if I could tell anyone else, would you mind keeping the story to yourself?”
“Of course,” Sophie said. “You did mention he had some kind of trouble in St. Louis, though. If it follows him here, I will need to share his story with Ryder.”
“I understand. And thanks.” Sighing, Zoe remembered her old friend Sean and his boyish good looks. She’d had a crush on him from the first moment she’d laid eyes on him, and when he’d proudly announced his plans to marry coed Sandra Shepherd, it had nearly broken her heart.
Hopefully whoever broke into his apartment doesn’t figure out where he’s gone, she thought, realizing she did believe his story of the attack. If thugs came after him here, their actions would certainly be taken seriously. The advantage she—and Sean—had while in Desert Valley was her close ties with the police department and the Canyon County K-9 Training Center.
Nobody was going to pull the wool over the eyes of the officials here, let alone fool trained dogs whose senses were so well honed.
The previous batch of rookies and their K-9 partners had helped nab a serial killer. If anyone should be scared of coming to Desert Valley, it should be criminals.
Zoe smiled. Strangers here stood out like bright blossoms on a Cholla cactus in December. Nobody was going to bother Sean and his son. Not while she and her friends were on duty.
TWO
Despite the terrain in Desert Valley being anything but Christmas-like, Sean noticed red and green decorations hung from every light post, and twinkling lights festooned the fronts of businesses along the main street of the small Arizona town.
As he looked for a place to park, he glanced in the rearview mirror at Patrick, who was still fast asleep in his car seat, then pulled to the curb in front of the only official-looking building he saw. He let his truck idle while he called Zoe’s cell. “I’m here. Where are you?”
“Already? What did you do, drive night and day?”
“As a matter of fact, yes. I’m in front of the police station. I’d planned to go in and ask for you, but Patrick’s asleep and I’d hate to wake him.”
“I’m at the training center. It’s about a quarter mile east, on the same road. Can you see the sign from there?”
He peered into the brightness of the rising sun. “I think so. Stay put. I’m on my way.”
The hair on the back of his neck prickled as he looked in the side-view mirror to check for oncoming traffic. There was nobody in sight, yet his senses remained on high alert, as they had been since the break-in. Every dark SUV seemed to be on his trail, not to mention a few other models and colors. The sensation was akin to driving on drifting sand that might be hiding an improvised explosive device. Yeah, been there, done that.
His focus shifted. There she was! Sight of the slim, dark-haired woman with a large dog at her side raised Sean’s spirits immeasurably. How could he have forgotten how lovely his old friend was? How pleasing it was to be around her?
Zoe waved. Sean’s heart beat faster. This reunion felt more like coming home than he’d imagined it would. He was older and wiser, of course. Well, at least older. If he’d been at all wise, he’d have realized how much Zoe had meant to him in the first place.
Cruising to a stop at the low curb, Sean sat behind the wheel and tried to regain control of his emotions. This wasn’t another flashback of the kind that left him frightened and fearful. This was the kind that made him want to weep and wrap Zoe in an embrace that should be reserved for close family—or the woman he loved. She was neither, and yet...
Her grin was wide, her dark eyes sparkling. He didn’t notice she was decked out in a police uniform and fully armed until he’d climbed out of the truck. Some men might have found that off-putting, but it pleased Sean greatly.
The decision of whether or not to hug her was taken from him the instant she threw herself into his arms. All he could do was hang on and blink back tears.
To his surprise and relief, her eyes were moist when she released him. She swiped at her cheeks, grinned and sniffled. “Bright sun will do this to me every time.”
“Yeah. Me, too.” He was so glad to see her he was nearly speechless. The urge to kiss her was too strong to resist, so he brushed his lips against her cheek before straightening to say, “You’re looking good.”
“Not so bad yourself,” she countered with a blush. “You’ve packed on more muscle since we were in college.”
“Compliments of Uncle Sam.” His gaze drifted to his truck. “I wish I’d known before, what I know now.”
“Yeah, well, time has a way of wising us up whether we like it or not.”
“You never married?” he found himself asking.
Zoe laughed softly. “If you asked my chief back in Mesa, he’d say I’m married to my job. I like to think it’s worth it.” She sobered. “Did you have any trouble getting here?”
“Not that I know of. I kept thinking we were being followed, but it was probably my imagination. I tend to do that. If I hadn’t actually fought with those two guys in my apartment, I’d be wondering if the attack was real.”
