Page 91 of Operation K-9 Brothers
The boy just blew Jack’s mind with that.One of the things that had worried him was Junior wanting to make Trucker his.Maybe he really did understand that Trucker was a working dog and not a pet.
Long after the Jacobys had left, Jack thought about Nigel, encouraged by the man’s comment that his rage calmed when he touched Trucker.Doing what he could to help a brother-in-arms cemented his decision to start a therapy dog foundation for those suffering from PTSD.
His phone buzzed, Clint Alba’s name coming up.Mark’s game was the only reason Clint would be calling.Hopefully, the news was good.
“Hey, man, what’s up?”
“Thought you’d want to know that your boy’s game is a winner.”
“No kidding?That’s great.”
“It needs some tweaking, but I’ve already got some interest in the game.I’ve got a feeling he’ll get some great offers.”
Jack grinned, feeling like a proud parent.“Does Mark know yet?”
“That I’m impressed with the game, yes.I have him working on some things to improve it.I’m going to hold off on telling him about the interest until it’s more solid.Won’t take us long to get it ready to go, and then I’ll get serious about shopping it for him.”
“Can’t thank you enough.”
Clint made a snorting noise.“No, man.Thank you.I love finding new talent.”
The first thing Jack wanted to do after getting off the phone with Clint was to call Nichole with the news, but he’d promised not to bother her.Three days had passed since he’d seen her, and he was giving up hope that he would hear from her.
He was trying to stay positive, but it was hard.Even Dakota seemed down, and he wished she’d stop watching him with those sad eyes.After getting blown up by a fucking bomb, he hadn’t cried.He’d sucked it up like a SEAL should, but he was having trouble sucking up the thought of never seeing Nichole again.
Not being able to call and share the good news about her brother hurt.Not having the right to bring her lunch on her workdays hurt.Not trying to feel her touch when she trailed her fingers over his dead skin hurt.
“I miss her,” he told his dog.
Dakota whined, and he took that to mean she missed Nichole, too.He blinked away whatever the hell was burning his eyes.Honest to God’s truth, losing Nichole hurt more than a bomb blowing up right in front of his face, hurt worse than everything that had followed.
Maybe Heather could give him solid advice on what he needed to do to get Nichole back.Not that he wanted to share his private life with her, but he would, for Nichole.He was scrolling through his contacts to get to Heather’s name when his doorbell rang.
“Who could that be?”he asked Dakota.Probably someone selling something since he rarely got visitors.That was actually depressing but not surprising given that he’d isolated himself since coming home.With Mark gone and Nichole done with him, the only people showing up lately aside from the Jacobys had been the police kicking his door down.
Dakota stuck her nose in the door crack, sniffed, and then wagged her tail.Okay, it was someone they knew.He tried not to get his hopes up that it was Nichole, but his pulse spiked anyway.
He put his eye to the peephole, his heart stuttering when he saw Nichole.Was it good or bad that she was here?He almost didn’t want to open the door.What if she was here to tell him that she’d made her decision, and she was done with him?Not that he would blame her.
Since he couldn’t avoid her forever, he inhaled a deep breath, and then opened the door.“Hey,” he said, which was the most he was capable of at the moment.There was much more he wanted to say, likeI love youorplease don’t make me face another day without you.She smiled, and he had trouble breathing.She wouldn’t be smiling at him like that if she was here to tell him to go to hell, would she?
Something yipped, and his gaze dropped to the puppy she held against her waist.His observation skills had apparently deserted him.All he’d seen was her face and that heart-stopping smile.
“What’s this?”Was she only here to give him a puppy, and if so, why?
“It’s a possum, Jack.”She rolled her eyes, and then her lips twitched.
Her almost smile and teasing was a good sign, right?“If that’s what it is, then it’s the cutest possum I’ve ever seen.Usually, those things are ugly as sin.”He’d spent the last three days imagining their conversation if he ever got to see her again, and he hadn’t come close to this.
“So,” she said, then glanced down at the puppy.“I hear you train dogs.”
That was why she was here, because she wanted him to work with this puppy?Instead of doing what he wanted—kissing her until she forgot her name, until she forgave him—he nodded.“I’ve trained a few here and there.”
Maybe this was a chance to spend time with her again.“If you’re wanting this one trained, it’s the same deal as before.You have to do it with me.”He realized he was holding his breath, waiting for her answer.
“Well, I can’t keep it.Someone threw it out of a truck, and I rescued it.I was hoping you’d help me find a good home for it.Can I come in?”
“Of course.”She could come in any minute of the day or night.Should he warn her that he might not ever let her leave?As she walked past him, he caught her vanilla and almond scent.He fisted his hands at his sides to keep from pulling her against him and burying his nose in her hair.
