Second Chances (7 page)

What in the hell came over me?
Either he needed to get laid
badly or the lack of sleep severely affected his judgment.

One
glance found April still standing as before, staring at him with wonder in her
soft eyes.

He
cringed and berated himself more.
I’m
such a dumbass. Give the woman the totally wrong impression next time.
Sarcasm
laced his thoughts as he debated beating his head on a nearby fence post. He
snorted and strode quickly back down the worn path.

That
kiss. That absolutely decadent kiss. For the twentieth time so far today, April
recalled the moment Dusty sealed his mouth over hers and forever changed her
opinion of kissing.

She’d
read romance novels that spoke of embraces of pure passion, where a simple kiss
sounded nearly as intoxicating as sex. A big time exaggeration and a way to
ensnare the reader, drag them in, and leave them begging for more. Nice sales
tactic, but far from reality. She didn’t believe in fairy tales, no matter how
unbelievably hot the kiss.

Until
today.

Her
stomach did another slow, exquisite flip. One of many since Dusty poured
delightful magic over her, infusing her with newfound desire.

I sound like a lovesick fool
. She frowned. Sure, it happened
to be the best kiss ever, but that didn’t really mean anything in the long run.
Her track record of men could be considered dismal and Dusty didn’t say another
word after walking away. He just left her standing there, mouth gaping open,
with a dozen questions running through her mind.

They
still did. All with no answers forthcoming.

With a
frustrated sigh, she grabbed up a pitch fork and began mucking stalls. No sense
standing around batting her eyelashes and looking like a freshman with her
first crush on the bad boy senior. She’d long since left her teens and high
school behind. Besides, college taught her a few lessons about dating and the
opposite sex. Enough for her to tread carefully before leaping into any
relationship. Avoiding the whole fiasco sounded more rational than risking her
heart once again.

She
entered the nearest stall and started cleaning, picking up dirty hay and
manure, then tossing them into the nearby wheelbarrow. Dusty walked by leading
another pair of horses. He didn’t even glance in her direction.

And, there you go.

He obviously
reacted on some impulsive instinct and now regretted his actions. As much as
she wanted him to march over and treat her to another sampling of his kissing
abilities, she knew once again she dabbled in a dream. A man who’d been hurt so
badly that Lois, one hundred miles away, would hear about the unfortunate
situation, had to have deep scars and a shield of steel encasing his heart.

Too bad.
If he ever allowed himself to
open up again, the lucky woman would most likely find herself wrapped in a love
so wonderful, she’d dance in happiness for the rest of her days.

With
the sad thought, she attacked her chore with exuberance.

April
sat the grocery bags on the kitchen counter and methodically went about putting
items away. Her mind turned back to Dusty and that glorious kiss, which rocked
her world and put him on the defensive at the same time.

She’d
gotten up early and drove to the stable, just like every other morning since
her horses arrived. Today, she focused on them while hoping Dusty had put the
temperamental attitude behind him. No such luck. He barely glanced at her when
she entered the stable and didn’t bother to speak a single word. Ben greeted
her warmly, and then returned to Dusty’s side as if needing to be close.

The one
time she tried to say something Dusty quickly shut her down, led a gelding from
his stall and took him out to the pasture. He acted like a bear with a thorn
stuck in his butt all because of one little kiss.

A
sinful kiss. Hot, passionate, and the best one she’d ever experienced. Too bad
Dusty didn’t appear to feel the same way.

He’d
immediately thrown up a solid barrier between them, one she couldn’t break
through or find a way around. His actions only solidified her belief that he
regretted the impromptu action and now preferred to keep her at arm’s distance,
lest she get the wrong idea. No problem there. She’d figured that out
immediately afterward. The resulting sting of rejection served as a vivid
reminder not to get too close or expect anything more along the lines of
intimacy from the stubborn man.

Completely
frustrated she threw in the towel, April cared for her horses, settled them in
the pasture for the day, and left. No sense standing around when her mere
presence irritated the guy. Besides, errands and shopping were on her day’s
agenda.

She
opened the fridge and unloaded the rest of the goods. The plastic sacks were
added to a small collection. Taking her bottle of soda with her, April walked
into the small living room next to the kitchen, sat down on the couch, and
opened her laptop computer.

Ben—she’d
noticed his devotion and love for Dusty, his graying muzzle indicating advanced
age, and his sometimes stiff movements. The war dog, as amazing and smart as he
is, was slowing down. How much longer he had was anyone’s guess, but his years
were numbered. Sad. Very sad to her, but how would the loss of Ben impact
Dusty?

April
blew out a worried breath.

