Setting her mug down beside his, a smile bloomed. “I’d love to.”
Ten minutes later, they were out on the flat stretch of grass between the house and the barn. He clipped a long lead onto Raider’s collar. The dog stood instantly, shaking off his nap, his posture shifting from pet to soldier the moment the leash clicked. “Okay,” Josh handed her the end of the leather lead, “take him.”
Katie reached out, grabbing the strap loosely in her fist.
“Not like that.” Josh moved behind her. “If he takes off, he’ll pull that right out of your grip.”
Determination etched on her face, she nodded.
He stepped in close. Reaching around her, he covered her hands with his own. Swallowing hard, he forced himself to focus despite the hint of vanilla in her hair. “Loop your thumb here.” He guided her fingers, feeling a slight hitch in her breath beneath his hands—or maybe that was his own. “Keep your arm relaxed but ready.”
“Like this?” she whispered, leaning back slightly against his chest.
“Perfect.” Josh forced himself to release her hands and take a much needed step back. “Now, stand tall. Shoulders back. Dogsread body language. Tell himheeland walk toward the fence. Low voice. Firm.”
Katie squared her shoulders. “Raider, heel.”
To Josh’s pride—and relief—Raider looked up at Katie, fell into step beside her and walked with a perfect, rhythmic gait.
“Look at that,” Josh called out, watching them move away. “He’s listening to you.”
Katie beamed. Turning her head to smile at him over her shoulder, she gave him a thumbs up with her free hand.
“Don’t let it go to your head.” Josh jogged lightly to catch up. “Next test may be more of a challenge. The startle.”
“The startle. Do I want to know what that entails?” Her tone was half-teasing, half-concern and as adorable as all get out.
At the water trough he picked up an empty metal feed bucket. “Walk him away from me. When I drop this, don’t react. Just keep walking like the noise is no big deal. We’ll see if he can ignore a falling tray in a hospital or if he’ll respond to a threat in fight mode.”
Katie nodded, her gaze focused and intense. “Raider, heel.”
Josh waited a few moments, then tossed the metal bucket against the trough with a loudCLANG.In the quiet pasture the sound, as intended, was jarring. Raider spun around, ears pinned back, his body tense. Josh held his breath.
Katie slowed. She didn’t yank the leash. She just looked down at the dog, her voice calm and steady. “It’s okay, Raider.”
Raider stared in the direction of the noise for one second, two. Then his ears relaxed and he looked up at Katie, waiting for direction.
“Yes.” Josh punched the air.
Grinning wild and bright, Katie turned, dropped the leash, ran toward Josh, and reached out to high-five him. Their hands met with a solid smack, but instead of pulling away, Josh caught her hand.
He interlaced their fingers.
“We did it,” she nearly whispered, her face flushed from the excitement or his touch, but he had no clue which.
The warmth of Josh’s hand encompassing hers sent a sharp jolt of awareness straight to Katie’s toes. For a suspended moment, with heat warming her cheeks, she forgot about the training, the furlough, and the fact that Josh held her hand to celebrate a dog not attacking a bucket.
Apparently feeling left out of the team huddle, Raider nudged his weight against them, breaking the spell.
Josh chuckled and slowly—to her chagrin—released her fingers. “Okay. Valid point, Raider. We aren’t done yet.”
“What’s next?” Katie tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, trying to give her hand something to do besides snatch his back.
“The crowding test.” Josh clipped the leash back onto Raider’s collar. “Kade calls it the ‘Clumsy Stranger.’ A therapy dog has to be bombproof. People in hospitals or nursing homes move unpredictably. They shuffle, they trip, they drop things, and they encroach on personal space. Raider has to hold his sit-stay no matter what.”
“And I’m the clumsy stranger?”
“You’re the actress.” Josh’s eyes twinkled. “I need you to walk past him, but not in a straight line. Weave a little. Bump his shoulder with your leg. Maybe stumble toward him. We need to make sure he doesn’t interpret that physical contact as an attack.”
