day. I could do this all day.
Cole shook his head as he scratched Freddie’s bright white chest. Then he realized the whole room had gotten quiet. Losing track of what was going on while he was working with a dog wasn’t that unusual. Looking up to see Sarah and Jen blinking misty eyes at him was a once-in-a-lifetime thing.
And terrifying. He’d learned to live without emotion. Seeing it on their faces and feeling it swirl in the atmosphere made him uneasy. Restless.
“He’s okay. I’ve got him.” Cole bent to put Freddie carefully down. “We should let him run around outside for a few minutes. Should help him concentrate.” Maybe they’d stay inside. The women. That would be good.
“Have some treats,” Sarah said as she reached in a tin on the shelf beside the door and handed Cole a few, bracing her feet to keep from being knocked backward into the doorframe by Freddie’s enthusiasm.
Beagles were known for their appetites. Freddie might have also faced some neglect. Attention and food would work wonders for this dog.
Sarah pulled open a door and stepped away. Freddie didn’t move. His eyes were locked on the treats in Cole’s hand. “Outside.” Cole laughed as intelligent brown eyes darted to meet his. No way, man. That’s what the dog’s expression said. He was staying as close to the treats as he could.
With no other option but to lead the parade outside, Cole stepped out into the hot sunshine. Later in the day would be better for training, but this was his shot.
Freddie drifted a few steps away, drawn by all the new smells. Cole eased down on a picnic table and tried to ignore the eyes locked on his every move.
Pretend this is easy.
He crossed one foot over the other and winced at the tight pull of his shirt across his shoulders.
“Freddie.” He whistled and waved a single dog biscuit in the air.
The picnic table kept him from being knocked over as Freddie launched forty pounds of muscle into the air. Cole caught him and set him down in the grass, one hand on the dog’s back, right above his tail. Freddie eased to an awkward, hovering sit. “Good boy. You know your name.” And your favorite dog treat.
He gave Freddie the treat and eased back, a signal to the dog to go on with his business. “I didn’t have a chance to complete an application but...” Cole lost his train of thought when he noticed Jen and Sarah were both staring at him with hands clasped in front of them. Rebecca was sniffing, her lips a tight line. What did that mean? Was it a good sign or a bad one? “I had some training in landscape maintenance and design. I could help with that.” He motioned at the second play yard, a wild mess of weeds that would need to be cleared before it could be used. “And out front, too.” The sign was new, but everything else about the front of the shelter suggested the shelter director had bigger things on her mind than the flower beds. “If I get the job.” That might sweeten his deal.
Sarah smiled brightly at Jen. Once they high-fived each other, he started to feel better about his chances of landing the probationary period. He repeated the same process with Freddie four more times, adding a “Sit” to each treat.
He had one last biscuit in his hand. This was it, his shot to show them he could work patiently with dogs like Freddie.
“You try it.” He waved at Rebecca. “Let’s see how he responds.” Why her? He wasn’t sure. If he had to come up with a reason, he’d say it was because Sarah and Jen clearly had experience with dogs, and he wanted to show that his training could work for someone who didn’t. Mainly, he wanted to see what she would do. Everything about Rebecca was sunny, like her whole life went according to plan. A dog would shake that up. They were messy and she was clearly into neat.
Rebecca wiped both hands down her white shorts. “Freddie.” She called him with a firm voice and then whistled like Cole.
He knew his eyebrows rose, but he was pretty surprised at the impressive whistle.
So was Freddie. The dog trotted up, spared Cole one glance and then stopped in front of Rebecca.
“Sit, Freddie.” When the beagle carefully folded his legs and sat, they all cheered. Freddie’s total time obeying the command had to be less than two seconds, but he was entitled to join in the party. Rebecca was still cheering when she dropped down in the grass and caught Freddie before he could lick her face.
She was giggling, her hair a curly halo blowing in the weak breeze, when she glanced up to catch Cole’s eye. “I’m not sure he’s cured, but you’ve made a good start, professor.”
Was she teasing him? Cole’s lips twitched in response, but answering her smile with his would be a mistake. She didn’t trust him. That was for the best.
Watching her smile fade as she realized who she was talking to confirmed his own mistrust.
Anxious to get the answer he wanted, Cole rolled his shoulders and heard the whisper of another seam. The shirt he’d found in his closet had been too big at eighteen, a thrift-store find his grandmother had bought for his graduation. He fit the shirt now like he fit his old life in Holly Heights.
“I say yes.” Sarah bent to run a hand down Freddie’s back. “I like his style.”
“You want someone with a green thumb,” Jen muttered. “And a strong back. Also, a good way with animals.” She sighed. “But a record, a history of bad decisions.” Her lips twisted. “Sorry. I’ve got to say no. For safety.”
Cole watched Rebecca’s shoulders relax. She’d been scared to death they might hire him.
“I don’t need a title. Forget assistant manager. I can just be a...worker.” He clenched the wooden seat with both hands to keep from making embarrassing begging motions. “One week. I’ll work for free for one week. And you call me extra help or something. I don’t need the title. But I need this job.” His mouth was too dry to say much more. “I need this place. I need this chance.” The words tasted terrible on his tongue, but he was desperate.
Everyone turned to Rebecca. “We should do some interviews. And if he’s the most qualified, then...” She shrugged. The way she studied the ground instead of meeting his stare was cowardly.
Cole was ready to mumble something about hoping they’d keep him in mind so he could escape, but no one was paying any attention to him. All the women were frowning at...Rebecca.
“I have to work with you, so I’ll make the final call. Better not make me regret it.” Sarah was shaking her head as she stepped around Rebecca and Freddie. “But I have two conditions.”
Cole was already nodding when she held out her hand.
“You work for one month as a probationary period.” Sarah held her hand up to keep him from shaking it. “With pay. And you start tomorrow. Very early.”
“Great.” Relieved and more optimistic than when he’d walked in that day, Cole whistled for Freddie. The beagle raced across the yard, ears flapping in the breeze, to lurch to a stop at his feet in an awkward sit. They still had a lot of work to do and Freddie would forget most of what he’d learned today, but he wasn’t afraid. As long as the dog treats held, Freddie would be the perfect student. “Good boy.” Cole scratched his ears and enjoyed the light wave of laughter that floated in the silence
