Lawfully Challenged

by Ginny Sterling

  “She does?”

  “Well, she used to jump out of my canoe into the river. She never caught any fish, come to think of it.” Cindy giggled, her mouth full of ice cream at the frown he gave Duchess between their chairs. He was so open, so expressive and she liked it.

  “Why aren’t you like this all the time?”

  “I can’t be. I have to be professional at work. Are you a blushing and giggling lady that eats ice cream at the precinct?” he asked, wagging his empty spoon at her pointedly.

  “No.”

  “Exactly,” he concurred with finality. “We put on a business mask, so others don’t use us, take advantage of us or manipulate us. Work is work, home is home. Dates with pretty princesses are dates.” Smiling, he looked at her slyly with a challenging expression. “So, you aren’t at the station now. So how about you let your hair down, Cinderella?”

  “That is Rapunzel.”

  “You know what I meant.”

  Cindy rose to the challenge, reaching up and removing the clasp that was firmly holding her bun in place. As she pulled a few bobby pins, her hair unfurled around her, down to the middle of her back. She shook it out and glanced at Enoch.

  “Much better, you look lovely.” The admiration in his gaze was humbling and she felt her cheeks flush with pleasure.

  “Thank you.”

  “I think Duchess is finished with her cup. How are you doing?”

  “I am finished, too.”

  “Are you in a hurry to go?” he asked quietly, looking around at the others nearby.

  “Not really.”

  “Good. Are you free on Sunday? You never said.”

  “Yes, I’m free on Sunday.”

  “Thursday, Friday, Saturday, too. Church and then fishing on Sunday?” Laughing, she realized he was serious. He’d been watching the others around them, watching the families and couples with envy in his expression that she’d barely caught just before he hid it away. The man was lonely.

  “Maybe seeing each other after we have worked all day together is a bit much,” she offered carefully. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt his feelings for some reason she didn’t want to identify. He had set her dog on her, deliberately, to teach her a lesson and it still stung even if he claimed he had a reason. You can’t just make up for something like that. It takes time to find trust and confidence again.

  “You’re right. I have an early morning and need to finish up at the kennel. Do you mind if we head out?” he asked, getting to his feet. He politely held out his hand again and helped her from her chair.

  “No, it’s fine. I appreciate the company and the ice cream.”

  “It’s nothing.”

  But it was something apparently. He was awfully quiet as they walked to his truck. Like a gentleman, he opened the door for her. Still silent on the ride back, she realized he was bothered. Hiding. Wounded? He parked his truck next to her squad car that sat alone in the parking lot.

  This is awkward, Cindy thought absently as he opened the door for her. She really liked the relaxed side of him and could see that it was disappearing fast. The bossy, rage machine that was her teacher at the K-9 school was back.

  “Get Duchess plenty of water. She had a good run today and we’ll be busy tomorrow.”

  “Will do.”

  “Have a good night,” Wesson told her politely and shut the door, quickly turning away to head to the kennels. She could hear the gravel crunching under his boots and the muffled barking of the pups inside the building as they realized someone had arrived. The automatic flood lights came on, silhouetting his retreating figure.

  Some first date! She wasn’t sure if she was relieved or insulted that he didn’t kiss her goodnight. Isn’t that what you did at the end of a date? Was he upset that she had turned down going out each and every night? She walked over to her squad car and hesitated. Her hand hovered just over the driver’s door handle.

  This was wrong, leaving like this. His sparkling, dark eyes and smile burned in her mind. She wanted him to look at her like that again, to see that smile again. “C’mon, Duchess,” she said quietly and walked down to the kennel where he was at.

  Opening the door, she saw that he was at the very end of the hallway putting fresh water in the pens. He really seemed to care about the dogs and how they were treated. Someone else might just use a hose to refill the bowls, but he was kneeling down and petting each dog. She’d always heard that you could tell the true sense of a person by how they treated others, animals or people. With other officers, he was a harsh and unrelenting teacher. With the animals, he was caring, warm and still a teacher. Could it be that he was right? It was a mask he wore? Seeing her, he stood quickly.

