Page 12 of The Mechanics of Lust

There was another rap of knuckles on the window. “I’m off to make sure Charlie is up as well. I can swing by the kennels if you want me to feed and fetch Nina and Jojo for you.”

I smiled and swung my legs out of bed. “Yes, please. But just Jojo this time.” Both my dogs were crack trackers, but Jojo was the best by a long shot. She usually led the chase while Nina swept the rear for anything we might’ve missed. It made them a super effective team and I was one of the few personnel to run two dogs. But today we only had room for me to fly one. “Don’t you have Spencer coming to ultrasound those ewes?”

“Not until eleven,” Holden called back. “And the others are working on smoothing the bumps and potholes on Dunwoody’s beat after that last storm, so I’m fancy-free for a bit. But you better get moving. Time’s a ticking. If you’re ready in fifteen, I’ll even give you and Charlie a lift to the airstrip. I’ve got to fuel the ute anyway.”

“I’ll be ready. I don’t know about Charlie. And I’d keep my hands in my pockets if I was you. She can be a bit rabid in the mornings.”

Holden’s laughter trailed into the distance, and I threw back the sheet. Search and rescue dog-handler training days were the best. A chance to get off the station and work the dogs in the mountains? Hell yeah. It didn’t get much better than that.

Stumbling toward the bathroom, I pushed away images of all those mornings I’d woken in the same room and headed for the same shower when Holden was living in Tussock Cottage and he and I were still doing our friends-with-benefits thing.

Jesus, was that only a year ago?

At the time, I’d been foolishly hoping for something more between us. The ill-thought-out decision to tell Holden that had not gone quite as planned. Newsflash, he didn’t feel the same, and the benefit part of our friendship had come to an abrupt stop. Luckily, the best-mates part had survived. And then Holden met Gil and the rest was history. They proceeded to fall head over heels in love, with me relegated to observer status.

Go figure.

The universe could be a bitch that way.

I shook free of the memory and stepped into the shower, relishing the sting of the needles of scalding hot water pummelling my back.

The hurt and heartache of those early months had slowly softened into genuine happiness for my friend. It was hardnotto feel glad for him considering how loved-up and contented he obviously was. Getting my own life back on track had become my focus from that point on.

Twenty-five minutes later and all four of us stood chatting at the airstrip while Charlie and I waited for our lift. Charlie was a newbie trainee for the local volunteer search and rescue, and she was working Hellboy—one of Holden’s dogs. He was more suited to the work than her own dog, Elektra, and in addition to the LandSAR training, I’d spent many hours working with her as well. They made a good team, but it was only their third training exercise and Charlie looked nervous.

“You’ll be fine,” I reassured her. “Beats filling in holes on Dunwoody’s, right?”

She smiled weakly. “Says the guy who has queues of people wanting him to help train their dogs. What if I fuck up? Hellboy and I are still getting to know each other.”

I shrugged. “Then you fuck up. We’ve all done it. Me included.”

She grimaced. “I don’t want to look like an idiot out there.”

“You won’t.” Holden rested a hand on her shoulder. “Jesus, Charlie, you’ve done amazing things with that dog already. And things are only going to improve now he’s yours.”

Her gaze jerked up in shock. “What?”

Holden smiled one of those smiles that used to melt my heart, and I almost had to look away. “You heard me,” he said, gently squeezing her shoulder. “Hellboy is officially yours. He barely listens to me as it is. I tell him something and he immediately looks to you as if to say, ‘Does this bozo know what he’s talking about, Mum?’”

She snorted. “Well, thatistrue. The boy caught on fast that it pays to check all instructions with the best shepherd on the station, just in case.”

Gil choked out a laugh just as Holden grumbled, “Fuck you.”

Charlie chuckled. “You wouldn’t be able to keep it up long enough.”

“She’s got you there.” Gil held up his hand for a hive five and Charlie obliged.

Then she shocked everyone by reaching up on her toes and pressing a kiss to Holden’s cheek. “Thank you. I’ll take good care of him.”

Holden’s expression was a picture of astonishment and he immediately pulled her into a hug. At thirty, Charlie was one of the best shepherds in the Mackenzie and a total badarse, but she rarely showed any vulnerability and watching the two of them embrace tugged on every one of my heartstrings.

“So where are they holding the training exercise?” Gil asked.

“Northwest of Gammack up into the Cass River valley,” Charlie answered.

“Blue mapped a trail for Mel to lay,” I added. “There’s several indicator finds along the way and bragging rights and a bottle of tequila for the first team to hit the final cache. And that team will be us, right, girl?”

Jojo yipped and licked my nose as if in agreement, and Holden laughed. “Competitive much?”

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