Their first stop the following morning was to be the training center. Sean had made pancakes for all of them while Zoe tended to the coffee and helped Patrick dress. He had only allowed her to assist the boy because the doctors had recommended changing off caregivers to encourage independence. It had apparently worked because when she entered the kitchen, Patrick was holding her hand and walking. His gait was stiff and somewhat awkward, but he seemed far more capable than previously.
“We came for pancakes.” Zoe helped the boy into a chair and tucked a napkin under his chin.
When she paused and looked to Patrick, Sean heard him say, “Please.”
“My pleasure.” Deeply moved, Sean was turning away to tend the stove when his son added, “Please, Dad-dy.” The frying pan faded for a moment while he regained control of his emotions.
When he looked back at the table, Zoe was beaming. “Good, huh?”
“Very good. Thanks for helping.”
“Freya helped, too. She pulled on the toes of his socks while he tried to put them on. Patrick had to really fight to get them up.”
“By himself?” Sean was astonished.
“Yup. All by himself.”
“That’s wonderful.”
Zoe joined him at the stove. “Why don’t you let me finish cooking while you two eat? I’m used to grabbing a quick cup of coffee and whatever I can chew on the run.”
“Are we in a hurry?” Sean asked, suspicious.
“You do want to get started with your new dog, don’t you?”
His brows knit. “Yes. But I’m getting the idea that there’s more to your suggestion than you’re letting on. What is it?”
“Nothing. Just...”
“Just what, Zoe?” Instead of going to the table, he lingered close to her. “You may as well tell me. I’m not going to eat a bite until you do.”
“All right.” As she raised her face, he saw concern mirrored in the dark depths of her eyes. “They got a hit on the ballistics from the bullet fired in your apartment.”
“And?”
“And that gun had been used before. In multiple murders. Whoever came after you was no novice, even if he did behave like one that night.”
“Hit men? Somebody sent professional hit men after me? Why?”
“It’s anybody’s guess,” she said. “The only good thing about the information is that they’re unlikely to have left the metropolitan area and followed you here.”
If she had not been trembling slightly, Sean might have felt more comforted by her conclusion. Taking her elbow, he guided her to the table and urged her into one of the chairs. “Sit. I’ll bring you breakfast. And then we’ll go get my dog so I can be on my way.”
“It doesn’t work like that,” she insisted. “If you’re paired with one of Ellen’s assistance dogs, you have to stay in Desert Valley for training.”
Sean hesitated. Of course he had to stay. There was no way he’d get the help he needed unless he played by the rules. He filled three plates and delivered them to the table, then busied himself cutting Patrick’s food into bite-size pieces while he processed his dilemma.
“I see your point,” he finally said. “And I suppose it won’t help if I keep running. I was just trying to remove the danger from around you.”
“I’m not the one you should be worrying about,” she said. “After we see how Angel reacts to Patrick, we’ll take Patrick to the day care that I think is best.”
“I don’t want...”
“I know. You don’t want him away from you for a second. I get it. I do. But he’ll be safer mixed in with other kids than he is if he stays with you all the time. You’re the target, he isn’t.”
“Apparently. I just wish I knew why. The only important thing in my life is my son.”
Zoe frowned. “As far as you know. There has to be something else going on. Someone hired the hit men for a reason. And the guys who are after you seem to be high-end. Who do you know with money to burn?”
“Sandra’s parents, Alice and John Shepherd. But like I said, they’d hire a lawyer, not a thug.”
“If you say so.” She stuffed a bite of pancake into her mouth and licked her lips, momentarily distracting Sean and making him wonder what it would feel like to kiss that sweet mouth for real instead of only in his imagination. Shaking off the unwarranted thought, he said, “Okay. You’re right. We’ll go visit the day care. But I won’t promise I’ll leave him.”
“Fair enough.” Zoe licked her lips again, then reached for his mug. “More coffee?”
Sean was still staring at her tender, sweet mouth. “Huh?”
