by April Hunt
David met her gaze directly. “What is this? And why do you think it is?”
“I was surprised by the directive to bite to kill.” She’d been transparent about it because it seemed to be the way they worked best together. “I’ve appreciated the way we’ve been able to work together up to yesterday but it seemed like yesterday’s session broke something.”
Silence. Then David sighed and dragged a hand through his hair. The gesture only made her want to run her own fingers through.
“It was a reminder about how different civilian dog behavior is from what we need Atlas to be for military work.” David didn’t sound happy about admitting it. “And your anxiety can transfer to the dog. Atlas needs to be able to do those things without hesitation.”
Atlas hadn’t seemed to hesitate or consider at all the day before. In fact, Lyn had been elated because his response had been the best she’d seen all week. “There was no delay in Atlas obeying any command yesterday.”
“No,” David agreed. “Not a fraction of a second of hesitation. He was almost too eager to kill something threatening you.”
Lyn blinked. Closed her mouth on what she’d been about to say.
“You were nervous. He responded to protect you with deadly force.” David shoved his hands into his pockets. “It’s excellent in terms of his engagement and the progress you’re making with him. It was almost dangerous for my friend while you weren’t used to controlling what Atlas could do.”
True. The protective suit was more than sufficient in most cases but if a dog really wanted to kill the man inside, it could eventually happen.
“I figured a day off from the more intense training would be good for both of you.” David brought her attention back to him by tapping a finger on the big calendar he had on his desk. “You can come back later today and spend some quiet time walking the grounds but let’s give him some time to unwind and you some time to get more comfortable with his capabilities.”
“Okay.” She hesitated. “I thought you might…”
“You’re doing great.” He cut her off before she could voice the self-doubt. It was one of the only times he did interrupt her. “Seriously, we couldn’t have made this much progress with Atlas without you.”
“We’re doing great,” she countered, happiness filling her as he smiled at her assertion. “I couldn’t do this without your expertise either.”
“So go take a day and hang out with Sophie. New Hope’s a nice town to walk around.”
She gave him a bright smile and walked out of the office. The idea of a day out to clear her head and be around another woman was suddenly a fantastic change of pace.
Sophie was still in the kitchen with Brandon and Alex, chatting about the various dogs. When Lyn re-entered, Sophie stopped. “So. Conference complete. Are you allowed to come out to play or do you still have homework to do?”
“My schedule looks open for the day.” Lyn snagged an extra piece of bacon from the plate on the breakfast counter. “But I’m looking for a more adult kind of fun day.”
Brandon choked on his coffee.
Alex cracked up laughing.
David stopped in his tracks behind her.
Lyn kept her gaze on Sophie, refusing to look back to see David’s expression.
Sophie’s smile broadened into a crazy grin. “Oh, New Hope is the perfect place. Wear comfortable shoes.”
* * *
“That tea set was amazing. Why didn’t you buy it?” Lyn asked as they waited to be seated.
“No place to display it right now.” Sophie sighed. “I love tea sets and I’ve got an everyday set at home to use, but a set like that one? It needs to be displayed and used. Too gorgeous to tuck away in a cabinet.”
“That wasn’t the first time you’ve gone to look at it, either.” The shop owner had recognized Sophie.
Sophie grinned. “The goldfish set is my favorite, but I always stop in to see the new pieces she has on display. The designer has a catalog and comes out with new themed pieces every year. The new Phoenician bird design is incredible. Oh, and there’s this older ladybug themed set of teapot, cups, and platter.”
The way Sophie chattered on about tea sets and good afternoon tea services made Lyn’s stomach growl.
Sophie laughed. “We’ll have to go someplace for afternoon tea sometime, or maybe I’ll put together one at the kennels and Boom can join us.”
“Sounds good to me, especially if you’re baking again.” Lyn hoped she’d be around long enough, but then, her project with Atlas was open-ended based on his progress, so it was a possibility.
“Question for now is, what will you have here?”
“You haven’t led me wrong yet today.” Lyn settled into the seat and set her shopping bags at the side of the little table. “What do I absolutely have to try?”
Sophie had been a fantastic shopping companion for the morning, whisking Lyn off to New Hope to explore quaint shops up and down a historic main street. They’d browsed and chatted, exploring locally made clothing and art. With Sophie as a guide, Lyn had learned more history about the area than she’d ever thought possible.
“Hmm.” Sophie pondered for less than half a second. “The boys have been feeding you mostly hot subs and pizza, I’m guessing. Maybe some Chinese takeout.”
Lyn groaned. “Yes. Do any of them cook? Ever? I’ve had more General Tso’s this week than I’ve had in the last two years combined.”
She hadn’t wanted to insist on fresh salads or grocery runs when she was only a guest.
“This one, then.” Sophie reached across the table to point out a sandwich. “It’s roast turkey and cornbread stuffing and cranberry, all on toasted white bread. So good.”
It sounded delicious. “Perpetual Thanksgiving.”
Sophie nodded. “Not a bad thing, as far as I’m concerned. But feel free to pick anything that looks good. With this restaurant, you can’t go wrong with anything on the menu. Plus, it’s a fun place.”
