“Wow. No wonder you decided to be a military dog handler. At first I thought I’d be a vet, but I ended up coming home from college halfway through my sophomore year. It was how I connected with the shelter though, so I don’t regret it. I still take classes part time. I’m a senior credit-wise.”
“What will you do when you have a degree?”
She shrugged sheepishly. “Probably still work at the shelter. It just fits. I wouldn’t have to take many additional classes to be a vet tech though, and I love the medical aspect of animal care. Dr. Washington, our vet, lets me administer shots when he has the time.”
“You’d be a good vet or vet tech, whatever you decide on.”
Still at Kurt’s feet, the dog let out a sigh and rested her head on her front legs as if having determined she wasn’t going to be offered a slice of pizza. Earlier, Kurt had requested that for now, treats only be given at the end of the dogs’ training sessions. There’d be a time for pampering, he’d said, but it wasn’t yet.
That made sense to Kelsey, so she didn’t object. She wasn’t surprised that Kurt had a natural alpha-male demeanor that the dogs seemed to pick up on immediately. That was especially obvious with this dog. The single, short introductory session Kurt had had with her seemed to have cemented in her mind that he was the boss. She hardly even glanced Kelsey’s way. They weren’t even a full day into training, but Kurt’s talent was undeniable.
The dog was slender for a pit bull and seemed to be one of the calmest and most easygoing animals here. She was a light cream with a circle of white on her nose. Kelsey thought she was adorable. Suddenly, she noticed that the dog’s front legs were crossed daintily underneath her resting head.
“Hey, we don’t know her name, do we?”
Kurt shrugged. “I don’t think so.”
“We should call her Lady. Look how she’s got her front legs crossed.”
Kurt sat back in his chair and cocked an eyebrow at the pit, who immediately popped her head back up. “Yeah, that fits. That reminds me. How about bringing one of your fail-safe shelter dogs over in a few days? A neutered male who’s right in the middle of the pack, not too alpha and not too omega. Obviously one you’re betting has never been abused or in a fight.”
“Sure. What for?”
“There are a few who should be ready for the first steps of socialization soon. Going on short, leashed walks with another dog, activities like that.”
Kelsey immediately thought of Orzo. He was exactly the dog Kurt was describing. “Sure. I know who I can bring. A little corgi who gets along with everyone. And he’s really laid-back.”
“That works. And by the way,” Kurt said, lifting the last of his slice of ham and pineapple into the air, “this is surprisingly good. I didn’t think I’d like it, but I do. Almost better than the meat lover’s deluxe.”
“That one is too much meat for me. The straight pepperoni is good though. Maybe next time you’ll be ready to add a few veggies.”
He made a face. “You ever notice how dogs will eat almost anything, but they turn their heads from vegetables?”
“True, but they’re carnivores. I believe humans evolved eating more plants than animals.”
“Yeah, well, I’ve been told my soul is really canine, so that explains a lot.”
She laughed. “You’ve just given me a second mission while we’re here: getting you to like veggies. At least some of them.”
“Honey,” Kurt said, finishing off his beer, “I’m betting we’ll have more success rehabbing these dogs than you will doing that.” He set down the bottle and picked at the label. “Though miracles happen.”
Honey. Kelsey could feel a deep blush rising above her collar. She couldn’t remember the last time anyone under the age of seventy had called her that.
His show of camaraderie this afternoon wasn’t something she’d expected. All of this—right down to sitting here on the back porch eating pizza with a so-hot-he’s-hard-to-look-at ex-marine—still felt surreal.
But whether she was ready for it or not, they’d be working in close quarters and getting to know each other very well over the next few months. He liked dogs—and was great with them—so she was inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt as far as being a good person. Whether he was or wasn’t, she’d discover soon enough.
You figured things out about people, working alongside them. And as good-looking as he was, that wouldn’t make up for a bad personality if he were hiding one. She’d be a liar to deny she was crushing on him, and she was hopeful he’d turn out to be as nice on the inside as he was outside. Really, really hopeful.
Finishing off his last slice, Kurt stood up and stretched, drawing her attention to the amazing torso under his formfitting T-shirt. “As they say, daylight’s wasting.” Then he gave the pit—Lady—a rub behind her ears.
“Thanks for the pizza,” Kelsey said, combining the leftovers into two boxes. “I think you’ve got dinner, a late-night snack, and breakfast covered, though I’ll let you do the apologizing to your arteries.”
He gave her a wink as he reached for the rest of the six pack of bottled beer to take inside. “It’s nothing a little liquid smoke won’t cure. It’s so damn artificial, it’ll unclog anything.”
Kelsey laughed. “It seems I have my work cut out for me.”
“You’ve no idea. I’ve been told more than once that I’m stubborn in every way a guy can be stubborn. I get it from my grandfather. So, I’ll go ahead and apologize for every bit of future contention right now.”
His tone was playful and easy and not at all hard to match. “I’d ask how you know there’s going to be contention,
