Doc laughed. “She may have said a few things. Kassie’s very protective. Give her time to cool down and she’ll see you have good intentions.”
“I’m committed to making a difference,” he said, glancing over at Mrs. Hendricks as she fed her husband.
“Do you think we can set up a time to discuss the seniors? I saw a couple of things tonight and wish to address them,” Cole said quietly.
“Why don’t you stop by Kassie’s office on Friday? We’re taking a few days off to spend time with our family. Joe, Maddie, Victoria, and Ivan will be joining us,” Doc informed him.
“Wow. I didn’t know doctors got time off,” Cole said, impressed.
“We agreed to take time for our family. Leo has nothing but good things to say about you and Brody. Welcome to the team,” Doc said, shifting the baby to his shoulder. “We’re leaving to put the kids to bed. By the way, good job on the cash prize idea. Kassie’s thinking of keeping it.”
“Thanks,” he said, grinning. Hopefully, he made a better impression on the woman.
“Good job, Cole,” Sparky said, coming up behind him with Ice and Ty.
“Thanks. By the way, I appreciate the brownie, Ty,” he said, acknowledging the man.
“No worries. How are you settling in, aside from the current situation?” Ty asked.
“Brody and I love my cabin. I’m afraid to get too cozy if you know what I mean. Tomorrow, I’m accepting shipment of the first set of dogs. It’ll be nice to start training again,” Cole said, making small talk.
“How long will it take to train them?” Ty asked, taking Scarlett’s hand and playing with her fingers.
“The three I have coming have completed their socialization skills and basic commands. One of them has undergone some formal training but his handler suffered an accident and didn’t complete it. I’m anxious to see what he knows. The other two, I’ll start from scratch,” he said excitedly.
“How will Brody feel about you working with the other dogs?” Sparky asked.
“He’s chill. The only time he gets possessive,” Cole paused, almost giving away his secret about the burgers. “Well, he’s entitled to one secret.”
She chuckled. “I’ll see you tomorrow at PT. Bring your A game. You and I will be in the ring together.”
“What?” he exclaimed, already seeing the impending disaster. Fighting a female didn’t bother him, but how could he hit a blind woman, especially Sparky?
Ty winked and grinned as they made their way toward the door with Ice.
Brody whined at his side.
“Exactly, buddy. They’re determined to fire us,” Cole muttered under his breath.
When the evening finished, he assisted with loading the seniors on the bus and cleaned up the center. Ida Jones won the cash prize and he shook his head when her eyes filled with tears, clutching the money to her chest. Cole replayed the momentover in his mind and wondered if her circumstances mirrored the Hendricks.’
With a heavy heart, he left, noticing one of the team brought his truck down. Leo requested he leave a spare key in case they got stuck on a job and someone needed to bring it to him. He situated Brody and climbed inside. Heading toward home, he considered calling in sick. He, in good conscience, refused to hurt Sparky. The woman befriended him at his lowest point.
Brody nudged his arm, asking for affection. He scratched the animal’s head, dreading the next day.
CHAPTER 11
Hannah watchedout the window for any sign of Cole and Brody. She guessed he must’ve tired of the mute woman who only stared at him. Something inside of her seemed to melt when the man spoke, and his dog seemed adorable. She missed the feel of his soft fur and the way he nuzzled her hand. It made her feel almost alive again. Cole acted as if she meant something to him. The idea seemed silly, since they only met once, yet it felt like they knew each other in a past life.
Her day dragged on as she glanced at the clock, ticking away another day. Soon, Kassie would pop in and give her an update on her parents’ calls. Then tell her about the sweetest new thing her twins did, how Tori gained a new tooth, and little Emma got an A on her spelling test. The woman gushed about her family and friends, making Hannah long for such a loving connection.
Her thoughts drifted back to Cole. The man seemed to occupy her mind more than she liked. The feelings he evoked when he chatted and smiled at her made her want more than to exist in the quiet world she shut herself in. Imagining herself speaking and laughing with Cole, her heart skipped a beat. Maybe, she considered for an instant, Cole and Brody found away to break her body’s hold on her. No. If they did, then why did they stop coming?
Hannah turned her head toward the window and stared at the sky. It appeared they gave up on her, too.
Cole and Brodyentered the team building and headed toward the scent of frying bacon and homemade biscuits. The guys didn’t exaggerate about Tess’ cooking. His stomach growled, anticipating the breakfast ahead.
He helped set the table and grabbed the juice before sitting with the men.