  “Forget something, Officer Lance?” Oh yes, she saw it now and recognized it! It was truly a mask and he was hiding away, licking his wounds at having put himself out there to the girl he liked, and she’d shot him down. She felt a surge of exhilaration at knowing she was more than just another girl in his life. She was willing to bet that he’d not opened up to any others like he had her.

  “I forgot to tell you that I really like fajitas. I know a place that has a special on Friday nights,” she said simply, watching him for any signs. And there it was! A soft smile curled his lip and she could see his thawing expression. She’d been right! He’d had his feelings hurt by her dismissal earlier. He was protecting himself by being hard, angry and rude.

  “Fajitas sound great.”

  “My treat,” she offered with a knowing smile.

  “I don’t think so,” he countered, chuckling and shaking his head.

  “Why not?”

  “I guess we’ll talk over dinner about it.”

  “And maybe some flan?”

  “Definitely flan will be involved.”

  “Good. It’s settled.”

  “I’ll see you in the morning, Enoch.” She saw his smile widen as she used his name for the first time. There was something personal about it, the way it rolled off her tongue. It felt special, intimate.

  “Goodnight, Princess.”

  She nodded and called Duchess to her side. Shutting the kennel door behind her, she smiled as she looked up at the stars. She realized that he called her “Princess” as a pet name all this time, not as a humiliating nickname. He reminded her of Chief Martin or her father, a lot of obnoxious bluster that was intimidating. But hidden deep down inside was a very gentle man.

  Six

  “Some of you are very close to finishing classes here and will begin training in the field with your animal,” Enoch spoke loudly, commanding attention from the group. The sun was beating down on them and Cindy’s black uniform seemed extremely hot this morning.

  Cindy had barely slept the last few nights, analyzing each move and each glance she’d received over the last few weeks. Now that she realized that his arrogance was all show, she discovered that she’d missed some telling things. The way he called her out or put her through the gauntlet, it wasn’t to be mean. It was because he was trying to make sure that she and Duchess worked well together. Duchess would be her protection in danger and maybe it scared him. He certainly seemed to push her the hardest out of the group.

  “When I was in Iraq and I deployed my dog, it was with no hesitation. If you are scared or timid, your dog will hesitate and that could get them killed. Do not falter in your decision, ever! If you send in your dog, you must have already justified it mentally based off what you know.” He paced, lost in thought. She could see that he was trying to get the words out in order to get through to everyone. This meant so much to him and he couldn’t find a way to tell the importance of it all.

  “You are sending in your best friend, your partner, out into a situation that they need to excel in. Their lives depend on them being the best. If you think you shouldn’t send your dog, don’t!” His voice was extremely harsh, his brow creased with tension and then softened ever so slightly. “Hesitation can mean death and I can’t stress that enough.”

&nbs
p; Enoch’s eyes locked with hers as she stood at attention. She gave a slight nod to show that she’d heard him. It was a warning meant for her, which meant she was spot on with her assessment of him. He was scared for her in the field, taking point in situations. He nodded and continued on with his coaching lesson.

  Tonight, they would be going out for dinner after classes and she was really glad she’d had the forethought to pack a bag to freshen up. There was a different side to him and she wanted to see it again. To learn more about him. She’d been told that she was one of the officers that would be moving to field work, which meant she was finished training with Duchess on location. She found that she was both happy and disappointed. It meant not seeing Enoch daily and, perhaps, that was why he’d asked her out for several days in a row. He’d known but hadn’t told her.

  “Officer Lance! Are you paying attention?” his voice bit out, staring at her.

  “Sir! Yes, sir!” Cindy was fully prepared to be put on the spot and asked what he’d just said. Her mind was racing, trying to remember what he’d said while she was daydreaming, and she was drawing a complete blank. All she could picture was his dark eyes and that soft smile under the lights at the ice cream shop.

