Trained To Protect. Linda O. Johnston
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intense hazel eyes.
“Maybe,” he said, then looked down and patted the top of his shepherd’s head. “As long as Hooper doesn’t mind. He provides all the therapy I need.”
Doug Murran ran into a lot of women both in his capacity as a police officer and in everyday life, even in a town as small as Chance. Some were nice looking, even pretty.
But few were as attractive as Elissa Yorian.
Maybe it wasn’t only her sexy, appealing appearance in her attractive professional outfit, though. Or her slightly unkempt blond hair framing a lovely, mostly smiling face.
Maybe it was because she clearly loved dogs. After all, she was a therapy dog handler and trainer. She was additionally a nurse, another indication that she cared about helping people.
He cared about helping people, too, though from a different perspective.
He was a cop.
“Do you two have time to join us for coffee?” Amber asked.
“Sure.” He moved his gaze to the K-9 Ranch owner. He’d just been about to suggest the same thing—even though he figured his dear sis, Maisie, would balk at the idea. They’d intended just to come in and leave with take-out coffee. But their next meeting at the Chance Police Department headquarters wasn’t for another half hour.
“Oh, but—” Maisie began from beside him.
“But we can’t stay long,” he added. He didn’t look at Maisie, knowing her gaze would be shrewd and critical.
She knew him well, for multiple reasons—as both his sibling and coworker. But he stayed out of her way—mostly—when she began flirting with a new guy. She needed to learn to do the same with him.
For now, to placate her, he said, “Do you want the usual, Officer Murran? My treat.”
“Yes, thanks, Officer Murran,” she responded, a droll look in her eyes. But telling Griffin to sit, she walked off to pick up a couple more chairs.
While he, Hooper at his side, went to order their regular black coffees and mixed-fruit muffins.
Doug was glad to see that the chair remaining empty after he picked up their drinks and food was next to Elissa’s. He first set Maisie’s stuff on the table in front of her, then took his seat. “Sit, Hooper,” he said, and of course his well-behaved, obedient—and smart—shepherd listened.
“He’s lovely,” Elissa said. “Is it okay to pet him?”
“Sure, in this kind of situation, when we’re not on duty.” He couldn’t help grinning when he saw Hooper ease his head up to meet the gentle scratching that Elissa leveled on him behind his tall ears. Too bad he wasn’t getting the same kind of treatment.
But good thing they were in a social setting here. If Elissa happened to be a civilian involved in some manner in one of their cases, no way could he even consider being attracted to her.
That was how it should be. It had additionally been drummed into both Maisie and him by their wonderful uncle Cy, who was also a cop.
“Like Doug said, we can’t stay long,” Maisie said before Doug had decided how to start a conversation. “But I’ve always had an interest in the possibility of having Griffin trained as a therapy dog for when he’s too old to work as a K-9. He’s a wonderful K-9, and he’s been known to bring down a lot of bad guys, but he loves people, too.”
“Well, if things work out and Elissa becomes our new therapy dog trainer,” Amber said, “you’re more than welcome to participate in one of her classes. No charge, either. You and your dogs have come through for me plenty in the past.”
Doug shot a glance toward Elissa. Would she balk at the possibility of some students who didn’t pay? He’d heard that therapy dog handlers were mostly just volunteers anyway, but Elissa was here interviewing for a job. Of course, she’d probably still get paid by Amber, who had often demonstrated what a good citizen and training supervisor she was during her fairly short career in that position here.
“Really?” Elissa said. “How?”
“I’ll tell you all about it if things work out between us,” Amber said.
“That gives me an even better reason to do a really good job at tomorrow’s demonstration.” Elissa’s smile, first at Maisie and then at him, caused a slow sizzle to build inside him. That was emphasized even more when Elissa said to Amber, “Will the demo be just to you, or will others be present?” She shot a quick glance toward Doug that then landed on Maisie. To his surprise, he had a real urge to be at the K-9 Ranch tomorrow. Too bad he figured it wouldn’t work out.
“Oh, my mother and some of my staff might be there, too,” Amber replied.
“One in particular ought to be there,” Doug added somewhat slyly. “How about your head trainer Evan?”
He knew of their mutual attraction and half expected her to blush a bit, or to attempt to stick a bland expression on her face, but instead Amber’s grin widened. “Oh, absolutely,” she said. Then she looked at Elissa. “He joined us recently after some really great demonstrations. And now he’s continued to prove himself to be both a wonderful K-9 and pet dog trainer. He’s our head trainer at the ranch, our only trainer right now, actually, though we’re looking for others.”
“Does he train therapy or service dogs or their handlers, too?” Elissa asked.
“No, although my dad, who was his predecessor, did a little work with therapy dogs.” Amber’s face looked sad for a moment, but she shook her head then smiled a little. “That’s why we need you for the therapy angle,” Amber continued. “Assuming, of course, that all goes well.”
“Of course,” Elissa said.
If Amber hired Elissa, Doug figured she would give her a quick rundown about the Chance K-9 Ranch’s background—probably including how Amber’s dad had been murdered in a then-unsolved case, and how Amber had come home to keep the ranch going for her mother and herself, without knowing anything about dog training.
She’d held tryouts, and Evan had won.
And she and Evan had managed to figure out together who’d killed Corbin Belott...
“I gather that you two won’t be there to watch my demonstration,” Elissa continued, “which is a shame. My pet and therapy dog Peace is also a golden.” She reached over to caress Griffin’s head, and Maisie’s dog wagged his tail vigorously as he leaned toward the woman petting him.
“It is a shame.” Maisie did appear sorry. “But you’ll see Griffin and me again, to watch if and when you start your classes at the ranch. You can count on that.”
“I will.”
Doug noted that Elissa again aimed a brief gaze toward him, then looked once more at the dog whose head she stroked. If she was silently inquiring if he’d be around to observe future therapy classes, too, he would have thought his response would have been an unqualified no.
Before.
Now, he wasn’t so sure.
But heck. It was time for Maisie and him to go. Sure, he found this new acquaintance charming and sexy and definitely of interest for the future—but she had yet to be hired and he might never see her again.
Too bad.
Well, hopefully she would land that job at the K-9 Ranch. There’d at least be a possibility of seeing her again then, though not as his or his dog’s trainer.
He rose then. “Nice meeting you, Elissa.” He offered his hand for a polite and noncommittal shake. When she grasped it firmly in hers, he had to resist pulling her close for a goodbye kiss.
Ridiculous. His mind was taunting him as if he was a sex-starved teenager.
As Maisie, too, said her goodbyes to Elissa