“Pay attention, Murphy. Do you want a refill?”
Sean merely nodded. He’d been paying attention, all right. To the wrong thing. The more time he spent with Zoe, the more he realized what a fool he had been to marry Sandra. He’d apparently been deluded by his youthful desires and had made the biggest mistake of his life; one it was too late to correct.
Or was it? Studying Zoe and admitting his own shortcomings, he concluded they would never be a good match. Not now. Not when she was so capable and he was damaged goods. Sadly, their chance for happiness had passed. He was simply pleased she’d stepped into his life long enough to render the kind of specialized aid for which she’d been trained.
Those thoughts led him further into the doldrums and left him wondering if she would consider looking after Patrick if something bad happened to him. It wasn’t fair to even suggest it, of course, yet he desperately wanted to be able to count on someone he trusted. To know his son would be loved and cared for if the assassins finally succeeded.
Maybe later he’d bring up the subject, Sean decided. If he lived long enough.
A gentle touch on his arm drew him back to the present. Zoe had put down his steaming mug and was leaning closer, staring as if he’d just had an episode of regression. If he turned his head just a little, maybe...
“Earth to Murphy. Are you all right?”
“Fine.” He swallowed hard. “Thanks for the coffee.”
“Where were you just now? You didn’t seem to be fighting a war again.”
“Not the shooting kind.” He laid his hand over hers and lowered his voice to speak more privately while Patrick happily stuffed himself, ignoring the adults. “I was just imagining the future if something happened to me.”
“Well, something won’t, so cut it out.”
“If something did—” he cleared his throat and continued in a hoarse whisper “—would you consider becoming Patrick’s guardian?”
“Me?”
“I know it’s a lot to ask, but...”
“I’m not refusing. I’m touched, that’s all.” She eyed the content child and smiled. “He’s the most important person in your whole life and you’re offering to trust me to take care of him. Of course I’d do it.” She placed her free hand over where theirs were joined, and sniffled.
The moisture glistening in her eyes brought a similar reaction in his as he said, “Thank you.”
Next to them, grinning and sticky with syrup, Patrick giggled and echoed, “Tank you,” interrupting their moving exchange and destroying the romantic mood.
Zoe recovered first, pulled away and pointed to the boy. “Your daddy will clean you up while I clear the table.”
“I will?” Sean lifted an eyebrow.
“Oh, yeah. I may have offered to look after him in an emergency, but I’m not starting now. You fed him pancakes, so you get to wash off the sticky.”
“You drive a hard bargain, Officer Trent.”
She laughed. “You’d better believe it.”
Sobering, Sean lifted his son into his arms. “You meant what you said? You’ll step in if...”
“Absolutely. And if you’re as serious about it as I am, we need to see an attorney and make it official.”
It occurred to him to tease about marrying her, instead, then decided it would be cruel to even suggest such a thing. He was not going to place her in an untenable position, nor was he going to take the chance she might actually agree, for Patrick’s sake.
“Fine,” Sean said, as he left the kitchen. “You make the arrangements, and I’ll keep my head down until it’s legal.”
“You’d better plan on keeping it down a lot longer than that,” Zoe shouted after him. “I understand puppies a lot better than I understand little kids.”
It was a delight to tour the training facility with Patrick. Every dog excited him, especially the pups he saw when Zoe kenneled Freya.
Crouching, she pointed to a pile of K-9 vests. “Remember how Freya acted different when she was wearing a police jacket and badge like those? Some of the dogs we have here are not very friendly even when they aren’t all dressed up, so you shouldn’t try to pet them without asking first. Understand?”
Patrick’s head bobbed, his expression solemn. “Uh-huh.”
“Good. Now let’s go find my friends.” She stood and offered her hand. “We need to introduce you and your daddy to Angel.”
Judging by the way his eyes widened and he tugged on her hand, Zoe assumed the reference had confused him. She explained. “That’s her name, honey. She’s not a real angel, like in the Bible.”
