“I drove a jeep in combat,” Opal countered. “I think I can handle my own transportation. But thanks for asking.”
“Well, if you need anything, just give a holler.”
“I will. And while I’m gone, you might consider leaving Lily with Marilyn Martin. She already watches Shelby for Whitney Godwin. She’s real good with kids and I hear her place is real nice.”
“I’ll think about it. I just have to cancel my appointment tonight and I’ll be on my way.”
“No real rush,” the older woman told him. “I’m not packed yet.”
“Okay. See you soon.”
Assuming that Sophie had been looking forward to their training session as much as he had, Ryder decided to stop by the training center instead of phoning to cancel.
The moment he saw her begin to grin at him he wished he’d called. Seeing her enthusiasm for his presence and then having to turn around and leave was going to be disappointing.
“You’re early,” she said.
He nodded. “Something has come up. I can’t make it tonight.”
Sophie’s arched eyebrows predicted argument. “Why not?”
“Opal has to leave town and can’t watch Lily.”
“Then bring her with you,” Sophie countered. “You know she loves to work with the dogs. We can put her in the puppy pen and let them play while we train Phoenix.”
“She would love that. I just...”
“Benny Sims will be on guard duty by the time the others leave. If you’re nervous about it, keep one of your regulars around as backup. Eddie Harmon’s always looking for overtime. Those six kids of his keep him broke.”
“I suppose I could do that,” Ryder said soberly. “If I can get a second officer to stand guard tonight then okay, I’ll be back with Lily. If not, try to understand?”
“I do.” Sophie approached slowly and laid a warm hand on his forearm, sending electricity shooting up Ryder’s spine. There was unspoken pleading in her gaze.
It was all he could do to keep from pulling her into his arms and kissing her over and over. Judging by the misty look in her hazel eyes she was having equal trouble resisting the urge for closeness—for the affection and total acceptance that had been missing from both their lives for all too long.
“My dogs are in the car. I hate to drive all the way home to drop off Titus. How about I bring him back with Phoenix? If tonight works out, I mean.”
Her smile returned. “Sounds fine. Titus can nap while he’s here.”
Stepping away, she removed her hand from Ryder’s arm and he immediately felt the loss. He’d make tonight work. He had to. Everything in his heart and mind insisted.
They’d train mostly inside, he reasoned, staying out of sight of the public and setting up tracking scenarios for Phoenix. Lily might even be able to help. The eager dog could track her the way he did at home when they played hide-and-seek. Both the dog and the child would love it.
Instead of going through dispatch, Ryder called Eddie personally. When he begged off due to a birthday party for one of his kids, Ryder contacted Dennis Marlton. He was free and agreed to work overtime.
That settled it. Elated, Ryder called the training center to assure Sophie he and Lily would be there. “I’ll need to feed her,” he told the trainer. “Are you up for another pizza? Lily’s been asking for one ever since she found out she’d missed the feast we had at the station after the fair.”
“Sure. I’m easy to please,” Sophie said. Ryder could tell she was grinning as she spoke.
“Okay. It’s a date. You get me, a spoiled rotten kid and two dogs, all to yourself.”
“Sounds like the perfect combo,” Sophie gibed.
Ryder hoped she’d still think so after Carrie was captured and they could meet openly and socialize like normal people.
He was no stranger to the kind of stressed friendships trouble often brought about. Nobody thought clearly in the middle of a traumatic situation, and although no one had taken potshots at any of his staff or the trainers lately, that didn’t make the emotional upheaval go away. Only time, and the capture of their nemesis, would do that.
So, where was Carrie Dunleavy?
Instinct made him glance in his rearview mirrors. Nothing was out of place. Nobody was following him.
Nevertheless, he continued to watch. Letting down his guard now would be more foolish than walking into the line of fire without his bulletproof vest.
* * *
Sophie heard Lily coming before she saw her. The little girl was singing at the top of her lungs and skipping down the hallway. Titus followed obediently while Phoenix ran interference in front of her.
Bringing up the rear was the chief, carrying a pizza that reminded her how hungry she was. “Wow, that smells good. Glad to see you all made it.”
“Everything been quiet around here?”
“Totally. Dennis is out back. You probably passed Benny when you came in.”
“We did. Lily promised him a slice of pizza. I hope we don’t starve after she gives all our dinner away.”
“I doubt that will happen,” Sophie said, chuckling and leading the way to her office. “Unless we step away from the box and a certain Australian shepherd helps himself.”
“He’s stopped stealing food at home,” Ryder reported. “I won’t guarantee that my softhearted daughter won’t slip him something, though.”
Sophie took a moment to caution Lily. “Onions are bad for dogs and spices can sometimes hurt their tummies, so it’s not a good idea to let them eat from the table.” She made sure to keep smiling so the girl wouldn’t feel too chastised. “I teach all the police dogs a special command about eating that helps keep them from getting poisoned. After we’re done, I’ll teach you how to feed him from your hand the right way. Okay?”
“Okay!”
“If I get you a paper plate do you think you can take Benny his piece by yourself?”
