Pamela Tracy - The Soldier's Valentine

“We’ll think of something,” Aunt Bianca said.

Footsteps sounded on the porch. The bell over the door tinkled as a short man, definitely military, leading a midsize border collie, pushed his way in. Aunt Bianca immediately smiled and asked, “Do you need a room?”

“No, I’m looking for Gary Guzman.”

“That’s me,” Gary said, looking from the man to the dog. He didn’t recognize either and had the feeling he didn’t want to.

“I’m William Benedict, and I’m desperate,” the man began. “I got called up a week ago. I’m leaving in the morning and my sister just found out that she’s pregnant with triplets. She already has two kids not even in school. She can’t handle Goober now. I heard you took in Max Juergens’s dog.”

Aunt Bianca’s, Leann’s and Gary’s eyes all went to Goober, a beautiful black-and-white dog who didn’t look at all like a Goober.

“I’m staying with my aunt temporarily...” Gary said, noting the way Officer Leann Bailey watched him.

“Look,” William said, “my mother died six months ago. Goober was hers. I promised I’d take care of the mutt. I went online, and there’s places—families even—where I can board the dog, but, well—” his voice softened “—she was my mom’s, and Goober’s sensitive if not a little high-strung. She needs someone who will pay attention to her. I hear you have time.”

Time. Gary’s enemy right now because he just didn’t know what to do with it, how to spend it. One thing he could do was give good ole Max a call and a virtual kick in the butt.

“I’m not at a place where I can take care of...” Gary faltered as he noticed Aunt Bianca, who was shaking her head no. Unfortunately, standing next to Aunt Bianca was Leann, who was already bending down, stroking Goober’s ears and whispering, “Good girl. Such a good girl.” The dog—all bright-eyed with a ring of white around her nose, chest and both back feet—gave a polite woof and wagged her tail.

If Leann touched Gary that gently on the face, and if he’d had a tail, he’d be wagging it, too.

Leann switched her gaze from Goober to Gary, her eyes indicating disappointment. Great, she expected him to refuse to help.

He didn’t need, want, another dog, even temporarily, and especially not one “sensitive and a bit high-strung” and taken on just to impress a woman he barely knew. The way that William referred to Goober indicated he wasn’t attached to his mom’s dog. In the military, temporary could be years.

Gary made the mistake of looking at Goober, who was looking back at him as if she already knew and loved him. “Your mom named her Goober?” Gary asked.

Not a chance he could take the dog. Aunt Bianca was running out of coasters; Gary was already almost out of shoes.

“Actually, my mom let one of my sister’s kids named it.”

“She’s a great dog,” Leann said. She went to her knees in front of the dog, both hands streaming down the sides of Goober’s head.

William’s smile for Leann became a frown as he faced him. Gary quickly spoke up.

“I’m going to get a job. It’s just...” For some reason, Gary felt it important for Officer Leann Bailey to know he intended to be gainfully employed. For some reason, he didn’t see Leann as someone who would be impressed with a man taking a break to find himself.

Heck, he wasn’t always impressed with himself lately, either.

“It’s just that there are a few things Aunt Bianca wants to me do first,” he finished.

“Yes, and helping out at an inn really doesn’t give him much time to work with dogs.” Bianca focused on Leann and suggested, “Maybe you could take her?”

Leann stepped back from Goober and shook her head. “I’ve already got a dog, a turtle and hamster. All of which my sons promise to take care of, but I wind up doing most of it. Plus, when my boys go to stay with their grandparents while I’m on the job, they take Peaches. I doubt very much that they’d welcome a second dog.” With her hand still stroking the top of Goober’s head, she gave William a stern look. “Why on earth didn’t you call first and save yourself a trip?”

“I didn’t call,” William explained, looking solely at Gary, “because I was afraid you’d turn me down. I drove three hours to get here.”

As if cued, Goober gave a little bark and gazed adoringly up at Leann.

Gary rarely did anything rash. Being rash could put his team in danger, civilian lives in danger, but he wasn’t in Afghanistan or Syria now.

“What’s one more?” he said, reaching for the leash and bending down to pat Goober. “Come on over to the table—” Gary looked at the bag the man carried “—and let’s see what all you’ve brought with you.”

“Gary,” Aunt Bianca began. “I—”

“I promise I’ll make this good,” Gary said.

Benedict, clearly knowing when strategy was needed, jumped in with, “I’ve got her toys and favorite blanket in the car and enough food for a month.”

Gary led the way to the table. Behind him, Aunt Bianca coughed. She didn’t have a cold.

Without looking, Gary knew Officer Bailey was smiling. Still, he looked, and sure enough he’d managed to win her approval. Usually, his uniform or wit did the trick. This time, he’d needed Goober’s help.

No, more likely, Gary needed other types of help because he’d just taken on a dog he knew nothing about, from a person he knew nothing about, and all because he was trying to impress a woman he knew nothing about and who lived in a town Gary didn’t intend to make home.

He made the mistake of looking at her. She looked back and he was lost.

Man, she had beautiful eyes.

The cop, not Goober.

It’d be Gary’s luck, Goober probably obeyed commands issued in Chinese.

CHAPTER THREE

LEANN LEFT BIANCA’S Bed-and-Breakfast trying to wrap her mind around this newcomer. Gary Guzman was all hard edges and mystery. But, buried under all that baggage, he had heart. Otherwise, he’d not have taken Goober, or Wilma, for that matter.

She quickly filled out an incident report and then radioed the station to see what was up. It was the only thing she could think of to take her mind off the dark-haired, dark-eyed soldier who’d wandered into her town.

“Nothing’s happening,” said Lucas Stillwater. On the Sarasota Falls police roster, he had seniority. He’d been an officer for more than twenty years. He’d started talking retirement three years ago, had started the paperwork even, but then didn’t file. A month ago, the paperwork resurfaced, was updated and now waited in Lucas’s outbox: not turned in. Lucas was having a hard time retiring.

When he did, though, Leann was going to be a squeaky wheel. She’d done her time and was ready for a promotion.

Leann started her patrol vehicle and headed down the familiar road, driving by the town’s busiest convenience store, where she once prevented a robbery, then on past the high school, where the coach was always leaving lights on, either the stadium’s or his vehicle’s, and then she started thinking about lunch.

Oscar drove by in his cruiser, giving a honk and waving. She waved back. Why couldn’t he have been hired after Lucas retired?

She loved her job. Loved that as Sarasota Fall’s first and only female officer she had obligations that she met and that she made Sarasota Falls a better place, a safer place. Something changed inside her when she dressed for work. It was like she shed all her insecurities and became someone strong, someone to be respected.

Not because of who her parents were but because of who she was.

She needed that promotion, deserved it, so she could stand on her own two feet. Not that she didn’t appreciate her ex-husband’s parents, who provided free child care and unconditional love for her kids. Leann was the force that kept them from spoiling her boys the way they had their own son. Sometimes she succeeded.