He seemed to be searching for a word. “Wings?”
“No, Patrick. No wings. She’s just a really sweet dog. Come on. The trainers are waiting for us.”
A wry smile on Sean’s face reminded her that Sophie and Ellen had warned him about possible problems. If he wasn’t open to accepting Angel, Zoe wasn’t sure he’d have a second chance. Of course, he wasn’t the only one who needed to display camaraderie. The dog’s reactions were as important as the human’s.
“I’ll take care of Patrick for a few minutes while you go with Ellen,” Zoe said as soon as pleasantries had been exchanged. “We’ll be right out here, watching.”
He eyed her casual attire. “You’re not armed today.”
“Not visibly. This place is always full of officers, so there’s no need to worry. Most of the previous rookie class is still here, working for the DVPD, and some of those in my group stayed over to sub so officers like Shane Weston could go home to Flagstaff for Christmas. I think you’ll like Tristan McKeller when you meet him, too. I mentioned him—he’s a former soldier, same as you.”
“The same? I doubt that.” He hesitated. “You do understand why I won’t carry a gun, right?”
“Because you don’t want to have a flashback episode and make a terrible mistake. I get it. But if you think about all that’s happened here and the way you’ve been protected, you’ll see there’s no need to be armed.”
“I suppose gut feelings don’t count.”
“Not if they’re yours. Sorry,” she said, smiling to soften the comment even more. “Give it time. Heal. Work through your nervousness with a service dog by your side. Then you won’t even want to be armed.”
Sean sighed noisily. “I hope you’re right.”
“Haven’t you heard? I am always right.” Nudging him through the doorway after Ellen, she lifted Patrick and balanced him on her hip. “Wow. You’re heavy today. Must be from all the pancakes you ate.”
“Uh-huh.”
As his small arms circled her neck and squeezed, Zoe felt a surge of emotion she had not anticipated. He was all shampoo and soap and syrup and...and love. How had that happened? She’d liked him from their first meeting but had attributed those feelings to her friendship with his father. This was different. This was personal. And very dear.
Toting Patrick to the one-way viewing window, she told him to watch while his daddy met the dog that might provide their deliverance. Having a bond develop during an initial meeting was iffy, at best. The quirk on Angel’s side was her overabundance of love. She could track fairly well, but was more likely to lick a criminal she apprehended than to growl or bite him as she was supposed to. That was what had ultimately washed her out of the K-9 cop program.
Sean was seated in a chair in the center of the room. A side door opened. Sophie started to lead Angel in and was almost jerked off her feet when the dog realized there were other people present.
“You may as well release her,” Zoe heard Ellen say.
“Da!” Patrick didn’t take his eyes off the leaping, dancing, pulling canine. “Da-gh.”
Zoe gave him a squeeze. “That’s right. Dog. Very good.”
“Daddy.”
Tears pooled in Zoe’s eyes as she watched the scene unfold. Unleashed, Angel left the trainer at a run, made a dash to Sean and almost knocked him over backward, chair and all, when she tried to jump into his lap.
Of course he did everything wrong after that, including hugging the affectionate dog and letting her lick his face. She made several circles around the room, her nails scrambling on the slick floor, then returned to him to greet him with more exuberance.
All Zoe could do was whisper, “Thank You, Jesus,” and swipe at her damp cheeks. They still had a lot of work ahead of them, but Sean and Patrick Murphy had their service dog. They would be staying in Desert Valley for training.
The two trainers had managed to corral Angel, fit her with a working harness and put her back on a long leash so Sean could walk her in the fenced training yard.
“How did you know she’d take to my son so fast?” Sean asked Zoe.
“She loves everybody. That’s her problem. She’d rather give and receive affection than settle down and work.”
“And that makes her good for me how?”
“We’ll have to wait and see. If she forms a strong enough bond with your family, she may naturally provide protection.”
“Suppose she doesn’t. What then?”
