“Dad doesn’t know how to do more than make a fried egg sandwich, and Mum can’t balance the checkbook to save her life.”
She buried her nose in Buggsy’s fur before putting him back and lifting out Lolita. Thinking about her parents in their golden years unsettled her. If they got ill, how would she take care of them? Her place was too small, and they didn’t have the acreage for her animals at her childhood home.
Plus, they drove her utterly mad after five minutes.
“I think he knows more than he lets on, and your mom can use computer software that will figure out all the details for her, so stop worrying.” Fee’s tone, along with the eye-roll, pursed lips, and bored sighed, told her it was time to change the subject.
“Hey, did I tell you I’m going to adopt a mini?”
“A mini-what?”
“Horse.” Risa put Lolita back in her pen and secured the top to make sure her babies were safe from any wild predators. “Maybe Dylan would like to give me a hand on the weekends once I bring her home. It’s a great introduction for him.”
“Oh, like in that commercial where all the other horses shunned the poor little guy, so the woman put in a doggy door and the horse could come into the house?”
“Right, except I’m going to build her a barn.”
“Can you ride them? They’re kind of small.”
“Hence the word ‘mini.’ So no.”
“Then what on earth are you going to do with it?”
Risa sighed loudly. She loved Fee, who was a great friend, but totally didn’t get her love of animals. “I’m going to train her to be a service animal like I did with the dogs, and if that doesn’t work, she’ll be a companion for the next horse I adopt.”
Fee laughed and shook her head. “Adopt away. The more animals you have, the less likely you’ll fall for some sweet-talking sailor and leave me.”
“No worries there. You know I have a strict no-dating-military-guys rule.” Which was almost a shame, because Jax had been nearly perfect—tall, good-looking with a quiet, commanding presence, those mesmerizing hazel eyes, and a devotion to his dog. What more could a woman want?
Not much, if only that woman wasn’t Risa.
* * * *
Risa had just rounded the corner after leaving Bella in her kennel when she collided and tripped over a bag of dog food. The floor rose up. She reached out and grabbed ahold of the desk and… Oh dear Lord, Jackson’s pants.
More precisely, the area below the waist and way above the knees.
Quickly as if her hand were on fire—or groping his privates—she let go. She went down and would have face planted if Jax hadn’t grabbed her elbow and helped her up.
Way to start the day.
“Good morning, Doc. Were you looking for me?” His southern drawl was like melted caramel over ice cream—sweet and smooth.
He had a towel wrapped around his neck and wore a green T-shirt and military working pants. Droplets of water trickled down his face from his damp hair, and he smelled like… wet dog. Or maybe that was the dogs? She stepped closer and took a quick whiff of pure male and clean soap.
“How’s my girl this morning?” Jax’s greenish-blue eyes twinkled with flecks of gold and brown.
His girl. She liked the sound of that, even though she shouldn’t. And what a strange thing for him to say since they’d just met. Clearly he could tell she wasn’t married, with the bare ring finger, but maybe she had...oh. It took a moment for the warm fuzzies fogging her brain to clear and realize he was talking about Bella.
“Good. She’s good.” She needed her focus on work and not on Jax’s impressive biceps. “Quiet. Do you know if she’s had her morning pain medication?”
“She hasn’t. I wanted to wait about an hour after she ate so she wouldn’t be too groggy to take care of her business. I gave her the last dose eight hours ago.”
Risa glanced at her watch. That meant Bella would have been medicated at eleven p.m.. Plenty of time for the effects to wear off. “Is it possible that whomever was on duty already gave it to her, before you got here this morning?”
He shook his head. “No one has gone near my girl, except me.”
“But what about last night when you went home?”
“I haven’t left her side until ten minutes ago to wash up.”
Risa’s jaw dropped. “You spent the night here?”
“Slept on the cot over there.” He nodded to his right. “Or tried to. Bella whined a lot, like she was in pain. She would only go to sleep when I was with her.”
“You should have called me.”
“No point in both of us losing sleep.”
“She seems okay right now, but if you find a half-tablet isn’t managing her pain, you can give her the entire pill.” Risa stepped away to leave, then stopped. “I’ll be back to check on her this afternoon. If you want, I could stay with her tonight. That way your wife doesn’t get mad.”
Why the heck had she said that? It was none of her business if he was married. Plus, he was on her “not-happening” list. The last thing she needed was to fall for some guy who would just get transferred and break her heart.
“No worries, Doc. I’ve got no one pulling my strings and telling me when I need to be home. One of my best handlers will be watching Bella while I’m at work today, and then I’ll be back here after my shift. If anything happens, we’ll call.”
His gaze slid down and landed on her mouth. Risa fought every instinct in her not to lick her lips.
“Besides, I wouldn’t want to get you in trouble with anyone at home, either.”
“That’s not a problem. I mean, Morpheus can be a little demanding, but he’s used to being left alone.”
Jax raised his eyebrows. “Your husband’s name is Morpheus? As in the Roman God of Dreams?”
“Cat, and yes, he thinks he’s a god.” She sucked in one corner of her lip to keep from smiling. “Although Athena and Eir keep him grounded.”
