Cold Feet

by Samantha A. Cole

  “There’s the sign,” Regina announced a moment before the GPS’s female voice said, “You have arrived at your destination on the left.”

  Buck slowed down and pulled into the driveway. The first building they came to was a ranch home, but he’d been instructed to go to the long barn just beyond that, which was the training facility.

  Giving Regina’s hand a final squeeze, Buck let her go so he could put the truck in park and turn off the engine. “All right, let’s do this.”

  As they climbed from his truck, a door to the barn swung open and a woman in her fifties waved to them. “Hi, you must be Buck and Regina.” When they confirmed their identities, the woman held out her hand. “I’m Evelyn O’Shea. It’s nice to meet you.”

  “Nice to meet you too,” Regina replied with a huge grin. “To tell you the truth, I think I’m more excited than Buck is. He’s a bit nervous.”

  “About what?”

  He shrugged. “Well, I’ve always liked dogs but never owned one before, so I’ll have to get used to that. But I’m more worried the dog won’t be able to help me.”

  A look of comprehension appeared on Evelyn’s face. “I understand how you must feel, but you’re not the first veteran to worry about that and I doubt you’ll be the last. All I can tell you is with the training, and the close relationship that occurs between the dogs and the veterans they’re paired with, we have a ninety-eight percent success rate. We’ve helped dozens of veterans reclaim parts of their lives that had to be put on hold because of their PTSD symptoms, and that’s what we’re hoping will happen with you and Monty. Are you ready to meet him?”

  “I guess so.”

  “Good.” She opened the door to the barn and gestured for them to proceed in front of her. “Regina, I’m going to ask you to go into our waiting room right over there, while Buck comes with me.” She pointed to a door next to a large, plateglass window. “You’ll be able to see and hear everything from there, but we find that the initial introduction between the dogs and veterans needs to be without any distractions. Sometimes we have to remind the family members that these are working dogs first, and strict rules must be followed for them to do their jobs.”

  “Okay, no problem,” Regina said as she rubbed a hand across Buck’s back. She held up her phone to Evelyn. “Do you mind if I record the introduction?”

  “Not at all.”

  As Regina veered into the waiting room, Buck followed Evelyn into a cavernous space with several training stations and props. No one else was in sight, but he could hear people talking and a few dogs barking behind a door on the far side of the room. Evelyn indicated a bench against one of the walls. “Have a seat there, and I’ll bring Monty out. Don’t call him over or clap or stand. He’s going to sniff a bit until he gets comfortable with you. You’ll know when that happens, and then you can talk to him and pet him.”

  “Okay.” Buck took a seat and rubbed his sweating palms against his jean-covered thighs. His heart was pounding in his chest as Evelyn disappeared through the door from where he’d heard the other voices. He glanced over at the plateglass window Regina was standing behind and waved when she gave him a huge smile while holding her phone up to record the coming event.

  When the door to his left opened again, Buck’s eyes grew wide as a mammoth furry beast trotted out beside Evelyn. He’d known the dog was going to be big, having researched the breed, but having never seen a Bernese mountain dog in person before, it was a bit of a shock to see the 110-pound male prance about the room. His tongue was lolling out as he heeded several commands the trainer gave him. Evelyn gave him a treat after each proper response, then had Monty heel as she strode toward Buck. The dog’s eyes lit up when he spotted the strange man, as if realizing he had a new playmate, and that eased some of Buck’s worry as they neared him. Remembering the woman’s instructions, Buck sat still and kept his hands in his lap.

  Evelyn stopped in front of Buck and ordered Monty to sit. The dog’s tail was wagging a mile a minute as he eyed Buck, but he did as he was told. He began to sniff loudly, pulling in the newcomer’s scent. Since he didn’t growl or seem fearful of Buck, that was a good start—so far, so good.

  Without warning, something in the backroom crashed to the floor, echoing in the huge building, followed by someone calling out, “Sorry! Everything’s okay!” But Buck’s mind didn’t register the apology. His body had stiffened as sweat broke out on his brow. He felt the blood drain from his face and tried desperately to swallow the bile that threatened to come up. A ringing started in his ears and quickly became a dull roar. His hands and legs shook, and he was a split second away from bolting.

