Second Chance Soldier

But he hadn’t felt comfortable there.

Well, here he was. This sounded like the perfect long-term job for him—working with dogs and some human trainees, way off the usual grid of stress and having too many people around.

And Bear was with him. Dear Bear. They’d saved each other’s lives in more ways than one...

The two women reached the front porch of the main house on this vast piece of property. They stopped, turning to look at him.

“Come on in,” Amber said. Before, when he first introduced himself, he had looked her straight in the face only long enough to see how pretty she was, with smooth skin and full lips, and wavy hair that was a pretty reddish color. He’d also noted how intense her deep brown eyes were as they regarded him. That was why he’d quickly looked away.

He’d observed the rest of her then: Amber was curvaceous in her casual clothes.

Her mother, Sonya, who resembled her, was an older, shorter version. Again without looking her straight in the face, Evan had observed her. He knew she had recently lost her husband, had suffered pain.

He identified with that, though the circumstances were very different.

Now Amber had invited him into their house so they could chat for a while. Discuss a possible job offer.

And maybe interrogate him.

Well, she would be his boss if all went well. He had to deal with it. Once, he would have considered how to lure someone as gorgeous as her off to bed. Now, he had to decide only if he could put up with her giving him orders.

“Fine,” he said. “Is it okay if Bear joins us?”

The amazing shepherd, at his side, heard his name and snuggled against Evan’s leg. Evan couldn’t help smiling down at the wonderful dog.

“Sure. I’ll bring Lola in, too.”

Evan stopped briefly behind the women as they walked up the tiled stairs to the wide porch at the front of the ranch house. It was a two-story home, its facade made of long slats that looked like redwood, with decorative lighter wood arching over the door and around the windows at either side and on the second floor, as well as framing the entrance. The sloping roof was covered with contrasting black shingles. In all, it was a nice place and fit the rural, sparsely populated surroundings Evan was seeking.

Once they were inside, Amber led them into the moderate-sized kitchen, where Sonya started bustling around, brewing coffee. Amber gestured for him to sit at the round wooden table, and put a plate of cheese and crackers in front of him. She seemed like a nice person. An attractive woman...a very attractive woman. A welcoming woman. He started to relax, at least a little.

“Okay if I leave Bear loose?” he asked. It was.

Soon all three humans sat at the table with coffee in front of them. Bear lay down on the tile floor beside Evan, and Lola settled near Amber.

Then the fun began... Not.

Amber started with easy questions. How long had he liked dogs? How long had he worked with them? Where had he worked with them? He could answer those without much angst.

But then she began asking about the military experiences he’d had while working in the K-9 unit in Afghanistan.

It was all he could do to remain sitting there, answering, not looking at her...while the pain throbbed inside him.

Even so, he remained honest. Yes, he’d enjoyed what he’d done...but, yes, he had been wounded overseas. Bear had been there for him. Had saved him, bringing help when he had been injured by an improvised explosive device. And then...

Evan cringed. He saw again the IED’s explosion. Heard the concussive blast. Felt the pain. Watched Bear bring the other human member of his team who saved him...and saw Bear as he was shot by an unseen sniper.

Never mind Evan’s own injury, his agony. He’d stood and found a way to lift his dog and get him into the armored vehicle his comrade had driven there.

“Evan, are you all right?”

He hadn’t noticed Amber rise and rush over to him. Now she stood at his side. Bear, too, was standing.

He glanced toward the area around Bear’s hip where he had been shot, where his coat had grown back over the scar. Then Evan closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep, calming breath. For the first time, he looked up and stared deeply into Amber’s brilliant brown eyes and managed a smile.

“I’m fine,” he said. “Just a touch of PTSD. But working with dogs? That’s what I do. Did you say you wanted to discuss a possible job offer?”

“Yes,” she said, her voice cracking. “I do.”

* * *

Was this a mistake? This man she’d considered handsome and sexy and more, apparently had a messed-up mind.

PTSD. She was aware of it, of course, without really knowing how it worked.

It wouldn’t make a difference if this guy truly could train dogs and handlers the way he’d claimed.

