An Officer and Her Gentleman

by Amy Woods

  “Makes sense,” Avery said, standing up. “I think it’s awesome that you’re choosing to work with rescue dogs.”

  Isaac smiled, warmed by her encouragement. “It’s not been easy to convince new clients that this is the right thing to do, but we’re working on it. Every dog that we pull from the shelter that ends up being a good fit is more proof that this can work. We loved doing this before, but if we can save homeless dogs instead of creating a demand for new puppies, then it’s better for everyone. We save them, and they save people. Everyone wins.”

  “And they do deserve a chance, don’t they,” Avery said. It wasn’t a question, and she was so right.

  “They absolutely do. Dogs don’t ask too much of us. They want to be fed, sheltered, healthy and loved. It’s not a lot. And so many of them love having a job to do. I’m not sure they understand it, but it gives them purpose, and if they’re anything like me, that means the world.”

  Color drained from Avery’s face and Isaac caught his mistake too late.

  “Oh, Avery. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”

  “I know you didn’t. It’s okay. I don’t want you walking on eggshells around me, Isaac. I need for you to tell me the truth and to speak openly and plainly to me always, even if no one else in my life will.” She walked over and set her hand on his arm. “I’ll find my purpose again, even if it’s different than my nursing job.”

  “Yes,” he agreed. “I have no doubt that you will, and Foggy and I will do everything we can to make sure that happens sooner rather than later.”

  A flush of color returned to her cheeks and Isaac felt a thousand times better. He clapped his hands against his thighs. “Ready to get to work?”

  “Definitely. Where do we start?”

  Hannah shoved closed a file-cabinet door and joined them, a manila folder in her hand with Foggy’s name scrawled along the tab in thick blue marker. She looked back and forth at both of them, grinning, and for the very first time since he’d hired her, Isaac wished she wasn’t so damn observant. Hannah was a very intelligent woman, but she also had a gift for reading people down to their very depths. It was a little eerie sometimes. And right now she had that look on her face—the one that told Isaac she knew exactly what he was thinking about Avery Abbott.

  He was in trouble.

  A little involuntary cough escaped and he purposefully averted his eyes from his very astute assistant, which only made her chuckle.

  “I’ve got all of Foggy’s records here,” she said, coming shoulder to shoulder with Avery so she could share the papers. “I’ve been keeping a journal of our training sessions, and since he’s been bunking with me at night, I’ve also got all of his basic care info, down to the last poop.”

  A totally ungraceful and absolutely adorable laugh burst out of Avery.

  “You keep a...a poop schedule for him?”

  Hannah, so accustomed to working with new pups, didn’t get the humor. “Well, yeah, why wouldn’t I?”

  Avery giggled and Isaac couldn’t help but join her.

  “Hannah’s very thorough,” he said. “It’s one of the many reasons I need her around here.”

  Understanding crossed her features. “Oh, yes. I keep meticulous records whenever we get someone new. Dogs need structure to be productive, just like folks do, so as soon as a little one arrives, I get him or her all set up on a food schedule and, well, you know, so we can make sure potty training goes...ahem...as smoothly as possible.”

  “Ha!” Isaac and Avery both chimed, and even Hannah had to laugh at that one.

  “All right, all right.” She poked Avery playfully. “You’ll get used to it soon enough if you decide to join forces with this little ball of love.”

  She reached down and gave Foggy a treat from her pocket, which he gobbled up immediately.

  Hannah caught Isaac’s attention and got down to business, going over each task she and Foggy had practiced enough that the dog performed them consistently. The two had mastered sit, down, come, stay, dropping and leaving items alone, waiting patiently at doorways, walking on a leash, exits and entrances into vehicles and buildings, settling down on mats and crates, and—as Foggy had so awesomely demonstrated with Avery—greeting people with excellent canine manners.

  Isaac could see that Hannah was as proud of the dog as she would be of her own child. He couldn’t wait to get to work with Avery and Foggy.

  Once he and Hannah had finished going over Foggy’s training log, Hannah reminded Isaac that she had other things to do.

  “I’ll leave you to it,” she said aloud, then, leaning in to Isaac’s ear, she whispered, “Alone.”

  She winked at Isaac and it took all his resolve not to roll his eyes. Of course Hannah would know he didn’t mean it and that her intuition about his budding feelings for Avery was spot-on, which would only make things worse. She knew him well and obviously loathed the fact that she herself had been happily wed to her high school sweetheart since graduation, yet couldn’t inflict her own marital bliss on everyone around her.

  He knew. She’d been trying for years.

  “All right, Hannah Banana. That’s enough from you now. I won’t be requiring any further assistance.”

  He’d used his most serious voice, but Hannah only laughed and hit him in the arm with Foggy’s file before holding it out so he could take it. She glared at him playfully before pulling her giant sunglasses down from their nest in her poofy curls and over her eyes.

  “I’m off to check on the play area fence out back. Let me know if you guys need anything, you hear?”

  “Will do,” Avery called from where she’d been practicing high fives with a delighted Foggy.