It was obviously popular. Every table was taken and the servers bustled between seated customers. The atmosphere was warm and the servers were good-natured. Friendly in the way only people who enjoyed where they worked could be.
Their orders were taken by a cheerful girl who looked to be high school age, maybe first year of college.
“What’s the story here?” Lyn had no doubt Sophie would know. The morning had been a fun, quirky litany of stories.
“Hah. This place has an incredibly young owner, who is also the chef.” Sophie nodded toward the back. “Came up with the concept when he was…fourteen, maybe? It’s the nation’s first restaurant completely run by young people.”
“Really?” Lyn raised her eyebrows. The menu was well put together with some complex flavors in those items. “That’s young. Very young to be starting a business.”
She wasn’t familiar with labor laws for minors in this state but it seemed far-fetched.
Sophie nodded. “It’s an inspiring story and they had the support of friends and family. Dinner is all fixed price style, European influence now. It’s a definite romantic hot spot.”
“And have you been here for a particularly good date or two?” Despite chatting about shopping preferences and art, they hadn’t touched much on personal life. Lyn wasn’t sure if it was off-limits but she figured it couldn’t hurt to ask.
“Nah.” Sophie sipped water. “I’m too busy with work to deal with the insanity of dating. Every few months I try to go out with a guy or two. There’s a couple of awkward dates with inane conversation and I swear off men until I forget just how painful dating can be.”
“Ah well, I can completely understand.” Lyn played with her straw. “It gets worse when you travel all the time. Most guys don’t want to wait a couple of weeks for a second date. So even if I find someone remotely interesting, he’s moved on by the time I’m back in town. Or he’s decided I wasn’t interested because I keep telling him I’m out of town.”
Sophie nodded in understand
ing. “Tough situation. But then again, you’ve been here about a week now. You usually in one place for this amount of time?”
Lyn shook her head. “Most times, a client consultation is just a few hours. Training sessions are the same. I try to schedule clients in the same area together to make a trip out cost-efficient. Depending on how the dog and the owner are doing, I might come out every week for a month then switch over to once a month for a while to make sure the training stuck.”
Sophie gave her a knowing smile. “Stuck with the dog or the owner?”
Lyn laughed. “It’s almost always the owner who needs training. Once the dog figures out what a command means and which command a particular human is trying to give them, they’re generally good if there’s consistent practice. It’s more about figuring out the right routine for the whole household so the dog is behaving the way the owner wants. Not always as easy.”
“Brandon says most of the time dogs aren’t bad, they’re just bored.” Sophie glanced out the window as if the man would materialize.
Lyn didn’t blame her. Her own thoughts had been drifting back to the kennels, too. Wondering what David was doing with her out of his hair and how Atlas was doing.
“Yeah. A bored dog gets destructive,” Lyn confirmed.
“So your specialty is more dog psychology than actual training, isn’t it?” Sophie’s face lit up as their food arrived.
Lyn took a minute to try her sandwich. “Mmm. Good call.”
“Mmm.” No words from Sophie either.
After enjoying their first bites—because good food deserved proper attention—Lyn pulled her brain back to the last question. “It seems like psychology, but getting where a dog comes from and how he or she is thinking makes training exponentially more effective. Besides, dogs are some of the most honest creatures you can work with anywhere.”
Sophie nodded, more knowledge in her eyes than Lyn had anticipated. Lyn shifted in her seat.
“The boys work with dogs for a lot of the same reasons, you know.” Sophie’s tone had become softer, more somber.
“Not sure I get what you mean.” And Lyn wasn’t sure she wanted to.
Sophie popped a French fry in her mouth. “Brandon grew up in this area. Did any of them mention it to you? He left for the military right out of high school and didn’t come home to stay until he was ready to retire from active duty. He started Hope’s Crossing Kennels as soon as he got back.”
“Okay. Guessing you grew up with him?” Lyn leaned her chin on her hand, interested. The kennels looked fairly new, with all up-to-date equipment, so she’d guessed they’d been established recently.
“Yup. I was his next-door neighbor growing up. Once he bought the land for the kennels, I made sure his finances were all in line to keep him in the black.” Sophie’s expression grew distant and maybe a hint obstinate as she continued, “He wanted to make a place for himself because no place felt right when he got back. It’s hard to find a comfort zone when they return from overseas. The contrast, the change from deliberately stepping into danger every single day to being surrounded by people running from place to place completely unaware of what could happen…there aren’t words for it.”
Lyn nodded. Her stepfather hadn’t ever stayed for long. And it’d made her bitter. But this was the first time someone had given her this perspective.
“Alex and David arrived as soon as the main building and kennels were built. They all had experience as handlers. They put together their business model to provide basic and obedience training for the community and to train working dogs for military and police units.” Sophie seemed to have forgotten the rest of her sandwich, working her way through the French fries instead. “It didn’t take long. Brandon was a hometown hero and they’re all gorgeous.”
Lyn chuckled. “I hadn’t noticed.”
“The basic and obedience classes are packed with single women who’ve suddenly decided having the protection of a dog at home is a good idea.” Disgust colored her words but Sophie waved it away. “They eventually settled into business and now people come from hours away to work with them. And their dogs are the best. They provide working dogs to police units all over the country and to the military, too.”
