into her meeting, Jango following at her heels. “Hi, guys.”
“Let me get that.” Gabe, the oldest of the bunch, plucked the bag from her shoulder.
Her cousin had been right about one thing. The testosterone level in here was through the roof. Thank goodness the fourth brother, Jeremy, was still deployed. One more and she might have to take precautionary measures.
The Benton brothers each possessed an overwhelming male presence. When they got together, they were lethal. Three brown-haired, blue-eyed gods among men. And apart from T.J., the youngest and the runt at six feet, the brothers towered over mere five-foot-seven mortals like her.
Amy watched as Gabe placed the dog food bag on the ground, his biceps flexed. These men had to-die-for muscles. Eloise was right about that, too. Every woman in Heart’s Landing would love to see these guys without their shirts.
Except Amy.
To her, the Benton brothers were walking, talking reminders of the man she’d loved and lost. Darren had inherited the same blue eyes and brown hair. And like his brothers, Darren had walked into a room, and everyone had known he was there. They’d gravitated toward him. For most of their marriage, Amy had been by his side, content to bask in his glow.
But he was gone. The loss had been crushing at first. Darren had defined her world since she was fifteen. Year after year, she’d waited for him to come home and counted down the days until he deployed again. While he’d been on the other side of the world, she’d trained and boarded other people’s pets, dreaming of the day when she would have her own kennel and raise her own dogs. But those plans had always taken a backseat to Darren’s commitment to the SEALs.
Now, after eighteen months of mourning, she was ready to redefine her life.
“Do you want me to fill his bowl?” her brother-in-law asked, drawing her attention back to the office.
Amy shook her head. “I’ll do it. He doesn’t like it when others feed him.”
Gabe stepped back. No one in this room would question Jango’s preferences. Three of the four remaining Benton brothers were military war dog handlers, and T.J. worked as a vet at Lackland Air Force Base, caring for the animals and helping the trainers implement their programs.
“Great place, Ames,” Luke said.
“Thanks,” she said. All of Darren’s family had started calling her Ames when Darren had first brought her around. They hadn’t even been dating yet, but she’d already been part of the family. “How was your trip?”
“From Afghanistan?” Luke said. “Long, but uneventful. I’m looking forward to my two-week vacation before I report back.”
“Well, this won’t be a trip to the beach. I hope you got a good night’s sleep and are ready to work today. I have a list of projects a mile long to get this place ready for the puppies. I would love to move them out of my spare bedroom before we officially open. Bullet, the father of this litter, has been living here for a while now, but I still have five puppies and their mama in the house.”
T.J. clapped his hands together. “Bring it on.”
“We want this place to be perfect. Mom said most of the town will be here for the opening reception and dedication,” Luke added.
Amy nodded. Over the past few weeks, the simple ribbon-cutting ceremony for family and close friends had spiraled out of control. Amy had turned to her mother-in-law for help with the guest list, and the next thing she knew, one hundred and fifty people were coming to see her cut the ribbon. Caterers had been hired and a tent reserved. She was expected to give a speech.
“We’re here, Ames,” Gabe said. “For whatever you need.”
“Good. You guys are my crew for the next few days. The tent arrives Thursday afternoon. I told the rental company that my volunteers could handle putting it together. I’m investing everything in the dogs and the reception.”
Amy ran though her list of projects—build the obstacle course in the field, finish the fencing and install doggy doors so the pups could move between an indoor shelter and outdoor play area.
“Damn, Ames,” T.J. said. “You’ve thought of everything. Your training course sounds better than Lackland’s.”
“These dogs will be the best,” she said. Her pride would stand in the way of anything less. She understood what these dogs were capable of doing, and she knew the training they needed. When the DOD came to see them, her animals would be ready to ship out.
Gabe stepped forward and slung one arm over her shoulders, drawing her close to his side. “Darren would be so proud. He deserves this. To be remembered as a hero.”
Darren had given his life for his country. That was the definition of the word, wasn’t it? Whether she built a dog breeding facility in his honor would never change that fact. “He does,” she said. “But—”
“But he always was your hero, wasn’t he, Ames?” Gabe added. “Always perfect in your eyes.”
No. Amy pressed her lips together, not saying a word. Darren had been her husband and her best friend. She would always love him. But there was a time, before his death, when he’d stopped being her hero.
Gabe shook his head. “How did my brother get so lucky? We were born and raised in the same town, went to the same high school, and not one of us found a girl like you.”
“You found plenty of girls like me. I was under the impression you preferred to catch and release.” She glanced at her audience, hoping for a laugh, or at least a smile.
Nothing.
Amy felt something heavy pressing against her leg and looked down to see Jango. Good boy, he’d sensed her tension and decided she needed him.
Amy crouched down. “Need to go out, buddy?”
The dog looked at her as if to say, I can hold it, but you need to get out of here. Pronto.
“I’ll let you guys get started. I’ll be up at the house with the dogs if you need anything.” She stood and led Jango out the door.
“You got it, Amy. But don’t worry about us. We’ll have this place ready for you,” Gabe said. “We’ll swing by later after we pick up Mark and give you a progress report.”
“Thanks.” She followed Jango outside.
Four more days. She had to make it through the opening and dedication. After that, the Benton brothers would return to serving their country. She could pretend her dream was nothing more than a way to keep Darren’s memory alive for a few days. For their sake. Maybe it would help them. Transforming her vision for this place into a reality had allowed her to restart her life after losing Darren. It had given her a reason to get out of bed each day.
But purpose infused the Benton brothers’ lives. They served their country. For them, coming home was like opening an old wound. She had a hunch their grief felt fresh and overwhelming when they were back in Heart’s Landing. They didn’t see this town as a place to move forward. They came here to remember.
She stopped halfway between the farmhouse and the kennel, waiting