“Uh-huh.”
Sophie prepared the plate, then cautioned Lily to use two hands while she and Ryder restrained the dogs. She caught him gazing fondly at his daughter as Lily walked away, taking great care to properly balance the flimsy plate.
“Kennel,” she said, trusting Titus to obey but keeping a hand on Phoenix’s collar just in case. To her delight, Ryder followed them. He’d stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked nonchalant but she figured he had to be at least as uneasy as she was.
Closing and latching the gate to the dog run she turned, not at all surprised to find him close behind. “Shall we get this over with so we can enjoy our meal,” she asked.
“Get what over with?” His words may have been questioning but his facial expression was all-knowing.
“Another kiss,” she said, noting added warmth that had nothing to do with the outside desert temperature.
“You liked the first one?” Ryder drawled.
“It was passable.” That line would have been funnier if she’d been able to deliver it without giggling.
“Well, if you insist.”
Sophie didn’t need any more of an invitation. She slipped her arms around his neck and stood on tiptoe. There was no awkwardness, no hesitation. They kissed as if they had been practicing for years. Her only regret was that they had not.
It was Ryder who stopped them. “I suggest we cool it. Lily is already wondering when I’m going to get her another mother. Opal planted the idea.”
Speechless, Sophie averted her gaze. Mother? That meant marriage, and although she was pretty sure she was in love with Ryder she wasn’t convinced she’d be a good mother for anybody. She certainly hadn’t grown up with an adequate role model. Was it possible to learn to be a good parent or did a person have to absorb it via experience?
She broke away and headed back toward her office. Not only
was the pizza still there, Lily was already picking bits of sausage off the top.
“Hey,” Ryder called. “No fair. You have to share with us, too.”
Instead of smiling the way Sophie had expected her to, Lily made a grumpy face, said, “Whatever” and plopped down into a chair with her arms crossed.
The moment Sophie’s eyes met Ryder’s she knew. They both did. The little girl had come back before they had expected her to and had seen them kissing. That had to be why she was pouting, since nothing else unusual had taken place.
“I’ll get you a plate and your own serving,” Ryder said. “Which one do you want?”
“I’m not hungry.”
“Fine. It can sit here until you are. Sophie and I are going to eat.”
Ryder seemed to make a point of keeping his distance after that. Sophie fully understood. It didn’t matter if the child had voiced a desire for a new mother, seeing her daddy paying special attention to any woman had to be a shock. After all, Lily had had Ryder all to herself her entire life.
I can love her through it, Sophie decided. No parent is perfect. If I do my best and take advice from women with experience, like Opal, I’ll be a good mother.
Providing Ryder doesn’t decide to drop me to make Lily happy, she added sadly. That was always a possibility. Her own parents had chosen to abandon her so why should anybody else behave differently?
This is a terrible way to think, Sophie told herself. She already had a good, productive life and a career she loved. If God didn’t choose to bless her with more, so be it.
The pizza began to taste like cardboard and she was barely able to choke it down. One look at Lily told her the five-year-old wasn’t in any better mood than she was.
Poor Ryder. His efforts at placating his daughter weren’t working, and now his supposed girlfriend was moping, too. The guy had to be at his wit’s end.
And, as Sophie had learned long ago, the best antidote for a bad mood was spending time with dogs. They loved without question and commiserated when necessary.
Catching Ryder’s eye, Sophie nodded toward the kennel area. “Weren’t you going to show Lily the new puppies?”
“That’s right. I was.” He reached for her hand and gave enough of a tug to draw her to her feet. “You get the training session ready while we go look at pups.”
“Gladly.” It was Sophie’s fondest hope that the father would use his time alone with his daughter to try to smooth things over, although it might be better to wait and let Lily adjust slowly.
Or not at all. Sophie wanted to slap herself for having such negative thoughts. Normally, she was far more upbeat. More self-confident. That happened when she felt comfortable and in her element with the dogs. People were another thing altogether. Hard to understand. Unpredictable and untrustworthy. They had been for as long as she could remember.
Some, like Carrie Dunleavy, were more than that, she concluded. They weren’t just unknowable. They were evil to the core.
She shivered. The building was deserted except for her and the Hayes family. And the dogs, she reminded herself. Always the dogs. The one—the only—reliable element in her life.
* * *
Ryder thought about having a serious talk with Lily and decided against it. At this point they only suspected what was wrong with the girl. If he brought up his tender feelings for Sophie and that wasn’t the reason Lily was sulking, he’d be adding to her melancholy.
“Stay in here with the puppies as long as you like,” Ryder told her. “I’ll put Titus right next to you and I’ll be in the training room teaching Phoenix how to track for search and rescue.”
“He already knows,” Lily grumbled. “I taught him.”
“I know you’ve played that game. What we need to do now is make sure he knows what we want when we tell him and can pick out the right scents.”
“He’s not as smart as Titus.”
“They’re both good dogs,” Ryder argued, giving the arthritic old dog a clean blanket to lie on. “You were too young to remember what Titus was like when I first got him but he had to learn, too. For the same reasons you have to start back to school soon.”
