Tuff Enough

by Samantha A. Cole

  “I would love for you to move to Venice with Aunt Rita.” It was only an hour south of Tampa, and Chet knew the two women would have no trouble living next to each other. They’d been childhood best friends who’d become sisters-in-law when Mariana fell in love with Rita’s older brother and married him in her early twenties. Aunt Rita and her late husband had moved to Florida about fifteen years ago, when his job transferred him, but the two women still talked to each other practically every day. “What did Lorenzo and Mia say about it?”

  “Your brother is fine with it. You know he wants to move down to Florida once he gets his twenty years in for his police department pension. As for your sister . . .” When her mother paused like that, it was usually accompanied by an eye roll. “Well, you know her. She doesn’t want me to move.”

  “That’s because she’ll lose her free babysitter.” Although Chet loved her younger sister, Mia was a tad selfish at times—and that was putting it mildly. “Too bad. Sophie is almost twelve—she’ll be old enough soon to watch her two brothers after school until Mia gets home.” Her sister was a legal secretary, while her husband owned a landscape business that operated mostly in the suburbs.

  “That’s what I said too. Anyway, I think I’m going to fly down to see Rita next month for a week before I make my final decision. Will it be okay if I stay with you for a few days?”

  “Of course, Mom! I’d love to see you. Just let me know which days you’ll be here, and I’ll take them off. I have plenty of vacation days saved up, so it’s not a problem.”

  “Wonderful. I’m looking forward to seeing your new place.”

  “I can’t wait to see you! Oh, I’m so excited!” While she did miss her mother, Florida was Chet’s home. She’d fallen in love with the Gulf Coast on a trip to visit a friend who’d moved there ten years ago. The following year, Chet had packed up and moved south. Her first job had been in a veterinarian’s office. Six months later, she’d started training to be an animal control officer and had been working for the county ever since.

  Behind her, Meat barked once, and Chet looked up to see Tuff descending the stairs, grinning at her. He had the most adorable dimples, which made her stomach do flip-flops. Unfortunately, he’d put his T-shirt back on. Her mother was wrapping up the conversation, so Chet held up a finger to let Tuff know she was almost done with the call. He nodded and stopped at the front of the SUV.

  “I love you too, Mom. Call me when you know what dates you’ll be here . . . Okay, talk to you soon. Bye.”

  Chet turned off the engine and climbed out of the vehicle. “Sorry about that. That was my mom.”

  “No worries,” he responded as Chet opened the rear door and grabbed Meat’s leash before letting him jump out. “Hey, Meatball. How’re ya doing, boy?” Although he was still hesitant to approach the man, the dog did a little happy dance, his tail wagging furiously, as he let out a woof. Tuff chuckled at him. “Glad to hear it.” He fell in step with Chet, on the opposite side from Meat, as she started for the stairs. “How’d the training tryouts go?”

  She’d been surprised when she’d answered her phone earlier in the day to find Tuff on the other end of the call. Apparently, when she’d rattled off her phone number to the cops last night, he’d jotted it down too—not that she really minded after all he’d done and was still doing for her. The reason he’d called had been to ask her permission to use the spare key he had for her unit, which he used for the minor repairs he did for his cousin. She’d known about that when she’d signed the lease and had been assured Tuff wouldn’t go into her place without express consent. Clearly, he’d kept his word. After she’d given him the okay to enter her half of the duplex to install the wiring for the cameras he was mounting above her front and back doors, he’d asked about her day, and they’d chatted for a bit. When she’d disconnected the call, she’d been stunned to see they’d been chatting for over twenty minutes. She usually wasn’t a big talker on the phone, preferring face-to-face conversation, but something about talking to Tuff made time fly by.

  “Good. Both Pepper and Diego are perfect for the program.”

  “That’s great.” When they reached the top of the stairs, Tuff opened her still unlocked door for her and Meat, then stepped into the foyer after them. There were a few boxes and his large tool box sitting on the floor.

  Chet unhooked Meat’s leash and followed the dog as he headed for his water bowl in the kitchen. She glanced over her shoulder. “By the way, I didn’t know you knew Tori Freyja.”