Sure,
she’d heard about post traumatic stress—a common occurrence with soldiers and
others who have been through a horrible experience. Dogs helped, especially the
soldiers, and steps had been made lately to unite war veterans with canines in
order to help with their symptoms. Successfully at that.

So,
what did that mean for Dusty?

Taking
a chance, April typed words into the search engine and hit the Go button.
Several entries popped up. One appeared more official than the others. She
chose it, opened the page, and started reading.

Ten
minutes later, she sat back and pondered what she’d learned. The military did
adopt out their dogs for various reasons. Some of the puppies didn’t have
enough drive to make them good war dogs. Those that had seen action were
retired for one reason or another. Or sometimes, a medical problem sidelined a
dog with great potential or had been working already. Understandably, the
handlers were given first choice to adopt the dog, but sometimes that wasn’t
possible. Then, the Army opened the adoption process up to the general public.
No charge to adopt the dogs, just fill out the forms, go on a waiting list that
could be one to two years long, and see if the powers that be would approve of
the person. Those on the list would wait for a call, months or even years down
the road. If they were chosen, they had to get to San Antonio and spend at
least a couple of days getting to know their new friend while learning about
the animal’s training, familiarizing themselves with the commands, and how to
transition a working war dog into a family pet. The visit was mandatory before
the Army released the dog to the new owners.

She
scrolled through the data again, checked out the dogs available for adoption,
and read their stories. There weren’t many, but every one broke her heart.

After a
few tours of duty, the dogs needed rest, understanding, and pampering for the
rest of their natural lives. The puppies were cute, but something drew her to
the canines that had done their duty and now earned retirement.

Just
like her horses, she preferred one who’d been through hell and had the
fortitude to plow through and survive. They reminded her of Ben. Smart, brave,
loyal. The love they had to give could be seen in their eyes.

How
could anyone turn their back on those deserving animals?

She
couldn’t.

Issues
started cropping up in her mind. She would keep the dog in the house with her,
but what about her twelve hour shifts at work? What about any vacations she
might take? Who would step up to take care of the animal when she was away?

A vet
clinic or dog hotel might be an option, but she hesitated. Chances are those
people never dealt with an animal like a military dog who could easily have
their own issues. No. She needed someone well versed in the role. Someone like
Dusty.

April
clicked on the adoption form, pulled it up, and printed it out. Reading it
over, she noticed a narrative and reference section where she could explain why
she wanted to adopt. What she jotted down would help make or break her as a
potential forever home for a dog. But what could she say that would set her
application apart from dozens of others the facility was sure to get each
month?

Dusty.

He
might be able to help her out with a sound reference.

Great
in theory, not so much in reality. Unfortunately, he wasn’t in the helpful mood
right now.

The way to a man’s heart is
through his stomach.
The old adage rang a bell.

Goodness
knows Dusty didn’t get hearty, home cooked food very often. Between the heat,
his lack of air conditioning in the house, and the fact that he’d just be
fixing for himself, it was no wonder Dusty lived on sandwiches.

Time
for a change.

April
turned off her computer and returned to the kitchen. She opened the fridge
door, peered inside, and debated what she could throw together that Dusty might
enjoy. The chicken caught her eye. She had fresh vegetables as well. The menu
started to mentally fill in.

With
renewed energy, she went to work on her latest goal—a peace offering in the
form of a hot, complete meal.

“This
is good.” Dusty chewed with relish. He watched the smile of appreciation appear
on April’s face. Blue eyes sparkled as if he just offered up a huge compliment
instead of simply praising a well cooked meal.

“Thanks.
It’s my mother’s recipe.” She cut off another bite of her chicken.

“You’ve
never mentioned your parents before.” He treaded carefully into the topic of
families.

After
he planted a kiss on her yesterday, he called himself twelve kinds of fool.
Yet, April seemed to take the show of affection in stride. She didn’t harass
him, pressure him, or even question him. Instead, she simply went about chores
quietly and efficiently, though he caught her staring at him more than once,
her gaze filled with curiosity and wonder with a hint of interest.

Way to go, dumbass.

Yet, he
couldn’t quite bring himself to apologize and explain the show of affection meant
nothing. The simple act revved his dormant engine and heated his blood hot
enough to match the blistering temperatures outside. For some reason, kissing
April meant something more than a prelude to a quick round of robust sex. Her
touch sank deeper, softened his resistance, and prodded him to consider
possibilities.

“My
parents still live in Oregon. I grew up there, started college there, before I
transferred to the University of Colorado. Ended up falling in love with the
area and stayed after graduation.”

