Piper stopped by one dog run to rub the head of a German shepherd who lapped up the attention. “That’s a good dog, Lacey,” she said, but then added, “Most trainees keep their dogs with them, but we sometimes have up to half a dozen dogs. We select some for training from nearby animal shelters while others are left by their owners for instruction. Occasionally we end up with rescues like those corgi/pit puppies.”

  When Piper rose, she gestured to the furthermost building, which was wooden and white and had a paddock next to it. A brown quarter horse and a black-and-white-spotted Appaloosa were close to the wooden fence, nibbling at the grass along the edges. A large orange tabby sauntered out of the barn and walked toward the horses, who ignored the pudgy feline.

  “That cat is Gus. You can pet him, but he’ll flay you alive if you pick him up. He’s a great rodent-catcher,” she said with a shake of her head.

  Shane laughed. “I can tell from that belly he’s good at his job.”

  Piper joined in his laughter. The sound was musical, bright, and it once again lightened something inside him.

  He didn’t have time to let that sink in since Decoy suddenly barked and lunged toward the tabby, scaring it away.

  “Sit, boy. Sit,” he said, but Decoy tugged at the leash again until Piper grabbed hold of it and brought him tight to Shane’s side and issued a strongly worded, “Sit.”

  The dog sat and peered up at Piper, apparently aware she wouldn’t take any guff.

  She bent slightly, rubbed the dog’s ears and reached into her pocket to give him a treat. “Good boy, Decoy. Good boy.”

  “He’s usually pretty obedient, but he’s still learning,” Shane said and likewise stroked Decoy’s head.

  Piper nodded and straightened again. “How long have you had him?”

  It should have been an easy question to answer, and yet it wasn’t. “Decoy’s been with me several weeks now in the States, and before that, we were together in Afghanistan for about four or five months. I was deployed there as an Army sharpshooter trainer and Decoy was always hanging around our complex. I started feeding him and he kept on coming back.”

  He didn’t fail to see the change that came over Piper at the mention of his military service. Every muscle in her body tensed and a dark cloud chased away the lightness that had been in her laughter just seconds before. He should have left it alone, but he couldn’t. Especially if they were going to be working together for the next month.

  “Something wrong?”

  A stilted shrug followed before she wrapped her arms around herself in a defensive gesture he recognized all too well. He did it whenever anyone delved too deeply into why he was no longer a soldier.

  Despite her obvious reticence, something made him push. “Well?”

  * * *

  HE WAS CHALLENGING her already and they hadn’t even really started working together, but if they were going to survive several weeks of training, honesty was going to be the best policy.

  “My husband was a Marine,” Piper said, but didn’t make eye contact with him. Instead, she whirled and started walking back in the direction of the outdoor training ring.

  He turned and kept pace beside her, his gaze trained on her face. “Was?”

  Challenging again. Pushing, but regardless of that, she said, “He was killed in action in Iraq. Four years ago and yet...”

  Her throat choked up and tears welled in her eyes as she rushed forward, almost as if she could outrun the discussion and the pain it brought.

  The gentle touch of his big, calloused hand on her forearm stopped her escape.

  She glanced down at that hand and then followed his arm up to meet his gaze, so full of concern and something else. Pain?

  “I’m sorry. It can’t be easy,” he said, the simple words filled with so much more. Pain for sure. Understanding. Compassion. Not pity, thankfully. The last nearly undid her, but she sucked in a breath, held it for the briefest second before blurting out, “We should get going. If you’re going to do search and rescue with Decoy, we’ll have to improve his obedience skills.”

  Rushing away from him, she slipped through the gaps in the split rail fence and walked to the center of the training ring.

  Shane hesitated, obviously uneasy, but then he bent to go across the fence railing and met her in the middle of the ring, Decoy at his side.

  “I’m ready if you are,” he said, his big body several feet away only he still felt too close. Too big. Too masculine with that kind of posture and strength that screamed military.

  She took a step back and said, “I’m ready.”

  She wasn’t and didn’t know if she ever could be with this man. He was testing her on too many levels.

  Only she’d never failed a training assignment and she didn’t intend to start with Shane and Decoy.

  “Let’s get going,” she said.

  Chapter Three

  Shane was pleased with how the afternoon had gone, especially considering the awkwardness when they had first begun their training.

  That had ebbed little by little as Piper worked with them to determine how well Decoy responded to basic commands. Piper also instructed him on leash control and how to train Decoy to understand hand commands as well as verbal ones. In a search and rescue situation, it might not be possible to use verbal instructions, so Decoy would need to understand what to do with the hand signals.

  By the end of the training session, Decoy had nailed both the verbal and hand commands for “Sit” and had started to understand “Look at me.”

  “That’s a good boy,” Piper said as she offered Decoy a treat and ruffled his golden-brown fur affectionately.

  The dog rewarded her with sloppy dog kisses, yanking that bright almost musical laugh from her again.

  She was beautiful when she laughed. It made her emerald gaze glitter and reminded him of the evergreens surrounding the area and blanketing the mountains in the distance.

