by Deb Kastner
Before he could say a word, Ruby had hopped out of the truck and come around to the passenger side, opening the door and letting Tugger out. He was dressed in a bright red service-dog vest, and Ruby quickly snapped a lead on him.
“Aren’t you going to roll up your window and lock the door?” he asked, surprised when she appeared to be ignoring it.
She glanced back at her truck, which couldn’t be more than a year or two old. “Hmm? Oh...no. No need. That’s not really a thing in Whispering Pines. I’ll only be inside the restaurant for an hour or so, and anyway, my friends and neighbors watch out for each other.”
“You’re kidding me, right?”
“Nope. There are definite advantages to living in a small town, and safety is at the top of the list.”
He shook his head and let out a low whistle. “I guess.”
“Ready?” she asked him with a smile as Tugger immediately moved to her left heel, his attention now completely focused on her.
Aaron’s attention was likewise fixated on the beautiful woman with the pit bull.
Then her question penetrated his thick skull. Aaron shook his head. “I’ve got Oscar with me. Pizza sounds great, but I didn’t plan ahead. Do you want to hold him while I go in and order for both of us?”
He might be behind the times, but he still believed in the guy paying, even if this wasn’t technically a date. But when she didn’t immediately respond, he continued.
“Or I could hold Tugger for you, and you could do the ordering.”
She grinned. “You’re supposed to have Oscar with you, remember? All the time, including restaurants. I have a better idea. There’s a table in the corner that was just vacated. How about you take Oscar and save us the spot, and I’ll do the ordering?”
“With Tugger?”
“Of course.”
“And Sally—if there is actually a Sally who owns this joint—doesn’t mind that we’re bringing in dogs?”
“Mind? Sally Jensen is a regular donor to our service-dog program, and she’s never met a pup she didn’t love. Customers, either. She’s super friendly and I can’t wait for you to meet her.”
Again, Aaron shook his head. This whole experience was so unlike anything he’d ever known before. He was about to meet the Sally in Sally’s Pizza? That wouldn’t have ever happened in Kansas City, where he was originally from. “Sally” would have been a major franchise with an owner named Bob. But despite his doubts, he opened the door and allowed Ruby and Tugger to go in ahead of him.
“I’ll order at the counter and then join you at our table. What’s your poison?” Ruby asked. “I like the one with veggies piled on.”
“The everything-but-the-kitchen-sink kind,” Aaron said, surprised that he was actually starting to relax. Ruby’s smile did that to him. “Everything, that is, except anchovies. Not much of a little-fish guy.”
“You got it,” she said. “No fishies. Now, hurry before we lose our table.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“‘Ma’am’? Seriously, Aaron?” She wrinkled her nose at him.
He offered her an apologetic smile and turned toward the booth in the corner. There was a small platform against one wall rigged with a microphone and stool, and a young lady was singing a country song. Aaron felt awkward weaving his way through the tables to the vacated one, yet no one appeared to notice Oscar at all. He got a few curious looks, but only, he suspected, because he was a stranger to town and not necessarily because he’d brought a dog into the restaurant with him. Most customers were politely watching the young lady at the microphone.
He was feeling self-conscious when he knew he didn’t need to be. It was just that he always felt as if people were staring at him.
Minutes later, Ruby joined him at the table. “Sally’s on her way out to meet you. She’s a bit over-the-top,” she warned. “But I’ve never met a kinder woman.”
Sally chose that moment to arrive at their table, bearing water glasses and an enormous welcoming smile.
“I have to admit I was hoping you’d be wearing your uniform,” she told Aaron, swatting her hand his direction. “I’ve always had a thing for men in uniforms,” Sally teased with a cheeky laugh.
Heat flooded Aaron’s face. Sally was old enough to be his grandmother, and she was flirting with him like a teenager.
“I’m Sally Jensen. And you must be US Marine Corps Sergeant Aaron Jamison.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said. “But please just call me Aaron.” Sally beamed. “I have to say I’m surprised there’s even a real person named Sally at Sally’s Pizza, and not only that, but you’ve come out to personally introduce yourself even though your restaurant is bursting over with customers. I’m not used to it, but I appreciate the small-town touch.”
“You’ll find all of Whispering Pines opening their hearts to you,” Sally assured him. “Good people, they are. I have to get back to the kitchen, but you just holler if you need anything.”
“Sally Jensen of Sally’s Pizza,” Aaron murmured under his breath as he watched Sally walk away.
“I suppose she could have named it Fred’s Pizza, but it wouldn’t have quite the same ring to it, don’t you think?”
“I feel as if I’ve been out of the loop for a very long time, and not just because I had more than one tour in Afghanistan.”
“You haven’t even tasted your pizza yet. You’re about to be completely floored by the best pie ever.”
“Speaking of,” Sally said, returning to the table with two steaming pizzas heavily layered with extra cheese. “You two enjoy yourselves now.” She ended by sending Aaron a saucy wink and a nod toward Ruby. The woman’s words and actions suggested what was happening here at the table between Aaron and Ruby was a great deal more than them having accidentally met each other in front of the restaurant and deciding to share a meal together.