He’d certainly looked good at it. And hopefully, with his experience, he’d do much better than the others.

“Okay, I’ll tell you what I’ve been thinking.” She knew her smile wavered a bit. But before she pulled her glance away she felt gratified that, for the first time, Evan Colluro had actually looked her straight in the face for more than a nanosecond.

His PTSD might be why he hadn’t before, but his stare at her now, his wry grin, made him appear different: vulnerable, sad, damaged, yes, but also even sexier.

He listened as Amber told him that the first classes he would teach would be to a core group of her father’s students from this area who’d been helping each other with their pet dogs to keep the skills they’d already learned here fresh. They would be at the ranch tomorrow afternoon, and Evan could start right away by working with them.

“But we’ll want you to go into it deeper, teach them more—just general training skills, though, not K-9. You’ll work with our three shepherd pups for that, and we’ll hopefully place them with police departments when they’re ready. Plus, you can provide new and refresher classes to other police K-9 handlers soon. But tomorrow’s students? We’ll use them as our basis for bringing in even more students who have their own dogs. Some can become therapy dogs, and we may also acquire younger puppies to start training as service dogs. If classes increase the way we hope they will, we’ll hire additional trainers to assist you, and you’ll get some say in who we bring on. Does all that work for you?”

“Definitely,” he responded. “We’ll need to figure out the scheduling, of course, and we’ll also need to talk about a hiring protocol once bringing in other trainers becomes more likely, but it’s a good way to start.”

Their earlier correspondence had included what Evan’s base compensation would be if he was offered the job, and how it would be increased depending on expansion of their classes. Plus, he would get a home to live in here on the ranch, rent free. So, though they were talking terms, it was more about how he’d teach rather than his salary and benefits.

To be fair, she had also mentioned why they were looking: her father’s death. Detailed news reports were online, so Evan was likely aware that the situation remained unsolved, although the cops didn’t think there was any residual danger. Amber hoped not, of course...but couldn’t be certain. And she’d be willing to discuss the difficult situation with Evan if he happened to bring it up sometime.

“If all that is okay,” Amber finally told him, pushing some paperwork and a pen toward him from across the kitchen table, “I’ve had this agreement drawn up. I’d like us both to sign it.”

“Sure.” But Evan took his time reading it, probably a smart thing to do. Soon, though, he picked up the pen off the wooden table and signed and dated two copies of the contract as indicated, then pushed them back to Amber. She was the one to sign them, not her mother. They had previously agreed that Amber would take charge of the ranch.

“Great,” she said after placing her signature on both copies and passing one back to Evan. “Now, let’s go show you your new home.”

Chapter 2

Okay, it was done.

Rather, it was just beginning. Amber continued to hope she hadn’t been too impetuous, too impressed by a tryout that appeared wonderful...but might not mean Evan could produce the many elements of dog training they needed him to do. Still, he’d been great with the puppies. That was what was important. The other stuff—his quiet demeanor, his admitted PTSD, his seldom looking straight at her—was just peripheral to what he needed to do around here to start fixing Chance K-9 Ranch until it was as successful as it had been under her popular, skilled and versatile father.

They were all back outside now, including the two older dogs, who now cavorted as if showing off to one another and to the humans around them. If Amber tried to motion to them or give them a command she doubted they’d change their ways. But if Evan did... Well, not now, though.

“There.” Pointing, she drew closer to the end of the paved path away from the house. It traversed the middle of the rolling green hills within the ranch’s enclosing wooden fence, and along it were some of the other homes on the ranch property. Those were for staff, and some located in the other direction could be rented out to students as they came to learn training methods, although there were also hotels nearby, including the one next door.

Four houses stood in a row here, all compact, single-story structures also constructed with redwood-resembling exteriors. Her mother and she led Evan past the first three to the one at the far end, then Amber turned to look at him. He stared at the house with an expression that appeared both assessing and pleased. Good. That was another plus on his chart.

“This one will be yours.” She walked up to the front entry, a plain wooden door with a window at the top. Having already dug the key out of her pocket, she unlocked the door, pushing it open to let him enter first.