He
heard an unspoken hesitancy in her words as if she was holding important
details back. “That’s a long drive home. Why did you transfer?”

She
looked down at her plate and played with her macaroni and cheese. “I met a guy
I thought I could love. Turns out he had a dark side. The first time he hit me,
I left. Finished up the semester and decided to pursue my schooling elsewhere.”

He
sucked in a breath, grappling with a sudden rage at the thought of a man
raising a hand to any woman, but particularly to April. “How bad?”

Glancing
up, she met his gaze before lowering her eyes once more, pain written clearly
on her face. “It was just a slap. Nothing horrible, but enough I knew I needed
to get away and fast.”

His
tension eased only in the slightest. If he ever found the man, to hell with the
law. He would beat him to a pulp just for the audacity of hurting her.
Everything he’d seen from April told of goodness and kindness, certainly
nothing that qualified as deserving of a single blow. “I’m sorry. Some men are
bastards and deserve to be shot.”

The
corners of her mouth hitched up. “Personally, I’d prefer dropping them in the
middle of a snake pit, but shot will work.”

He
slowly grinned back at her attempt at humor. The revelation told him much more
about her. She’d thrown out her opinion on men and relationships once before,
but he didn’t have a clue how deep the sentiment went or for what reasons.
Considering what she’d been through, he was genuinely surprised she didn’t show
more nervousness or edginess around him, especially after he ranted at her for
offering lunch the first time. He grimaced at his surliness and regretted his
abruptness once more. Yet, he hadn’t known, and she had stood up to him like a
mother hen to a hungry fox.

Respect
for her grew. She had no reason to trust men any more than he had to trust
women.

What a pair we make.
He couldn’t help but grin to
himself.

Forking
a piece of meat, he ate for a bit before saying anything more. “What did your
parents say?”

“They
helped me file a restraining order and launch a formal complaint both at school
and legally. With no evidence, there was no case, but they wanted the mark to
be on his record in case he hit another woman.”

“Smart
people. Show a chain of behavior that would prove his actions weren’t a
one-time, heat-of-the-moment thing.”

She
sipped her soda, and then tilted her head. “You sound like a lawyer.”

“My
father was one. So’s my older brother.” He cringed as the words flowed out. He
always strove to avoid speaking about his family. Now, he stupidly opened the
barn door inviting April to fire away.

“You’ve
never talked about them,” she quietly said.

“We…don’t
get along.” He chewed and chewed, suddenly finding the delicious dinner roll to
be a bit doughy.

“I’m
sorry to hear that. When’s the last time you spoke to them?”

He
debated how much to offer up before giving an answer. “Three years.”

April’s
mouth fell open as sadness and concern filled her eyes. “Oh. I really am
sorry.”

He
swallowed, took a long drink to wash the lump of food down, and nodded.

She
studied him for a long moment, then glanced down at Ben. “I’ve been doing some
research on adopting former military dogs. Even printed out an application. I
was wondering if I can use you for a reference.”

He
blinked at the change of subject, both relieved and perplexed. “You want to
adopt a war dog?”

She
nodded. “I know you and Ben share something special. I just thought about what
they’ve been through. The ones that their handlers or the family of the
handlers can’t take home. The dogs sit in the kennel and simply wait to be
adopted. It’s downright sad. They’ve given so much, yet are relegated to a dog
run and wondering if that’s their last home.”

His gut
clenched as he considered Ben in such a situation.

“My
only problem is I work twelve hour shifts. I can’t be home to let one outside
to potty. But, I want an inside dog.” Her mouth turned down in a frown.

He took
another bite of his pasta, this time swallowing much easier. “I’ll vouch for
you. Might be able to move things along a bit faster since I’m already in the
system.” He watched hope and excitement flash in her eyes, the sight enough to
shunt blood directly to his manhood. He ignored the sudden ache and found
himself offering up a solution to her problem. “I’m sure I can spare a few minutes
to go over and let your dog out when you work.”

“Oh,
thank you.” She beamed at him. Excitement and appreciation laced her voice.
“I’ll pay you for the doggie day care service.”

“Don’t
worry about it. Your helping out is more than enough to make up for a few
minutes letting a dog go outside to do his business.” He shrugged, felt his
heart buoy, and stubbornly tamped the surge of desire. He was simply helping
her out. That’s what friends do, after all.

Yeah,
except he fought the urge to strip her down, lay her across his bed, and drill
into her depths until she shouted his name in ecstasy. Too bad friends with
benefits wasn’t an option. Like her skittish filly, April needed time,
devotion, and a gentle hand. He’d gladly shower all those on her, except for one
small detail.