“Yes, please. How many pieces of chicken do you eat?” she asked, opening the bucket.
“I’ll take three. How many rolls do you want?” he asked, removing the twist tie.
“None,” she said quietly.
“Do you have something against bread?” he asked, regarding her closely as she stared at the roll in his hand.
“They made me eat moldy and stale bread,” she confessed as her nose scrunched up. “I can still taste the hard, bitter stuff when I see it.”
“Do you plan on never eating it again? What about toast slathered with butter? Wait. Do pancakes go on the list?” he asked.
“I haven’t eaten a pancake in years,” she admitted. “The ones at the mess hall didn’t appeal to me. They typically don’t givetheir hostages pancakes in the desert. My mom made the best with sausage links every Sunday.”
“Then we’ll go into town tomorrow and get stuff to make some,” Cole said, placing her plate in the microwave. He motioned for her to sit at the small kitchen table. “I haven’t stayed here the last couple of days. I only have water to drink.”
“It sounds perfect,” she assured him. “What made you start training dogs?”
“I’ve always loved animals. My mom used to say they gravitated toward me. I always came home with something, an injured rabbit, a wounded bird, or a stray cat, and she never complained. It surprised her more when I joined the military to do it. I enjoyed my job, and I met this guy,” he said, nodding to Brody.
“When you came out of the facility to get me, he must’ve sensed your anger. His stride changed, and he appeared alert to his surroundings,” she told him.
“Brody still has all his abilities intact. He’s a great helper when I have a dog who’s on the cusp of getting something but struggling. I’m glad they retired him. He’s an awesome companion.”
“If he still recalls his training, why did they retire him?”
“Like humans, some dogs can’t recover from the trauma. Brody might remember his skills, but it doesn’t mean he won’t react to a sound or smell. It might put other people in danger,” he explained as he pulled his plate from the microwave and sat across from her.
She passed him a water and watched as he dug into the mashed potatoes. “I’m glad you brought him home,” she murmured. “No one deserves to get stuck over there.”
“Unfortunately, we don’t have a choice. I know you experienced something bad, but we also did good things. I wentwith a unit to deliver food and medical supplies to a village the rebels raided.”
“Yeah,” she said, keeping her head down and staring at her food.
“Let’s change the subject,” Cole suggested. “What’s your favorite type of music?”
“I like classic rock, country, some pop and I’m a Swifty,” she admitted, grinning. “What about you?”
“I’m not a Swifty. But I love rock and some country. I don’t get the hype of her dating some football star. Big whoop, let them have their privacy,” he said, picking up his roll and smearing butter on it.
“You don’t like any of her songs?” she asked, staring at his bread and making a face.
“All right, I’ll admit I might sing along with a few of her tunes. They’re catchy. But I’m not really big on following the lives of famous people. They deserve their privacy as much as anyone else,” he said, placing the roll on his plate. He tore a small piece of it off and popped it into his mouth.
“Do you trust me?” he asked as he tore off another piece.
“I did until you asked me,” she said warily.
“You’re one courageous woman, Hannah Bailey. First, you talked, and the very next day, you left the hospital of your own free will. What will you do today?”
“Fail miserably by running into a closet and interrupting everyone’s night,” she replied.
“No,” he said firmly. “You called for help when you needed it. It’s how I know how brave you are. Instead of giving up, you fought for yourself.”
“I guess I didn’t see it that way,” she murmured.
He leaned in and arched his brows at her. “Therefore, I propose a challenge.” He held out a piece of the roll and tookanother chunk for himself. “I’ll take a bite if you will. You can’t avoid it forever. Didn’t you say small steps lead to great change?”
“Actually, Scarlett said it,” she deflected, making a face.