Instead, he gestured politely for her to go in, then her mother. They both did so along with the dogs, though Amber had hoped to see more of Evan’s reaction to the place. Not that the house was anything fancy, but she’d checked its condition when she’d started looking for a trainer and thought it was adequate. The house had been built for ranch hands and their families by a prior owner, but had been rarely used recently, since her dad had had few live-in assistants. He’d kept it up, though, and always believed in treating any employee well.

The door opened into the compact living room, where a fluffy brown sofa and matching chairs faced a small wall-mounted television. A hallway led from it to the kitchen, bedroom and bathroom.

“Bear, come.” Evan headed first to the kitchen doorway. That was sweet, Amber thought. He appeared to want his dog’s opinion. Evan peered in as Bear ran inside, then back out again, followed by Lola. By then, Evan had moved to look through the bedroom door. The furnishings in both rooms were as utilitarian as those in the living room—adequate, but not particularly decorative.

Well, if he didn’t like anything, he could always replace it for as long as he was here.

Which, Amber realized, she hoped would be a long time. Provided, of course, that his teaching skills were as good as she believed they were thanks to his demonstration.

“Very nice,” he said. The compliment added to Amber’s estimation of him. He was polite to the point of exaggeration.

He’d turned toward her mother, his craggy facial features lifting into a smile. Amber realized she liked his smiles, despite their rarity and how short-lived they were. She liked it even more when he aimed them at her, but she had the impression he felt more comfortable with Sonya.

That was okay. Amber also liked the idea of her mom getting more involved with the ranch and dog training. It might help her move on with her life a little faster.

“Do you think Bear likes it, too?” Amber asked.

“Oh, yeah. It’s compact enough that he should feel pretty comfortable sleeping near me.” He bent to pat his dog’s head as Bear looked up at him.

Lola, meanwhile, was now beside Amber, sitting on the hardwood floor of the living room as if given a command to do so. Amber couldn’t help bending down to pat the black Lab’s furry head, too, and followed with a quick, warm hug. Similarly, Lola slept in Amber’s bedroom of the main house and had done so since her return to the ranch, though Amber had tried encouraging the dog to sleep in her mother’s room.

But Lola’s staying out of that room appeared to be a sign of her grieving, since Sonya remained in the master bedroom of the house even now that her husband was dead.

Amber didn’t mention that, despite a wave of her own grief pulsating through her as it did so often.

When she looked up from Lola’s back, she noticed Evan watching her.

“Well,” she said cheerily, handing him the house key, “were you optimistic enough about this job to bring any belongings with you?”

“Yes,” he said, “I knew you’d hire me. How could you resist?” That must have been partly a joke, since Amber saw the slightest of grins appear on his face as he continued looking down toward Bear. “My stuff’s in my car. I’ll get it in a bit. But—”

He seemed to hesitate, then turned toward Sonya.

Her mother smiled, though her smiles these days were a lot more serious than when Amber’s dad was alive. “Anything we can do to help you get settled in here, Evan?”

“Not really, thanks. Although—”

What was causing his hesitation? Amber got right to the point. “What else would you like us to do?”

His gaze moved this time to land on her. He didn’t look away immediately, and in fact appeared to center his attention right on Amber.

A strange current of confusion and interest swept through her. Not good. A new employee was supposed to be just that: someone to perform the job he was hired for, and that was all.

But Amber found herself highly curious about Evan Colluro. Highly interested in him.

In more ways than one.

“I’d like some additional information about the Chance K-9 Ranch and how training has been conducted in the past. I looked it up on the internet but I’d like to know more before I start conducting classes. Could we all go out to dinner tonight to discuss it?”

A frisson of some kind of emotion tickled Amber, but she sloughed it off. It wasn’t like he was asking her on a date—even chaperoned by her mother.

But what was it about this man that strummed at her sensations so much?

In a completely businesslike tone she said, “Of course. Sounds like a good idea.”

