Unexpected Reunion

by Carolyn Greene

  Despite Paisley’s initial reluctance to participate when they started more than two weeks ago, she had soon warmed up to the training and was actually becoming good at it. Nikki, being more athletic than the rest, proved the best at following through on the moves Gray showed them, and Savannah’s giggles and jokes at her own missteps kept everyone else laughing. Daisy followed through on Gray’s instructions with a hint of hero worship in her eyes.

  Ruthie’s performance was the worst. She kept getting distracted by the instructor. She certainly understood the appeal he held for her young friend. His confidence and positive encouragement compelled everyone to give him their full attention. Which she happily did.

  Once again, Gray paired them up, and every so often he surprise attacked one of them in an attempt to drive home the point that they needed to stay aware of their surroundings and the people around them. On the occasions when someone attempted the takedown maneuver on their “attacker,” none was able to best him. But he merely used the failed incident to drive home his awareness message and the importance of avoiding a confrontation in the first place or escaping rather than fighting back.

  “You never know when the pedestrian on the sidewalk near you may turn and do something unexpected,” he said. “Be prepared.”

  The rest of them left in Savannah’s car to return Daisy to her father, then head back to their own homes. Ruthie had no idea where the father and daughter would sleep tonight, which made her ever more grateful for the job that awaited her young friend. Although she and her roommates had done everything they could within their limited means to help, the father’s circumstances and pride prevented him from accepting their generosity. And even though they had offered to let Daisy sleep on their couch, she refused to leave her father. Ruthie prayed the pair would soon have an apartment of their own and that Daisy would never need to use the self-defense skills Gray had been teaching them.

  Ruthie could have ridden home with the others, but Gray had insisted on driving her despite the classic-car cruise-in he planned to attend later tonight. She appreciated that he wanted to draw out his time with her.

  They were picking up their belongings to leave when Gray grabbed her purse from the end table and quickly turned toward her. Sensitized to his ongoing message to be constantly aware of the actions of others, she went into defense mode. A split second later, with the purse swinging toward her, she lunged to one side to escape.

  Gray reacted with a speed she had never seen before. As if by reflex, he swept his leg toward hers. In the next fraction of a second, all she noticed was the intensity of his gaze. The fierce determination to stop her. If she had seen that expression on a stranger’s face, she would have been frightened. But in that short flicker of time, the only emotion she could register was confusion. And in the next half flicker, his expression changed to one that matched her own puzzled reaction.

  Her knees buckled under the unexpected action, and the momentum took her down like a sapling felled by Paul Bunyan. Unfortunately, she fell like a heavy oak, landing first on her thigh and hip, then feeling the jolt of the floor against her side and arm.

  Winded, she stayed where she had fallen and totally forgot about the escape portion of the lesson. All she could think to do at the moment was to drag precious air into her lungs.

  Gray rushed to her side, knelt down and pressed a big hand against her shoulder to keep her from trying to get up too soon. “Hold on a sec. Let’s see if there are any injuries.”

  His eyes, filled with such intensity only a second before, now revealed wide black pupils that took in her physical condition and mirrored back to her a large dose of fear. Fear of himself. Of what he’d done to her, apparently without realizing it.

  “I’m so sorry.” He repeated the words over and over, as if they might somehow undo his reflexive action. “I went to hand you the purse, and when you jumped at me, I—”

  He cut himself off and gently helped her up.

  “It’s okay,” she assured him, her voice strangely small after having the air knocked out of her. “I misunderstood. I thought you were continuing the ‘be prepared for anything’ lesson.”

  When it became evident that she could move all her limbs without difficulty and stand unassisted, he let her go and backed away as if afraid he might accidentally do more damage.

  She knew he hadn’t meant any harm. His reaction had been purely instinctive, just as her own had been. The stricken look in his eyes told her he might have surprised himself even more than he’d surprised her.