  “Good.”

  That was it? No questions? He turned away to go over their maneuvers for the afternoon training without a second glance. Maybe he was easing up on her.

  “Mad-dog Wesson is making eyes at you, Lance,” Officer Smith whispered next to her, making her blush fiercely. That wasn’t good. The other officers could see that he was taking it a bit easy on her instead of putting her through grueling drills over and over again. Thank goodness it was finally Friday and, perhaps, it would be forgotten come Monday when she returned. As if he read her mind, Enoch handed her and Smith both a file folder.

  “Officer Lance, you and Duchess will be starting field assignments on Monday. You’ve shown complete control over your animal and need to start practicing in the field. Officer Smith, you will begin on Tuesday. Each of you will be accompanied for a few days in the field by me or another team member. If we have you in the public and a situation arises, I need to be absolutely certain you are in complete control of your animal regardless. Is that clear?”

  “Sir! Yes, sir!” they both shouted in unison.

  The rest of the afternoon involved drills, a reminder of what they’d learned and how to apply it when you were surrounded by others. It also involved reminding Duchess of commands they’d learned together and praising her. Wesson was a big advocate of correction and praise. There was no punishing a dog… ever. She liked that. He respected and cared for the animals.

  When they were dismissed, she headed into the kennels and locker area to grab her things. She quickly excused herself, stepping into the women’s restroom with Duchess. Filling a bowl with water, she removed her hot, itchy uniform and yanked out a package of baby wipes. She did the same thing at the gym, if necessary, and wiped herself down with the cold cloths. The last thing she wanted was to go out on a date stinking of sweat.

  She dug out a pink t-shirt and faded jeans, tucking her Glock into a small holster that sat inside her waistband. Her officer’s uniform was folded carefully and put back into her bag. She let her hair down and brushed it out, applying a bit of lip gloss and mascara. Inspecting herself in the mirror, she smiled. She almost looked like a normal person instead of Officer Lance.

  Stepping out, she was surprised to see most of the other officers had left quickly when they’d been dismissed for the day. She heard a faint whistle behind her and turned to see that Enoch had also changed clothes. He was standing there, staring at her. His eyes were alight with admiration and delight. The smile on his face was huge.

  “You look fantastic in civilian clothes.”

  “You aren’t so bad yourself, Mad-dog,” she teased. “How’d you get that name?”

  “I’ll tell you over dinner.”

  “I’m going to hold you to that,” she quipped lightly. They got into the truck and headed to town, pulling into the small hole-in-the-wall restaurant. She loved this place and the owner was most accommodating of the police. She’d seen other officers stop in several times over the last few years.

  That was one thing that was different about being a K-9 officer: you were always on duty even when you were off of work. If you got the call, you came out. She was specializing in forensics, so her calls weren’t as often. But when they did happen, they tended to be gruesome.

  “Abuelito! Do you mind if I bring my new partner?” she asked, pointing at Duchess as she greeted the owner warmly when they entered the building. Jose Martinez owned the small restaurant and most of his family worked here. They were very open and loving towards their customers, making her instantly feel welcomed when she first got assigned to the station. He insisted that everyone call him “Grandpa”, since everyone was family to him.

  “Si! Si! Bring her in and just keep her at the table. I will put you off to the back, so you aren’t disturbed.”

  “Perfect. Thank you.”

  Enoch placed his hand at the small of her back as they followed the older man to the back of the building, past several booths that were covered in red vinyl seating. The tables were slathered with photos of family, Mexico, and pictures of food – all covered with a large sheet of Plexiglass for easy cleaning.