  A heavy weight pressed against his legs, and something wet nudged his hand, pushing under it. Glancing down, Buck saw the big dog had plastered himself against him. Monty began to lick his hands, and the soothing actions had Buck taking large gulps of air as the dog brought him back to the present. After a few moments, Buck reached out and stroked the dog's thick fur.

  “Buck, are you okay?” Evelyn asked softly, as she knelt next to Monty without touching Buck. Concern and remorse filled her face. “I’m so sorry. Something was knocked over in the other room. With the high ceilings, everything sounds louder than it should in here.”

  It took him a moment before he felt he could answer her without his voice cracking. “Yeah, I’m okay.” He dropped his gaze to the dog who was still comforting him. “He brought me out of the flashback before it could fully form.”

  She smiled. “That’s what he’s supposed to do. I think it was a match made in heaven. Such a good boy, Monty.” Letting out a deep, relieved breath, she said, “Why don’t we let Monty continue to do his job, while I go get you some water, hmm?”

  Kneading the scruff at the dog’s neck, Buck just nodded. When the woman walked off, Buck leaned down, rubbed his cheek over Monty’s big head, and whispered, “Thank you, buddy.”

  Standing in a room off the vestibule of the small church she’d been baptized in, Regina took the bouquet of flowers Zia handed her. “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome. And, by the way, have I mentioned how gorgeous you look in that dress?”

  Regina grinned at her maid of honor. “Only at every fitting and at least three times already today, but thank you again.” The simple, ivory A-line style she’d chosen was her ideal wedding dress. It was so pretty, comfortable, and . . . well, it was so her . . . and hadn’t cost an arm and a leg.

  She still couldn’t believe she was marrying Buck in less than ten minutes. He’d surprised her at Christmas with an engagement ring, and then begged her not to make him wait too long to hold a wedding. They’d both agreed it was a long time coming, so with the help of those closest to them, they’d managed to plan everything within five months. After the ceremony, they were heading to the ski resort where a huge white tent had been erected and attached to the larger of the two outdoor pavilions. The tent was where the guests would eat, while the band and dance floor were set up under the pavilion.

  Buck’s mother, sister, and her family had arrived from North Carolina a few days ago, and his nieces, Mia and Hannah, were Regina’s flower girls. She’d fallen in love with the six- and seven-year-old imps immediately when they’d first met two months ago, when Regina and Buck had gone south to visit his family. Now, they looked adorable in the pink and purple dresses their mother and Regina had agreed upon.

  It had been a great first season for Buck, Ryan, and Justin at the ski resort. Maxi had helped out when she could, as they’d planned, but the men and Grace had done the majority of the work. They’d even come up with some plans for new events and activities to entice their clientele to return for summer vacations.

  As for Regina, Grace and the others had convinced her to start her own CPA company and take over the ski resort’s account. With Hogan’s charity, along with several other business accounts Regina had been able to land, she was already looking to hire another CPA to assist her.

  Marty Sims had been found g
uilty of attempted murder, stalking, and several other charges and would spend, at the very least, the next twenty years in jail. Regina hoped he would rot in there for what he’d done to her. She still freaked out at sudden loud noises, and Buck knew better than to sneak up behind her now. The one and only time he’d done that a few weeks after the assault, with a bouquet of flowers in his hand to surprise her, she’d nearly had a heart attack.

  Monty had been a godsend for Buck. Once fully-trained, he’d slowly gained Buck’s trust that he’d do what was necessary to help his human through any PTSD episodes that came up—whether Buck was asleep or awake. A month or so after Monty had come to live with them, Buck had spent the first full night in bed with Regina, with the dog sleeping on the floor next to him. Whenever the nightmares came, Monty was on the bed in a heartbeat, lying on top of Buck and calming him down before things got bad. Buck and Regina had slept together every night since.