  “I’m fine,” she insisted. “It was an accident. You would never hurt me.”

  His face crumpled, and his shoulders drooped. “I already have. But I won’t ever hurt you again. Never. I promise.” He opened his arms and took her into his warm embrace.

  The circle of his arms felt so safe and secure, and the strength in them told her he would do everything in his power to keep her out of harm’s way.

  She leaned back in his arms and gazed up at his handsome face, creased with concern and gazing back at her with pure love.

  If only she could change his mind about the prayer thing, she felt certain it would all work out just fine.

  The cell phone in her purse rang, breaking them from their tender moment.

  She picked up the needlepoint purse she’d bought at an estate auction and glanced at the caller ID. “Paisley, it’s been ages since I’ve seen you,” she teased. “What’s up?”

  She was aware of Gray studying her while she listened. His expression turned serious when her demeanor changed.

  “Did you call the police?” she asked after Paisley filled her in on what was happening at the house.

  As if his protector radar had been triggered, Gray moved closer. Their tender moment was over, and he was all business now. “What is it? What’s going on?”

  “Lock the doors and stay put,” she said into the phone. “We’ll be there in five minutes.”

  Car keys in hand, Gray had already opened the door for her and motioned her through.

  “Cali’s acting weird and keeps going to the back door,” she explained on their sprint to the car. “Paisley doesn’t see anything that warrants a call to the police, but she’s nervous after our previous run-in with the prowler.”

  Gray seemed to relax a little. “Nah, the prowler has probably moved on to an easier place to break in. Maybe Cali heard another dog in the neighborhood,” he suggested. “Or a siren in the distance.”

  She hoped that was all that had set the dog off, but she doubted Paisley would have called unless the behavior had been extremely odd. Nevertheless, they made the trip from Gray’s office to the house in record time.

  They arrived at the house as dusk settled into night. The electronic-eye porch light that Gray had installed shone brightly to light the way up the walk path, and she wondered whether Paisley had switched it on for them or if a movement in the yard prior to their arrival had activated the device.

  They paused for a moment in the car, taking in the scene, but all they could see was the area of the yard lit up by the porch light.

  “Give me a minute while I check it out,” he said.

  The curtain at the front-room window drew back, and Paisley and Savannah stood there squinting into the dark, their hands shading their eyes. Cali appeared beside them and pushed her nose to the glass pane.

  Gray entered the gate and peered over into the adjoining yard, perhaps assuming that if the guy was stupid enough to come back to the same house he’d unsuccessfully prowled before, he might try to hide in the same bushes where he’d found him before. Gray turned to her and lifted a thumb to let her know the front yards on both sides of the divided house were clear.

  She joined him, feeling safe despite Paisley’s concern that someone might be lurking around the house. Having seen Gray’s lightning-fast reflexes up clos
e, she had no doubt he could handle whatever had piqued the dog’s interest. Choosing not to dwell on the fact that the prowler might have a weapon, she followed Gray to the front steps.

  From the side of the house came a grunt and the sound of something heavy falling to the ground. Cali abandoned the front window and went crazy barking, and Ruthie’s heart pounded in response.

  Gray eased away from her to investigate, leaving her with the chicken’s choice of scaling the steps two at a time to take refuge inside, or the brave-and-maybe-stupid choice of staying close to him, though she clearly wouldn’t be of much help. Instead, her feet opted for choice number three by planting themselves to the ground where she stood.

  So much for her self-defense lessons.

  He motioned for her to go inside and slowly rounded the corner of the house, his posture guarded as if to fend off an attack in case the unwanted visitor decided to become aggressive.

  “Don’t move!” he ordered. “Stay where you are.”

  From the side of the house, over the din of Cali’s barking, came a man’s voice. “Sir! Yes, sir!”

  At the unexpected response, Gray’s body relaxed a mere fraction, giving her hope that the person he’d found was harmless. He paused, taking in the situation, and squared his shoulders even more than normal.

