the cop in question. He’d liked her better standing with the moon to her back. She was equal in height to his aunt, but where Bianca was soft and dark, Leann was toned and fair. He noted how well she wore her blue uniform.
“You looking for me?” he asked.
Bianca, a half frown on her face, told him. “I guess I didn’t take their complaint seriously enough. Officer Bailey’s here, something about a noise ordinance.”
Leann nodded. “Right now, I’m just issuing a warning, but—”
“I’m Gary Guzman. You met me last night.”
“Guzman,” Leann muttered before turning to Bianca. “I can’t believe I missed it. Oscar’s brother?”
“And my nephew. Younger than Oscar by two years,” Bianca supplied.
“Better-looking, too,” Gary put in.
He watched as a myriad of expressions crossed Leann’s face. There was surprise—probably a result of last night’s meeting or maybe his relationship to Oscar and Bianca. Annoyance—no doubt she didn’t like surprises. And detachment—she probably didn’t want to warm up to him while on duty.
“About Wilma,” Leann said. “You’re going to need to do something about her barking.”
“I’m working with her. Now that I know she understands German, I’ll be able to ratchet up the training.” He pulled the piece of paper from his back pocket and showed her.
Leann didn’t look impressed.
“It will just take a few days,” he promised. “She’s a good dog,” Gary inserted, “but I’ve only had her for a week.”
“Ah,” Leann said.
This time Gary could read her face. The smile reached her pretty green eyes, which suddenly registered a positive impression even as she said, “A rescue?”
“No,” Aunt Bianca said.
“More or less,” Gary put in.
Leann looked from one to the other.
“My friend Max has been in Germany the last three years, came stateside for a few months and was just deployed six days ago to a place he couldn’t take Wilma. It’s temporary.” Gary didn’t mention the arm-twisting from Max, or the adamant “No” consistently given by Gary, followed by Max finally showing up at the tiny apartment Gary was crashing at.
“Good of you to take in Wilma,” Leann said.
“No, good of me to take in Wilma.” Aunt Bianca shot Gary a look.
“I’ll let the neighbors know this is only temporary and that you’re working on the problem,” Leann said, suddenly back to being a cop. Gary liked the impressed lady better. He wanted that look back.
“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
