The Marine's Mission

by Deb Kastner

  But if Aaron couldn’t calm his emotions and get a hold of his anxiety, what was supposed to be a relaxed and interesting first introduction was going to be a disaster. If Ruby could feel his irritation and indignation, then Oscar definitely could sense it.

  “Aaron,” Ruby said softly and evenly, drawing his gaze to hers, “I want you to take a deep breath and hold it for seven seconds, then exhale slowly.”

  “What?” he snapped, the unexpected sound causing Oscar to tilt his head and look at him in confusion.

  “Inhale. Hold for seven. Exhale,” Ruby repeated, following her own advice before she came completely unglued.

  His brown eyes narrowed on her as he pressed his lips into a firm, straight line.

  “Is this some sort of hocus-pocus woo-woo stuff you’re trying to sell me here?” he asked suspiciously.

  “‘Woo-woo stuff’?” She couldn’t help laughing.

  “I’m serious,” he said. “You ought to know up front I don’t go for any of that junk. I’m a Christian.”

  “So am I.”

  He appeared so concerned by her suggestion to try breathing techniques that she reeled in her amusement so as not to offend him.

  “The whole idea behind slowing your breath is to help you release the tension in your shoulders. You look as if you’re about to pop up like a jack-in-the-box, and Oscar senses that stiffness in you. He’s not going to interact well with you until you ratchet it down a few notches.”

  “Oh. I guess that’s okay, then.” He cleared his throat, straightened his shoulders and took the breath Ruby had suggested. “Better?”

  “Much. Now, would you like to meet Oscar?”

  “Not especially,” he mumbled under his breath but loud enough for Ruby to hear.

  Annoying man.

  “Pretend you do.”

  His tension, which he’d managed to control only moments before, reappeared as if it had never escaped.

  “Breathe,” Ruby reminded him. Honestly, she couldn’t understand why this was so hard for him, a brave marine who’d protected the United States by serving his country in far-off lands. And yet here he was, an innocent, fluffy dog clearly doing a number on him.

  “Try this,” she said, handing him a bag of liver treats.

  He wrinkled his nose. “What’s this for?”

  “A snack.” When he sniffed at the contents of the bag, she quickly added, “For Oscar.”

  His brow furrowed.

  “To help him pay attention to you,” she clarified. “I’m going to release Oscar from his sit/stay. When I do that, I want you to say his name. Be gentle but firm when you call him. Whenever he meets your gaze, praise him and give him a liver treat. You want him to respond to you and turn his attention toward you whenever you say his name. That’s the first step in creating a strong bond between you.”

  “Got it,” he said, digging inside the bag for a treat.

  “Good. Oscar, release,” Ruby said, allowing the dog the freedom to make this new choice on his own.

  The dog stood and stretched one leg at a time, yawning widely.

  “You’re up,” Ruby reminded Aaron.

  “Right. Um... Oscar,” he murmured hesitantly, in so light a tone that Ruby could barely hear him.

  Thankfully, Oscar was fully trained and immediately responded to Aaron’s vocal prompt, despite his utter lack of enthusiasm. The dog, at least, knew the point of the exercise.

  “Once more with feeling?” Ruby suggested, hoping Aaron would finally take this seriously so they could get on with their training.

  Otherwise, this was going to be the longest four weeks of her life. And if Aaron didn’t put his heart into it, she might altogether be wasting time she could have been using to scramble for other ways to keep A New Leash on Love afloat.

  * * *

  For Aaron, the whole afternoon had been more agonizing than the Crucible at the end of marine boot camp, where every future marine spent fifty-four hours of sleep and food deprivation working operatives and marching nearly ten miles. Saying Oscar’s name over and over and over again, with nothing to show for it other than a dog who would follow him around because he knew he had liver treats in his pouch was excruciating. Ruby instructed him to move to different parts of the giant room and call the dog by name, and then—as if that wasn’t enough—he was expected to act as if Oscar had just won a prestigious award whenever the pooch came to him.