  “Advance for inspection,” he said, his bearing that of a high-ranking military officer and his voice so commanding even Ruthie felt compelled to obey. Instead, she forced herself to remain right where she was, with Gray positioned between her and the interloper.

  A shadowy figure stepped out from beside the porch and into the front yard, where the porch light illuminated a middle-aged man in camouflage fatigues and sneakers. He could have been much younger. It was hard to tell. His leathery face might have come from age, hard living or most likely both. Frizzy brown hair had been pulled back in a short ponytail, and a scruff of goatee sprouted beneath his lower lip, lending an air of wildness to his already disheveled appearance. And a portion of a tattoo meandered from under his sleeve over the back of his hand.

  To her surprise, the man looked confused and scared. Apprehensive. Much as Cali had when Gray had found her and carried her into the house to tend to her wound. This guy appeared to be uninjured, and he didn’t seem to be a threat, but something just didn’t seem right about him.

  The stranger snapped to attention and saluted. “Reporting for duty, sir.”

  By now Cali had quieted inside. Paisley and Savannah watched from the window, and Ruthie noted that Savannah was talking on the phone. They must have called the police after all, for which she was relieved. Paisley gestured for her to join them inside, but Ruthie didn’t want to distract Gray or risk escalating what was turning out to be a weird situation.

  Gray kept up the role-playing, his voice softer now but firm and authoritative. “At ease, soldier.”

  The man actually seemed relieved to be told what to do, as if the strain of deciding his next move had been too big of a burden for him.

  “Yes, sir, Major, sir.”

  His response didn’t sound quite right, but since she didn’t know military protocol, she wasn’t in a position to question it.

  “What is your business here?”

  Cali woofed, her bark less frantic now and more curious.

  For the first time, the man took his eyes off Gray and looked toward the house. Her roommates stepped away from the window, and she wondered if she should have gone inside with them as Paisley had urged. The “soldier’s” gaze remained fixed on the house, leading Ruthie to suspect he might either try to run off or force his way into the house.

  “Soldier, I asked you a question,” Gray demanded. “Speak up. Give me your report.”

  The man babbled something about the mission he was on and how he could speak with Gray about it only because he was a major. The man said he had come to retrieve classified documents from this encampment, referring to the house. The more he talked, the more confused he seemed to be, as if he had a hard time keeping the details of his fantasy straight.

  “What division are you from?”

  The man told him his name, Private Denton, his gaze repeatedly returning to the window. “Major, this is urgent. My partner was captured on our first mission to secure the documents and is being held hostage. You’ve got to let me attempt a rescue.”

  He made a move toward them, and she retreated toward the divider fence. With his attention fixed on the front door, it seemed that escaping to the supposed safety of the house would be the wrong move at the moment.

  Visibly upset, the man kept repeating that he had to get to his partner. Had to bring his partner back.

  At the guy’s first twitch, Gray had poised himself for a hand-to-hand altercation. He spread his arms and held his hands low, leaving no doubt he could take the guy down if needed.

  The intruder started toward the house, stopped himself and seemed to change his mind a couple more times.

  “Halt!” Gray commanded, giving him the option of a peaceful end to this confrontation. “Stand down, soldier.”

  All military protocol thrown to the wind, the man rushed past, shouting, “Radar!”

  The front door opened, and Cali emerged, ears forward and on high alert. The dog zoomed down the stairs toward the man, her paws barely touching the steps.

  Still going full throttle, Cali launched herself at him.

  Chapter Eleven

  Cali slammed into him so hard they both hit the ground and rolled. The supposed army private shrieked and threw his arms around the dog. Concerned that the animal might hurt the addled man, Gray reached for the collar to pull Cali off of him.

  That was when he noticed the man’s tears. He was crying. Cali squirmed in his arms, licking his face and grunting happy little “ooh-ooh” sounds.

