Scarlett took the harness from Lisa and secured it to Ice, without any issues. Excitement filled her, knowing how great they worked together.
“I’ll take this stuff to the van. Come out when you’re ready, Sassy P. I gotta get a picture ofyou for Rocker, showing you sashaying out of here like a pro,” Sledge said, his voice full of pride.
“Thanks, Sledge. I couldn’t have done this without you, Rocker, and Rayne.”
“You’ve saved our asses enough times. Consider it our thank you,” he said, before taking everything outside.
“Keep our number on you at all times. If he somehow gets loose, he has a tracker on and a chip,” Allie informed her. “Spend this time bonding and getting comfortable with taking him out. You’ll run into more questions while you’re out in the real world.”
Scarlett hugged her. “Thank you, Allie. I’ll take great care of him.”
She took his harness with one hand and her cane with the other and walked out all by herself. A sense of relief came over her and her confidence soared, knowing she didn’t have to depend on anyone. She and Ice were a team, and for the first time since the accident, she didn’t feel like a burden.
When Scarlett returned to the hospital, she hurried to her room. Sledge carried all of Ice’s things inside and helped her get everything set up. The van left in an hour to take her to the community center.
“Shoot,” she exclaimed out loud. In all her excitement, Scarlett forgot about going to the movies with Ty. What if he didn’t want to take a dog with them to watch the film or have Ice in his truck?
A light tap on the door caught her attention. “Congratulations, Scarlett,” Kassie said. “I heard you and Ice officially graduated.”
“Thank you. Do you by chance have Ty’s number? He volunteered to bring me home this evening, and I didn’t know I’d get to bring Ice back with me.”
“If you’ll give me your phone, I can add his contact information. Then, I’ll dial it for you. I’m headed back to my officeto feed the twins, but I wanted to tell you we’re very happy for you and Ice,” Kassie told her as Scarlett handed over her cell phone.
Kassie added the digits, pressed send, and handed it to Scarlett before leaving. The phone rang three times before Ty picked up.
“Hello,” he answered.
“Hi. It’s Scarlett. I’m afraid I’ll need to cancel this evening. They let me bring my service dog to the hospital today.”
Ty remained silent for a moment, making her uneasy.
“Are you cancelling because you’re nervous about taking him to the theatre?” he asked.
“No. When I accepted the invitation, I didn’t know they planned to graduate us to full-time. It’s not fair to ask you to drag along my dog, too,” she admitted softly, feeling discouraged about cancelling. She and Ice came as a team, and they needed to have each other’s six. She refused to go without him.
“Scarlett, do you and Ice want to go to the movies?” he asked gently.
“Yes,” she answered truthfully.
“Then I will pick you both up after your shift,” Ty emphasized. “I can’t wait to meet him.”
“We’ll see you then,” she said, hanging up the phone. Scarlett placed a hand on her midsection, feeling the butterflies flittering in her stomach. “It appears you and I have a movie date tonight, Ice. Shall we grab some lunch before work?”
Ice nuzzled her hand. Scarlett rose, making sure she carried poop bags, his dinner ration, and his water bowl.
After lunch, they boarded the van and reported to work. As if the entire town knew about her and Ice’s pairing, everyone congratulated her. The day seemed to fly by and before she knew it, Debbie informed her Ty waited inthe dining room.
Scarlett fed Ice his dinner, then took him out to the back of the community center for a bathroom break. When she entered and washed her hands, they walked together toward the front to find Ty.
“Hello, Scarlett,” he said, approaching her left side.
“Hi. I want you to meet Ice, my service dog,” she said, uneasily.
“May I pet him?” he asked.
“Sure.”
“Hi, Ice. It’s nice to meet you. Scarlett failed to tell me what a handsome boy you are,” he said, petting him behind the ears briefly. “I made dinner for us and have a little patio in the back, enclosed with heaters. Do you need anything for Ice before we go?” he asked.
