Page 5 of Operation K-9 Brothers
Nichole resisted the urge to stick out her tongue.No, he needed to learn how to behave.This was the first time since last week she’d brought him with her.A colony of ants had taken up residence in her kitchen, and the exterminator had sprayed this morning.Worried that Rambo might have a reaction, she hadn’t wanted to leave him in a closed-up house all day.
She not only wanted a companion but also hoped Rambo would be protective of her when he grew older.She was a single woman, sometimes leaving the Arts District after dark, and she felt safer having a dog...or she would if he ever learned how to guard her.
Her dog was a sweetheart, and she loved him dearly, but if some guy tried to get in the car with her, Rambo would probably open the door for him and then shower him with kisses.She didn’t expect Rambo to be a puppy guard dog, but she would sure like to see him grow into the role.It was doubtful that was going to happen without some kind of training.
It was time to call Jack.A customer walked up, one who thankfully seemed to like rambunctious puppies, and after playing with him for a few minutes, the woman bought a complete ten-piece set of dishes.After agreeing on the date Nichole could deliver them and paying for half the commission, the woman moved on to the next booth.
It was a good sale, although not a record.During the past year she’d been making a name for herself, and clients were seeking her out.Her biggest sale would have been a commission to supply a local three-star Michelin-rated restaurant with dishes designed solely for them—the commission that Trevor the Snake Allen had sabotaged.That she’d thought he was an amazingly talented potter, had thought he was a friend, and had made the mistake of telling him about the commission had her wishing Rambo was trained to kill.Maybe her puppy could lick him to death.
Trevor had gone behind her back and somehow convinced the restaurant owner that Nichole wasn’t capable of delivering such a big order in the agreed-on time frame, but that he could for five thousand less than she’d quoted, and deliver two weeks sooner.Even worse, the owner had given Trevor her samples so he could duplicate them.
She wasn’t happy with the restaurant owner, but she was livid with Trevor.Unfortunately, she hadn’t had a signed contract.After showing her samples and agreeing on a price and deadline, she’d told the owner that she’d return the next afternoon with a contract.She’d left the samples with him, another mistake, but it never occurred to her that a snake would slither in and bite her on the butt.
There was no recourse, as she hadn’t copyrighted the design.Most potters didn’t, as it was expensive to file a copyright for each design they created.If she’d had an inkling that Trevor would steal her commission, she sure would have.
Rambo circled her legs, tying her up again.She sighed as she bent over and untangled herself.“You’re a stinker, you know that?”He licked her hand.
She picked up her phone, found Jack’s name, and hit Call.
“Daniels here,” he said.
“Um, hi.It’s Nichole Masters.Rambo’s owner.”
“Hello, Nichole.This is a nice surprise.”
He sounded pleased to hear from her, and that had her smiling.“Were you serious about training Rambo?”
“No.”
Her heart tumbled, feeling like it landed in her stomach.“Oh—”
“I was, however, serious about helping you train him.It won’t do any good if you don’t know what you’re doing.He’ll just forget anything he learns if you don’t know how to reinforce what we teach him.That means you’re included in the sessions, otherwise it’s a no-go.Are you good with that?”
So good!“Sure.That makes sense, and I do want to know how to handle him.I want him to be happy, but he also needs to behave.Right now, he’s not so good at that.”
“Most puppies aren’t.What is he, four or five months old?”
“I’m not sure of his birthday, but about that.”
“In people years he’s a preteen.Lots of energy and testing the boundaries.When do you want to start?”
She glanced down at Rambo to see he was gnawing on the table leg.“As soon as possible.”
“What about this evening?”
Her heart gave a little lurch.That soon?“Yeah, sure.I usually get home around six.Give me a little time to change and grab something to eat.Say six-thirtyish?”
“Why don’t I make it easy on you and bring a pizza?”
She was liking this guy more and more.“That would be great.”
“What do you like on your pie?”
“Anything but green peppers, olives, and anchovies.”
“Already we have something in common.”He chuckled.“Text me your address, and I’ll see you this evening.”
Before she could respond, Trevor Allen walked up, and the rage she’d managed to stifle the past few days surged.“What are you doing here?”