  Blue strobe lights lit up the yard, heralding the arrival of two squad cars. Ruthie met the officers at the gate and quickly briefed them on what had happened.

  “Radar,” the man murmured into Cali’s fur. “You knew I’d come back for you. Didn’t you, girl?”

  Gray hated to interrupt their reunion, but the police were here to take the man into custody. “Hey, buddy,” he said. “It’s time to go with these gentlemen. They’re here to help you.”

  Denton—Gray doubted he was currently enlisted in the army—looked up at him as though he’d forgotten he was there. “What gentlemen? Why?”

  “The officers need to debrief you,” he said, playing along with the fantasy the man had acted out earlier.

  Denton rose unsteadily to his feet, and Cali—now known as Radar—circled his legs as if to keep him from leaving her again. One of the officers assisted him into the car, and Cali trotted back to Ruthie.

  Gray wished she had gone inside as soon as she had come home. Her presence had heightened the stakes, making him more nervous for her sake than the situation called for. He didn’t know what he would have done if something bad had happened to her. Didn’t want to think of it.

  The officer took their names and asked a few questions. Ruthie, ever compassionate, insisted she had no desire to press charges against Denton. Savannah and Paisley, who had joined them in the yard, agreed.

  “What about the dog?” Gray asked.

  “We can take it to the shelter for a few days,” the officer said. “Mr. Denton will need to be processed, and it might be a while before he gets straightened out. The shelter won’t be able to house the dog indefinitely.”

  By now Cali circled the yard, trying to go with her owner. Gray could tell that Ruthie’s soft heart wouldn’t allow them to take the dog to the pound, even if only temporarily. Ruthie called the dog and grasped her collar to keep her out of the way.

  “I’ll watch out for her,” Ruthie promised Denton, who peered at her from the back of the police car. “Rada
r can stay with me.”

  Denton looked between Gray and Ruthie, then reluctantly nodded his assent. “She likes bologna,” he said. “And a knuckle rub between the shoulders.”

  Ruthie grasped the collar tighter to steady the wriggling dog. “I’ll do that for her. She’ll be well taken care of.”

  Gray had no doubt Ruthie would follow through with the requests, but he suspected she’d be more generous with the knuckle rubs than with the processed meat.

  Satisfied that his duty to the dog had been done, Denton reluctantly eased back in the car.

  That matter settled, Gray asked the officer, “What’s going to happen to him now?”

  “He’ll be evaluated. Probably have his meds adjusted.” He straightened the watch on his wrist. “Since you folks don’t want to press charges, he’ll probably be released to the supervision of his social worker once he’s ready to return home.”

  As the police cars drove off, Ruthie and her friends waved goodbye to Denton. Ruthie even lifted Cali’s front legs off the ground and waved one furry paw after the dog’s buddy.

  Gray shook his head. It was as if they had been plunked down in Mayberry in a rerun of The Andy Griffith Show.

  He walked away from the cluster of friends and stopped at the far side of the yard. The guy’s earnestness to get to his partner had nearly been Gray’s undoing. He understood the urgency. The feeling of helplessness and panic at not being able to protect his charge.

  Denton’s “mission” to retrieve his canine partner had brought back his own futile attempt to rescue Jakey Rayner. At least Denton had seen to it that his partner had made it to safety. Gray wished he could say the same for himself.

  He rested his hands on the points of the white picket fence. Maybe he could have protected Ruthie better, he thought, as he second-guessed his actions. Denton had seemed harmless enough, but who knew what could have happened if the man had taken advantage of an opening.

  A sick feeling settled at the pit of his stomach. He had failed once, four years ago, and couldn’t let himself fail again. Never. Especially not when it concerned Ruthie. He lifted his hands from the fence, aware of the pressure dents in his palms from leaning against the wooden pickets. Given the choice, he would gladly put himself between her and any danger. Would have offered himself in exchange for Jakey, but he hadn’t been given the choice.