  As her gaze connected with his, he reined in his reaction and said, “I think it was a good day.”

  Piper nodded. “I think so, too. Decoy is a smart boy. Aren’t you?”

  The dog almost preened, raising his head to look at Piper and doing a quick little bark.

  “He’s a natural. I guess that’s why he was able to find me,” he said, then winced and braced himself for what the next question would be and how Piper would react.

  “Labs and hounds love playing hide-and-seek. That’s something we can work on as well,” she said, but her tone was forced since she was clearly in avoidance mode as he was.

  “Great,” he said, his tone sharp.

  She stiltedly repeated, “Great.” She clapped her hands, wrapped her arms around herself, and said, “I think we should call it a day. Just remember to reinforce what he’s learning with the leash control and treats.”

  “Will do.” He walked with Piper out of the ring.

  As they neared the kennel, Piper said, “Barbara mentioned to me earlier this morning that she needs you to fill out some additional forms.”

  “Okay. I’ll go see her. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said, his tone filled with question.

  “Tomorrow,” she confirmed and hurried away into the gap between the two buildings.

  * * *

  PIPER COULDN’T GET away from Shane fast enough.

  He challenged her on so many levels and she wasn’t sure she was up for it.

  There was the whole ex-Army thing that roused too many memories of her dead husband, David, although Shane was nothing like David physically. David had been a blond, California-surfer-dude type with a lean build and average height. Handsome with his boyish grin whose memory even now brought lightness to her heart despite his loss.

  Shane was all man and anything but boyish. His stubble and short-cropped hair were painted with the first strokes of gray. His blue-eyed gaze was intense and seemingly missed nothing based on how he had noticed the emotions she had thought she successfully hid from him and others.

  And he was big, well over six feet with thick work-hardened muscle. Imposing.

  It had been hard to ignore that masculinity when she had to get close to him to help train Decoy. And even though she knew he’d been wounded, she hadn’t detected anything while they worked together, except for possibly the occasional times he’d reached up to massage his shoulder.

  She was almost home, Chipper playfully tagging along beside her on her new pink leash, when her hackles rose, and fear shimmied down her spine.

  Pulling up short, she glanced around again, surprised that she was almost home. She’d been so involved in thinking about Shane that she hadn’t realized how close she was to her house.

  Her heart pounded in her chest as she peered at the woods surrounding the path and toward her backyard, searching for the source of her disquiet.

  Nothing.

  Sucking in a deep breath, there was no odor but pine scent today unlike yesterday’s very obvious cigarette smoke.

  You’re imagining things, she told herself, and as Chipper tugged at her leash and started barking and jumping, she squatted to rub the puppy’s head. “Mommy is just being silly, Chipper,” she said, and the puppy licked her face with doggy kisses, relieving a little bit of her upset.

  She plodded on the last twenty yards or so, but once again skidded to a halt as she reached the alcove for her front door.

  You’re not imagining that those flowerpots were moved, she thought. There were obvious water rings where the pots had previously sat as well as some crushed and broken pansy stems along the edges. One plant even looked as if it had been messily replanted, and as she got closer, the loose dirt near it confirmed that something had happened to that pot.

  Chipper tugged on her leash and sniffed around the pots, but Piper said, “Sit, Chipper.”

  The pup looked up, grinning and barking, and it took another “Sit” before she responded.

  “Good girl,” Piper said and offered her a treat from her jacket pocket.

  After, she jammed her hands on her hips and surveyed the area again but saw nothing except a big red pickup as it turned the corner from the road for the DCA and slowly pulled in front of her house and parked. The driver’s side door popped open. Shane stepped out and Decoy jumped down with him. They walked toward her, concern evident on Shane’s features.

  “You okay?” he asked as he approached. Decoy rushed to her and jumped up, demanding her attention until Shane gave the sit command and the dog immediately responded as did Chipper, who cuddled next to Decoy on the front step.

  “Fine,” she said but wrapped her arms around herself, and as his gaze tracked that move, she realized it was a tell for him that things were anything but right.

  He arched that brow again. “Are you sure? You look a little...freaked.”

  Piper could lie again but knew it wouldn’t fly with him. She motioned to the flowerpots on the cement by the path to her front door. “Someone messed with these pots, and yesterday I smelled cigarette smoke as I walked home. I feel like I’m being watched.”

  Shane nodded and did a slow pivot, peering all around before walking to the edge of her driveway, Decoy tagging along behind him as she kept a short leash on Chipper to keep her close.

  Shane squatted by the edge and Decoy bent his head to smell the ground beside the driveway, then began to jump up and down, as if he sensed something.

  “Good boy. Sit,” he said and when the dog responded, he rubbed the dog’s head in reward.

  He straightened, looked over his shoulder at Piper, and pointed to the grass where she could see some tracks. “I’m guessing you came this way from the DCA?”

  She nodded. “I did. I like the walk when the weather is nice.”

  Shane peered all around and the ghost of a smile spread across his lips. “Beautiful scenery,” he said and then glanced her way again.

