He raised his eyebrows. “So you’re a licensed therapist?”
How do I answer that? By not answering that. “Would that surprise you?”
His ice-blues narrowed as he studied her, sending delicious goosebumps up and down her spine. Then he nodded. “Not surprised.” He looked down at his mostly-empty plate. “You have a generous nature.”
Oh, no, buster. I’m not that easy. “Trying to butter me up?”
His jaw tightened and he took in a deep breath, held it, and breathed out. “I would say or do anything to convince you to give up your claim on Camo and let me take him home.” He met her gaze again, his eyes a crystal-blue world of hurt. “But I really do mean what I said. Arden, you’re a good person. I could see that from the start.”
“You could see that with a shotgun pointed at you? By a cannibal?”
He frowned. “Be serious. Just for a minute. Please.”
“Yuck. Okay, I’ll try.”
“I could see it from the way Camo acted. I could hear it in your voice—you were ready to defend him as much as he was going to defend you. You took me in, gave me dry clothes, you’ve fed me, you’re talking and joking with me like I’m a…” He shook his head and looked away.
“A what?” Arden tilted her head, sensing what he was going to say and dreading it. Three words she heard so often from her clients or their caregivers.A normal person.
“Never mind. Look, Camo is supposed to be with me, okay? I put in for him and we have history. Long history. We served together. I had his back, he had mine. As far as I’m concerned, he’s my best buddy. And I’m his. I understand him.”
Arden softened her voice. “I’m sure you understand him, but can you give him the home he needs in California? Do you have acreage he can explore or will he be chewing on couch cushions in a studio apartment? I’ve been around animals my entire life. My dad was a vet and I helped him care for everything from kittens to horses and beyond. I have the training and experience.”Just not the degree. “Do you know how to care for Camo, for his old injuries? He’s going to need constant monitoring and medical care for the rest of his life. It’s why they chose me.”Well, that and another reason you don’t get to know.
Kyle looked at her like she’d just slapped him. “I was a military dog handler. I went through extensive training on how to keep him healthy and safe. I knew when his temp dropped and when it was too high. I slept with him in his kennel so that I was the last person he saw at night and the first face he saw in the morning until I gained his complete trust. I fed him, groomed him, checked him over for bug bites and tumors and abscessed teeth. I stopped him from bleeding out after a mission that went sideways.” His voice had become lower, deeper, his gaze far away.
Arden held up her hands. Keeping her voice soft and even, she said, “Kyle, yes, okay, You’re right. You’ve been trained to care for dogs, and you could obviously keep up with Camo’s medical care.” She blew out a breath. Time to change tactics. “But can you see what else I can give him?” She spread her arms. “A big house, acres of land where he can dig holes and chase a million rabbits and squirrels, chickens he can guard from foxes. Fresh mountain air and sunshine. It’s a sweet life for a former SEAL.” Her eyes prickled. “A former SEALdog, I mean.”
She’d shown too much and Kyle was back to studying her. “He won’t obey you.”
“He’ll learn. We’re still getting to know each other. Doing the whole dominance thing. And he already loves me.”
Kyle shook his head. “It’s more than that. He’s got to respect you, and he doesn’t.”
Okay, that was below the belt. “He does respect me. But he’s still adjusting to civilian life.”
“How many ofyourcushions has he chewed up?”
Arden flinched and Kyle leaned forward like he knew he’d scored a direct hit. “How many times has he messed on the floor? You have a rainstorm up here with him yet, any thunder? How bad did he cower, how long did it take to coax him out from under the bed? Wait until next Fourth of July when the fireworks start. How are you going to handle him then? Because I guarantee, therewillbe a problem.”
Arden slammed her palm on the table. “Dammit, I know there will be problems but I don’t care! I’m keeping him because when I look into his eyes, I…”No. You don’t get to know that.
“You what?” The sudden softness in his voice almost undid her. He reached out and placed his hand over hers, still flat on the table.
No, no one was going to do this to her. She was the one who did the comforting, the understanding, the therapy. She didn’t need pity from a stranger.
Arden stood up. “I need to take care of the animals. I’m already behind.”
Kyle took their plates.
“Leave that. I’ll get it when I come back in.” She stormed off toward her room and slammed the door behind her. Okay, maybe it wasn’t a full-on slam, but it was quite a firm shutting, showing that she was angry but in control. Right?
She changed into her chore clothes and glanced at herself long enough in the mirror to wonder which made her look frumpier, her mom’s robe or her grubbies. And then she stuck her tongue out at herself for caring.Traitor.
The dirty dishes were rinsed and in the drying rack. Camo was no longer in his bed. And Kyle was nowhere to be found.
A high-pitched whine came from the front hall. Arden found Camo scratching frantically at the front door, his nails gouging the wood.
“No, Camo, no. Back. Sit. Dammit.” She undid the locks and quickly scooted out the front door, pushing it closed against the desperate dog. Kyle’s tracks from last night were long gone, but a fresh set led off down the driveway toward the road.