He grinned. “More cats or dogs?”
Here it is. If he was interested before, he won’t be now.all right
“Dogs. Athena is an Afghan hound and Eir is a Staffordshire terrier. There’s also Lolita and Buggsy… and I haven’t come up with a name for the mini-horse I’m adopting.”
His smile grew. “Sounds like you’ve got your hands full with two goddesses, a god, a couple of bunnies, and with more on the way.”
She smiled back. It was hard not to, with a man who loved dogs and knew mythology. She wondered what else Jackson Faraday hid behind those striking hazel eyes and panty-dropping smile. Yes, he was off-limits and this was work, but she also had an odd need to explain.
“I found Athena chained to a tree in the woods. She’d been left there to die with no food, water, or shelter. Whoever left her almost got their wish. Another animal had attacked her, but I found her in time, and she fought to survive. Eir had been left at a shelter and was going to be euthanized, and some jerk driving down the interstate threw Morph out the window.”
“What about the rabbits?”
“Neighbor got them for her son. Turns out he’s allergic not only to bunnies, but to their hay as well.”
“So you saved them.”
“It’s what I do. I’m a vet.”
“You’re more than that, Doc. You’re a hero.”
It wasn’t the response she’d been expecting and, coming from him—a man who signed on to defend his country with his life if needed—it humbled her. His words made her almost wish he wasn’t on her “not-happening” list.
* * * *
Jackson scanned his e-mail as he waited for Senior Chief Mike Dunning to finish reading the SITREP on Bella’s accident. He ran his hand through his freshly buzzed hair and blew out a breath of pure frustration. Still no word from NCIS.
It had been three months since he’d turned in the application
and attended a prescreen interview with one of the local guys, which he’d thought had gone extremely well. Based on the lack of response, it appeared he was wrong. It was time for him to make a decision: Stay or go. With this being shore duty, if he stayed in, he’d be shipped off to the fleet or sent back to the sandbox.
Get out and then what?
He pulled up the local job listings. Not a lot of positions to select from. There were a couple of entry-level openings for police officers and campus security, along with one security investigator at a nearby casino.
Awesome choices. He shuddered at the thought of living paycheck to paycheck and eating instant noodles.
Problem was, he loved working in law enforcement and living in New England. They actually had four seasons, unlike the south, which had two—hot and hotter than Hades. Not to mention it was a good thousand miles away from his family. He loved them, but his mom and sister’s nagging drove him crazy. As for his dad… he missed him, most of the time.
He also liked to eat, and sleeping in the back of his pick-up didn’t sound appealing. Most of the jobs listed didn’t even come close to what he made now. Maybe it was time to expand his list, look into other federal agencies like Homeland Security or the National Security Agency?
Neither was what he really wanted, but then again, you didn’t always get what you wanted in life.
“You said the vet checked on Bella this morning?” Mike’s question brought Jax back to earth. “Did she think Bella would have any trouble with the leg once it heals?”
“Dr. Reynolds seemed to think she’d be fine in a couple of weeks. I just need to keep Bella quiet and off her leg as much as possible.” Jax scratched the back of his neck as he thought about how he’d manage.
“What you need to do is let her new handler take care of her so she can bond with him. I’ve heard reports that she’s not responding and has been lethargic lately.”
“Nah, she just didn’t feel like working. Probably the heat, and can’t say I blame her. It’s got to be about twelve thousand degrees out there today.”
Mike tapped the papers he was holding against his leg; his telltale sign of frustration. “Jax, the dog lives in a fully air-conditioned kennel, and during the winter they have central heat. Hell, they have it better than I do at home. I know you and Belladonna have been through a lot together, but I’m thinking if we sent her back to San Antonio, she’d do better.”
Jax pushed back from his desk and swallowed the response on the tip of his tongue. As much as he hated to admit it, Bella wasn’t legally his dog. She belonged to Uncle Sam, and the government could send her anywhere deemed necessary. Jax had no say in the matter.
But that didn’t mean he’d give up on her and walk away.
“Mike, as a favor to me, wait before you make a decision. The new doc seemed like she could help. I’ll talk to her and see what she recommends. If she thinks Bella would be better off in Texas, we’ll send her… after her hip heals. Deal?”
He’d made more deals in the last two days than he’d made in the last year, and all in the name of a giant furball who’d stolen his heart.
Senior Chief didn’t say anything.
Crap. Did I push my luck?
Mike looked down at the papers in his hands. “Okay, but I want you to let the new guy, Moore, take care of her. One way or the other, in three months you’ll be gone.”
“What about at night?” Jax knew he was testing his boss’s patience. “She can’t be left alone yet, and Moore’s got kids. It’s not fair to them to miss out on more time with their dad. I’ve got no one at home waiting for me.”
Chief Casey Thomas, his buddy and officemate, walked in. He took one look at them both and stopped. “Am I interrupting?”
“No,” they said in unison.
“So what’s the hot topic this morning?” He settled behind his own desk and stuck his CAC card into the computer.
“Bella broke her hip last night during training,” Jax replied.
“Explains why the pretty new vet was at the kennel. Now that’s one hot topic I wouldn’t mind delving deeper into.”