“I don’t wanna go to school. I wanna stay with Opal.”
Was that what was bothering Lily? “Well, you can’t do that right now so get over it. Opal’s sister needs her.”
“I don’t want a sister. Ever,” Lily declared, surprising Ryder again. This was a kid who had once begged him to get her a baby sister or brother. Clearly, nothing he said or did was going to please her tonight. Actually, she reminded him of Melanie; like on the night she was killed. He had had to work late and rather than wait a few minutes for him to give her a ride, she had stomped off toward home, carrying the fancy dress she’d picked up at the cleaners.
Remembering that detail wasn’t enough to smash all his guilt but it did put a serious dent in it. If Melanie had waited for him she might have lived, at least then. Given Carrie’s mental illness, she would probably have found a way to eliminate his wife eventually, no matter what he had done or not done.
Which reminded him of Sophie. After closing and latching the kennel gates he hurried back to her.
“How’s she doing?” Sophie asked, clearly concerned.
“She’s sulking because Opal had to go away, I think. I’m either going to bring Lily to work with me or put her in that day care Marilyn Martin runs.”
“I understand Whitney uses her so she must be fine.”
“That’s what Opal said. I just have a terrible time letting go. It’s as if I’m seeing Melanie in Lily and wondering how long it will be before I lose her, too.”
“I see.”
Ryder cupped her shoulders. “I don’t think you do. I’m not looking for another Melanie. It’s worrisome enough to see Lily acting so much like her mother.”
“I thought you two were happy.”
“We were. But we were young and headstrong. The time we had together was cut short before we’d really come to terms with a shared life. I’d hoped having a baby would mellow us both out.”
“And then you had to raise her all alone.”
He nodded. “Yes. Opal taught me a lot. She was a good influence on Lily. I just wonder if she hasn’t spoiled her.”
A knowing grin spread across Sophie’s face. “And you haven’t?”
When Ryder’s pager buzzed, he considered it a rescue from having to admit a fault. He checked in by radio, then told Sophie, “There’s a major traffic accident out on the westbound.”
“Will you have to leave?”
“No. I’m not needed. We may eventually have to kick Marlton loose, but I’m not going anywhere.”
The look of relief on Sophie’s pretty face warmed his heart. She wasn’t the kind of woman who would resent him for doing his duty, but it was evident she wanted him to stick around. That was the best of both worlds. Someone who yearned for his company, yet was willing to let him go without pitching a fit.
That had been another sore point between him and his late wife, Ryder recalled. Melanie loved him. But she didn’t want to share.
Just like Carrie Dunleavy.
SIXTEEN
It pleased Sophie when Phoenix successfully followed a scented drag through the building to the box where she’d hidden it.
“He’s good,” Ryder commented, giving the dog’s silky ears a scratch and patting him on the head.
“I think he’s great. How about trying him outside?”
“It’s too well lit.”
“That’s what switches are for,” Sophie teased. “When they’re flipped up, lights come on. When you flip them down, the lights go off. Trust me. I can make it dark in the yard.”
Ryder gave her a look of disgust. “You have a serious problem with your sense of humor, lady
. It’s warped.”
“You’re just now noticing?” To her delight, he laughed softly.
“Tell you what,” she said. “How about seeing if Lily wants to be our missing person and hide while I give Phoenix a drink of water and let him rest?”
“Not out there. In here. I’m not comfortable with risking her or the dog in the training yard.”
“Not even with the lights off?”
Ryder shook his head. “Not even with the lights off.”
“Okay. Have it your way. I’ll make a pass through to check with Benny and Officer Marlton, then hold Phoenix back there until you’re ready.”
“Where shall I hide her? In the keyhole under your desk?”
Sophie was chuckling as she clamped her hands over both of the Aussie’s ears. “Shush. Don’t tell him.”
“Right. You think he understands English?”
“Some. He headed right for my refrigerator the first time I mentioned food.”
“That’s not really as ridiculous as it sounds. Titus knows Lily by name.”
“Of course he does. When I was a kid, I had to spell to keep my dog from figuring out what I was doing. He was my best friend.”
“Dog friend, you mean.”
Sophie gave him a wistful smile and explained. “No. Any friend. He lived up to the name Buddy all the time. He even defended me from my own parents a few times.” She waved her hands in front of her as if erasing her words. “Forget I said that.”
The wary look in Ryder’s eyes as he turned to go get his daughter convinced Sophie he would never forget her telling admission; one, because it had shocked him and two, because it was part of her background and would undoubtedly affect her for the rest of her life. She had learned to be wary. Untrusting. And cautious beyond normal boundaries due to her dysfunctional upbringing. If nothing else kept him from regarding her as a potential mate, that would.
Remembering how Shane had managed to overlook Gina’s mentally unbalanced fraternal twin brother and form a lasting relationship made Sophie both happy and sad. She was happy that two nice people had found each other, yet sad that she, herself, felt so isolated and alone.
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