Zoe surprised him with a sock on his shoulder. The dog was so busy wiggling and trying to lick Patrick’s face she didn’t even seem to notice the playful blow.
“Hey. What did you hit me for?”
“Because of your rotten attitude. How can you expect good results when you think so negatively?” She waved her hands in front of him as if erasing the comment. “Never mind. Forget it.”
Watching the interaction between Angel and the boy, Sean realized she had a valid point. “You’re right. I was being a downer. Sorry. It’s just...”
“I know. Let’s take it one day at a time.” She eyed the happy dog. “This morning is off to a great start.”
“Can I let her go soon?”
“Why? Don’t you like being pulled along like a musher on a sled in Alaska?”
“Not particularly. I know Ellen said she needed a strong man to control her, but doesn’t she ever quiet down?”
“Actually, letting her run off some of that excess energy might be good.” Zoe grabbed the leash near the harness and firmly commanded, “Sit.”
Angel plunked down, trembling with excitement but sitting all the same. As soon as the clasp clicked, she tried to bolt, but Zoe still had hold of the harness. In a few seconds she gave the command of release.
Patrick clapped his hands as his new furry friend took off in a dead run, circling him as if corralling a herd of sheep.
“That’s natural instinct,” Zoe said. “Angel was a rescue. Her former owners insisted she was incorrigible. Because border collies are known for their intelligence, Sophie decided to put her in training and give her a chance.”
“It’s going to be hard to find her some sheep to chase around in St. Louis.” As soon as he’d mentioned his former home, he saw Zoe’s smile vanish. He didn’t blame her. Thinking about their parting didn’t make him happy, either. She was right about his mind-set, though. He needed to keep up his spirits for everyone’s sake, especially Patrick’s.
Forcing a wide smile, he tried to encourage his old friend. “Maybe I should buy a ranch.”
Her brows arched. “Can you afford one?”
“No. Sandra kept insisting she had some kind of a trust fund to fall back on, but she never proved it to me. I imagine it was the drugs talking. If she’d had money, she could have gone anywhere instead of complaining about the housing I had provided on base and moving in with her parents.”
“Did you ask them about it?”
“No way. They already thought I married her because they were wealthy. The last thing I want to do is mention piles of money, particularly before I get back on my feet and get a job to supplement my temporary disability.” He shaded his eyes to watch the dog, saw her circle again and head straight for Patrick.
The boy opened his arms. Angel plowed into him and sent him sprawling. With an angry shout, Sean raced to the boy and tried to shove her away.
Instead of giving ground, however, she stood fast, feet braced and curled a lip at him while Patrick laughed so hard he was gasping for breath.
“Stop,” Zoe ordered. “Freeze. Look at the dog.”
Sean rocked back on his heels once he realized the child was unhurt. “What’s she doing?”
“Protecting him. From you. You came at him shouting, and she sensed you were upset so she stood guard.”
“She’s supposed to look out for me, too.”
“I think she will, once you two have bonded more. Right now, I want to tell Ellen what just happened.” She pulled out her cell phone. “This is amazing!”
As Sean relaxed and dropped into a sitting position beside the dog and child, he saw the canine back off, too. Given that he wanted to help Patrick as much as himself, he couldn’t argue with what he’d just seen. If Zoe was pleased, so was he.
Deep breaths calmed him further. Scanning the yard, he noticed obstacles and jumps and all sorts of strange contraptions that he assumed were part of the training regimen. As soon as Zoe finished reporting to the service dog trainer, he planned to ask her how the equipment was used.
Definite joy filled her conversation. “That’s right. She stopped to defend Patrick. I know. It’s wonderful. Okay, we’ll...”
When she broke off in midsentence Sean turned to look at her. Saw her pointing. Whipped around to follow her line of sight.
“The west fence,” Zoe continued, this time cupping a hand over the phone to mute her words. “There’s a guy standing out there now. He looks just like the man in the stolen red truck, the one they chased near the grocery store!”