Only then did she glance at her mom—and couldn’t read her expression. Sonya remained an attractive woman at her age, yet since her husband’s death her facial features had seemed to go slack a bit, and there were more lines—definitely not laugh lines—at the corners of eyes, which were brown, like Amber’s. Right now, her pink lips were drawn up on one side as if in wryness, or pain.

“Sorry, dear,” she said in a low voice. “I think it’s a good idea that the two of you get together and talk more before the class tomorrow, but I won’t be able to join you.”

“Really? Why not?” Amber prepared herself to convince her mom that this was simply a business get-together. She needed to ensure she wouldn’t be alone with Evan on this outing. Not that she’d ever consider it a date, but she also didn’t want her mother, or anyone in town who happened to see them together, to think it was.

She was floored a bit by her mother’s response. “I’ve agreed to join Nathan for dinner tonight.” She glanced toward Evan. “That’s our neighbor, who owns the resort next door.” She returned her attention to Amber. “He’s been so—so kind since we lost your father. It’s just a nice gesture on his part, not a date or anything like that. You know I’d never do such a thing. But, well, he invited me, and—”

“I understand, Mom,” Amber interrupted, lying somewhat but not wanting her mother to suffer any further because of anything she did or said. “It’s probably a good thing for us to go out with friends right now.” But was this, unlike her prospective dinner with Evan, actually a date with their next-door neighbor, Nathan Treggory? Unlikely, especially since her mom recognized how it could look and rejected the idea.

But Amber still would want to hear more about it after the fact.

“Thanks for understanding, dear. And, Evan, I’d be glad to talk to you nearly anytime, answer questions and all. Just not tonight.”

“I get it,” Evan said. “Let’s talk some other time.”

So, date or not, Amber found herself committed to going out for dinner with Evan tonight to discuss the ranch and business and whatever else came up in the conversation.

About him, though. She had no intention of talking about herself.

And yet... The idea made Amber’s insides churn even more. What was it about this man that made her get all mushy and weird? The fact that he appeared to be sad and needy?

The fact that he clearly was a damn good dog trainer?

She’d have to keep in mind that she’d just broken up with the guy she’d thought was the love of her life and had no interest in getting involved with another man.

“All right,” she said brusquely, heading for the front door. Her mother was at her side with Lola. Evan and Bear were behind them. She turned. “It’s four o’clock now. Come over to the main house at six and we’ll decide where to go downtown—somewhere without our dogs?”

Why did Evan’s look seem as uncomfortable as she felt? And then he glanced up, briefly met her gaze and nodded. “Fine with me.”

And Amber, despite feeling trapped, felt herself smile.

* * *

Evan followed the women outside along with the dogs. Dinner with just Amber? Should he call it off? Tell her he’d forgotten other plans? Tell them he’d wait for a time when Sonya could join them?

But heck, some of what he wanted to discuss would be helpful at that first class he would apparently teach tomorrow.

Besides, being with Amber—lovely, in-charge Amber—might be one more step toward his forcing himself to leave old issues behind, plant himself firmly in this new life with all its promise.

“See you at six,” he said to her, then noticed a man walking up to the small house next to his along this row. He nodded toward him. “Who’s that?” he asked.

Both Sonya and Amber turned. “Oh, that’s our ranch hand, Orrin Daker,” Sonya said. “Come on. We’ll introduce you to him.”

Another new acquaintance? The idea felt unsettling to Evan, yet meeting someone else he should know as long as he lived here would be another step into his new existence.

“Thanks.” With Bear at his side, he followed the two women and their dog past the nearest houses to where Orrin, who’d apparently seen them, waited.

“Hi, Orrin,” Sonya said. “I’d like you to meet our new dog trainer, Evan Colluro. Evan, this is Orrin.”

“Hi, man,” Orrin said. Probably in his early twenties, the guy had a tall head of light brown hair and a matching beard and mustache. He wore a red Chance, California, T-shirt over scruffy-looking jeans. He stared—no, glared—at Evan as if he was an interloper out to steal his job and his home.

Which made Evan highly uncomfortable, yet he stared right back at the guy despite the effort it took—at least for a few seconds.

