Kenzie was relieved to know he’d spoken with Esri today. “How did that go?”
“We talked about life at the monastery. That’s about it.” His tone of voice made it clear that he didn’t want to say more.
“Can I help with anything?” The moving boxes were gone, and the place looked clean and organized.
He shook his head. “I’m good. I got a lot done last night and this morning.”
“Maybe we can take Gabby outside and play in the snow a bit. If she’s going to do avalanche work, she needs to feel comfortable in snow.”
Charlie, an avy dog Kenzie had trained, had saved a man’s life a couple winters past. Kenzie wanted Gabby to have the same abilities.
Kenzie waited with the puppy by the back door while Harrison put on his parka and grabbed Gabby’s squeak toy.
Once outside, Kenzie walked far out into the yard, away from Gabby’s shoveled potty spot, and set the puppy down in the snow.
Gabby sniffed the snow and then picked up one front paw, looking up at Kenzie as if pleading to be picked up again.
“It’s just snow. Snow is fun.”
Harrison knelt down a few feet away and gave the squeak toy a few squeezes. “Come here, Gabby, girl.”
Gabby took a few tentative steps in his direction, churning up snow as she moved. She seemed to notice the flying snow—and then she went bonkers.
She ran to Harrison, got down into a “let’s play” stance, and barked. Then she took off running around the yard as fast as her little legs would carry her, a furry torpedo, kicking up snow as she ran.
Harrison chuckled. “That’s the cutest damned thing I’ve ever seen.”
He took a little bit of snow, turned it into a tiny snowball, and tossed it into Gabby’s path. The puppy tried to catch it with her jaws, but the snow crumbled. She barked, growling as she danced around biting at the snow, trying to find her new toy.
Harrison laughed, tossed another.
Gabby bit it and jumped about, tail wagging, snow sticking to her muzzle.
The game went on, Kenzie laughing along with Harrison, her heart lifting to see him enjoying the moment, whatever had been troubling him forgotten—at least for now. But this was hard work for Gabby, and soon, she trotted over to Harrison and put a paw on his thigh, asking to be picked up.
“I think we wore her out.”
He scooped her up, brushed her off. “You know what, Gabby? You’re a badass.”
The neighbor’s back door opened, and an older woman Kenzie vaguely recognized stepped outside and headed toward her wood pile. She glared at Harrison, then looked sharply at Kenzie.
“I knew your grandparents, Miss Morgan. I don’t think they would approve of you spending time with a man of this sort.” With that, she filled her arms with firewood and disappeared indoors.
Kenzie looked over at Harrison. “What was that about? What have you been doing to that poor woman?”
“I came outside naked once when Gabby had to go, and the old lady opened her curtains and saw me.”
Kenzie gaped at him. “You were outside naked? As inbucknaked? That’s bananas. Why would you do that?”
“Gabby couldn’t wait, and it was five in the morning. I had no idea she was an early bird. Honestly, she must have craned her head to see me.” Harrison chuckled, heading for the back door, Gabby in his arms. “She called my junk frank and beans.”
“Frank and beans?” Okay, thatwasfunny.
But now Kenzie was jealous of that old lady, too.
* * *
Conrad looked into his pantry,in search of something decent to make for lunch. “I could open a couple of cans of soup.”