“I asked the chief here, Ryder Hayes, to send for a copy of your incident report,” Zoe said. “There wasn’t much to it.”
“Did it say whether there was news on the ballistics?”
“Not yet. Don’t get discouraged. We’ll keep an eye on your case.”
He scanned her khaki uniform. “Are you working here?”
“Not today, but I do sub. Just getting the dog used to seeing me ready for duty and doing a bit of extra training. Why don’t I get my car and you can follow me ho
me. I’m sure you’d like to get Patrick settled and get some rest yourself.”
“Home with you? I figured I’d rent a motel room.”
“Don’t be silly. I have plenty of space.”
He eyed the panting dog at their feet. “What about your K-9? Will she be okay with a kid?”
“Yes, she’ll be fine. That was part of her training. These dogs can differentiate between felons and friends.”
Still concerned, Sean leaned closer to speak more privately even though they were alone. “Patrick is not typical in any sense of the word, Zoe. We’re going to have to be very careful when we introduce them. The poor kid has had it rough.”
“I understand. I really do,” she said. “But didn’t his doctors warn against babying him too much?”
“Ensuring his safety is not the same thing. If those guys who broke into our apartment had seen him acting up, they might have shot him just to make him be quiet.” Sean squelched a shiver. “When he gets scared and can’t communicate, he tends to panic.”
“Maybe Freya can help with that, too,” Zoe said. “This evening, after supper, I’ll invite my trainer and the K-9 cop who founded the assistance dog center to join us for coffee and dessert. That way Patrick won’t have to sit through a whole meal with strangers if he isn’t able, and they’ll still get a good idea of your needs. Okay?”
“Sounds like you’ve worked it all out.”
“I’m doing my best.”
“I know you are.” Starting to turn toward his truck he said, “Let’s go. I’m ready.”
* * *
Traffic was predictably light all the way to the rented house. The place was actually too big for one person but was all that had been available, so she’d leased it. Looking back, she wondered if God had arranged the extra room for this purpose. True or not, the notion was comforting.
She motioned Sean to pull into the driveway ahead of her. Instead, he drove onto the sorry excuse for a lawn and left room by the garage for her.
“I meant for you to use the driveway,” she said, approaching his truck.
“It all looks the same to me.”
“So I gathered. You parked on what’s supposed to be the lawn when it gets proper watering.”
“Sorry.” An eyebrow arched. “Is it always this cold here? When I think of the desert, I picture heat.”
“It depends on the elevation and time of year,” Zoe said. “A light jacket is usually enough for us, even in the winter. When there’s snow in Flagstaff and around the Grand Canyon, it can feel colder, though. It generally warms up during the day and cools off when the sun goes down.”
She leaned to peer into his truck and smiled broadly at the little boy who’d just awakened. “You must be Patrick.” When the child hid his face, she added, “My name is Zoe.”
“That’s right,” Sean said. “This is the friend I told you about while we were driving. She’s a very nice lady.”
Still, the child cowered. “I’ll go get my partner,” she told Sean, adding a smile at Patrick. “Then we’ll all go inside together.”
Forcing the little boy to act sociable would have been wrong no matter what. Since he was clearly afraid, Zoe wanted to make certain this first meeting with her K-9 went smoothly. Therefore, she ordered Freya to heel and kept her on a short leash.
Sean was carrying Patrick and waiting at the front door of the simple, one-story, stucco home. The boy had his face pressed to his daddy’s shoulder, hiding his eyes as if doing that made him invisible.
Sensing his uneasiness, the dog whined and wagged her tail. Zoe was about to silence her when she saw a big blue eye peeking out to see what was making the noise.
“This is Freya,” Zoe said. “She lives and works with me. She’s really friendly.”
The key turned in the lock. Zoe pushed open the door and stood back. “After you.”
A small hand reached back, and both of the child’s eyes peered over Sean’s shoulder. “Da.”
“Dog? Yes, she’s a dog. A very nice dog,” Zoe said. “Would you like to meet her?”
“Da!”
Zoe laughed. “I think it’s time you put Patrick down, Sean. He may not be ready to accept me,” she whispered, “but it looks like he’s more than ready to have a fur buddy.”
“I don’t know.”
“Let’s try it,” she suggested. “Put Patrick down so he and Freya can meet on the same level.” A flat hand in front of the eager K-9’s muzzle kept her from lunging and overwhelming the child the way most dogs would.
