Absolute Trust

by Piper J. Drake

Chapter Seven

  Early-morning runs were always interesting with the way the seasons changed in Pennsylvania. Fall had come quickly and given them a good cold snap, but the past few days had been pleasantly mild. Still, the nights had been cold enough to create a thin layer of black ice on the asphalt until the sun came up and melted it away. It required a decent amount of attention to make sure he didn’t wipe out on the street. Luckily, Haydn had experienced it once and developed a good eye for the stuff. As long as the two of them jogged together, Forte could rely on Haydn to let him know when a minor course change would be advisable.

  Forte opened the back of his SUV. “Haydn, over.”

  Haydn obediently hopped into the back area of the vehicle. On the two nights since Sophie had returned from the hospital, it’d been Haydn’s home away from home. Mostly because Forte wanted to keep watch and hadn’t wanted to risk staying in Sophie’s apartment while he did it. The parking lot was a better vantage point than the inside of her apartment in any case.

  There was also too much temptation there. And until he, Rojas, and Cruz were sure the car bomb incident hadn’t been targeted specifically at her, he was going to maintain vigilance.

  She was in danger. Anyone after her was going to wait for the police interest to die down some and for her to relax before striking again. He planned to be there to catch them and track down the people responsible for giving the order to target her.

  Forte closed the back and moved around to the side to pull out a set of wipes for a quick refresh and a clean set of clothing. Just as he was pulling a long-sleeved shirt over his head, an older woman left her ground-level apartment and started picking her way over the pavement toward Sophie’s home.

  Forte quickly finished up, stowed his crap, and grabbed Haydn’s leash.

  “Are you headed upstairs, ma’am?” Forte caught up with the lady, doing his best to make some noise so he didn’t scare the bejeezus out of her. He’d seen her around the complex but hadn’t ever met her directly. She was a friend of Sophie’s family, and he tried to stay out of Sophie’s family’s way.

  The woman looked to be in her late seventies, active but not as spry as she might have been once upon a time. Clutched in her hands, the knuckles swollen with arthritis, was a large casserole dish covered in foil.

  “Oh! Do I know you?” Dark eyes were still bright with intelligence, her sharp gaze taking in all the details about him and lingering on Haydn’s front leg. “You must be Sophie’s dog friend.”

  Forte wasn’t sure if the woman meant he was a dog or if she was addressing Haydn. “Yes, ma’am, we’re friends of Sophie’s. Could we give you an escort up to her apartment?”

  The woman considered him for what seemed like a long while in the cold. A slight tremor had started in her hands, and he was afraid she might drop her dish. Suddenly, the woman smiled, laugh lines creasing the corners of her eyes. “This should be fun. Why not?”

  Yeah, sure. Why not? It wasn’t like he’d been waiting for just this opportunity to check in on Sophie in person or anything. The lady might see right through him, and he suspected she did, but he was still going to grab the opportunity with both hands.

  She allowed him to carry the casserole dish—actually, a deep covered dish of heavy pottery—and took hold of his arm just inside the elbow. Haydn’s presence didn’t faze her at all. They took the stairs one at a time, at her pace.

  Once they reached the landing of the second floor, the lady took her casserole back and pressed the doorbell, waited a few seconds, then pressed it again.

  “Coming!” Sophie’s voice came from inside.

  Forte was glad to hear it. As much as he wanted to be right there for her last night, he’d also wanted her to gain back some control in what was going on around her. But he wasn’t a saint—exactly the opposite—so if she’d asked him to stay he’d have given in to just how badly he wanted to kiss her again.

  It wasn’t the right thing to do. And damn it, he’d have done it anyway.

  The door finally opened and Sophie peered out, taking note of her visitor and him. She was still pale, but the circles under her eyes had cleared and there was a hint of color to her cheeks. She’d rested. “Mrs. Seong, how nice to see you. I wasn’t expecting you to bring more company.”

  Sophie glanced up at him and narrowed her eyes.

  Hah. She knew exactly why he was there.

  Mrs. Seong pressed her casserole dish into Sophie’s hands. “Oh, I picked up a few strays on the stairs. Since you’ve just adopted a new cat, I thought you might like these boys, too.”

  Sophie looked at Forte, then Haydn. Haydn waved his tail side to side once. Forte just tried to look like there was nothing unusual about his showing up.

