Sarah started laughing.
“I’ll admit, I’d love to know more about what happened with Josh,” Brand said with a rueful grin. “But right now? I’m just grateful for the surveillance footage that’s probably available for us to take a look at. C’mon. Let’s see what we need to do to have access.”
Chapter Twenty
They were at a standstill. The digital video couldn’t be accessed until the following week because the security company was closed for the weekend except for emergencies. Plus they would need permission from the coordinator of the wounded warrior home, who was currently traveling, since he routinely visited other facilities around the country, even though Crystal Rock served as his home base.
Brand was behind the wheel, driving through the parking lot when he decided to give Sarah the bad news.
He gave her a side glance. “Part of the reason I didn’t want to get a hold of my commander was because I knew if they didn’t think you’d remember anything specific from your captivity in Iraq, and weren’t in danger because of it, they’d try to reassign me sooner than what they’d originally planned.”
Sarah had on her poker face, but Brand saw her hesitate for a moment.
“They’re reassigning you?’ she asked dully, keeping her eyes focused outside through the window.
“Not exactly.”
She finally turned towards him, raising a brow.
“They’ve got some hits on the data I asked them to research for me, and rather than communicate online, they’d prefer I fly to Quantico and discuss what they found.”
She continued to remain silent as he drove through town.
“I called Danielle and told her we wanted to buy the house.”
Sarah’s eyes went wide in astonishment. “But it cost a fortune. I saw the list price.”
Brand grinned. “I talked our new neighbor into accepting a lower offer.”
“Our new neighbor?” she repeated mechanically.
“Of course.” He glanced at her and grinned. He loved the look on her face. “Any problem with that?”
She grinned wryly. “No. Even though it’s all happened so quickly, I don’t have a problem with it at all.”
Brand grinned and continued driving in an opposite direction from the cabin.
Sarah looked at him quizzically. “Where are we going?”
“Even with the alarm system, I don’t feel right leaving you home alone. I want you to work from home, Sarah. I’m sure Josh won’t mind.”
When she started to protest, Brand held up a staying hand. “No, don’t argue. Someone tried to kill you. I know you can take care of yourself if you have to, but it’d make me feel a hell of a lot better if you listened to me about this.”
Sarah’s sigh was resigned. “Alright. I just hope we can figure out what’s going on quickly.”
She was staring ahead as Josh pulled into a long, graveled driveway.
And then she looked at him and smiled. “The Crystal Rock Animal Shelter? You remembered,” she said softly.
“We’re going to get us a dog,” Brand said excitedly. He was pretty stoked himself about the idea of choosing a pet.
And settling down with the woman he’d been in love with since the moment they’d met would be a dream come true.
* * *
Brand had called ahead, asking about the possibility of finding a dog who’d be a good fit for Sarah. And even though there were three prospective dogs ready for her to choose from waiting in their pens, Sarah knew the one she wanted as soon as she saw her.
And the funny thing about it was, the dog seemed to think that Sarah was the perfect fit for her as well.
“Hi, Abby,” Sarah said softly.
The creamy-coated, springer spaniel mix wagged her tail like crazy, as the woman who’d greeted Sarah and Brand upon arrival opened the dog’s cage, attaching a leash.
“Would you like to take her for a walk around the training ring?” the woman asked Sarah.
“I would.”
Once she was holding Abby’s leash, the first thing Sarah did was sit down on the floor and wrap her arms around the dog. The dog whimpered softly, and Sarah buried her face against Abby’s fur.
When Sarah looked up, Brand was smiling from ear to ear. “That was quick,” he said softly, and then looked at the attendant. “Can she go home with us tonight?”
“Of course. Danielle already warned me about that. I tell you what, why don’t you come along with me, so I can gather a few things you’ll need right away, while your wife takes Abby for a walk.”
Brand didn’t bother to correct her, Sarah noticed, and bending down, he rubbed Abby playfully over her floppy ears before looking at Sarah with a warm smile.
