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.”
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