  Sophie pressed her lips together.

  Apparently, he’d failed.

  “Well?” Mrs. Seong asked, a hint of a sharp expectation to the word.

  “Oh, do you mind cats? I wouldn’t want to trouble any allergies you might have. Thank you so much for the food.” Sophie seemed to struggle with keeping her thoughts organized as she spoke to the senior woman.

  “I love cats.” Mrs. Seong bustled into the apartment without further invitation. “If the boys can’t behave well around your new cat, they can leave.”

  Forte started forward. He’d take the opening provided and make a mental note. He owed Mrs. Seong a favor.

  Sophie sputtered some, but she opened the door farther to let all of them into her home.

  The cat was nowhere to be seen. Figured. It’d only been around overnight and it was probably still nervous from the move. Once it became obvious Sophie was really going to adopt the cat, Forte had invested in a cat carrier plus a starter kit of supplies. She’d apparently set up everything after he left.

  And now he was back.

  “Why don’t I heat up some of this for the two of you to enjoy right away?” He took the casserole from Sophie’s hands and headed for the kitchen, Haydn still on a leash at his side. He was going to keep Haydn with him until the cat made an appearance.

  Mrs. Seong nodded. “I made sundubu jjigae, your favorite, Sophie. It has plenty of mussels and other seafoods in it, with lots of silken tofu. I still remember how you like it. The dish can be reheated on the stove. You can have some now and more later with rice.”

  Apparently, Sophie had decided she was going to have to just roll with the situation. She limped back over to the couch, inviting Mrs. Seong to sit at the breakfast table still in her living room.

  He reined in the desire to help her onto the couch. Every step she took bothered the hell out of him while she was still limping. He’d take it away and bear it himself if it were possible, because it was definitely his fault she’d ended up injured in the first place. Hell, he was bad for Sophie. Real bad. And just like every time he’d come home after a deployment, he’d come back just to be near her. She was an addiction.

  And it was only getting worse inside his head. The night had been too long.

  Sophie and Mrs. Seong began a lively discussion. Or more accurately, Mrs. Seong proceeded with a precise interrogation regarding Sophie’s harrowing experience with the exploding car.

  Forte bit the inside of his cheek. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to laugh or hate himself even more. Rojas and Cruz still had feelers out for information on the car bomb. Ky hadn’t come back to him yet on the status of the investigation. But Forte’s gut told him this entire situation was because of the people they’d crossed. A spot between his shoulder blades itched, and he was convinced he wasn’t the only person keeping an eye on Sophie’s apartment. He’d need to change surveillance points tonight to see if he could flush out the watcher.

  For the moment, though, he placed the dish on the stove as instructed, removing the foil covering the top. It was a clever dish, complete with fitted lid. The stew inside was new to him, but it smelled interesting. Maybe Sophie would let him try it later. He made a mental note of the name. He’d let it heat with the lid on for the first few min
utes, then remove the lid to make sure nothing boiled over by accident.

  While the Korean-style stew heated, he grabbed two mugs and rummaged around until he found the tea stash. Sophie had one of those continuous hot water dispensers from Korea. It was so handy, he was considering getting one for the little coffee station they had in the main house back at the kennels.

  With Haydn’s leash still hooked over his wrist, he served the ladies the hastily prepared tea.

  Mrs. Seong gave him another close-mouthed smile. “This one is very nice to look at, Sophie. You should let him visit you more often. He can find his way around a kitchen without too many questions or broken glasses. Are you dating him?”

  Pink rose up on Sophie’s cheeks. The pretty color made his groin tighten, and he was glad he’d pulled on jeans instead of coming up here in thinner running pants. Forte made sure her guest couldn’t see his face as he raised an eyebrow at her. He was playing with fire here, but teasing Sophie was irresistible.

  Sophie let out a scandalized laugh. “Mrs. Seong, I haven’t dated anyone for a while now, and Brandon has been a close friend for a very long time. Don’t go telling stories.”

  And wasn’t it good to know Sophie wasn’t dating anyone currently? He’d deliberately tried not to know over the past year or two. But now, well, it was welcome information.

  Even if he shouldn’t do anything with it.