“David’s training techniques are incredibly effective.” Lyn admired him for his work with any of the dogs on site, especially Atlas. It took a rare person to put pride aside to work in the situation they had. Lyn was lucky Atlas was responding to her and thankful David was coordinating with her in Atlas’s best interest.
“To hear some of the ladies talk, David is incredibly effective in a lot of ways.” Sophie studied her.
Lyn hoped her face was completely blank, fighting the heat rushing up to her cheeks. “I wouldn’t know and I don’t think it’d be appropriate if I did.”
Sophie raised a single, perfectly groomed eyebrow in a high arch. “No?”
“It’s not professional.” Saying so had sounded perfectly logical when she’d had the conversation with David at the beginning of the week. Here, with Sophie, not so much. Lyn didn’t want to be so short—not when Sophie had been so nice all morning—but Lyn wasn’t sure how to turn this into an easier-going chat.
“Weak.” Sophie shook her head. “I like you. And I’m straightforward with people I like. So I’m going to say this: this isn’t a corporate environment. Plenty of people can work together plus engage in extracurricular activities.”
Oh, and Lyn had been imagining them. Working with David every day was an exercise in self-control and mental focus. Every time he bent over to pick up a tennis ball, she was presented with the most grope-able ass she’d ever seen. And the other day he’d taken off his shirt in the afternoon for a few minutes to switch out to a clean one. The sight of all those wonderful muscles rippling underneath his skin had left her drooling, just a little. Luckily he hadn’t noticed.
“We’re both focused on Atlas as a priority.” Might be the truth, but also another dodge.
“True. And he’s important. I get it.” Sophie nodded. “It’s not easy under all the scrutiny either. Since Atlas was in the papers, people are coming out of the woodwork, aren’t they?”
“There’s a lot of oversight.” As personable as Sophie was, Lyn kept her stepfather’s interest to herself. Not that she wanted to hide it. But it’d just complicate things and be a whole lot more history to share than she was ready to do in one sitting.
“Which means a lot of stress, maybe some anxiety.” Sophie pinned her with a direct look. “And there is very obviously tension between you.”
“Maybe.” Okay, a lot. But Sophie had already laid it out there and Lyn wasn’t ready to say it out loud. “Why do you have an opinion about it?”
Sophie had said she liked Lyn. And Lyn hadn’t been this close to another woman in years. Sophie could be a real friend someday if things here worked out. Lyn didn’t want to mess it up with a fight over David.
“David is one of my best friends. He’s become a big brother to me. If you hurt him, I’d have to come after you.” One French fry was popped into Sophie’s mouth and another was waved in the air between them. “But if you might be good for him, it’s my duty as a little sister to get involved and get things moving since the two of you are obviously being obtuse about it.”
Chapter Seven
Cruz stood on the main street people-watching, basically.
Tourists were walking by and giving him a healthy amount of space on the sidewalk. Considering the sheer number of visitors on a Saturday afternoon, he was more than happy to be free of the crowds of people. Of course, part of the reason why he’d been given so much space was probably because he was in a shit mood and wasn’t bothering to keep it from showing on his face. He wasn’t going to check out his reflection in a storefront window to confirm.
He’d spent an entire morning up at McGuire, accessing SIPER Net to view the report on Calhoun’s death, and he didn’t have answers. Only more questions. He’d have preferred to bring the report back t
o his office where he could read and re-read and brainstorm, but those kinds of documents were secure and accessible only via SIPER Net. Which meant if he wanted to refresh his memory on the report, he had to drive up to McGuire and sign in to a secure location to gain access. No taking anything out with him.
All he wanted now was to sit down, have lunch, and brain dump the questions he had so he could compare them with his other notes at home later. Why he’d stopped in New Hope on the way home was a question he wouldn’t answer to Forte or Rojas, but he’d be honest with himself.
Lyn and Sophie had come up to New Hope.
And knowing Sophie, there was no way the ladies had finished their shopping yet. Add the knowledge of how hungry Lyn got around lunchtime—she basically had an internal lunch bell inside her belly—and he was pretty sure they’d be seated in one of the trendy places along the streets eating their way through a menu.
What he didn’t know was what he was going to say when he found them. Joining them would probably happen. He wasn’t the type to give bullshit excuses for why he was around town either. He had promised Lyn they were good when she’d turned him down for a dinner date. And he’d been careful to keep things professional and easygoing through the week as they focused on Atlas’s rehabilitation. But this was their first day away from each other. He’d wanted to check in on her and hadn’t thought twice about stopping.
Now that he was here, though, he wasn’t sure if she’d think it was creepy.
He’d consider himself creepy.
Maybe he should go home and pick up fast food on the way.
As he turned to head back to his car, he caught sight of a man across the street. The guy was doing a good job blending in with the wall of tourists checking out the old railroad station. Only he’d been there for as long as Cruz had been standing around debating whether to continue finding Lyn and Sophie or leaving. No other visitor had been hanging out for as long. There was only so much time a person could spend staring at an old building. Photographers and artists were the only exceptions that came to mind.