  Isaac waved to Hannah and went over to join them. He was a pretty content man before he’d met this woman, but seeing Avery having so much fun with her new friend pushed him right over the edge into full-blown happy.

  She was beautiful when she let go of her shield and put on that radiant smile that brought light into her entire face. For a moment, all of the shadows were gone, and there was only sun. What made him even happier was that she looked at him that way, too. It was often easier, of course, for someone with her past to befriend an animal than a human. Humans weren’t as simple or as pure. They came with baggage and history and a thousand secrets upon that first meeting.

  Nevertheless, she’d let him come near her, physically and emotionally, the other night and that morning. He was so lucky, he knew, to have the privilege of getting to know her. He got the distinct feeling that she didn’t let many people get even that close, so it made him feel special that she’d chosen him; he wouldn’t take that lightly.

  He looked forward to every second of their time together that day and dared to hope that there would be countless more to come.

  Avery practically bounced back over to join him, Foggy at her heels.

  “So, where do we start?” she asked, optimism lilting in her voice.

  “At the top, of course,” Isaac said, tucking a finger under her chin. He was rewarded with a sweet smile that reached all the way into those blue eyes he’d begun to like so much that his need for them bordered on becoming a craving. It struck him instantly and with great force that what he wanted to do in that moment was kiss her nose.

  Chapter Eight

  How ridiculous that his impulse was so sweet, so innocent, almost childlike in its purity and simplicity.

  Most of his relationships with women—if they could be called that—up until that point had been casual dates that occasionally culminated in physical intimacy. Nothing serious, nothing complicated. He just hadn’t met the right woman yet, to want more. He’d never felt a strong pull to get inside a woman’s head, to know what made her heart set fire, what made her happy.

  With Avery, already it was different. He wanted, no, needed, to know every
thing about her. He wanted to hear all the silly small stuff, like what her favorite movies were and what she liked to read. Was there something she loved to eat or drink? What were her thoughts on current events? What had she been like as a child? What did she want more than anything else in the world?

  It was strange that he’d been so physically close to women before and yet had felt nothing like what he did when Avery was simply standing in the same room as he, breathing the same air. It scared him a little, yes, but he’d wanted to feel that way for so long that the fear did nothing to deter him from moving forward. It was too soon, he knew, to figure out whether or not this was what love felt like, but that didn’t stop him from wondering.

  It was certainly possible, wasn’t it? It didn’t matter that they’d only known each other for little more than a week, did it?

  Isaac didn’t think so. Life was short, and if something awesome came along and bit a man in the ass, it would be stupid to ignore it, to waste it. He had no intention of making that mistake.

  “Everything okay?” Avery asked, and Isaac realized he’d been staring at her without blinking or breathing or doing any other normal thing to make him seem not kooky.

  “Everything’s great,” he said, pulling in a breath.

  Surely she couldn’t read all the thoughts he’d just been having about her, about him, about the two of them. Surely she couldn’t tell that he wanted to pull her close and bury his face in her golden hair, and much, much more. He studied her eyes, but they gave nothing away except obvious amusement.

  “You sure?” she asked, tilting her head to the side, looking insanely cute.

  “Absolutely.” He cleared his throat.

  Best get to work so his mind would have something to concentrate on other than Avery’s lovely face.

  “So, just a little info first. For dogs, trust is as important as it is for humans, although they’re a lot quicker to give it away. For them, at least if they’re raised from puppies, it’s not so much that it has to be earned—although it did with Foggy at first, on account of his unfortunate past—as that you don’t want to break it. If you show him that you’ll reward good behavior, he’ll give it to you consistently.”

  Avery nodded, her features registering discomfort at the subject of trust. Isaac knew it was something difficult for her, as it was for many people with PTSD. He knew it would always be something he’d have to work hard to show her if they were to build a relationship. That would bother a lot of men, he knew, but it didn’t bother him. He was willing to work to earn Avery’s trust. He would never break it if she offered it to him.

  “And all dogs have something that motivates them.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like toys, or affection, or food. You’ll want to give all three of those things, but it’s helpful to figure out what drives each specific pup. Foggy, for example—” the little guy’s ears perked up at his name and he tilted his head to the left “—happens to love treats, so he’s pretty easily motivated by food. Don’t you, boy?”

  Isaac dug a piece of dried chicken jerky out of his pocket and said, “Sit.”

  Foggy obeyed instantly, earning the bite.

  “Very good boy,” Isaac praised. He pulled more food from his pocket and gestured for Avery to open her palm, then dropped it in. “Now you try.”

  Avery set her shoulders back and stood stiffly, almost as if she were at attention. Isaac smiled at her seriousness, but regarded her with great respect. She understood how important her relationship with Foggy could be, and he loved that about her.

  “Sit,” she said, then laughed immediately as Foggy just grinned at her. “Oh, geez,” she said, turning pink. “He’s already doing that, isn’t he?”

