the service. Sandra told me she’d gone home to her family’s estate because she was lonely, not because she intended to stay stoned all the time and wanted Mommy and Daddy to watch Patrick.”
“That’s what happened?”
“Yeah.”
“So, you asked for a discharge?”
“It wasn’t that simple. I was on my way to the airport, ready to fly home because of Patrick’s accident, when one of my buddies drove over an IED. The explosion took out half the Humvee and killed two men. I was thrown clear. By the time I got out of the hospital, I’d been diagnosed with PTSD, Sandra had died from an overdose and Patrick was still struggling to recover.”
“Wow.”
Sean nodded soberly. “Yeah. My sentiments exactly.”
“You should be thankful you were able to get him away from your in-laws for this trip. I’m sure they didn’t like it.”
“I didn’t tell them. They act as though I’m the reason for everything that went wrong.” His jaw set. “Actually, they aren’t the only ones. I had a long layover in Minneapolis during the trip home and used the time to pay a condolence visit to the family of one of the men who’d been with me in the Humvee. They slammed the door in my face. I guess they blamed me since they had no one else around to be mad at.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“As they say, ‘No good deed goes unpunished,’ right?”
Zoe pulled into the supermarket parking lot, found a space and turned to stare at him. “Could they have been responsible for sending the thugs to harm you?”
“I can’t see why. Or how.”
“What about Sandra’s folks?”
“No. Violence is definitely not their way of handling problems. They have enough money to hire the best lawyers and sue for custody if they want me out of the picture.”
He saw her hands fist on the steering wheel as she asked, “Do you think they might resort to that?”
“Unless I can get a grip on my flashbacks and prove I’m stable, it’s a possibility. That’s another reason why I need the help of a service dog. I’ve seen for myself what a difference one of those can make. Guys who were hardly able to leave their houses are working again and leading fairly normal lives.”
“You managed to drive all the way down here. Are you sure you qualify?”
“I don’t know whether I could have made myself act if it hadn’t been for Patrick,” Sean said flatly. “Whatever I did, I did for him. And that’s what I’ll keep doing for as long as I’m able.”
She patted the back of his hand. “I believe you.”
The grocery store was crowded. Zoe grabbed a cart, wiped it down to eliminate germs and stood back. “There you go, Patrick. All ready.”
The child buried his face against his father’s shoulder and clung to him.
“Wait right here,” she said. “I’ll be back in a sec.”
There was no rule against taking her K-9 partner with her anywhere she went. She had left Freya in the car to simplify their shopping trip but could now see that had been a mistake. Freya was Patrick’s temporary service dog, had been since the moment he’d laid a small hand on her back and let her lead him from room to room in the unfamiliar house.
A working vest identified Freya the way a badge gave Zoe authority. She buckled it on and the dog assumed a more cautious demeanor.
“Good girl. Heel.”
Patrick’s face lit with a smile. His eyes twinkled. “Da.”
“That’s right, Patrick,” Zoe said. “The dog is coming with us. Can you show her how nicely you sit in the cart?”
She was afraid Sean might balk when it came time to let go. Thankfully, he didn’t. Patrick’s feet slipped through the leg openings, and he grasped the cart handle as if preparing to ride a bucking bronco.
“Freya will stay right here next to us while we shop,” Zoe said. “Will you help me watch her to make sure she behaves?”
The child nodded. “Good da.”
“That’s right. She’s a very good dog.”
Sean took up a position on the side opposite the dog so they flanked the boy well. Zoe supposed she couldn’t blame him for caution, but some of his choices seemed excessive. Maternal instinct kept insisting that there was no way any child could reach full potential when he or she was kept so close, so guarded, yet she could also identify with the urge to protect Patrick.
As they worked their way through the store, however, her opinion softened. Sean was gently but firmly requiring the boy to at least try to name whatever food he wanted them to buy. Truth to tell, she would have lost patience if she hadn’t known how important the exercise was.
“I didn’t think we were ever going to get those tangerines,” she commented on their way to checkout. “You did a wonderful job working through the name.”
“I watched the doctors,” Sean said. “It seemed to me they were making things too simple until I realized that breaking the words into syllables was the way to go.” He stepped ahead of her and took out his wallet. “Let me get this. Most of it’s for us, anyway.”
“I don’t mind.”
“I know. Humor me.”
His smile warmed her cheeks enough that she backed off and let him pay. Freya stayed at the rear of the cart as they both bent to unload it. Zoe was concentrating so completely on Sean, it took her a few seconds to notice the dog’s low growl. She grabbed his arm to still him and froze, herself.
His response was immediate, his voice raspy. “What?”
“The dog. Look.”
Instead of facing them, tongue lolling and tail wagging, Freya had turned so that her back was to Patrick and the adults. She was staring past the next person in line and focusing on one of the aisles.
Zoe rested the heel of her hand on her holster and straightened. “You finish checking out while I go see what’s wrong.”
“No.”
The command was so forceful, so packed with emotion, she stopped. He was right. If the dog was sensing danger and had put her back to them, then she was reacting to an unseen threat inside the store. As an off-duty police officer, it was still Zoe’s duty to protect and serve. Should she protect her friends and serve the community by calling the station and reporting a possible problem? Maybe. The trouble was, without any visible threat she’d be out of line to do so. Nevertheless, she made the call.
Staying on full alert, Zoe kept her eye on her dog and the other shoppers while Sean loaded the bags in their cart and paid the cashier.
“Ready to go,” he said behind her.
