“They’re pretty lucky.”
Josh’s head tipped slightly, his brows buckled in confusion.
“The Sweets. All of them. There doesn’t seem to be a dysfunctional bone in anyone’s body and the whole darn town seems like it fell out of a Norman Rockwell painting.”
Now he chuckled in earnest. “I know what you mean.” A soft gentle smile came to rest on his lips.
That blasted smile had her feeling warm all over and wishing they could walk the rest of the way arm in arm like Kade and Cassie. Almost shaking her head at her own thoughts, she silently scolded herself. This man would eventually recover and return to the military that would deploy him who knew where—including, as Alice had put it, to some sandy country across the world—that was his reality. All the while she’d be back in Houston. Nothing good could come from getting close and cozy with this man. Except she didn’t like that one bit. Not one little bit. Suddenly, she very much wanted to get closer, if not cozy, and that, like it or not, was not her best idea ever. Or was it?
Chapter Twelve
“Atta boy.”
Over the last several days, Raider seemed to be improving exponentially. The stitches had healed, his gait was slow but steady, and his disposition was now demanding something to do. Something more than lie around the house accepting scratches and treats. So far the only person Raider had cottoned to unconditionally was Josh, and Katie was his next favorite. Josh had not figured out what the dog had against the rest of the family. He wasn’t mean to them, just hesitant and as a result, distant. He still slept mostly on the raised dog bed, but sometimes, especially during meals at the kitchen table, the dog would rest at Josh’s feet. Like now.
“Funny how even off duty, he still positions himself like a war dog.” Alice Sweet poured a cup of tea for herself and held the kettle up. “Want more?”
“Thank you.” Josh had been working at the table, nothing critical, keeping up with emails and other communications with Kade and his team, checking on the injured and the recently recovered, but mostly, he’d been researching, for the umpteenth time, options and prognosis for his condition. Closing his laptop, he held out his empty mug.
“Ooh, looks like I got here just in the nick of time.” Katie practically bounced into the room. Her long blonde hair pulledback in a sloppy ponytail swished back and forth against her back. She looked better than great.
“The news still reports that Congress is digging their heels in and butting heads. Are you hearing anything different?”
She shook her head and that same easy flowing ponytail swayed, taunting him to run his fingers through the silken strands.
He came within seconds of forgetting the tea and sitting on his hands before he did something really stupid.
“Nothing.” Katie flopped into the chair across the table from him. “For once, the media seems to know exactly what they’re talking about.”
Taking a seat at the head of the table, Alice cupped her warm mug and laughed. “I really do miss Walter Cronkite.”
“Walter Cronkite?” Katie frowned. “The news anchor from the sixties?”
“Yeah, well. I’m not that old.” Alice chuckled softly. “He was on the air until the 80s, and then the mantra for news desks became,If it bleeds, it leads. Such a shame.”
Katie shrugged. “If I were still in Houston I’d probably be going stir crazy by now. Heck, I was practically stir crazy two weeks ago!”
“And we are delighted to have you wait this out with us.” Alice blew over the brim of her cup. “Have we heard from Jackie today?”
“As a matter of fact,” Katie smiled, “I’m going into town to meet her for lunch. The kids have a half day today, then the teachers have some kind of meeting before they have to prep for the parent teacher meetings tonight. Jackie has to be at the school for the meetings, but since she’s only a class aide, she gets to skip the meeting and have a long lunch with me.”
“Perfect.” Alice reached for a butter cookie on the plate in the middle of the table that had been calling Josh’s name since hesat down. If he didn’t get out of here soon he was going to cave and eat the whole platter of cookies. With his lack of exercise since the explosion, he needed all that sugar and carbs like he needed the proverbial hole in the head. What he really needed was to move. To get out of the kitchen. “I have to pick up a prescription at the pharmacy. I’d be happy to give you a ride. Save gas on two trips.”
To his relief, her face lit up at the suggestion like a little kid taking in the toy store window. “That would be great.”
At his feet, Raider’s head tipped, his ears twitched, and he glanced from him to Katie. More and more he believed that animal understood every word anyone said in English. He almost laughed to himself; he wouldn’t be surprised if this smart animal understood more than English. “You itching to go for a ride too?”
Raider’s head straightened and his tail swiped left and right on the cold floor.
“Is that a good idea?” Katie’s gaze narrowed, not from confusion or irritation, but concern.
As if not trusting what Josh would say, Raider pushed up into a sitting position and Josh would have sworn the darn dog nodded yes to her.
Since Katie bit back a smile, she must have thought the same thing.
Alice shrugged. “He’s had plenty of rest, maybe it’s time for a little recreation.”
“Then I guess I’m taking Raider to town.”
