Bauer, p.20
Bauer,
p.20
She nodded. “Yes, really okay. I hadn’t realized just how long it had been.”
“It won’t be any longer.” And, with that, he dove into the heart of her. She stilled, feeling the complete possession, that sense of stretching, that sense of ownership, and she welcomed every last bit of it.
Then she finally looked up at him and whispered, “Now move.”
He smiled and started to plunge deep. First, second, third, and by the time he hit the fourth, she was coming apart again, and by the fifth, he was shoved deep inside, and it was his turn.
Just feeling his climax deep inside had her exploding again and then again.
By the time she finally calmed down in his arms, he whispered, “Wow.”
“No, that’s my line,” she countered. “Wow doesn’t do it justice though.”
He pulled her into his arms and said, “After that, I think you need to sleep.”
“I don’t want to sleep,” she whispered, but already she was yawning.
“You might not want to, sweetheart, but it’s definitely what you need.”
She looked up at him and asked, “Will you be here when I wake up?”
He nodded, then dropped a kiss on her temple, and declared, “Absolutely. Today and every other day.”
And, with that promise, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.
Life would be much more beautiful with him.
Epilogue
Badger walked into the dining room, finding his wife, Kat, sorting papers into folders. He stopped, his hands on his hips, and stared at the documents, but, upside down, he couldn’t read clearly what they were.
When she looked up, she gave him a smile and said, “More work.”
“What kind of work?”
She chuckled. “Four more K9 files.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Seriously?”
“Yes, they just came in this morning. Commander Cross did phone ahead of time, and he asked if we were up for it. Of course I said yes, and he was extremely grateful.”
Badger added, “We have had amazing successes in doing this War Dog work.”
“Commander Cross has also told several other people in his department how well we have done with it all. I guess we’ve made a name for ourselves, without expecting to.”
Badger rolled his eyes at that. “Not sure that’s a good thing.”
“Of course it is,” Kat said, with a laugh. “Anything that we do to help these animals and to give the department other options for helping these War Dogs is a good thing.” She tapped the file closest to her and then slid it toward him.
Badger shook his head. “We’re out of men.”
“Nope.” Kat laughed. “I know that you think so, but I also know that each dog has a rescue out there. And it’s important we find the right ones to pair up with each War Dog.”
“I agree,” Badger murmured, “but that doesn’t change the fact that we have nobody to call on for help right now.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” she said, as she slid the file to him again.
Badger looked down at the file and shrugged. “So, you have somebody in mind?”
“I do,” she murmured. “I was thinking about somebody I was working with today. Delta has consistent ankle problems, and I’ve seen him regularly over the last couple months. However, we think we’ve got his ankle joint sorted. He has a lot more weight on the outside of his right leg than he has on the inside.” Seeing the look on Badger’s face, she laughed. “That’s the technical stuff I’ve been dealing with for him. Just a pressure joint adjustment.”
Badger smirked. “So that would be good, if Delta’s ready.”
“It would be, and I was talking to him. He absolutely loves dogs and was considering doing canine training, potentially to work in the police department or in some other capacity. And I mentioned how we had done all this work with the retired War Dogs coming out of the military, and he grew quite excited. He worked with several War Dogs while he was overseas and loved everything about it. He’s a big fan of the department and what they were doing. Hated to see any kind of animal mistreated. And was a big advocate for the animals. He did a lot of first aid work on them as well.”
“So he’s a vet?” Badger asked.
“No, but he was a vet assistant, before he went into the military. He was contemplating going to veterinarian school, but I think just the amount of years involved was a deterrent for him back then, and particularly now with his health. However, he’s getting better, and I would say he’s probably fully capable of doing something like these War Dog cases.”
Badger nodded. “Lots of years to invest in becoming a veterinarian, and Delta, with his military service, is now probably already in his late twenties or early thirties, right?”
“Delta’s thirty-four, not married, not engaged, doesn’t have any attachments.”
Badger’s eyebrows went up at that.
She nodded. “Of course I guess he had somebody, but she broke up with him when he was deployed.” Badger frowned at that. She agreed. “I know that you and I have a hard time with that. However, a lot of people have been through that experience, and it hasn’t stopped them. Delta’s moving forward with his life.”
Badger asked, “And did he say he would like to do something like this?”
Kat nodded. “I told him that, at the moment, we didn’t have a War Dog file, but I would consider him, if I got one.” Again she motioned at the table and the file she kept sliding toward Badger. “And that would be the file.”
“And why this file? Why would Delta be the right man for this job? What about this case screams Delta to you?”