  “Tori? Oh, Mitch and Ty’s fiancée.” He chuckled. “That still sounds so weird to say, but, hey, if they’re happy as a threesome, more power to them. Anyway, yeah, I’ve met her a few times at the Trident compound. Was it her charity you brought the dogs to?”

  “Yup. She’s helped place dozens of dogs with veterans.”

  When she opened the refrigerator and silently offered him a beer, he nodded. “Thanks.” He accepted the bottle from her and twisted the top off. “Yeah, one of Trident’s mechanics is a vet who has a dog she trained. I didn’t know him before that, but from what Russ says, Jagger gave him his life back. He’d been living on the streets, worried he’d hurt someone while having a flashback. That fear had prevented him from trying to find a job and somewhere to live.”

  Chet opened her own beer and took a sip. “And that’s exactly why I love helping Tori find dogs to train and place. We did a fundraiser last year for Healing Heroes, and a lot of the veterans and their service dogs came. It was so great to see all the vets doing something so simple as walking through a park, knowing they might not have been able to without their companion.”

  “Definitely a great cause.”

  Silence fell between them for a moment, then both began talking at the same time.

  “Would you like—”

  “Why don’t I show you—”

  A broad grin spread across Tuff’s face. “You first.”

  Her cheeks burned. Her question had popped into her head, and she’d started to blurt it out before she could think twice about it, but now she was nervous. Taking a deep breath, she forged ahead. “I wanted to know if you’d like to have dinner with me tonight. It’s—um—it’s the least I could do after all you’ve done for me—last night, today, and with Meat.”

  Chet’s stomach dropped when he didn’t answer right away, instead taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. “I would love to have dinner with you, but I’m not sure it’s a good idea.”

  Her gaze hit the floor and she pivoted away, embarrassment and disappointment coursing through her. “That’s okay . . . I understand.”

  After setting his beer on the counter, Tuff gently grasped her upper arm and turned her back around to face him. He tilted her chin up until their eyes met. “I don’t think you do understand, Chet. Far from it. I’m attracted to you and growing more so every day. I’m also getting the feeling you’re attracted to me too. But you deserve someone who can give you a lot more than I can.” When she opened her mouth to refute him, he shook his head and continued. “I haven’t had the greatest track record with relationships—I’m not exactly boyfriend material. My job takes me away a lot, and when I come back from some assignments, I can be a bear with a thorn in its paw for a few days. I see shit no human should see. I can give you friendship—hell, I can even give you sex—but that’s all it would ever be, and you deserve more than that. Especially after dealing with your crappy ex-husband. I’m afraid if we take this thing between us past the friendship level, it’ll end in disaster and that’ll make living next to each other a nightmare.”

  While she was sure his speech had been meant to dissuade her, it’d done the opposite. She fell for the man a little more in those few moments. He cared about her enough to not want to hurt her and to make her understand why he was turning her down. But his resolve had reminded her of all the reasons why it wasn’t a good idea to get involved with him.

  Making a decision, Chet straightened her back. “You’re a really
nice guy, Tuff. I hope someday you find someone who can make you happy enough to stay with her, but in the meantime, you have to eat, right?”

  His playful grin returned as he dipped his chin down then up once. “Right.”

  “Good. Then I’m offering my new friend some pasta primavera for dinner to thank him for all he’s done for me. There’s nothing wrong with that, right?”

  “Right,” he repeated. He squeezed her shoulders, then released her and stepped back. She immediately missed the warmth of his touch. “In that case, I’d be honored to have dinner with you.”

  Chapter Eight

  Tuff would kick himself in the ass if he could, for two completely different reasons. First, for putting that embarrassment and hurt in Chet’s eyes when he’d first said he didn’t think it was a good idea to have dinner with her. And, second, for giving in and accepting her invitation, despite all those reasons he’d stated not to. At least he was getting a delicious meal out of it and some good company. Now, if he could get out of her house without kissing her again, he’d be all set.