  Isaac burst out laughing. “I’m sorry, Ave. My fault. Let’s get him to stand up first.” Isaac winked at Avery before asking Foggy to stand. “Up,” he said, satisfied when the dog promptly stood to face them, earning another treat.

  Avery watched Isaac carefully as he showed her one more time how to request that Foggy sit down, holding out his palm the way Hannah had earlier, then lifting it slightly.

  “You can either just say the word sit to get him to do so, or you can give him the hand signal. That way, you’ve got both a verbal command in case you’re too far away for him to see, like in another room, for example, or, if you’re in a place where you need to be quiet, you can give him the visual cue.”

  Avery smiled, obviously enjoying the lessons as much as Foggy clearly did. Isaac hadn’t spent as much time around him as Hannah had, but he could tell already that the dog was alert, responsive and extremely calm. It didn’t even seem to faze him at all that Jane was amusing herself by tossing a tennis ball up in the air and chasing it around the room as they worked. He would be an excellent companion for Avery, Isaac was certain.

  “So, I can take him with me...anywhere?” Avery asked, obviously pleased at the idea.

  “Oh, yeah, that’s the whole point,” Isaac reassured her. “He’s got his practice vest now, which should let store owners and restaurants and such know that he’s allowed to be there, and then he’ll get his official vest when he takes his exam.”

  “Awesome,” Avery said, her face lighting up. “I can’t wait to see what my niece and nephew think of him.”

  For the next few hours, they practiced through several basic commands until Avery was completely at ease asking Foggy to do all sorts of things he’d need to know in order to move around comfortably in public. Isaac showed Avery how to let Foggy know that he was off duty by removing his vest, and he and Jane chased each other around the room, stopping at intervals to show their play bows and wrestle, while Isaac and Avery laughed themselves to tears.

  Foggy and Avery were a natural fit, Isaac could plainly see, and they were already becoming fast friends. Plus, he couldn’t help but notice how well Foggy and Jane got along, which was wonderful on the chance that, someday in the future...

  He couldn’t let that thought stretch too far. Avery was already warming up, even after only a couple of hours with her new bud, but he had to remind himself that he didn’t know what she wanted. There was something between them that couldn’t be denied, something palpable and solid, but he wouldn’t push her.

  Even if she was beginning to have feelings for him the way he most definitely was for her, she would need time to come to terms with what that meant. She’d been on her own for a long time now. She was a trained servicewoman and she hadn’t depended on anyone except her fellow soldiers throughout her time in the military, and it was probably difficult for her to depend on her family now, so Isaac couldn’t ask her to lean into him.

  And yet...

  What he could do was give her a safe place to be herself, to open up and start letting those deep, invisible wounds begin to heal.

  The office door opened and Hannah poked her head through the door as Isaac turned.

  “Hey, guys!” she called, pushing the door and walking into the room. “How’s it going?”

  “Going great,” Avery answered, giving Hannah an easy smile. “Foggy is just...”

  Avery looked up at the ceiling as if it might offer a word big enough to describe her feelings for her new sidekick, but then just shook her head and raised her hands in surrender.

  “He’s wonderful, isn’t he?” Hannah offered.

  “I can’t get enough of him.”

  Hannah put her hands on her hips. “Has he been doing okay with all the basics?”

  “Better than okay,” Isaac said. “He’s one hundred percent on everything. You did good, Hannah Banana.”

  Hannah shrugged. “It’s my job.”

  “He’s probably ready to take his test, but it’ll be a couple of weeks before I can get our usual guy out here to run the exam. I have no doubt he’ll do great. And, if Avery’s ready then, too, she can tak
e it with him as his handler.”

  Avery bit her lip—a sign that she was a little nervous, Isaac had learned by making a study of her pretty face.

  “We’ve got plenty of time,” he said. “And there’s absolutely no pressure on you at all.”

  Hannah sent him a look but he shook his head. He would bring up the subject of the local animal shelter’s upcoming 5K walk/run fund-raiser when the time was right and ask her if she’d like to attend.

  There were a couple of sponsors coming that word of mouth told him were interested in Isaac’s new veterans program, and he’d hoped to run into, and if possible speak to, one in particular at the end of the walk that day. Having the owner of Palmer Motors offer to fund the program would be a dream come true—the money would make it possible to pull more dogs from the shelter to match up with veterans who couldn’t afford to go through the training out of their own pockets.

  Plus, it would be an excellent place for Avery to test things out with Foggy—all kinds of distractions would be present. But for now, she had had a long morning and was probably getting tired.

  What they both needed was lunch. He wouldn’t even pretend it wasn’t an excuse for him to spend more time with her, to get to know her better, and he knew just the place.

  “Well, guys,” Hannah said, looking at her watch. “I’ve got to run.” She pointed over her shoulder to the back of the building. “Isaac, the fence out back is fine. One of our new clients and his puppy are coming in later today to practice commands outside—” she raised her eyebrows at Avery “—and this little dude has a bit of a squirrel-chasing fetish. Had to make sure he won’t get out of the play area and into the street. I’m determined to get him to focus, even with the little furry things jumping through the trees to tease him.”