A gentle touch on his arm drew him back to the present. Zoe had put down his steaming mug and was leaning closer, staring as if he’d just had an episode of regression. If he turned his head just a little, maybe...
“Earth to Murphy. Are you all right?”
“Fine.” He swallowed hard. “Thanks for the coffee.”
“Where were you just now? You didn’t seem to be fighting a war again.”
“Not the shooting kind.” He laid his hand over hers and lowered his voice to speak more privately while Patrick happily stuffed himself, ignoring the adults. “I was just imagining the future if something happened to me.”
“Well, something won’t, so cut it out.”
“If something did—” he cleared his throat and continued in a hoarse whisper “—would you consider becoming Patrick’s guardian?”
“Me?”
“I know it’s a lot to ask, but...”
“I’m not refusing. I’m touched, that’s all.” She eyed the content child and smiled. “He’s the most important person in your whole life and you’re offering to trust me to take care of him. Of course I’d do it.” She placed her free hand over where theirs were joined, and sniffled.
The moisture glistening in her eyes brought a similar reaction in his as he said, “Thank you.”
Next to them, grinning and sticky with syrup, Patrick giggled and echoed, “Tank you,” interrupting their moving exchange and destroying the romantic mood.
Zoe recovered first, pulled away and pointed to the boy. “Your daddy will clean you up while I clear the table.”
“I will?” Sean lifted an eyebrow.
“Oh, yeah. I may have offered to look after him in an emergency, but I’m not starting now. You fed him pancakes, so you get to wash off the sticky.”
“You drive a hard bargain, Officer Trent.”
She laughed. “You’d better believe it.”
Sobering, Sean lifted his son into his arms. “You meant what you said? You’ll step in if...”
“Absolutely. And if you’re as serious about it as I am, we need to see an attorney and make it official.”
It occurred to him to tease about marrying her, instead, then decided it would be cruel to even suggest such a thing. He was not going to place her in an untenable position, nor was he going to take the chance she might actually agree, for Patrick’s sake.
“Fine,” Sean said, as he left the kitchen. “You make the arrangements, and I’ll keep my head down until it’s legal.”
“You’d better plan on keeping it down a lot longer than that,” Zoe shouted after him. “I understand puppies a lot better than I understand little kids.”
* * *
It was a delight to tour the training facility with Patrick. Every dog excited him, especially the pups he saw when Zoe kenneled Freya.
Crouching, she pointed to a pile of K-9 vests. “Remember how Freya acted different when she was wearing a police jacket and badge like those? Some of the dogs we have here are not very friendly even when they aren’t all dressed up, so you shouldn’t try to pet them without asking first. Understand?”
Patrick’s head bobbed, his expression solemn. “Uh-huh.”
“Good. Now let’s go find my friends.” She stood and offered her hand. “We need to introduce you and your daddy to Angel.”
Judging by the way his eyes widened and he tugged on her hand, Zoe assumed the reference had confused him. She explained. “That’s her name, honey. She’s not a real angel, like in the Bible.”
He seemed to be searching for a word. “Wings?”
“No, Patrick. No wings. She’s just a really sweet dog. Come on. The trainers are waiting for us.”
A wry smile on Sean’s face reminded her that Sophie and Ellen had warned him about possible problems. If he wasn’t open to accepting Angel, Zoe wasn’t sure he’d have a second chance. Of course, he wasn’t the only one who needed to display camaraderie. The dog’s reactions were as important as the human’s.
“I’ll take care of Patrick for a few minutes while you go with Ellen,” Zoe said as soon as pleasantries had been exchanged. “We’ll be right out here, watching.”
He eyed her casual attire. “You’re not armed today.”
“Not visibly. This place is always full of officers, so there’s no need to worry. Most of the previous rookie class is still here, working for the DVPD, and some of those in my group stayed over to sub so officers like Shane Weston could go home to Flagstaff for Christmas. I think you’ll like Tristan McKeller when you meet him, too. I mentioned him—he’s a former soldier, same as you.”
“The same? I doubt that.” He hesitated. “You do understand why I won’t carry a gun, right?”
“Because you don’t want to have a flashback episode and make a terrible mistake. I get it. But if you think about all that’s happened here and the way you’ve been protected, you’ll see there’s no need to be armed.”
“I suppose gut feelings don’t count.”
“Not if they’re yours. Sorry,” she said, smiling to soften the comment even more. “Give it time. Heal. Work through your nervousness with a service dog by your side. Then you won’t even want to be armed.”
Sean sighed noisily. “I hope you’re right.”
“Haven’t you heard? I am always right.” Nudging him through the doorway after Ellen, she lifted Patrick and balanced him on her hip. “Wow. You’re heavy today. Must be from all the pancakes you ate.”
“Uh-huh.”
As his small arms circled her neck and squeezed, Zoe felt a surge of emotion she had not anticipated. He was all shampoo and soap and syrup and...and love. How had that happened? She’d liked him from their first meeting but had attributed those feelings to her friendship with his father. This was different. This was personal. And very dear.