  “Two Cokes and a bowl of water?” Jose asked with a warm smile. Both she and Enoch nodded at the same time and took their seats. They were quickly brought out chips and salsa, as well as a second, large empty bowl for Duchess. Smiling, she was touched by the consideration they showed towards her. She’d been coming here for years, but this was the first time ever with a date or a dog. Opening her bag, she pulled out a Ziploc of Duchess’ food and filled the bowl under the table. She saw Enoch watching her and blushed, embarrassed at the attention.

  “So, let’s hear your story about your nickname,” she said, trying to get the attention off of her.

  “It’s nothing really.”

  “It’s a heck of an intimidating name, so it’s not nothing.”

  “I was a bomb tech in Iraq,” he started and stared down at his hands where he held his glass. “A K-9 unit.”

  “Oh! Oh, no,” she breathed, suddenly horrified as she realized where this conversation was leading. “You don’t have to tell me or say anything else.”

  “Thanks, but it helps to talk about it. I actually am planning on skipping group tonight to have fajitas with a beautiful princess,” he teased. “It was really rough, and I had a hard time after my discharge. I took quite a bit of shrapnel to the leg from the bomb. And with the loss of my dog, I accepted the discharge from the Army.”

  He paused for a moment before continuing. “I talk to others about what happened and realized that Dog saved me. His name was Deputy Dog, like the cartoon. I called him Dog for short. It sounded tougher and kept the guys from making fun of us. In the hospital, I was so angry. Angry at myself, what happened, the people that had put the bomb out there. I was mad at the world and it took me a while to get past it. That is where part of the nickname came from. Dog because of his name. My team nicknamed me that when they came to see me in recovery and it stuck.”

  Just then, two sizzling plates were brought out with a large plastic bowl of toppings. Several other plates and trays were brought out, quickly filling the table. Cindy and Enoch hadn’t ordered, yet Mr. Martinez had brought out her usual. Beef fajitas. Smiling at him, she thanked him heartily and gestured that Enoch should start.

  Instead, she was surprised when he reached out a hand across the table. It was a silent indication that he expected to say grace. Clasping it, she shut her eyes. His warm hand felt so strong and solid. It was a shame that such a fierce man had been traumatized by loss. Her respect for him grew immensely as she listened to him utter a quick prayer before they began. Holding his hand and saying grace felt so natural and so right.

  “Do you need to go to group tonight? What time does it start?” she as
ked, releasing his hand and opening her eyes.

  “It’s okay. I don’t need to go. I’m fine now but just like chatting with the guys.”

  “What time does it start?”

  “Why do you challenge me every time I turn around?” he asked with a smile. “It starts at eight, so I have plenty of time to get there after dinner.”

  “Maybe the two of us can go,” she offered quietly, looking at him. She wondered momentarily if she’d crossed a line, but the acceptance in his expression told her otherwise. Going with her gut feeling seemed to be the right decision each time with this man. It was like they fit perfectly together. The more she questioned or wondered, the bigger the challenge it seemed to be between them.

  “I think I’d like that.” Enoch’s eyes blazed with heat as he met her gaze.

  As they ate, she found the conversation was easy. Enoch Wesson, when relaxed and off his guard, was a fantastic guy. He smiled, joked around and teased her. She learned that his own dog had been a Malinois, which is why he’d held Duchess back. He’d intended to give her a shepherd like the other officers.

  “Why’d you bring Duchess forward then?”

  “There was something in the way you glared at me,” he admitted, laughing. “I read your file and nothing stood out other than you were extremely loyal and forthright. It was when you argued that you weren’t late… and by the way? You were. Your watch is off by five minutes.” His wide smile made her grin as she remembered that morning. She had once thought he was terrible!

  “It made me realize if you were tough enough to challenge me in front of the others, you’d be able to tame her. She was extremely hard to run through lessons, always wanting to play. But when it came down to work, she would snap to attention and do what was required. I saw that in you.”

  “You barely knew me. You still don’t know me, honestly.”

  “I think I know you better than you realize.”

  “Oh? How is that?”

  “You are fierce and determined at work. You believe in what is just and question when things go wrong. And you like coffee.”