Miami Attraction

by Elaine Overton

  He’d never seen a dog who gave no indication of its emotional state before an attack. It was almost as if he was dealing with two different dogs—both of which were dangerous.

  He decided to let Sam work with her most of the day until he could better understand why she was okay with him one day and different the next.

  The next morning the same thing happened, but instead of letting Sam take her, Dusty decided to try to lure her out with milk bones. She took the treat, but since the hairs on the back of his neck were still standing, Dusty decided not to get too close.

  Angel allowed him to put the leash on her collar, but Dusty was already considering what to tell Mikayla. Based on her behavior, some part of him believed she was dangerous and unstable. But the look of pain in Mikayla’s eyes told him she loved the mangy mutt, and from the way the dog sat looking up at her adoringly, the feeling was mutual.

  Angel tilted her head to the side, as her eyes glanced between his face and the hand that contained the milk bones. She started forward and then stopped, looking up at Sam. After a while, she sat back down and ignored the milk bone.

  Prideful thing. Dusty made a ticking sound, and continued to coo and coax, and he could see Angel was torn between her image and taking the offered milk bone.

  He started making the cooing sound once more, and this time Angel paused before moving across the floor to collect the biscuit. Sniffing at the offered hand, she scooped up the biscuit and in two bites it was gone. While the dog ate, Dusty took the opportunity to check for bumps or physical injuries, still trying to find the cause of her initial reaction to him.

  “Everything okay?” Sam called over his shoulder.

  “Yes, she seems fine.”

  The dog had relaxed, so Dusty led her outside. Their truce lasted until the treats were gone. And once again, Angel returned to the low, unexpected growl every time he tried to make her do something she did not want to. But as the days wore on, Dusty began to understand that despite her strange behavior, Angel was no more dangerous than any other dog.

  In fact, she was less dangerous dog, and more spoiled mutt. He couldn’t help wondering if she growled at Mikayla to get her way at home. He added questions to the growing list in his brain.

  After the third day, Dusty allowed Angel to remain in the yard with the other dogs to build social skills, but soon discovered what a mistake it was. Angel was a natural born leader and soon she’d replaced him as the alpha in the play yard.

  Once her leadership had been established she began finding ways out of the play yard. The crawl space under the training building, digging holes under the gate—and what was most impressive was the speed with which she did it.

  And no sooner would he and the other trainers round up Angel and her fellow escapees than she would be back at it again. She’d even somehow managed to recruit Athos, Porthos and Aramis into her little gang.

  Frankly, he wanted the scrappy little fur-coated headache off his property, but that was not an option. Because along with Angel would go Mikayla. And Dusty was nowhere near ready to say goodbye to her.

  From the moment she drove away from the ranch two weeks ago, she had been all he could think about. He’d gone online to find out what he could about her and discovered the most important fact. She was single.

  He dug around his house until he found her book and reread it. She wrote in third person, but it was obvious some of it was based on her own experiences. The emotion was simply too raw to be completely fictional.

  He’d counted the days waiting for her to return for her two-week visit, but now that it was here, he was hoping she would not show. Because he had nothing to offer in the way of improved behavior.

  As he and Angel stood facing off in the yard, the small form of a woman coming from the direction of the hospital appeared.

  Dusty relaxed his stance and was surprised to see Angel do the same. He slowly sat down on the ground. Once he was seated on the ground, Angel loped over to him and licked his face in satisfaction.

  It came to Dusty like an epiphany. The problem between them wasn’t her inability to be trained, Dusty realized. It was his.

  There could be one pack leader, and Angel had decided that leader would be her. Which meant Dusty would have to heel.

  He rubbed her under her chin. “Like hell,” he said in a singsong voice. “You listen here, you mangy mutt,” he continued in the playful voice. “I’m the alpha around here and you best not forget it.” He rubbed her belly. “But if this is what it will take to get through this afternoon without Mikayla knowing what a hopeless case you are, so be it.” He rubbed behind her ears. “But tomorrow is a new day and a new way.” His voice never changed from the playful, baby cooing. “Yes, it is. Yes, it is.”

  Just then Mikayla reached the gate. “Angel!”

  At the sound of her name, the dog’s floppy ears perked up and she turned toward the sound. Spotting Mikayla, she raced to the fence and attempted to poke her nose through the open holes, trying to lick any part of her she could reach.

  Mikayla turned from the gate and rushed into the building and out into the play yard, and Angel was right at the door to meet her. As Dusty watched the reunion, his resolve to train Angel was strengthened.

  Regardless of the whys, it was obvious Mikayla loved the dog, and for that reason alone he wanted to give her the obedient pet she deserved. He stood and dusted his jeans as he came over to them.

  Today, she looked professional in a navy blue pants suit that was getting covered in dirt. Her long hair was twisted up in a loose bun, and she wore a touch of makeup, which he knew from her last visit she did not need.

  She looked up at him and smiled. “I had no idea how much I would miss her.”

  “As you can see, she has missed you, too.”

  “Look what I have!” She pulled a stuffed toy from her pocket and tossed it, and Angel took off after it. Mikayla looked up at Dusty with a resolved expression, and he realized in that moment she was expecting bad news. “How did she do?”