“Take as much time as you’d like. I’ll go along with…” Brand looked at the attendant.
“I’m Jenny. Nice to meet you both.”
“Nice to meet you too, Jenny. This is Sarah, and I’m Brand.”
Brand stood and watched as Sarah walked away with the dog, before following Jenny into the office where supposedly there was pet food and supplies.
Sarah couldn’t believe she’d chosen a dog so quickly.
Or had the dog chosen her? She was wonderfully trained, and responded to Sarah’s every move instinctively. Sarah had a feeling she was going to get awfully attached to Abby.
Being as tall as she was, Sarah was surprised about the fact that Abby was the perfect height for her to walk comfortably. Even if trouble with her leg would arise, it would be easy to reach for Abby’s collar if Sarah dropped the leash.
“Would you like to come home with us Abby?”
Abby looked at Sarah excitedly, with her tongue hanging out. She suddenly answered, “Woof.”
Sarah grinned. “Come on. Let’s go find Brand.”
When they walked through the breezeway into the outer office, Brand was standing at the desk staring dazedly at the pile of supplies in front of him. A small tiger-striped kitten was hovering on the floor beside him, rubbing against Brand’s legs.
“Do we really need a cage?” he asked.
Jenny answered, “Truthfully? I don’t think so. Abby’s really well-trained.”
Suddenly noticing the kitten near his feet, Brand scooped her up and brought her close to his face. “Aren’t you sweet?”
“That’s Baby. She’s up for adoption too,” Jenny said.
There was something so moving about seeing this big giant hunk of a man rubbing that kitten against his face. And Sarah nearly began to cry because of the sweetness of Brand.
She was someone who’d always pushed people away. Maybe because of the bullying she’d endured growing up; the teasing and the name calling along with the taunts about her sexuality had left her lacking in trust, despite her loving family.
And Jim? Well, he’d always said just the right thing to make her think that he’d loved her. But whatever she’d had with him? She knew now, it’d never been love.
Because she loved Brand Reardon with all her heart.
He was looking at her quizzically. “Sarah? What is it?” He laid the kitten on the ground and approached her. “Is everything okay?”
“It’s more than okay, Brand,” she answered, with a teary smile.
He nudged her in the ribs and pointed. “Look.”
Baby the kitten was rubbing against Abby, and Abby was cleaning the kitten’s head with her tongue.
Sarah looked at Brand and rolled her eyes before turning to Jenny. “I guess Baby should come home with us too.”
Jenny laughed, and then so did Brand.
Chapter Twenty-One
The next couple days, she and Brand settled in with their new pets. It was unbelievably easy, cause Abby was well trained enough to let them know when she needed out, while Baby was doing great at remembering to use the litter box they’d decided to put in the mudroom near the garage.
Abby was fascinated by the pool and paced back and forth when either she or Brand was in it. Sarah had a feeling that t
he dog would’ve jumped right in with them if they’d allowed it.
But despite the fact that the pool was heated, it was still the middle of winter, and it would be an effort to dry the dog thoroughly enough afterward for going out into the cold.
On Sunday morning, Brand and Sarah were doing their regular laps in the pool after working out. Sarah was even happier now that she’d decided to go with a costlier prosthetic that was waterproof.
Brand had talked with his commander yesterday and made arrangements to fly out in the middle of the night to Virginia, so he would arrive bright and early on Monday morning for a meeting at eight. He’d be gone for at least a few days, and Sarah was missing him already.
Right now, Brand and Sarah were laughing because Abby had the kitten in her mouth by the scruff of her neck, and was carrying Baby away from the edge of the pool.
“Good girl, Abby,” Sarah called out between bursts of laughter.
Brand muttered, “I have a feeling Abby thinks Baby’s a toy that we got, just for her to play with.”
Sarah laughed harder.