He met Ruby’s gaze, wondering if she’d picked up on the same vibe. She raised her eyebrows so they nearly disappeared underneath her ginger bangs, but amusement glittered in her eyes. She knew exactly what Sally had been suggesting, and it didn’t appear to bother her.
“I did warn you,” she said. “No worries, though. She’s just teasing. It’s more on me than you. I’ve known her since I was a little girl. She’s been pressuring me to have a serious relationship for some time now. Henpecking like everyone’s grandmother who wants to see grandkids.”
“And have you?” he asked, his curiosity spiking.
“Given Sally any honorary grandchildren? No,” she said, purposefully misunderstanding his question.
He laughed.
Laughed.
How long had it been since that had happened?
“Had any serious relationships?” he clarified. Now he had to know the answer.
The pretty pink blush on her face clashed with her hair, and he wished he would have kept his mouth shut. It wasn’t like him to blurt out personal questions. But at least if she was talking about herself, then she wasn’t talking about him.
“Ruby.”
Appearing startled, Ruby jumped to her feet at the sound of a man’s deep voice.
“Daniel.” She held a hand to her throat as she faced the tall, clean-shaven blond. “I thought you were... When did you...?”
Daniel’s eyebrows knit together, and his Adam’s apple bobbed when he swallowed. Aaron could sense the almost palpable tension between them. The name sounded familiar, but it took Aaron a few seconds to place it.
Ruby’s high school boyfriend. The one who’d been in the army who had come back troubled. She hadn’t said much about him, other than he’d...gone to prison?
“I’m out,” Daniel confirmed, his tone hard.
“I’m glad to see that you’re home again,” Ruby told him. Aaron could hear the quiver in her voice and wondered if Daniel could hear it, as well. He didn’t know how lon
g the two of them had been together or if their breakup had to do with him going to prison or something else.
“Are you?” Daniel asked with a pointed look toward Aaron. Daniel’s voice held the same underlying intensity Aaron had heard in too many veterans.
“Oh,” Ruby said, sounding as if someone had punched her in the solar plexus. “Daniel, this is Aaron. Sergeant Aaron Jamison. He’s a marine.”
Daniel pressed his lips together and narrowed his eyes on Aaron.
Aaron held his hand out and waited. Daniel stared at it for a moment before reaching out to shake his hand.
“Nice to meet you,” Aaron said, trying to put Daniel at ease.
Daniel cleared his throat before answering, “Same.”
Aaron saw a flash of sadness in his eyes before his expression hardened.
Internally, Aaron vacillated between the yearning to protect Ruby’s heart from what she must certainly be feeling right now and knowing just how difficult this must be for Daniel to come back to town only to find Ruby with another man—and a military man, no less. But though Daniel was clearly tense, he didn’t sense anger coming from the man.
Oscar leaned against Aaron’s calf, and Aaron reached down to stroke his head.
“I’m one of Ruby’s clients,” he said, trying to defuse the situation. “Oscar here is my service dog.”
“Have a seat,” Ruby offered, gesturing to the bench where she’d been sitting. “I was just introducing Aaron to Sally’s wonderful pizza. Have you ordered yet? We can catch up while we eat.”
Daniel shook his head. “I’m getting carryout. My folks are expecting me.”
“Oh. Of course, they’ll be wanting to spend some time with you. Tell them hello for me,” Ruby said.
“I will. And I’ll see you at church on Sunday.”
“Church?” Ruby parroted, sounding surprised.
Daniel smiled, but Aaron could see the sadness in his eyes again. “Some things changed when I was in prison.”
“For the good,” Ruby offered, reaching out to touch Daniel’s arm.
Daniel scoffed and nodded. He glanced over at Aaron and then back at Ruby before continuing. “I know an apology isn’t enough,” he said.
“Daniel, I don’t...”
“I need to say it. I’m sorry for the way things went down. I don’t expect you to forgive me.”
“I already have,” Ruby said softly.
Daniel touched Ruby’s shoulder, then turned and shook Aaron’s hand before leaving to pick up his order at the counter.
Ruby sighed audibly as she slid back into the booth. Sadness poured from her gaze, and Aaron reached across the table for her hand.
“You okay?” He was in the middle of this situation whether he wanted to be or not, and he couldn’t just sit there and watch Ruby suffer without saying anything.
Ruby paused before speaking. “I will be.”
He waited to see if she wanted to talk about it but wasn’t surprised when she pulled her hand from his and took a bite of her pizza.
“Mmm. Don’t let your pizza get cold.” And then, “Hey, look. Frost is playing.”
Aaron’s heart hurt, but not nearly as much as he expected hers did. He wished he could find something to say that would help her, but he wasn’t any good at this kind of thing. Instead, he simply reached for his pizza and filled the large, empty gap of space with food.
Chapter Five
“What’s on the agenda for today?” Aaron asked as he and Oscar entered into the agility dog run, where Ruby was jogging Dandy the black Labrador through some of the course obstacles. Dandy was a whiz weaving through the poles and zooming through the tunnels, so fast he was almost a blur and so excited that he couldn’t stop barking.