Toting Patrick to the one-way viewing window, she told him to watch while his daddy met the dog that might provide their deliverance. Having a bond develop during an initial meeting was iffy, at best. The quirk on Angel’s side was her overabundance of love. She could track fairly well, but was more likely to lick a criminal she apprehended than to growl or bite him as she was supposed to. That was what had ultimately washed her out of the K-9 cop program.
Sean was seated in a chair in the center of the room. A side door opened. Sophie started to lead Angel in and was almost jerked off her feet when the dog realized there were other people present.
“You may as well release her,” Zoe heard Ellen say.
“Da!” Patrick didn’t take his eyes off the leaping, dancing, pulling canine. “Da-gh.”
Zoe gave him a squeeze. “That’s right. Dog. Very good.”
“Daddy.”
Tears pooled in Zoe’s eyes as she watched the scene unfold. Unleashed, Angel left the trainer at a run, made a dash to Sean and almost knocked him over backward, chair and all, when she tried to jump into his lap.
Of course he did everything wrong after that, including hugging the affectionate dog and letting her lick his face. She made several circles around the room, her nails scrambling on the slick floor, then returned to him to greet him with more exuberance.
All Zoe could do was whisper, “Thank You, Jesus,” and swipe at her damp cheeks. They still had a lot of work ahead of them, but Sean and Patrick Murphy had their service dog. They would be staying in Desert Valley for training.
* * *
The two trainers had managed to corral Angel, fit her with a working harness and put her back on a long leash so Sean could walk her in the fenced training yard.
“How did you know she’d take to my son so fast?” Sean asked Zoe.
“She loves everybody. That’s her problem. She’d rather give and receive affection than settle down and work.”
“And that makes he
r good for me how?”
“We’ll have to wait and see. If she forms a strong enough bond with your family, she may naturally provide protection.”
“Suppose she doesn’t. What then?”
Zoe surprised him with a sock on his shoulder. The dog was so busy wiggling and trying to lick Patrick’s face she didn’t even seem to notice the playful blow.
“Hey. What did you hit me for?”
“Because of your rotten attitude. How can you expect good results when you think so negatively?” She waved her hands in front of him as if erasing the comment. “Never mind. Forget it.”
Watching the interaction between Angel and the boy, Sean realized she had a valid point. “You’re right. I was being a downer. Sorry. It’s just...”
“I know. Let’s take it one day at a time.” She eyed the happy dog. “This morning is off to a great start.”
“Can I let her go soon?”
“Why? Don’t you like being pulled along like a musher on a sled in Alaska?”
“Not particularly. I know Ellen said she needed a strong man to control her, but doesn’t she ever quiet down?”
“Actually, letting her run off some of that excess energy might be good.” Zoe grabbed the leash near the harness and firmly commanded, “Sit.”
Angel plunked down, trembling with excitement but sitting all the same. As soon as the clasp clicked, she tried to bolt, but Zoe still had hold of the harness. In a few seconds she gave the command of release.
Patrick clapped his hands as his new furry friend took off in a dead run, circling him as if corralling a herd of sheep.
“That’s natural instinct,” Zoe said. “Angel was a rescue. Her former owners insisted she was incorrigible. Because border collies are known for their intelligence, Sophie decided to put her in training and give her a chance.”
“It’s going to be hard to find her some sheep to chase around in St. Louis.” As soon as he’d mentioned his former home, he saw Zoe’s smile vanish. He didn’t blame her. Thinking about their parting didn’t make him happy, either. She was right about his mind-set, though. He needed to keep up his spirits for everyone’s sake, especially Patrick’s.
Forcing a wide smile, he tried to encourage his old friend. “Maybe I should buy a ranch.”
Her brows arched. “Can you afford one?”
“No. Sandra kept insisting she had some kind of a trust fund to fall back on, but she never proved it to me. I imagine it was the drugs talking. If she’d had money, she could have gone anywhere instead of complaining about the housing I had provided on base and moving in with her parents.”
“Did you ask them about it?”
“No way. They already thought I married her because they were wealthy. The last thing I want to do is mention piles of money, particularly before I get back on my feet and get a job to supplement my temporary disability.” He shaded his eyes to watch the dog, saw her circle again and head straight for Patrick.
The boy opened his arms. Angel plowed into him and sent him sprawling. With an angry shout, Sean raced to the boy and tried to shove her away.
Instead of giving ground, however, she stood fast, feet braced and curled a lip at him while Patrick laughed so hard he was gasping for breath.
“Stop,” Zoe ordered. “Freeze. Look at the dog.”
Sean rocked back on his heels once he realized the child was unhurt. “What’s she doing?”
“Protecting him. From you. You came at him shouting, and she sensed you were upset so she stood guard.”
“She’s supposed to look out for me, too.”
“I think she will, once you two have bonded more. Right now, I want to tell Ellen what just happened.” She pulled out her cell phone. “This is amazing!”
As Sean relaxed and dropped into a sitting position beside the dog and child, he saw the canine back off, too. Given that he wanted to help Patrick as much as himself, he couldn’t argue with what he’d just seen. If Zoe was pleased, so was he.