“Hi. Good to meet you. Make sure you let me know what you’re up to if you think it’ll affect my training here, and I’ll do the same with you.”

“Yeah. Right.” Orrin then slipped into his house.

“He’s really a nice guy,” Amber said unconvincingly. “He does a good job for us, and my dad even used him sometimes when he was all dressed up in a protective outfit as the guy the K-9s he was training attacked. His family has lived in Chance forever but his being right here on the ranch makes it easier for us to let him know what we need to have done.”

“Makes sense,” Evan said. It also made sense, judging only by this first, uncomfortable meeting, that they might want to fire the guy and get someone more personable and accommodating.

Did Orrin really like being an agitator during training sessions, or did he feel forced into it?

Well, Evan would find out. He was the newcomer. He was the one with the most to learn—and, hopefully, would have the most to give—in his new position.

Amber was standing beside her mother, and appeared impatient as she looked at him.

“Like I said, see you at six at your house,” Evan told her, hoping this entire situation wasn’t a big mistake.

Bear sidled up to him as if feeling his unease and wanting to make it go away. He hadn’t been trained as a service or therapy dog, but his effect on Evan these days was similar.

“Come, boy,” Evan said as the women and Lola walked off in the direction of their home. He began to follow at a discreet distance. He needed to move his car along the driveway extension they’d shown him behind the houses and park behind his new place. Then he could unload the clothing and few other items he had brought along.

He was about to start his new life—and that night, while he was with Amber, he would find a way to ensure he get along with her—and also turn off any totally inappropriate attraction he felt toward her.

His job here was to work with trainers...and dogs.

* * *

It was nearly six o’clock. Amber waited outside in the cool, brisk air beside her silver SUV, which she’d retrieved from the garage at the rear. It was now parked at the front of the driveway, near her house, right beside the main dog-training area, as she watched for Evan to appear. He had apparently moved his car since it had previously been parked right here. She assumed it was behind his new quarters. Good. For now, it should stay there.

This would be an interesting evening. For one thing, her new employee had invited her to join him for dinner. Her mother, too, of course, although that wasn’t now the situation.

Earlier, after returning from showing Evan his house, she had left her mother watching her favorite afternoon talk show on TV, and, in her own bedroom, used her laptop to do some online research about PTSD to see what she might learn about Evan.

From what she read, PTSD could involve quite a few different symptoms, from ongoing nightmares and depression and even suicide wishes, to just wanting to avoid people, including family members—and strangers.

But he’d invited his new employers to join him in a strange environment for dinner. Though Amber didn’t know what went on in Evan’s mind, his avoiding eye contact a lot indicated he wasn’t much for socializing.

That suggested he really wanted to work here. Maybe it was because he’d be dealing with dogs even more than people. That was fine with her.

Her mother had driven her own car to go meet Nathan a short while ago. That was good. He hadn’t come to the house to pick her up—which would have appeared more like a date, highly inappropriate considering how recently they’d lost her dad.

Just before Amber got ready to leave, she’d brought the pups in training inside the home, along with Lola. She enclosed the pups in the family room that her dad had outfitted to accommodate young dogs, since her mother would be gone, too. It contained crates and dog beds, and a washable linoleum floor. Fortunately, the dogs were all trained well enough already to be loose and not closed into crates for now.

She spotted Evan striding up the walkway in front of the employees’ houses. He cleaned up well, she thought as he drew closer. His interview and demo outfit had been nice but fairly casual. Now he had on a beige button-down shirt tucked into brown slacks, though he still wore athletic shoes.

She, in turn, had donned a blouse and midlength skirt, both in pale green. Her shoes were casual pumps with low heels.

They were both dressed as if this was, in fact, a date. Well, she’d make sure he remembered, as the evening progressed, that she was his employer.

“Hi,” she said as he approached. As they’d decided earlier, he hadn’t brought Bear, and she had left Lola in the house with the pups. That would give them more leeway about the restaurant they chose. She had a pretty good idea where to suggest. First, though, she asked in jest, in an attempt to ease any tension Evan might feel about spending this evening alone with his new boss, “What? A dog trainer without his dog?”