But watching as Brand hoisted himself out at the edge of the pool, her mouth went dry. She took in a breath, and almost forgot to let it out.
Brand must’ve noticed Sarah’s expression from the corner of his eye because he grinned. “I know that look.”
She gazed into his eyes, saw the passion there, and knew he wanted her as much as she wanted him. “I hate to be so demanding,” she answered, almost in a purr.
Brand sighed exaggeratedly. “Even though you had me exhausted last night, I guess I’ll just have to build up enough energy to do it again.” He grinned, reaching down and hauling her out from the pool into his arms. “You’re insatiable,” he added, before his lips came down on hers.
When they finished their kiss, Sarah sighed contentedly. “Shower?”
“Shower,” Brand answered, dragging her quickly inside the house with one hand.
* * *
Later that night, Sarah tossed and turned, bolting upright in the bed. She’d remembered something from Iraq, and she had a feeling it could be important.
Sarah’s eyes searched the room, and she saw a note on the bedside table. Brand must’ve already left, and hadn’t wanted to wake her up.
She heard some noise from downstairs, and realized that maybe he hadn’t taken off for the airport yet.
Scrambling out from the bed, Sarah fell to the floor with a thud.
That was a first. She shook her head dazedly and grinned. She’d forgotten about her leg.
Abby came scrambling into the room with Brand following closely behind her.
“Aw, Sarah,” Brand said, scooping her from the floor and laying her back on the bed. “Are you alright?”
Abby laid her head on the edge of the bed, staring soulfully at Sarah and whimpering.
Sarah smiled, rubbing the dog absentmindedly on the head as she looked at Brand. “I think I might’ve remembered something.”
“About your captivity?” Brand asked, sitting down beside her.
“You’re not going to be late for your flight?”
“Nah,” he answered, looking at his watch. “The roads are clear and there won’t be much traffic on my way to Eau Claire.”
“I meant to ask—why haven’t you been flying out from our local airport?”
Brand grinned wryly. “There aren’t enough flights going in and out yet. I guess they just reopened last year? Not only would I have had to leave Saturday, I would’ve had to transfer flights.”
Sarah nodded distractedly. “There were weapons, Brand. Boxes and boxes of weapons piled high in the cave.”
Brand looked puzzled. “But Sarah, we checked the place you were being held thoroughly. It looked like a makeshift bunker, with canned food and clothing and a few dirty sleeping bags scattered around the floor and in the next room.” Brand said gently. “We even have pictures, and I’ve been over them time and time again.”
Sarah became thoughtful. “I suppose I could be wrong. But the vision came to me pretty vividly in my dream. I could swear…”
Bending over, he kissed her gently on the cheek. “Make sure you call me if you think of anything else—no matter how unimportant you think it might be.”
“Alright,” she answered, moving to sit on the edge of the bed.
“Aren’t you going back to sleep?”
“Nah. I don’t think I’ll be able to. I thought I’d order some personal stuff online for the house since you haven’t given me a clue about how much I can pitch in for the down payment.”
Her prosthetic was on a chair nearby, and Brand handed it over. “We’ll sit down and talk finances once the house is ours. You haven’t even received your first paycheck yet. Leave your savings where they are, for now.”
Sarah sighed, shaking her head in frustration. “It’s nice being taken care of, but I need to be part of the decision making here.”
“No worries, I’d never dream of leaving you out. Especially since I know how well you operate during combat.” Brand smiled widely. “Particularly when you’re wielding a knife.”
Sarah snorted, punching Brand in the shoulder.
Chapter Twenty-Two
It was Tuesday morning, and Sarah had just disconnected the phone after talking with Brand when the phone rang again.
“Sarah?”
“Oh hi, Mom. Is everything alright?”
“Well, I’m not sure. Your dad didn’t want me to bother you. But I don’t know, I thought I should warn you that Jim’s a little upset right now. In fact, I think he might be on his way to Crystal Rock to speak with you.”
