“Shhh…” Vanessa held her finger to her lips. “I’d like to observe the dogs first and let them get used tome.”
Linx took a step back, no longer in realtor-mode, as she watched the therapist and dog trainer size up the animals. She went quietly from pen topen.
After she made a round, she lingered at the pen holding the female chow chow, a black-haired dog with a mane like a lion’s. The dog’s tongue lolled in the heat and she peered at them through her furry, wrinkledface.
“How old isshe?”
“A little more than two years old,” Linx replied. “She’ll make a wonderful guard dog and companion. Her name’s Aurora and she was surrendered by a woman who was going into a nursing home—an Army nurse from the Vietnam War. Couldn’t take her dog and had no relatives to helpout.”
“Oh, poor thing, so her former owner is asoldier?”
“Yes, that’sright.”
“Let me spend some time with her and see if she’s suitable for my client who suffers from PTSD and night frights,” Vanessa said. She turned to Linx and added, “I do believe a dog would be good for Grady, even though he’s too macho to admitit.”
“Are you saying I should give Cedar back?” Linx felt her heart race as her throattightened.
“You know what you need to do.” Vanessa gave her a close-mouthed smile. “Don’t give up on him,okay?”
“I’m not, I mean, no, I won’t give up.” Linx swallowed as her heart expanded and contracted thickly in her chest. “I want to make him happy. Trulyhappy.”
And loved. To the best of herability.