Kat nodded, as she pulled her chair away from the dining room table to situate it closer to Badger, where she relaxed, facing him. “Yes, Delta Granger is the man for this file.”
“And that’s his real name?”
“Yes, that’s his real name.”
“Okay, and what about this War Dog?” Badger asked.
“What matters is this dog was used as a comfort dog for the injured War Dogs.”
He pulled out a dining room chair, sat down across from her, and studied her features. “Seriously? I didn’t even know something like that was possible.”
“It is, and it’s not common, but it should be common in a vet clinic. If you have injured animals, another animal—particularly one of the same species—can often give comfort to the injured ones. So there was a military veterinarian on staff who used several comfort dogs to help with the injured animals. So this War Dog, now a comfort dog, whose name is Grace, was one of those. She was injured, and she’s missing her back leg and tail, plus damaged the muscles in between.” Kat looked at her own missing limb.
Badger couldn’t help but stare down at his as well. “I can’t even imagine what the pain would be for a dog to go through that. … Of course, that would make Grace one of ours.”
Kat chuckled. “It absolutely would.”
“Well, I’m game if you and Delta are,” he murmured. “You’re a better determinant of character than I am.”
“I’m not sure that is true,” she murmured. “I might have luck in pairing relationships but not to the extent you do.” She picked up her phone. “I’m going to call him. He was just here earlier today. In fact, you’ve met him. Remember the guy who did the patio stonework at Jager’s?”
Badger smiled. “He did good work.”
Kat chuckled, holding the phone to her ear. “He did do great work,” she said, listening to it ring. “Delta, it’s Kat. Can you come over tomorrow? Let’s talk about something we might have available.” She smiled, looking at Badger. “The file just came in. … That would be great. Thank you.” She smiled as she ended the call. “He’s coming tomorrow.”
“Perfect,” Badger murmured. “Now what’s up for tonight?”
She laughed. “Our kids are coming over to enjoy the pool, as usual, maybe some barbecued steak.”
He grabbed her hand, giving it a kiss. “With you, I’m game for anything.”
This concludes Book 22 of The K9 Files: Bauer.
Read about Delta: The K9 Files, Book 23
The K9 Files: Delta (Book #23)
Welcome to the all new K9 Files series reconnecting readers with the unforgettable men from SEALs of Steel in a new series of action packed, page turning romantic suspense that fans have come to expect from USA TODAY Bestselling author Dale Mayer. Pssst… you’ll meet other favorite characters from SEALs of Honor and Heroes for Hire too!
Delta is always eager to help animals in need, especially when the request comes from Kat and Badger. Learning the animal is a retired K9 dog, now serving as a comfort animal for other injured dogs, Delta’s determination only increases. However, arriving in town, Delta’s contact has now vanished, and Delta discovers the War Dog is missing as well. Although Delta had looked forward to dinner with the woman he’d spoken to frequently on the phone, he now finds himself entangled in a disconcerting theory that extends beyond just one War Dog.
Rebecca has always had a soft spot for animals, and retired War Dog Gracie has effortlessly found a place in her heart. However, Rebecca’s attempts to adopt her from the center are consistently thwarted. As Rebecca seeks a solution, she stumbles upon something far more sinister, and soon realizes she is out of her depth.
All she can do is hope that Delta comes through for both her and Gracie … before it is too late.
Find Book 23 here!
To find out more visit Dale Mayer’s website.
Author’s Note
Thank you for reading Bauer: The K9 Files, Book 22! If you enjoyed the book, please take a moment and leave a short review here.
Dear reader,
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Cheers,
Dale Mayer
About the Author
Dale Mayer is a USA Today best-selling author, best known for her SEALs military romances, her Psychic Visions series, and her Lovely Lethal Garden cozy series. Her contemporary romances are raw and full of passion and emotion (Broken But … Mending, Hathaway House series). Her thrillers will keep you guessing (Kate Morgan, By Death series), and her romantic comedies will keep you giggling (It’s a Dog’s Life, a stand-alone novella; and the Broken Protocols series, starring Charming Marvin, the cat).
Dale honors the stories that come to her—and some of them are crazy, break all the rules and cross multiple genres!
To go with her fiction, she also writes nonfiction in many different fields, with books available on résumé writing, companion gardening, and the US mortgage system. All her books are available in print and ebook format.
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BAUER: THE K9 FILES, BOOK 22
Beverly Dale Mayer
Valley Publishing Ltd.
Copyright © 2023
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
ISBN-13: 978-1-773367-55-2
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Dale Mayer, Bauer