  He smiled. “Not bad. Kind of a rocky start. But it goes like that sometimes. We’ll figure each other out eventually.”

  Her eyes widened. “So, you’re not sending her home?”

  “Why would I do that?”

  “Well, other trainers have given up after one afternoon with her, and she’s been here two full weeks.”

  “I told you before I haven’t met a dog I couldn’t train, and that still stands.”

  “Oh.” A look of disappointment came over her face. “That’s great.”

  Dusty laughed. “I can tell you’re real pleased.”

  “I am.” She shrugged. “You really are our last chance. I just miss her, that’s all.”

  “Not sure I like being seen as a last chance. But don’t worry, I’m sure these weeks will fly by in no time.”

  Mikayla watched Angel toss her favorite stuffed toy, swinging it in every direction. “She seems happy.” She glanced around the play area. “Where are the other dogs?”

  “We’ve found it better to work with Angel without distraction.”

  She frowned. “Oh. I hope you’re not making them stay in their pens all day to accommodate us.”

  “Oh—not at all. We work with them one-on-one for two hours of the day and then we work with them as a group.”

  “Oh.” She yawned, and only then did Dusty notice the dark bags under her eyes.

  “How have you been?” he asked.

  “Pretty good—a little tired, though. I just did a seminar in Fort Lauderdale.”

  “Oh, really? What kind of seminar?”

  “Self-empowerment for women.”

  “I did notice your book had a somewhat female bias.”

  She gave him a hard look. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Dusty’s eyes widened at the tone of her voice. “Nothing, just you see things from a woman’s point of view, which is perfectly natural.”

  She studied his face for a few seconds, and then turned
back to gesture Angel over. The dog loped across the yard to her for a brief moment before taking off again.

  “Sorry, I’m touchy about that particular subject. I’ve been called everything from a man-hater to a lesbian, all thrown out as slurs.”

  Dusty frowned in surprise. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

  She shrugged. “It’s okay. I’m used to it. The seminars always wear me out, but I couldn’t go home without seeing my baby.”

  Angel had retreated to the other side of the yard, and she was busy rooting around in the grass.

  Dusty and Mikayla stood watching her for a few minutes before Mikayla said, “I better get going. Long ride back to the city.”

  Dusty knew it was now or never. “Um, Mikayla, I was wondering if you’d like to have dinner with me sometime?”

  She paused, and glanced at him nervously. “I’m flattered, but—”

  He held up a hand. “It’s okay. I just thought I would ask.”

  The pair stood in an awkward silence for several seconds before Mikayla said, “So…about the training sessions.”

  Dusty nodded. “Right. Can you start tomorrow?”

  “I sure can.”

  “We like to have the dog and owner work together two to three times a week. Will you be able to fit that into your schedule?”

  “I’ll fit whatever I have to into my schedule. Like I told you, Angel is very important to me.”

  “Okay, then. I guess we’ll see you tomorrow. Is nine too early?”

  “No, I’ll be here, nine o’clock.”

  Another awkward silence fell over them, and Dusty had that strange sensation of experiencing her emotions. Today it was a thin layer of nervousness in the air.

  Mikayla thought about calling to Angel once more, but she was having so much fun playing with her toy she decided not to. Besides, she would be seeing her in the morning anyway. “Well, good night.” She turned and headed back to her car.

  “Good night,” Dusty called after her, and as soon as she was gone so was the oppressive air. He shook his head. “Weird.”

  Just then, Steve came out of the building to take Angel for a walk. “What’s weird?” he asked.

  Dusty turned in surprise, not hearing his employee walk up. “Nothing.” He glanced at Angel who was still happily playing, not even noticing that Mikayla was gone.

  Dusty wondered briefly if maybe his radar was off. He would’ve sworn that he was getting a vibe from Mikayla. More than just that freaky strong emotion thing she seemed to generate, but a genuine woman-into-man kind of vibe. Of course, it was entirely possible that he read her wrong. After all he knew very little about her. She could be in a relationship for all he knew. Mikayla Shroeder excited every nerve in his body by simply standing next to him, but if he didn’t do it for her that was just something he would have to accept.

  Chapter 7

  It took Dusty less than a week of working with Mikayla in close quarters to confirm his suspicion. It was a suspicion that had begun the day he took her to meet his dogs. It was a suspicion that made him want to kill a man.

  At some point in her life someone had hurt her.

  The evidence was in the way she flinched every time they accidentally brushed against one another. It was in the way she watched his every move, always on guard. She smiled, she joked with him, but all it took was one look in her eyes to know she did not trust him.

  With each passing day he grew more and more frustrated by his inability to help her. Not that he had any idea how to.

  Some days they sat in his office and talked about her relationship with the dog, but other days they worked side by side, training Angel, which meant sometimes their bodies made contact and each and every time it happened she stiffened up like an ironing board.

  That only increased his frustration because the more he learned about her, the more he wanted to know.

  “Where’s Angel?” Mikayla looked around the large, open room where she’d just arrived. Most mornings, Angel was there to greet her. But that morning she and Dusty were the only occupants.