  Ruby insisted he used high-pitched praise, despite how he choked on his own raspy voice. “Good boy, Oscar. Good boy.”

  Aaron could see the point of establishing a connection between man and dog, but that didn’t make it any easier. He hadn’t had any pets growing up and wasn’t exactly comfortable ordering this dog around, however faithful he appeared to be.

  Aaron felt kind of bad for Ruby, who was in charge of making this bond between him and Oscar work. Obviously, that was the first thing that had to happen before they could move forward with any of the other stuff. Unfortunately, he only had a vague notion of what that stuff might consist of, and on purpose or not, he was dragging his feet through the process. So far, all the surprises had been bad ones, and he wasn’t looking forward to one minute of the next four weeks.

  Oscar must be getting as bored with this whole process as he was, although the dog performed admirably and had boundless energy. Despite his personal feelings about the poodle, he could tell he was an intelligent dog who liked to work. He had to give the dog that much, even if he looked like the type of canine who had to go to the beauty parlor rather than the pet groomer.

  “Bring it on in,” Ruby finally announced, much to Aaron’s relief. His leg was beginning to ache, and his lungs were screaming for a break and some fresh air. “Go ahead and take a seat while I grab Oscar’s gear.” She stood and headed to one bin-lined wall with several shelves placed above it. Everything appeared completely organized, and judging from the number of bins, there was a lot of it.

  “‘Gear’?” Aaron finally parroted. “You mean like his leash?”

  “Yes, his leash, among other things. His service-dog vest. His feeding dishes, a bag of food, his grooming supplies and a couple of other goodies to get you by during your first few days together.”

  He sat down and she handed him a thick three-ring binder filled with information on how to care for Oscar full-time, around the clock, including having the dog sleep next to or preferably with him in his bed.

  Was she serious? Didn’t dogs belong outside or, at the very least, crated? Having never had a pet, never mind a service animal, this was all new to him.

  He quickly perused a few more pages and furrowed his brow when he made another surprise discovery.

  “Wait. You’re expecting me to take him with me tonight? To the bed-and-breakfast where I’m staying?”

  “Do you have any better ideas regarding how the two of you are going to bond? If so, I’m open to hearing them—but don’t forget, I’ve been doing this for a long time with a great deal of success.”

  “Well, no. I guess not. I’d just figured we’d be training here every day.”

  “Oh, definitely. We will be. But during the evenings and on weekends when you’re not with me, you’ll have the opportunity to just hang out with Oscar and get to know him, and he’ll learn all about you and your habits. The dog handlers in the military stay close to their dogs, don’t they? If I’m not mistaken, they even sleep next to them, right?”

  Aaron nodded but then slid his gaze over Oscar and cringed. “Yeah, they do. But those K-9s are working dogs. They’re supposed to be ready at a moment’s notice.”

  “Exactly. Oscar is a working dog who should be ready to come to your aid at a moment’s notice. He just comes in a prettier package. You’ll have to get used to the idea sometime. He can’t help you if he isn’t with you.”

  That was one mental block he would ne
ver get over. It didn’t matter if the dog came in what Ruby termed a pretty package, or that his trainer likewise came in a pretty package. This was never going to work for him.

  “What about Jake and Avery at the bed-and-breakfast? You’re saying they won’t mind me having Oscar along with me all the time?”

  Ruby chuckled and Aaron’s gut tightened. He was surprised by his reaction. He hadn’t spent much time around beautiful women. Sure, he’d had a few relationships over the years but nothing serious. He didn’t believe his job lent to anything substantial or long-lasting. With him gone all the time, how fair would that be to someone? Ever since he’d been recruited into the marine corps right out of high school, it had been all work and no games. He’d been singularly focused on his job.

  Now, when he suddenly didn’t have any of those things to occupy his mind and his time, he found himself attracted to Ruby, especially when she smiled.

