"Perfect. And Shane?" Kyle's expression went serious again. "If Romano starts moving, you know we’ve got April’s back."
"I know, Brother."
Shane left Kyle's office feeling better than he had since Kevin walked into the lobby. Professional distance was exactly what this situation needed.
Now he just had to convince himself that the warmth spreading through his chest at the thought of seeing April again in the morning was purely professional, too.
At quarter to nine,Shane was in the training yard with Alex and the puppies when he heard the distinctive sound of April's laugh coming from inside. His pulse kicked up a notch, which was ridiculous. This was about Kevin's training. Nothing more.
Kevin burst through the door like he'd been shot from a cannon, April following at a more reasonable pace. The kid was dressed in what looked like his interpretation of tactical gear—tan cargo pants, a black t-shirt, and a baseball cap turned backwards.
"Shane! I'm ready for training!" Kevin announced, then spotted the puppies and nearly vibrated out of his shoes. "Are those the puppies you were telling me about last night?"
"Easy there, soldier," Shane said with a grin. "Rule number one of being around working dogs—calm energy."
Kevin immediately tried to compose himself, standing straighter and lowering his voice. "Yes, sir. Can I help train them now?"
Shane watched April grin at her son, looking both surprised and proud. He caught April's eye and felt that same electric awareness they had in high school. She was wearing jeans and a green tee that brought out her eyes, her hair pulled back in a ponytail that made her look younger. Beautiful.His.
Not yours, jackass. Focus.
"You better believe you’re gonna help. These pups need to socialize with different people, and we could use an extra pair of hands."
Alex looked up from where he was setting up individual elevated platforms for the puppies. "Absolutely. But first rule ofdog training—the dogs have to respect you before they'll follow you.”
Kevin’s eyes widened. “I don’t have to yell at them if they do something wrong, do I?”
“No way,” Shane said. “Training puppies is all about getting them to love learning. We do that with praise and treats, like this.” He squeezed the clicker in his hand and Elton gave him his full attention. “Good boy.” Shane immediately gave him a treat. “See? That’s how you gain trust."
Kevin nodded solemnly. "Like a leader."
"Exactly like a leader."
Shane watched as Alex showed Kevin how to approach the puppies, how to let them sniff his hand first, how to give a command, wait for a response, then work the clicker and reward a puppy for good behavior. The kid was a natural—patient and gentle, reading the dogs' body language instinctively.
Alex started with the most promising pup while the other puppies watched from their platforms. Well, at least two of them did. Benny hopped down from his platform the minute a swallowtail butterfly flitted overhead and started his chase.
"Hey, little guy, come back here!" Kevin chased after Benny and swooped him up, laughing. He clutched the dog closer and let Benny cover his cheek with kisses. As he carried him back to the platform, he asked the puppy, “What’s your name?” He set Benny down on his platform.
"That's Benny," Alex said with a sigh. "He's...easily distracted. I think he's going to wash out of the program."
Kevin looked shocked. "Wash out? What happens to him then?"
"He'll find a good home," Alex assured him. "Not every dog is cut out for protection or service work. Benny might be happier as someone's pet."
Kevin's face scrunched up with concern. He looked at Benny, who had abandoned the platform and was now rolling on his back in a patch of sunshine, completely oblivious to the training happening around him.
"Maybe he just learns different," Kevin said quietly. "Maybe he's not distracted. Maybe he's just...thinking about different stuff."
Shane felt something squeeze in his chest. The kid was defending the underdog. Of course he was.
"You might be right," Shane said. "Why don't you work with Benny while Alex runs the other pups through their exercises? See if you can get him to pay attention to you."
Kevin's face lit up. He settled cross-legged on the ground near Benny and started talking to him in a low, patient voice. Within minutes, the puppy was focused on Kevin like he was the most interesting thing in the world.
"I'll be damned," Alex muttered.
Shane glanced over at April, who was watching her son with a mixture of pride and something that looked like sadness.