  “You are grown; it’s okay to date.” Mrs. Seong lifted her chin in Forte’s direction. “Test drive before you decide to lease the car, hmm? Nowadays, you don’t even have to commit to buying. I go test driving all the time for fun.”

  Forte had been quietly chuckling through Mrs. Seong’s commentary; then Sophie’s mouth fell open and he choked. There were too many things he wanted to do with her very luscious mouth. He was going to hell.

  “Mrs. Seong… ,” Sophie started to reply, but her new cat chose that moment to stroll into the living room from the bedroom.

  “Ah, this is the new roommate? She is beautiful.” Mrs. Seong clapped her hands in delight, but she did slide a sharp glance at Forte and Haydn.

  Forte remained relaxed. “Haydn, blijf.”

  Haydn obeyed, staying at his side, but vibrated with eagerness to investigate.

  One of the key traits Forte looked for in the dogs he trained for service was a strong prey drive. Haydn had a fantastic drive, in fact, which could be an issue around smaller pets like cats, ferrets, rabbits, or hamsters. But Haydn was also extremely well disciplined. Forte had every confidence he could maintain control over the big dog.

  The cat, on the other hand, was an uncontrolled variable.

  Unconcerned, the feline made its way farther into the living room and came to a halt about a foot in front of Haydn. Then it…puffed.

  That was the only way Forte could explain it. One minute, the cat had been a sleek, pale, furred being. Elegant and aloof, the rescue brought on images of cats in ancient Egypt and Asia. The next minute, it was almost double its size in fur, as if it’d been struck by lightning.

  Haydn’s lip lifted to reveal an impressive set of canines.

  “Haydn, los.” Forte put some force behind the command. He wanted to be sure Haydn understood the importance of this one.

  The big dog relaxed his muzzle and lip, no longer revealing his teeth. His body language was still on guard, but he wasn’t wound up and ready to lunge at the cat. Instead, he watched it.

  For the cat’s part, it moved past Haydn on stiff legs, then jumped onto the couch. Once it was safely on Sophie’s shoulder, it curled up and resumed its normal size. Sophie immediately gave it loving scratches.

  Haydn let loose a very faint whine.

  Mrs. Seong cackled. “Yes, you should have these boys over more often. It’ll liven up your days. You spend too much time up here, tucked away with your books.”

  Sophie sighed, petting her new cat. “I like my books and this apartment. It’s very relaxing to have time to myself.”

  “Sometimes. Not too much time.” Mrs. Seong waved a finger at Sophie. “Have you named your new friend?”

  Sophie nuzzled the cat. “Not yet. The right name will come to me and she’ll let me know if she likes it.”

  Of course it was a female.

  * * *

  A savory, spicy smell was starting to come from the kitchen, and Sophie’s stomach growled. Mrs. Seong’s sundubu jjigae was simmering. Before Sophie could mention it, Brandon dropped Haydn’s leash and headed for the kitchen. The black dog remained where he was on the command to stay.

  Mrs. Seong watched Brandon go, then turned toward Sophie. The senior raised her eyebrows, and her lips formed an O of delight.

  Great. Just great. The minute Sophie’s family returned from their visit to South Korea, they’d hear from Mrs. Seong about Brandon in Sophie’s apartment.

  Oh, her parents already knew Brandon from Sophie’s high school days. Her father hadn’t liked him then, but her father hadn’t liked anyone. Aside from mentioning Brandon’s return and establishment of Hope’s Crossing Kennels, her family hadn’t discussed him at all. If her parents were aware of how much time she spent at the kennels, they didn’t mention it, and she wasn’t particularly inclined to discuss it. Most of her discussion with family centered on her career and nice Korean boys her mother wanted to introduce her to from their local community center.

  “This one is good, Sophie.” Mrs. Seong’s idea of a whisper was distinctly audible. Brandon could definitely hear her from the kitchen. “Those other boys your parents try to show you, no. Not good. All of them lazy. They make their mothers work hard to feed them and do their laundry, even now when they are finished college. This one, he has the dog farm for the military, yes?”

  In the kitchen, Brandon froze. He lowered his head and the muscles in his back started to twitch.

  Someone save her.

  “He doesn’t grow the dogs like vegetables, Mrs. Seong.” Sophie glanced at Haydn and his prosthetic. “Brandon trains the dogs to be working dogs for military or law enforcement.”