As soon as the boy’s shoes touched the floor he ducked behind his daddy’s leg, holding on at the knee. Zoe wasn’t worried. She caught Sean’s eye and shook her head to keep him from interfering, then sat on her heels.
“Patrick, this is Freya.” She looked to her panting partner. “Freya, this is Patrick. Friend.”
There was no doubt the dog agreed. Although she kept her distance as ordered, she began to wiggle as if seated on a hill of swarming ants.
“Put your hand out like this and let her sniff you,” Zoe said, demonstrating. “She can tell you like her by the way your fingers smell.”
Sean interrupted. “Is that true?”
“In a manner of speaking. She can sense fear and pick out gunpowder residue, plus all sorts of icky things I won’t mention. The key is this introduction. It will be your turn as soon as Patrick is done.”
“Maybe I should...”
“Trust me?” she said.
A soft chuckle preceded Sean’s reply. “Since when did you get so bossy?”
“Since I was trained and know what I’m doing.”
“Humph. Okay. You’re the police officer.”
“Yup,” she said with an echoing laugh. “Watch and learn, civilian.”
Another hand signal caused Freya to lie down. Patrick reached forward. She sniffed his fingertips, then licked them. He giggled. “Like me.”
“Yes, she does. And so do I,” Zoe said. As if on cue, the dog rolled over, tail still wagging, legs flopping wide. “She trusts you and wants you to scratch her tummy,” Zoe told the boy. “Go ahead. Her fur is really soft.”
He had to come out from behind Sean and squat to reach the dog’s stomach. Zoe couldn’t have been happier at his rapid response. She grinned up at Sean. “Okay. Your turn. She wouldn’t have rolled over if she was worried about you, so join the party.”
Sean began by crouching, then dropped all the way next to his son, keeping one arm around him. Patrick eased into his father’s lap, followed closely by Freya. The idyllic scene was the kind that made Zoe wish she could snap a photo without disturbing them. Father and son were hugging each other while the dog leaned against Sean’s chest and reached up to lick under his chin as if they had known each other for years.
He laughed. “As Patrick said, I think she likes me.”
“I’d say so. It’s a good thing her main training is in search and rescue. You might be ruining her if she was an attack dog.”
“Really?”
Because he looked worried she admitted to teasing. “No. Not really. But it is unusual to see her take to anybody so fast.”
“She knows we’re the good guys, right, Patrick?” Sean said. The boy nodded his agreement.
Zoe slowly rose. “Tell you what. After you put your things in your room and we go shopping for your favorite foods, maybe I’ll have time to teach Patrick how to brush her. Would you like that, honey?”
Again a nod, this time with a shy smile. Zoe had no quarrel with his medical diagnosis. She simply saw more to Patrick’s reticence than brain damage. In her opinion, he needed to be showered with love in order to be more confident, to blossom the way she felt he could.
Whether there would be time for her to help enough to matter was not up to her, it was up
to her heavenly Father. She was beginning to suspect that Sean’s need to come to Desert Valley was not limited to one objective. There was healing here for him. And for Patrick. And, God willing, for her, as well.
It had been a long time since she’d actually looked forward to having free time and not concentrating on her job 24/7. Truth to tell, she sort of felt like a puppy that had just been let out into a big play yard for the first time. If she hadn’t been afraid of frightening Patrick she might have pumped a fist in the air and danced around the room.
THREE
After a quick tour of the house, Sean agreed to ride with Zoe and Freya rather than drive separately to the grocery store. If she had been anybody other than an armed police officer, he wasn’t sure what he’d have done. He’d been so used to taking care of himself and being the only responsible adult in his son’s life, it felt odd to not stay in full control.
She glanced over at him and smiled. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“Right. And I’m Santa Claus. Talk to me, Murphy. I know something’s bugging you.”
Shrugging, he smiled at her. “Actually, I just realized I can relax a little when I’m with you. It’s hard to accept.”
“What is? Relaxing or trusting me?”
“Not being in command. Since I got back to the States, I’ve had to do it all. Believe me, the Shepherds didn’t like most of my decisions.”
“Such as?”
Sean lowered his voice and glanced over his shoulder at the backseat where his son and the dog were having a whispered conversation that included a lot of face licking on Freya’s part. “Whether or not to bring Patrick home, for one. They wanted him to either stay in rehab or go to their house for private treatment. When I saw how unhappy he was in the hospital environment and how much better he acted with me, I decided to spring him.”
Rookie K-9 Unit Christmas Page 2