She’d picked the Lab on purpose because he was so energetic. Seeing Daniel again had been a shock to her system, and she was trying to run off her own excess energy. She’d known he would eventually return to Whispering Pines but hadn’t known when, mainly because she hadn’t asked. After their bad breakup, the relationship between her and Daniel’s parents was strained.
It sounded as if Daniel had found faith in prison. She hoped for his sake that was true.
Out of breath, Ruby called Dandy to her side and turned her attention to Aaron. Had he actually sounded enthusiastic about today’s work?
It was now Tuesday of the second full week of training, and Ruby couldn’t be happier about the progress Aaron and Oscar had made. It was clear they were working after hours, because Oscar was already bonding to him and, even more surprisingly, he to Oscar, even if he didn’t realize it—or more to the point, wouldn’t yet admit it.
He was doing incredibly well, but Ruby wasn’t sure he’d want the praise she desired to heap upon him. She was used to reading the dogs’ minds but was totally at a loss when it came to peering into the relentless marine’s mind. As usual, he had a serious expression on his face, and his brows were low in concentration. Whenever she used to make such an expression when she was young, her mother would always tell her she’d better watch it, or her face would freeze that way.
Somehow, she didn’t think Aaron would appreciate the joke.
Maybe that’s what had happened to him after experiencing war. Had he been a different man earlier in his life the way Daniel had been? She’d been thrown by seeing Daniel again the previous Friday and how he still carried so much anger in his heart. She’d been glad Aaron had been with her.
She honestly didn’t think Aaron was anything like Daniel, though he may have become worse after his accident. He didn’t constantly fume the way her father had done, and Daniel still did. After spending some time with Aaron, she suspected his heart was now made of ice, which mirrored itself in his expression.
“Can Oscar and I have a go at this course?” he asked, his eyes lighting with interest as he perused the obstacles. “I’ll bet he can rock this thing.”
“We’ll eventually get to that, and yes, I have no doubt you and Oscar will have a blast. But I have something else exciting planned for today,” she told him, hoping he couldn’t see her cringe before she’d even told him what was on the day’s agenda.
She’d planned a mountain hike to start working on forward momentum, where Oscar would lend him strength when his own body failed him—and she intended to push him to that point. Whether he was willing to admit it or not, she knew that such a hike, even on a relatively easy trail, would be physically taxing on his body. Today wouldn’t be a good day for him to try the agility course. Not until she had a better idea of how his stamina would hold out.
Disappointment crossed his face, and she hesitated, wondering if she should change her plans. But in the long run, she knew the only way to really test his stamina was to force him to push through difficult things.
Still, a couple of agility obstacles couldn’t hurt.
“I suppose one or two obstacles wouldn’t hurt,” she said, unable to resist the pressure of her heart. “Walk Oscar over to the A-frame and remove his leash.”
He pumped his fist in triumph, and Ruby’s heart beat double time. She couldn’t help but smile as he half walked, half jogged Oscar over to the yellow-and-blue-painted obstacle. He appeared slightly wobbly to Ruby’s hawk eyes, and she wondered if he was completely aware of his imbalance or whether he’d shoved that knowledge aside the way he likely did his internal scars.
If he wasn’t ready to face the truth about his external injuries, he certainly would be by the end of today.
But he had to face the truth about himself. That was why she was here and what she did—on purpose, so he would finally understand how important his service dog and her program were.
“His paws have to touch the yellow-painted surface on the bottom of each side of the A-frame,” she explained. “Just command him to hup and gesture toward the A-frame. He’ll take it from there.”
“And...hup!” Aaron exclaimed, swinging his arm wide and looking like a kid in a candy store, he was so excited.
Again, Ruby noticed a waver in his balance, but again, she remained silent about it. With most clients she’d be pointing out the obvious, but with Aaron she suspected her observation would have the completely opposite effect of what she wanted. He’d realize it himself before long.
Oscar bolted for the A-frame at a full run and was up and down within seconds, springing off the back side halfway down. His paws didn’t come remotely close to touching the yellow paint at the bottom.
“He didn’t do it right,” Aaron said, frowning. “He was supposed to touch the yellow paint, but he jumped too soon. How do I fix that?”
Men.
Instead of reveling in the excitement of the moment and what he had accomplished with Oscar, he only saw the flaws in the execution and wanted to fix things. With everything she’d observed so far, he was equally as critical of himself.
“Oscar is just overexcited. This time snap his leash back on and walk with him through the obstacle. That will force him to move slowly at whatever pace you set for him,” she explained. She brought Dandy over and demonstrated what she wanted to see Aaron and Oscar do. “Oscar is just in a frenzy because he gets to share this moment with you. Don’t worry. He’ll settle down and get better with practice.”
Aaron followed Ruby’s lead and took Oscar over the A-frame at a slow walk, the dog’s paws successfully tromping over the yellow paint on both sides this time. Aaron squared his shoulders, but Ruby couldn’t see any other outward signs of the triumph he must be feeling. He approached everything as a mission, after all, and slow going as it was, this little obstacle was mission accomplished.
“What else do we get to do? You said two obstacles,” he reminded her.
“I did,” she agreed with a smile, surprised that he wanted to continue after the first fail. “What looks good to you?”