  This wasn’t going to do. He needed to focus on getting out of here in one piece.

  “Avery is one of my sisters and is a big part of A New Leash on Love. She used to train dogs here, and she and Jake totally expect you to bring your service dog everywhere you go, including the B and B. They’re completely on board with our program and will support you every step of the way.”

  “One of your sisters? How many sisters do you have?”

  “Counting me, there are six Winslow siblings altogether. I have three sisters and two brothers. You’ve already met Avery, and I’m sure you’ll meet the rest during your stay here. All of us work in one part of the business or another.”

  He whistled under his breath. He hadn’t known many large families here in the United States, much less ones who worked together once they’d reached adulthood.

  Ruby approached with a ten-pound bag of kibble slung over her shoulder. Aaron immediately stood to take it from her, but she waved him off. “Remember, I do this every day, most times with fifty-pound bags. This is nothing for me.”

  He could believe it. She was in excellent shape, no doubt from all the exercise she did with her dogs. Still, Aaron’s male ego prompted him to want to help. It took all his will to follow her instructions. Reluctantly, he sat back down and crossed his arms, guessing the real reason she wouldn’t allow him to help.

  Because she saw him as weak, which really got his goat. As if his disabilities defined who he was as a man. He was positive she would have let any other man help her with her load. It was humiliating.

  “Pay close attention to Oscar’s nutrition,” Ruby continued as she moved back to the supply station. “You’ll be mixing fresh food with the kibble to make sure he gets everything he needs. Because he’s a service dog, he needs to be in top condition, and high-quality food is an important part of his regimen.”

  Aaron grunted and nodded in agreement. It made sense. He kept himself in physical shape by weight lifting. A high-protein diet likewise played an important role in his conditioning.

  “I get it. Diet and regular exercise are as important to working dogs as they are to humans. I work out.”

  He couldn’t help but grin a little when her gaze swept over his chest and biceps and her eyes widened appreciatively, as did her smile.

  His ego swelled a bit. He’d been taking hit after hit since his injury. He’d accept whatever admiration he could get, even in the middle of this surreal encounter.

  Her cheeks turned a glaring shade of pink, clashing with her red hair as their eyes met and held for a moment before she cleared her throat and quickly turned back to Oscar. She picked up a large leather harness that looked to Aaron more like something a horse would wear than a canine and threaded it over Oscar’s neck, adjusting the buckles so they fit snugly around his torso. The harness included a stiff handle that looked like something a blind man would use.

  Once again, Aaron wanted to balk and head for the hills. This didn’t feel right to him. He’d always been a fighter, but his flight instinct was on overdrive today.

  “I don’t want to look like a blind guy,” he protested, not caring how unfeeling and insensitive he sounded.

  “You won’t. Not unless you’re wearing sunglasses.” She chuckled mildly at her own joke.

  It wasn’t funny. Not to Aaron.

  She stood and stared at him for a moment with her hands on her hips as if she were deciding just how much she could expect out of him. “I think I see what the problem is here.”

  Really?

  He was glad for that because he had no idea why he was reacting so differently and more insolently than he usually did. With all he’d faced in life, this should be a simple matter of conquering his own thoughts, as he’d done in basic training—and as with boot camp, his feelings should never, ever come out of his mouth.

  “Enlighten me,” he finally said.

  “I’m only showing you this particular harness so you’ll know it’s available to use at appropriate times, such as when you go on a mountain hike. It’s specially made for going up and down steep hills or walking on uneven ground. Oscar will help you with balance and forward momentum in situations like that. But I’ll show you how to adjust this one later. Let’s move on to another, the one you’ll use in general situations.”

  She didn’t even give him the opportunity to mentally switch gears before she had the leather harness off and was replacing it with a red nylon vest that was much simpler and more like Aaron had imagined a service dog’s vest would look. It even had a patch on the side:

  Don’t pet me. I’m working.