Sarah was puzzled. Since her return to Hayward a year and a half ago, she hadn’t spoken to Jim more than half a dozen times. “About what, Mom?”
“Well, first of all, I wanted to tell you that I didn’t mean for him to see your new address. I had some pictures and a couple of things I was sending to you in the mail, and I left the envelope next to my purse on the kitchen table where Jim was sitting when he came over for a visit earlier today.”
“Oh. That’s alright, Mom. I don’t think Jim is anyone I need to worry about. All he’s done is avoid me since I returned home.”
“Well, that’s the thing, Sarah. When you two got engaged a few years ago, I found out your father provided at least a dozen endorsements for Jim, since he was planning on running for office. In fact, that’s how Jim got his position as our county prosecutor and then as the state’s attorney.”
Sarah answered wryly, “I always wondered about that. I never had the courage to talk to Dad about it. I wasn’t interested in politics back then like I am now, since I was put through the wringer. I was so busy traveling that I just took Jim’s position for granted.”
“Dad’s talking about backing someone else, which means of course that all the endorsements for Jim will be withdrawn. You’ve heard how the new president plans to replace all forty-six U.S. Attorneys and they’ve all been asked to resign?”
“I have. And I think it’s awful.”
“It is, isn’t it? Jim thought he was a shoe in for one of the new openings until that day you left town after your party. I can only assume your dad talked to him that day, although he didn’t say anything about it to me.”
“No wonder Jim was in such a snit at my farewell party when Dad basically ignored him. I know how Dad doesn’t like to discuss his job or politics whenever he’s at home with you.”
“Yes,” Sarah’s mom answered dryly. “Particularly lately. It seems like there’s something unbelievable and disheartening going on in politics every single day anymore.”
Sarah laughed. “Well, you know how I feel about it.”
“Yes, I do.”
Sarah stood up from where she was sitting at the kitchen island, when she saw Abby scratching at the door.
After letting her outside, she sat back down on the stool with her phone. She’d spent the entire day yesterday in the office wrapping up the details on some fill
-in forms that would be used on the new wounded warrior training program website, so today she had her laptop set up in the kitchen for a change of scenery.
She needed to be inspired, because as much as she loved the inside of the house, the color scheme was neutral and needed to be livened up somehow with color.
“So, when are we going to meet this man of yours?”
Sarah laughed, and answered, “Soon. He’s out of town right now, but he’s coming back home later today.”
“I can’t believe he bought you a house.”
Sarah was startled. “But he bought it for himself too.”
“A man like that who’s been deployed numerous times without settling down anywhere, and wanting to take care of you? You’ve always been a girl who’s never thought she’s needed anyone, Sweetheart. But deep inside, I think you’ve always craved someone who’d ease your worries about what you really want from life. Like having your own family. I think your father and I are going to like this man of yours very much.”
“I know you will, Mom.” Sarah answered quietly. “He sends me flowers.”
“Oh, Sarah. I don’t know anyone who deserves to be romanced more than you do.” Her mom laughed softly. “Just tell us when.”
“Alright. I’ll call back after discussing it with Brand. We’ll have you here for dinner, or even for the weekend, if you’d like. I guess his family wants to meet me too.”
“Sounds good. Talk to you later.”
“Alright, Mom. Tell Dad I said hi,” Sarah answered, switching off the phone.
Sarah smiled wryly, staring at Abby through the window. When she wasn’t in service dog mode, she sure ran wild and free. Right now, she was chasing some gulls away from the edge of the lake.
It felt like Spring today. Despite the fact it was mid-January, the temperature had warmed up to nearly forty degrees the last few days. Sarah had noticed when she’d been taking a walk with Abby earlier that day that the ice covering the lake was thawing in the shallower areas of the water, as well as near the timbers of the bridge crossing the inlet.
Suddenly, Sarah heard a knock on the door.
Standing up and walking over to the door, she peeked through the window nearby.
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