Valerie Hansen - Rookie K-9 Unit Christmas

Nobody was going to pull the wool over the eyes of the officials here, let alone fool trained dogs whose senses were so well honed.

The previous batch of rookies and their K-9 partners had helped nab a serial killer. If anyone should be scared of coming to Desert Valley, it should be criminals.

Zoe smiled. Strangers here stood out like bright blossoms on a Cholla cactus in December. Nobody was going to bother Sean and his son. Not while she and her friends were on duty.

TWO

Despite the terrain in Desert Valley being anything but Christmas-like, Sean noticed red and green decorations hung from every light post, and twinkling lights festooned the fronts of businesses along the main street of the small Arizona town.

As he looked for a place to park, he glanced in the rearview mirror at Patrick, who was still fast asleep in his car seat, then pulled to the curb in front of the only official-looking building he saw. He let his truck idle while he called Zoe’s cell. “I’m here. Where are you?”

“Already? What did you do, drive night and day?”

“As a matter of fact, yes. I’m in front of the police station. I’d planned to go in and ask for you, but Patrick’s asleep and I’d hate to wake him.”

“I’m at the training center. It’s about a quarter mile east, on the same road. Can you see the sign from there?”

He peered into the brightness of the rising sun. “I think so. Stay put. I’m on my way.”

The hair on the back of his neck prickled as he looked in the side-view mirror to check for oncoming traffic. There was nobody in sight, yet his senses remained on high alert, as they had been since the break-in. Every dark SUV seemed to be on his trail, not to mention a few other models and colors. The sensation was akin to driving on drifting sand that might be hiding an improvised explosive device. Yeah, been there, done that.

His focus shifted. There she was! Sight of the slim, dark-haired woman with a large dog at her side raised Sean’s spirits immeasurably. How could he have forgotten how lovely his old friend was? How pleasing it was to be around her?

Zoe waved. Sean’s heart beat faster. This reunion felt more like coming home than he’d imagined it would. He was older and wiser, of course. Well, at least older. If he’d been at all wise, he’d have realized how much Zoe had meant to him in the first place.

Cruising to a stop at the low curb, Sean sat behind the wheel and tried to regain control of his emotions. This wasn’t another flashback of the kind that left him frightened and fearful. This was the kind that made him want to weep and wrap Zoe in an embrace that should be reserved for close family—or the woman he loved. She was neither, and yet...

Her grin was wide, her dark eyes sparkling. He didn’t notice she was decked out in a police uniform and fully armed until he’d climbed out of the truck. Some men might have found that off-putting, but it pleased Sean greatly.

The decision of whether or not to hug her was taken from him the instant she threw herself into his arms. All he could do was hang on and blink back tears.

To his surprise and relief, her eyes were moist when she released him. She swiped at her cheeks, grinned and sniffled. “Bright sun will do this to me every time.”

“Yeah. Me, too.” He was so glad to see her he was nearly speechless. The urge to kiss her was too strong to resist, so he brushed his lips against her cheek before straightening to say, “You’re looking good.”

“Not so bad yourself,” she countered with a blush. “You’ve packed on more muscle since we were in college.”

“Compliments of Uncle Sam.” His gaze drifted to his truck. “I wish I’d known before, what I know now.”

“Yeah, well, time has a way of wising us up whether we like it or not.”

“You never married?” he found himself asking.

Zoe laughed softly. “If you asked my chief back in Mesa, he’d say I’m married to my job. I like to think it’s worth it.” She sobered. “Did you have any trouble getting here?”

“Not that I know of. I kept thinking we were being followed, but it was probably my imagination. I tend to do that. If I hadn’t actually fought with those two guys in my apartment, I’d be wondering if the attack was real.”

“I asked the chief here, Ryder Hayes, to send for a copy of your incident report,” Zoe said. “There wasn’t much to it.”

“Did it say whether there was news on the ballistics?”

“Not yet. Don’t get discouraged. We’ll keep an eye on your case.”

He scanned her khaki uniform. “Are you working here?”

“Not today, but I do sub. Just getting the dog used to seeing me ready for duty and doing a bit of extra training. Why don’t I get my car and you can follow me home. I’m sure you’d like to get Patrick settled and get some rest yourself.”

“Home with you? I figured I’d rent a motel room.”

“Don’t be silly. I have plenty of space.”

He eyed the panting dog at their feet. “What about your K-9? Will she be okay with a kid?”

“Yes, she’ll be fine. That was part of her training. These dogs can differentiate between felons and friends.”

Still concerned, Sean leaned closer to speak more privately even though they were alone. “Patrick is not typical in any sense of the word, Zoe. We’re going to have to be very careful when we introduce them. The poor kid has had it rough.”

“I understand. I really do,” she said. “But didn’t his doctors warn against babying him too much?”

“Ensuring his safety is not the same thing. If those guys who broke into our apartment had seen him acting up, they might have shot him just to make him be quiet.” Sean squelched a shiver. “When he gets scared and can’t communicate, he tends to panic.”

“Maybe Freya can help with that, too,” Zoe said. “This evening, after supper, I’ll invite my trainer and the K-9 cop who founded the assistance dog center to join us for coffee and dessert. That way Patrick won’t have to sit through a whole meal with strangers if he isn’t able, and they’ll still get a good idea of your needs. Okay?”

“Sounds like you’ve worked it all out.”

“I’m doing my best.”

“I know you are.” Starting to turn toward his truck he said, “Let’s go. I’m ready.”

* * *

Traffic was predictably light all the way to the rented house. The place was actually too big for one person but was all that had been available, so she’d leased it. Looking back, she wondered if God had arranged the extra room for this purpose. True or not, the notion was comforting.

She motioned Sean to pull into the driveway ahead of her. Instead, he drove onto the sorry excuse for a lawn and left room by the garage for her.

“I meant for you to use the driveway,” she said, approaching his truck.

“It all looks the same to me.”

“So I gathered. You parked on what’s supposed to be the lawn when it gets proper watering.”

“Sorry.” An eyebrow arched. “Is it always this cold here? When I think of the desert, I picture heat.”

“It depends on the elevation and time of year,” Zoe said. “A light jacket is usually enough for us, even in the winter. When there’s snow in Flagstaff and around the Grand Canyon, it can feel colder, though. It generally warms up during the day and cools off when the sun goes down.”

She leaned to peer into his truck and smiled broadly at the little boy who’d just awakened. “You must be Patrick.” When the child hid his face, she added, “My name is Zoe.”

“That’s right,” Sean said. “This is the friend I told you about while we were driving. She’s a very nice lady.”

Still, the child cowered. “I’ll go get my partner,” she told Sean, adding a smile at Patrick. “Then we’ll all go inside together.”