“He did.” Kade sighed, the humor fading into a look of reluctance. He glanced at his watch.
“Time to go?” he asked.
“Almost.”
The reality of the moment settled between them. Kade was going back to the unit, back to the work they both loved. Josh was staying here, fighting a war against gravity and inner ear fluid.
As if his longtime friend had read his mind, Kade lifted his chin at his buddy. “You’re looking better, man. Only a week and you’re standing straighter. Less… green around the gills.”
Only a week. Seven days. Seven days of small victories. Raider eating more and walking without the belly strap. His own balance improving in increments so slight he almost didn’t notice until he did. “I’m getting there. Slowly.” Too slowly forhis liking. He still needed to move carefully, avoid nodding or shaking his head, and fast turns remained out of the question.
Almost vibrating with restrained energy, Brady nudged Kade’s leg.
“Okay, boy.” Kade laughed.
Cassie came up on Kade’s side and his arm immediately looped around her waist. “You up for another run?” Kade posed the question to his wife, but Brady was the one dancing around his former handler as if he’d won the doggie lottery.
“All right, boy.” Cassie squatted down and with a hand on each side of the dog’s head, rubbed his neck and kissed the top of his head. “Close your eyes and count to ten.”
Chuckling softly, Kade shook his head and rolled his eyes, eyes that brimmed with love for his wife. Even Josh found her silly joke amusing and had to bite back a laugh.
Kade handed Josh the leash. “One more time. Keep him looking away a few minutes.”
Turning away from him and the dog, Cassie lightly leaned into him. Together they walked away toward the barn. How well they fit, the synchronization of their steps despite the difference in their heights, the sparkle in both their eyes as if they were the only two people in the state of Texas, reminded Josh of what a lifetime partnership should look like. He couldn’t help it, the thought had him looking toward the porch. The scene of total domesticity, a throwback to the days of Norman Rockwell and the American Gothic portrait, sent an odd sense of longing rushing through his veins.
His gaze shifted to where Kade and Cassie had disappeared around the barn then back to Katie chatting easily with Alice. Some things a soldier like him had no business considering—Katie deserved more than what he had to offer.
Snap.The crisp sound of another green bean meeting its fate in Alice’s bowl punctuated the simple ways of life on a Texas ranch. Katie honestly didn’t think anyone snapped the ends off green beans any more. Shielding her eyes from the sun to get a better look at the man by the fence, Katie couldn’t help but smile.
The whole training exercise had been fascinating to watch. Now, Josh was doing an admirable job of holding back a hundred pounds of eager German Shepherd. The dog’s gaze was fixed on a distant point, his muscles were sharp and tight, and even though she’d never trained a service dog, she knew Brady was just waiting for his next command. She remembered Kade mentioning in passing one day that service dogs needed structure and a job to avoid poor behavior. Not that Brady ever displayed poor behavior, but he clearly loved having a job to do.
“That dog is amazing.” Alice tossed another bean into the bowl.
From this distance, she couldn’t hear what Josh was saying to the dog, but she could see his ears flick and then his rear end settle into the dirt. That dog had patience to spare.
Kade came walking back to where Josh and Brady waited and gave the dog a wad of red cloth to sniff as Josh handed the leash back to him.
“I wonder where Cassie’s hiding this time.” Katie tried to see what the cloth was, but they were standing too far away. So far Cassie had hidden behind the barn, under the leaves, and earlier she’d actually been laying flat on the tool shed roof. Though how the heck she’d gotten up there without anyone noticing Katie didn’t have a clue.
The dog stopped sniffing and pulled hard against his leash.
Unclipping the restraint, Kade pointed ahead. “Search!”
She’d noticed that he didn’t always use the same word. Later, she’d have to ask him why he didn’t simply say ‘find her’ as he had before.
Brady launched himself forward, a black-and-tan blur streaking toward the barn. Josh stayed put, arms crossing over his chest, a small, satisfied smile touching his lips as the dog went to work.
A couple of times Brady stopped, his head lifted momentarily to the air before returning his nose to the ground. Each time she wondered what the animal was up to, and each time, he moved further down the field.
Curiosity getting the better of her, she stood and walked to where Josh remained by the corral.
“Hey there.” He smiled at her. Why was it the simple timbre of his voice always made her cheeks flush with heat? It didn’t matter if he was saying something pleasant or reading a technical manual, the man’s voice was like deep, dark, warm honey and she couldn’t get enough of it.
With Kade following close behind him, Brady turned toward the east until he and his handler were out of sight.
“Cassie must have gone pretty far this time?” She didn’t dare look at Josh for fear that her face would color like a roasted sugar beet.
“Maybe.”