  After taking a fast shower in his unit and then showing her where the new cameras were, inside and out, he’d helped Chet chop the vegetables for the pasta, and tried to ignore how good it felt doing something mundane with her. He’d never had such a feeling of domesticity come over him while hanging out with a woman. Hell, he couldn’t even remember the last time he’d cooked a meal with a woman. Usually, he took his dates out to eat. But then again, this wasn’t a date.

  Taking a sip of his second beer, he washed down the last bite of his meal. “That was amazing. Do you cook a lot?”

  Chet shrugged as she used her fork to push the food around on her plate. She hadn’t eaten much and still seemed a little out of sorts. Tuff suspected he was the cause of both. At least he didn’t have to drag a conversation out of her. “A little. Most of the time I try to make stuff I can freeze in single servings, so I just have to reheat. Sometimes it’s not worth the effort to cook for just one person.”

  “I hear you. I eat takeout far too much sometimes because I’m not in the mood to cook after a long day. Maybe I’ll take your idea and make extra to freeze.” Or maybe I can cook a meal for both of us, followed by a roll in the sack. Shut up, Evil Tuff. Fuck you, goody-two-shoes Tuff! Ugh, there were times his inner, juvenile angel and devil had some knock-down, drag-out fights, and he didn’t need that right now. He had to stay focused, or he’d do something he’d regret. Like kiss Chet, again. Yeah, he kept repeating to himself what a bad idea that was, but his mouth and cock weren’t on the same wavelength as his mind.

  Tuff was about to say something else but froze instead. Chet stared at his shocked expression. “What’s wrong?”

  “Slowly, and very quietly, look under the table.”

  Her brow furrowed, but she did as instructed. When she lifted her head again, there was a huge grin on her face and delight in her eyes. “Looks like you won him over.”

  Leaning back, Tuff peered down at his feet. He couldn’t see them, though, because Meat had decided to suddenly use them as a pillow. His massive head was resting on one, while an oversized paw covered the other. “Guess so. The only problem is I can’t move now.” The dog let out a loud snore, and Tuff chuckled. “Yup. I’m not going anywhere for a while. I don’t have the heart to wake him.”

  Easing to her feet, so she didn’t disturb the dog, Chet began to clear the dishes from the table. “No problem. How about a cup of coffee or cappuccino?”

  “Mmm. Cappuccino sounds good. I wish I could help you clean up.”

  “No worries. It’s only one extra place setting. Besides, I’m glad Meat feels comfortable enough to cuddle up to you.”

  As she was bending over to put things in the dishwasher or fridge, Tuff couldn’t keep his gaze off her ass. He’d been semi-hard for her since he’d followed her up the steps earlier and watched that derrière sway back and forth. Now, he was growing even harder. Damn it! How the hell was he going to remain just friends with Chet if he couldn’t stop thinking about her in his bed? Under him. Over him. Screaming his name at the top of her lungs as she shattered for him.

  He cleared his suddenly dry throat and took another swig of beer. “So . . . um . . . you mentioned earlier your mom was coming to visit next month. From where?”

  Chet glanced over her shoulder at him before going back to cleaning the sauté pan she’d cooked in. “She still lives in the home I grew up in on the west side of Chicago. It’s not huge, but she has no use for the two empty bedrooms and finished basement anymore. My Aunt Rita has a house with an attached apartment down in Venice and the tenants decided to move out, so she invited my mom to take it. Aunt Rita is my dad’s sister, and she and Mom have been best friends since they were young. Now that dad’s gone, I think it will do them both good to live next to each other, and I’ll love having my mom close again.”

  When she stopped talking, Tuff said, “Tell me more about your family.”