Deep breaths calmed him further. Scanning the yard, he noticed obstacles and jumps and all sorts of strange contraptions that he assumed were part of the training regimen. As soon as Zoe finished reporting to the service dog trainer, he planned to ask her how the equipment was used.
Definite joy filled her conversation. “That’s right. She stopped to defend Patrick. I know. It’s wonderful. Okay, we’ll...”
When she broke off in midsentence Sean turned to look at her. Saw her pointing. Whipped around to follow her line of sight.
“The west fence,” Zoe continued, this time cupping a hand over the phone to mute her words. “There’s a guy standing out there now. He looks just like the man in the stolen red truck, the one they chased near the grocery store!”
SIX
Zoe wished she’d worn her Glock and had Freya by her side. The best she could do was corral everybody and move them inside. According to what she’d been told about the trouble in town back in August, assailants had arrived in a car and shot at Sophie with a rifle. At least this guy was on foot and had no visible weapon. If he’d been closer, she’d have drawn her concealed Ruger .380, but at this distance she might as well throw rocks.
Running up to Sean she shouted, “Inside. Now!”
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m not sure. Just move.”
Sean was already on his feet and scooping up his son.
She could tell by his expression that he was going to follow her orders. “Hurry!”
“What about the dog?”
He needn’t have asked. Angel was right on his heels.
Zoe slammed the door. Breathless, she took a moment to regain the proper demeanor. A police officer was supposed to remain calm in a crisis, rookie or not. “There was somebody loitering out by the farthest fence,” she explained. “We had a shooting incident in the training yard about four months ago, and I didn’t want to take a chance this time.”
“Thanks, I think.” He, too, acted out of breath. “You could have told me with a little less drama. You scared me good.”
“Badly. I scared you badly.”
Sean huffed and shook his head. “Those aren’t the first words that popped into my head, believe me.” He eyed his son. “I cleaned it up for both of you.”
“Good.” She went to one of the windows and peeked through the blinds. “I don’t see him now.”
“I never did. What did he look like?”
“One of the guys at the market that made you so nervous,” Zoe said. “I thought for sure you’d seen him standing there.”
“Nope. I was watching the dog until I heard you holler. After that, it’s a blur.”
“Well, at least you didn’t have a flashback.” She studied him. “You didn’t, did you?”
“No. I didn’t.” He seemed both pleased and concerned. “I can’t get well before we qualify for Angel.”
“I’m sure it won’t happen quickly. You just didn’t have the right triggers this time. Besides, there’s an outside chance Patrick can also qualify. You won’t need two service dogs.”
“True.” He joined her to peer out the window as red-and-blue flashing lights reflected off the glass. “Is that every patrol car in Desert Valley?”
“Looks like it. We have so little crime around here the officers tend to respond whenever they can.”
“You said there was a serial killer?”
“Not anymore. It’s a long story. The former police department secretary turned out to be a psycho who was targeting cops. She was mentally unbalanced and thought she could make Chief Hayes fall in love with her if she got rid of all her rivals. In the process, she also killed officers who happened to resemble him because they didn’t ask her for a date. It was a nightmare.”
“Sounds like it.” Sean stepped back.
“I’ve been thinking. Since nobody has bothered Patrick, how about we take him to that day care you mentioned? I suspect you’re right about him being safer if he’s not around me.”
“Granted. And I’ll stop by the house for my other gun.” She displayed the Ruger .380 in her palm. “This is only for close quarters.”
Sean visibly tensed. “You’ll keep it locked up when Patrick is around, right?”
“Absolutely. And I’ll make sure it’s unloaded.”
“What do we do with the dog while we’re gone?”
“It’s about time you started using her name instead of calling her the dog. Angel will go with us, in a portable kennel, and I’ll have Freya ride next to her to set a good example. You’d be surprised how much a smart dog can learn by observation.”
Sean chuckled as he eyed the still-excited canine. “What makes you think Freya won’t learn to act up from watching Angel?”
“I’ll take my chances,” Zoe said, returning his smile. She knew he was referring to the dogs, yet her reply had a double meaning. She was beginning to realize she might be willing to take a chance on caring for Sean again, too. He may have broken her heart once, but he wasn’t the same macho guy he had been. What he needed to realize was that his inner strength was still there, still evident in his actions to protect his son. He wasn’t less of a man than he had been. He was merely a wounded warrior whose invisible scars needed the balm of love and faith, both in himself and in the God he had recently denied.
It was her fondest hope that she could lead him back to a realization of both. She wasn’t fooling herself. Her goals were not nearly as noble as they sounded because she had a vested interest in this matter, too.
She cared for the man deeply. They had both been through a lot since their youth. Above all, she was going to make sure he stayed safe, no matter what it took.
* * *
Sean’s first opinion of Desert Valley Day care was not particularly good. It looked more like the usual private home, decorated for Christmas, than a professional place. There was a wreath on the front door, and twinkling lights hung from the porch, just like every other house on the block.
Rookie K-9 Unit Christmas Page 5