  Monty was also a hit with the staff and guests at the ski resort, walking around in a red vest that declared he was a service dog and asking people not to interact with him while he was on-duty. It’d become a thing, whenever Monty’s vest was off for short periods of time, for the staff to announce there was a naked dog in the house who could accept ear scratches, belly rubs, and any Buck-approved treats. LRSR was already planning a fundraiser during the next Halloween week-long event to help other veterans get service dogs.

  The door to the vestibule opened, and Ryan stepped in, a broad grin spreading across his handsome face when he spotted Regina. “Almost ready?”

  “Yup.”

  Zia grabbed Mia’s and Hannah’s hands before leading the girls to the door. “We’ll give you a few minutes alone, but don’t you dare call me from the highway to tell me to make a godawful announcement this time.”

  Ryan and Regina laughed before the latter made a cross over her heart. “Not a chance, I swear.”

  The door shut, leaving the siblings alone. Ryan stepped next to Regina and stared at her in the mirror’s reflection. “So, no cold feet this time?”

  She shook her head. “Nope, not even lukewarm. In fact, I’m ready to hot-foot it down the aisle.”

  “I’m happy for you, Gi. Happy you didn’t settle, and happy you chose someone I respect and love. Despite my misgivings when you two first started dating, I couldn’t have picked a better man for you than Buck.”

  Sniffling, she waved her hands in front of her face. “Don’t make me cry, big brother. My mascara will run.”

  “Can’t have that, now, can we?” He held out his elbow for her to take. “Ready?”

  “As I’ll ever be.”

  A few moments later, they were standing at the end of the aisle, watching as the flower girls and Zia make their way to the front of the church. Regina’s breath hitched in her chest when she caught sight of Buck standing at the altar, looking more handsome than ever in his black tuxedo. God, she loved him—she always had, even during their time apart when she’d almost made the worst mistake of her life. But now, she knew in her heart that in his arms was where she was supposed to be. With Buck, she’d have the loving marriage her parents had experienced, and it was all she’d ever wanted with the man she loved.

  Since Ryan was giving her away, Justin stood next to Buck as his best man. Sitting between them, wearing a white bowtie, was Monty, and Regina couldn’t help the giggle that erupted from her at the sight of him.

  When the “Wedding March” began, everyone in the church stood, their eyes tracking Regina as Ryan walked her down the aisle, but her gaze was only focused on Buck’s. His eyes sparkled as he stared at her, and she grinned when he crooked his finger at her, indicating he couldn’t wait for her to join him.

  As they reached the end of the aisle, Ryan handed her off to Buck, who couldn’t take his eyes off her. Buck stared at her for a moment before lowering his head and kissing her sweetly on the lips. There were bursts of laughter from their friends and family when the priest cleared his throat and informed them with amusement in his voice, “We’re not up to that part of the wedding yet.”

  Buck smiled against her mouth before ending the kiss. He winked at her and then turned to face the man waiting to wed them. “Well then, let’s get this show on the road!”

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  Author’s Note

  Any information regarding persons or places has been used with creative literary license so there may be discrepancies between fiction and reality. The missions and personal qualities of members of the military and law enforcement within have been created to enhance the story and, again, may be exaggerated and not coincide with reality.

  The author has full respect for the members of the United States military and the varied members of law enforcement and thanks them for their continuing service to making this country as safe and free as possible.

  USA Today Bestselling Author and Award-Winning Author Samantha A. Cole is a retired policewoman and former paramedic. Using her life experiences and training, she strives to find the perfect mix of suspense and romance for her readers to enjoy.

  Her standalone collection of short stories, Scattered Moments in Time, won the gold medal in the 2020 Readers’ Favorite Awards in the Fiction Anthology genre. Her standalone novel, The Road to Solace (formerly The Friar), won the silver medal in the 2017 Readers' Favorite Awards in the Contemporary Romance genre.

  Samantha has over thirty books published throughout several different series as well has a few standalone novels. A full list can be found on her website listed below.

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