  “We’ll bring her in later, but for now. I want to work with just you.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Dogs learn about us from out body language, and yours screams walk-all-over-me.”

  She straightened her shoulders. “I don’t think so.”

  “Good, that’s good. But that’s not your normal posture.”

  He crossed behind her and went to reach for her shoulders and Mikayla quickly turned and moved away from him. “What are you doing?”

  “I just wanted to show you the correct way to stand.”

  Her lips firmed as her eyes darted to his hands. “Can’t you just tell me?”

  Dusty looked into her eyes for a moment and nodded. “Okay.” He straightened his own posture. “Angel has become the alpha in your relationship because you were not being the alpha. Now you have to take that status back.” He gestured to his body. “It’s all about confidence.”

  Mikayla tried to imitate his pose, and instinctively Dusty moved to correct her body. And once again she backed away from him.

  “I see what you mean,” she said, struggling to strike just the right pose.

  “Okay, now remember when you walk her, you lead.

  You decide where you want to go.”

  “I already do that.”

  “Really?”

  She nodded.

  “Sam, can you take Angel out?” he called over his shoulder.

  As Sam walked the dog through the room leading to the outside door, she saw Mikayla and became excited, tugging at the leash struggling to get to her.

  Mikayla automatically hunched over and moved to greet the dog.

  “Wrong,” Dusty said with a shake of his head. “Look at what you’re doing.”

  “What? I’m greeting my dog,” she said, rubbing Angel’s furry chin.

  “No, you’re surrendering to her.” He crossed the room to her, and taking her waist stood her straight again. Dusty could feel her whole body stiffen in his hands, and the storm clouds began to roll in. He immediately let her go and just as quickly felt her relax.

  Sam led Angel through the door leading to the outdoor play area. Mikayla glanced at Dusty nervously, and quickly looked away. “How is greeting her surrendering?”

  “It’s not the what, it’s the how.” He imitated her hunched-over position. “See?”

  Mikayla frowned. “I don’t look like that.”

  He stood straight up. “Actually, you do.”

  “Well, I guess it’s better than that pimp walk you have going on.” She laughed.

  His eyes narrowed menacingly, but the slight upturn of his mouth belied the seriousness. “Pimp walk?”

  “Yeah, that thing you do…” She began imitating walking around the room, leaning to one side.

  Dusty laughed out loud. “You look like a crab.”

  Mikayla paused in her imitation. “Hmm, now that you mention it, I think a crab would be an apt description of the way you walk.”

  “Well, crab or not, my dogs respect me, and if you want Angel’s respect you’re going to have to stop going to her all the time.” He winked. “Show her who’s boss.”

  Mikayla sighed. “I’m afraid she already knows.”

  “Hungry?” Dusty asked, heading into his office. He came back out carrying a picnic basket. “What’s that?”

  He held up the basket. “I packed a lunch for us this morning, more than plenty enough for two.”

  “That’s very thoughtful.” She followed him back into the office.

  Dusty cleared a space on the small conference table he used for staff meetings and set the basket down. Soon the pair were tearing through a light lunch of assorted miniature sandwiches and bottled water, along with Chex Mix and Suzy-Q’s.

  “So, tell me,” Dusty asked toying with one of the sandwiches, “why aren’t you seeing anyone?”

  Mikayla glanced up quickly, and then looked away. But it was not be
fore he saw the wariness in her eyes or felt it in the air.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, focusing his attention on his sandwich. “I had no right to ask such a personal question.”

  She smiled. “I could ask the same of you.”

  He gestured around them. “The job.”

  She smirked. “You mean, the passion. You love your job—anyone can see that.”

  “I won’t deny it.” He nodded. “I do take a certain amount of pride in it.”

  “It’s only natural to love something you worked hard to build.”

  They continued to nibble on their sandwiches and eat in quiet. Dusty asked, “What inspired you to write your book?”

  “There just seemed like a lot of women out there who could use some uplifting.”

  “Have you always been a spiritual person?”

  She paused for a long moment. “No, not exactly.”

  “Well, I must admit that when I found out who you were I was a bit intimidated.”

  “Why?” She frowned.

  “I’m not nearly as strong in my faith as you are. I mean, that chapter on living the good life…wow.” He shook his head. “That takes some serious fortitude.”

  Mikayla said nothing, just continued to eat. A quiet settled over the pair and Dusty wondered if she was uncomfortable talking about herself.

  After a while she tossed her paper plate with the remnants of a small sandwich in the trash and stood, dusting her hands. “Well, thank you for the lunch.”

  He smiled back. “Thank you for the company.”

  After that day, Dusty made sure he always brought a picnic basket on the days Mikayla was scheduled to be there, and each time they spent a portion of the day sitting and talking and eating.

  Over the course of the next week, Dusty began to see signs of progress. The flinching whenever they accidentally bumped into each other had stopped. And he found he could even touch her deliberately without a bad reaction.

  It was after one of the days when Angel, feeling generous, did exactly as she was told and everything could not have gone more perfect that Dusty decided to try to ask Mikayla out again.