  For the next two hours, while they drank cappuccinos and Meat sawed wood under the table, Tuff learned so much more than just about Chet’s family. Before and during dinner, they’d kept the conversation light, but then had slowly progressed into deeper topics. That’s when Tuff realized he was in so much trouble. She fascinated him in a way no other woman had. Of course he wanted her in his bed—most heterosexual males would—but he also enjoyed just being in her company. She was passionate about her family, her job, the animals she rescued and those she couldn’t save, and every other subject that came up. She challenged him to debates and really listened to his point of view before presenting her own. Then she agreed to disagree without getting all pissed off like some other women he’d dated. Not that he and Chet were dating, he reminded himself again, but all those reasons he’d spouted off earlier were being pushed to the back of his mind. What he really wanted to do was kiss the ever-loving hell out of her and see where they went from there.

  When Meat snorted himself awake, the dog rolled to his feet and ambled over to his water dish. Once he was done drinking, Chet got to her feet and let him out the backdoor to do his business in her half of the fenced-in yard. As much as he wanted to stay, Tuff took that as his cue to leave.

  “I think I should get going. You had a long day.” Pushing back from the table, he stood, then picked up both empty coffee cups and put them in the dishwasher for her. “Thanks for dinner, Chet.”

  She smiled and followed as he walked toward the foyer. “You’re welcome. It was nice to have the company for a change.”

  “That it was.” He glanced around to make sure he’d grabbed all his tools and the empty boxes when he’d packed up and put them in his unit earlier. Still hesitant to leave, he stuffed his hands in the pockets of the jeans he’d put on after his shower. “I set the motion sensor lights to pick up movement at a further distance. They’ll go off if anyone walks within seventy-five feet of the front and sides of the house and one-hundred feet in the backyard. Any further than the seventy-five out front, they’d be picking up anyone driving or walking by and going on and off all night.”

  “Great. Thanks.”

  Tuff inhaled deeply, then exhaled. “I better go. Deadbolt the doors and keep your gun close. If I hear Meat go ballistic, I’ll be knocking on your door to make sure you’re all right.”

  “Yes, Dad,” she teased with an eye roll.

  He chuckled. “Yeah, the last thing I want you calling me is ‘Dad.’ Listen, I know you can defend yourself, and Meat won’t let anyone near you, but that doesn’t mean I won’t worry about your safety. I care about you.”

  Her cheeks pinkened. “Thanks. I care about you too.”

  Tuff opened his mouth and then closed it again before he said something incredibly stupid. Mentally, he shook his head, then grabbed the doorknob. “Good night, Chet.”

  “Good night, Tuff.”

  “Don’t give me those sad eyes, Meat. You know you have to stay in the kennel while I’m on duty.” Chet wasn’t comfortable
leaving him alone at her place yet, even though it wouldn’t be a problem for her to stop in once or twice during the day. She didn’t think he was ready to be on his own yet, and he needed to be supervised if men or other dogs were around. He seemed to be doing okay with dogs his own size, but smaller ones made him nervous. Chet would be horrified if something triggered him to attack a smaller dog or a person. The staff at the county shelter was top notch and would care for and play with him during the day, along with all the other animals in their charge who were being fostered or waiting for forever homes. Meat had his own run with a flap-covered door for him to go inside or out.

  “And don’t worry. Sherri will play ball with you in a little bit.” The woman was one of the best kennel workers they had there, and she was great with the bigger dogs, exerting her dominance over them, but with tenderness. Meat loved playing fetch with her.

  “Chet, can you come into the office for a minute?”

  She turned toward the door at the end of the row of kennels, many filled with barking dogs. The door was ajar and Des Edkins had stuck his head around the jamb. The man looked pale and worried.

  With one last glance at the lock on Meat’s kennel to make sure it was secure, she started walking toward the door. “Yeah, sure. What’s wrong?”

  “In my office.”

  Chet’s eyes narrowed as her boss disappeared into the hallway. Moments later, she entered his office and was surprised to see two Tampa P.D. plainclothes detectives standing there—their sidearms and shields attached to their belts gave them away.

  Des gestured for her to take one of the seats in front of his desk, while he sat behind it. “Detectives Isaac Webb and Sonja Lovett, this is Officer Concetta Suarez.” The two nodded hello to her, but their blank expressions had her worried. Neither spoke but allowed Des to continue. “Chet, I don’t know how to break this to you gently, but Terry Spender and his wife were killed late last night.”