  “You can take this one back to the B and B with you tonight,” Ruby said. “It’s already adjusted for Oscar, so it’s a simple slip-on, slip-off harness, over the head and clipped under the torso. He’ll need to wear it whenever you are out in public. Whenever you put the vest on him, he’ll know it’s time to do his thing and will snap into work mode. But when you’re home alone, it’s fine to take it off so you and he can relax and bond. Do you want to try it on?”

  He was about to shake his head but then caught himself and nodded. He could take apart a sniper rifle with lightning speed, and he quickly found he was equally as efficient at taking the service vest off the dog and putting it back on. Of course, it helped that Oscar cooperated.

  “Why don’t you walk Oscar around the building a few times to get the hang of it, and I’ll load your supplies in the back of your truck.”

  “I can load my own supplies,” he protested.

  “Oh, I know. I’m not insulting you, Aaron. But right now, your primary job is to work with Oscar.”

  He was tired of being treated as if he couldn’t do anything himself. It had been that way since the moment he’d been injured. Even in the hospital, the physical therapists had tried to take it easy on him. Little did they know how hard he would push to recuperate.

  But today he didn’t want to argue anymore, so he commanded Oscar to heel on his left side and walked around the outer perimeter of the building, getting used to gripping the harness and lead until Ruby was finished loading up his truck. He had to admit walking with Oscar really did have an effect on his balance, although it was too soon to know for sure how well that would work.

  Since the weekend was now upon them and he wouldn’t see Ruby until Monday morning, there was one more question he had before they were done for the day.

  “You mentioned you’re a Christian?”

  “Yes. My whole family attends Whispering Pines Community Church on Main and Fourth. We take up nearly two whole pews now that my sisters are marrying off. You are welcome to worship with us. We’d be glad to have you.”

  “Thanks. I appreciate it. What time is the service?”

  “Ten a.m. I’ll watch for you so I can introduce you to the rest of us Winslows.”

  That sounded almost as overwhelming as having a standard poodle as a service dog, but he merely nodded his assent.

  “Okay, then
, you’re set to go for the weekend. Like I said, Oscar knows he’s working when he’s got his vest on, so once you get back to your room at the B and B, you can take him out of his garb and just let him be a dog. For a service dog, being part of a family is just as important as the work he does. Let him hang out with you while you watch TV or whatever. Enjoy your Saturday with him, and I’ll see you on Sunday at church.”

  Aaron felt silly even thinking about sitting on the couch cuddling with that huge ball of black fluff, but he didn’t say so.

  This was his load to carry, and he wouldn’t walk away from it no matter how ridiculous he felt.

  Worse things had happened to him. He could handle it.

  It was only four weeks, after all. Four long and very painful weeks.

  Chapter Three

  Ruby showed up bright and early to church on Sunday morning, excited to find Aaron and introduce him to the rest of her family. They all knew a little bit about him, although she hadn’t shared more than just the basics with them over dinner the evening before—that he was a wounded marine seeking a mobility assistance–service dog. Her siblings knew she’d purposefully chosen Oscar for the job and had been warned not to make a big deal over him, since Aaron was a little sensitive on the subject of being seen in the presence of a poodle—or a froufrou dog, as Aaron referred to him.

  Being the one still in charge of the finances and paperwork for the family businesses in addition to working at her B and B, Avery was well aware of how important nailing this military contract was to Ruby and the continuation of the service-dog program, but they’d agreed to keep it between themselves for now. After all, if everything went as planned, there would be no reason to worry the rest of her siblings with the details.

  As she did every Sunday, she’d selected one of the other service dogs in her program to bring along with her. Church folk here, including Pastor Aims, understood the importance of allowing service dogs in training to work in and experience all different types of situations and learn to guard against all distractions, and the Winslows’ dogs were always welcome at the community church, as was anyone who was in need of a service dog themselves, as Aaron was.