  “Yes, yes. That.” Mrs. Seong waved away silly semantics. “He does good things for the military, then. This one, this one is very polite even though he is a tripod.”

  There was a clatter from the kitchen.

  Mrs. Seong turned. “Careful when it is hot. If you burn yourself, you will have to go home to take care of it. Sophie should concentrate on healing herself. Oh, good! You know to serve the sundubu in bowls. Perfect.”

  Brandon returned and set a bowl in front of Mrs. Seong, accompanied by one of the long handled, Korean-style spoons Sophie had in her utensil drawer. Good guess. She was pretty sure Brandon didn’t eat Korean much—there wasn’t a Korean place that delivered near the kennels—but he’d matched the utensil to the dish well. His expression was decidedly blank.

  Either he was angry or he was trying really hard not to laugh.

  “I’ll be right back with yours, Sophie.” His voice rolled over her, darker than his normal conversational tone and full of secrets.

  Mrs. Seong’s eyebrows rose another quarter of an inch at least.

  As he returned to the kitchen, Mrs. Seong leaned closer. “He does good things. He makes enough money if he owns his business, yes? He is probably skilled in bed, too. Soldiers are trained in many things. He will treat you well, Sophie. Make sure he comes back!”

  Sophie didn’t dare look in Brandon’s direction. Heat burned her face, and if it weren’t for the cat purring against her ear, she might try to get up off the couch and make a break for it. She wouldn’t get very far with her ankle, though. And Haydn was between her and her bedroom anyway. Knowing her luck, Haydn would stay right where he was supposed to be until she tripped over him.

  A warm, soft hand patted the back of her own. Amusement sparkled in Mrs. Seong’s eyes. “I only tease, Sophie, because it is good to see you happy after such an accident. You deserve to be happy.”

  Tears pricked in Sophie’s eyes as she met Mrs. Seong’s kind
gaze. She was a longtime friend of the family and had known Sophie since she’d been a baby. When Sophie had wanted to move out on her own and become financially independent, Mrs. Seong had spoken in her favor. It was good for a young woman to want to take the burden from her family by going out on her own, Mrs. Seong had argued when her parents had been concerned. Sophie’s parents had conceded when Sophie chose an apartment so close to Mrs. Seong. It was not only proven a safe area, but there was a chaperone nearby for all intents and purposes.

  But Mrs. Seong had let Sophie have her privacy. She checked in only when Sophie was particularly sick.

  “Careful. It’s hot.” Brandon was there with the tray she kept on top of her refrigerator. He set it carefully in her lap, then placed her bowl of sundubu jjigae on it, accompanied by another spoon.

  “Thank you.” She smiled up at Brandon and then over to Mrs. Seong. “Thank you for everything.”

  Mrs. Seong gave her a serene smile in return. “If this boy goes fishing and brings back good fish, I will fry them and make this again. Sundubu jjigae is good with a bowl of rice and a whole fried fish.”

  Brandon chuckled. “I could go fishing.”

  Sophie choked on a spoonful of her sundubu.

  Chapter Eight

  Sophie, what are you doing on your feet, and what is that amazing smell?”

  Sophie laughed as Lyn entered the kitchen area in the main house of Hope’s Crossing Kennels. She was glad to see Lyn back from her latest business trip so soon. “My ankle is feeling a lot better. I can stand for a while as long as I’m wearing the medical boot for support. And this is avocado and fried egg on toast.”

  As she spoke, she took a nicely toasted slice of rye bread and spread a spoon of fresh avocado mixed with crumbled goat cheese across it in a generous layer. She sprinkled a touch of sea salt over it, then used a grinder to add a hint of black pepper. Then she carefully slid one of the sunny-side-up eggs from her pan onto the avocado. She finished it off with a spoonful of fresh diced tomato tossed with shredded basil.

  It wasn’t summer yet, but Mrs. Seong had a good eye for produce and had dropped off some for Sophie last night. Rather than have Brandon pretend he just happened to be in the neighborhood again that morning, Sophie had called him to ask if he could pick her up so she could hang out at the kennels. At least that way, he wouldn’t be torn from his responsibilities at the kennels just to babysit her. Besides, it gave her people to feed the excellent produce to, and cooking made her happy.