  “It is. I’m probably just imagining it,” she said, but that answer didn’t seem to satisfy him.

  He walked along the edge of the driveway, perusing the ground, Decoy beside him, as if they were searching for more footprints. With a shake of his head, he walked back to her, Decoy bounding behind him happily. Chipper strained at her leash until the little pup settled in next to her new best friend.

  “Nothing there, but someone could have walked up from the road. Do you keep a key under the pot?”

  She shook her head. “No. Emma has a key. No one else needs to get in,” she said and bit her lower lip, well aware of what those words told him.

  He nodded. “Okay. Maybe it was just someone hoping to find a key and make an easy score.”

  “Or maybe I’m just freaking out over nothing. That kind of stuff doesn’t really happen in Jasper,” she said.

  “That kind of stuff can happen anywhere. Doesn’t Emma have troubled teens at the DCA?” he argued.

  “They would never do something like that. They’re good boys who just need a little guidance,” she said and poked him in the chest to emphasize her point.

  He snared her finger. “Got it, Piper. But maybe you should think about putting in a security system or one of those video cameras.”

  Even though she wanted to again say that things like that weren’t necessary in Jasper, she was still too worried about the possibility that he was right. And rather than argue with him, she said, “I’ll think about it.”

  His nod was slow, hesitant. “Okay. Do you need me to check inside before you go in?”

  She stared back toward her door, but it seemed secure. “I’ll be okay.”

  He nodded but didn’t move so she ignored him and went to her door. She tried the handle. Still locked. She opened the door and took a tentative step inside, peered around. Everything seemed as it should be, but just in case, she didn’t close her front door as she did a slow reconnoiter of her ranch home, going from room to room, Chipper at her side, before returning to the front door.

  Shane still stood there at the end of the alcove, solid as any rock from the nearby Idaho mountains. Decoy was at his side, patiently waiting.

  She forced a smile she wasn’t feeling and waved to let him know she was okay and as a goodbye.

  He returned the wave and walked back to his pickup with Decoy. The dog jumped in first, he got in, and they drove away.

  Piper closed the door, double-locked it and leaned against the security of her metal door.

  She peered around her home, circled around the rooms again, making sure to check that all the windows were locked, and that the sliding doors to her back deck were secured. She paused to take in the view from those doors: the nearby woods; the meadow she traversed so often on her way to get to the DCA; and the mountains with their frosting of late spring snow. A beautiful view, but today it brought a sense of isolation and loneliness.

  Until Chipper jumped up on her leg, demanding attention.

  “Yes, girl. I see you,” she said and picked up the puppy.

  The warmth of that little body and affectionate licks along her face shook off more of those feelings. She finished her walk around the house, went to her bedroom and changed out of her work clothes. To wash away any lingering negative emotions, she took a long hot shower and after changed into comfortable clothes and went into the kitchen to make herself and Chipper a quick dinner, the puppy at her side.

  Stomach full, she settled in to watch a rom-com with the puppy tucked against her in bed. As the movie ended, she was feeling infinitely safer and a lot less lonely thanks to Chipper’s company. Finally relaxed, she took Chipper out to the back deck so she could relieve herself. Nothing happening there. Absolutely nothing.

  Breathing an easier sigh, she tugged on Chipper’s leash and the pup immediately responded and followed Piper back into the house and her bedroom.

  As Chipper obediently snuggled into her new doggy bed with a toy and Piper slipped into her own bed, she had only one more wish for that night: that it would be as easy for her to learn to deal with Shane and the maelstrom of emotions he roused in her.

  The sound of a car engine intruded in the quiet of the night, but it didn’t move on the way it would with a passing vehicle. And then the engine noise suddenly stopped.

  Worry crept into her again. She snagged her cell phone in case she had to call for help, slipped out of bed and tiptoed to her front window.

  A now familiar red pickup truck sat there, Decoy in the passenger seat.

  That maelstrom of emotions spun ever faster, especially as Shane bent and looked out the window toward the house. As their gazes locked, she had no doubt that he’d do whatever he needed in order to make sure she was safe, including sitting there all night if it was necessary.

  She’d always been an independent woman, but she had to admit that the sight of him brought...relief.

  But she told herself not to get too used to it because Shane would soon be gone.

  Chapter Four

  She was nothing but a silhouette in the front window until she snapped on a light, illuminating her face and body. She wore an oversize brown T-shirt emblazoned with the DCA’s German shepherd logo.

  No worry on her face, only confusion and possibly relief as she raised her cell phone, and his phone rang.

  He answered and she said, “What are you doing here?”

  “I couldn’t sleep and decided to take a drive. Figured I’d drop by to make sure everything was okay with you.” Even though everything wasn’t okay with him thanks to the nightmare that had woken him from the first semi-sound sleep he’d had in days.

  “I’m...okay. You really didn’t have to come by,” Piper said.

  She was right. He didn’t really have to come by, but the short drive had helped to clear his brain of the lingering memories from his nightmare.