“Casey.” Senior Chief’s tone reminded them they were at work and not a bar.
“Can it, Case.” Jax’s stomach turned sour at the thought of Casey “Romeo” Thomas and Risa together. The guy had a different woman every week, and he thought of them as nothing more than a fun distraction.
“What? All I’m saying is she’s pretty and I wouldn’t mind getting to know her better. Not my fault your mind went straight to the gutter.” Casey sat back and smiled. “Of course, if you’ve already called dibs, I’ll stay clear.”
“Dibs? No.” Jax looked for guidance from Mike, who closed his eyes and shook his head. “What are you, twelve?”
“Just trying to respect a buddy, that’s all. Besides, unlike some people I know, I actually prefer the company of two-legged females.”
“I give up.” Mike turned toward the door to leave.
“Hey Senior, you never responded about the night shift with Bella.”
“Fine. You can take it, but as soon as she doesn’t need twenty-four-hour care, you turn her over to Moore and let him take the day shift. I need you in here overseeing things.” With a wave of his hand, Mike left, muttering something under his breath that sounded like “two more years of this bullshit.”
Neither Jax nor Casey said anything in response. They both got it: the frustration that came with the job, as well as the need to needle each other to let off stress. Not everyone saw it that way.
“So back to the pretty vet,” Casey said.
“Aren’t you seeing someone? Sherry? Brandy?”
“Not anymore. She dumped me last night to go back to her ex. So I’m free to pursue new interests, and the lady vet interests me very much.”
“If you spout off about how you prefer two-legged company over four, you won’t be scoring any points with Dr. Reynolds.”
“Know her that well already, do you?”
“Maybe…” Jax followed Casey’s frown to the doorway, where Kelly, their administrative assistant, stood with shiny eyes and pinched features. “Hey, Kels. What’s up?”
She gave a little sniffle and smiled. Probably had a summer cold, it was going around. She should be home in bed, but not their Kelly. She was there every day taking care of all of them and making sure they kept on track.
“Here are last night’s reports.” She gave Casey his first, then turned to Jax. “How’s the job search?”
“Slow going.” He took the reports and dropped them in his in-box. He didn’t know why she insisted on printing them out and bringing them to him every day. He could easily access them on the computer. “But there’s time.”
“If you need any help, just let me know. I could even come over and help you tonight after work. There’s this great site—”
“Thanks, Kelly. That’s nice of you to offer, but I’ve got to keep an eye on Bella tonight. Can’t take a chance that she’ll try to get up and move around with that busted hip.”
“Oh, no worries, and I’m sorry about your dog. Well, Bella. Not really your dog, but you know… I know how much she means to you. I’ll whip up some of my special dog treats and bring them down to the kennel for her.”
“Thanks; that’d be nice.”
She hedged away from the desk and stopped. “Jax, I’m sure Bella will be just fine. Dr. Lagasse is the best.”
“He is, but he’s on leave and the new veterinarian is treating Bella.”
“If she wasn’t any good, the doc wouldn’t have left her in charge. Right?” She didn’t wait for him to respond before she turned to the door, waving her fingers. “Okay, if you guys need anything, I’ll be downstairs. Florio is making a lunch run today to your favorite, Casey, if you want anything”
Casey grabbed his phone, presumably to text in his
lunch order. “She’s got the total hots for you, dude. Told you, you shouldn’t have gone out with her.” He shook his head and focused on his computer.
“It was a group lunch, not a date, and if you care so much, why don’t you distract her with your charms.”
Casey laughed. “Are you crazy? That woman is like an octopus. I’d never be able to pry her off once she got a taste of me.”
“You really should work on your self-confidence problem, Case. One of these days some lady is going to serve you a good-size helping of humble pie. I just wish I could be around to witness you choke on it.”
“Ain’t going to happen, my friend. The ladies love me and can’t resist my charms.”
“Really? Then how do you explain your ex-wife?” Restless, Jax stood up and walked over to look out the window, all joking aside as he waited for Casey’s answer. He wasn’t trying to be a jerk. They had known each other for years. He didn’t understand what had happened. The last time Jax had seen Casey with his wife, they were all sunshine, roses, and crap.
Not that he had anything against relationships or marriage. It wasn’t for him. Simple fact, and he was fine with it. Picking bad life partners ran in his family. His parents proved it over and over and over again. Even his sister had picked a loser. It was like a DNA defect.
Once, a long time ago, Jax thought he’d escaped the curse and found the one.
What a joke—on him.
His ex, Keri, had had the engagement ring on for less than forty-eight hours when she’d transformed from a sweet, caring, compassionate woman to a monster. He’d been lucky to escape with all his equipment intact—barely.
Since then he steered clear of serious relationships, except with his four-legged girl.
When Casey didn’t answer the question after several moments, Jax repeated it. “What about your ex-wife?”
“Colette was a force of nature and too good for me.”
“Aren’t they all?” Jax mused, reaching for his ringing cell phone. “Faraday,” he barked. He listened to the man on the other end, then hung up and swore.
“What’s up?” Casey asked without looking up from computer.
A Hero to Love Page 3