Page 37 of Stalked at Rescue Ridge

He made good points.

Her self-control had taken a momentary vacation a few minutes ago. Rinty hadn’t made a peep when Kade had kissed her. She’d welcomed the contact. This was different. She was in pain and he moved too quickly.

She said a few more words meant to soothe the dog when he got up and moved beside her. Did he have a sixth sense about the pregnancy? Did his training kick in when he perceived a threat?

Either way, she wouldn’t complain because it meant he had her back. Between Kade and Rinty, she was beginning to feel like she might make it through this nightmare in one piece. She rubbed her belly as she said to Rinty, “You’re going to be a good guard dog, aren’t you?” He’d already wormed his way into her heart.

The rigid way in which he stood, ears forward and gaze intent, said he would bite if provoked. This could cause a problem if he viewed the baby as a threat—or as the baby got older—his or her playmates. She filed the information under the category offuture problems.Right now, she would take him for the gift he truly was and, for once, not overthink the situation.

Rinty deserved the best possible life. He’d served his country, and now it was his turn to be spoiled.

As the pain relaxed, so did he.

“Guter hund,” Kade said. “Sitz!”

Rinty sat.

“Impressive,” Bree said. “Since when do you speak German?”

“I learned a few words when I was on a mission with a K9 and his handler once,” he said. She knew better than to ask for details. Kade wouldn’t be able to share that part of his life. When she thought about it, asking someone to go on life-and-death missions without ever being able to talk about them afterward must take a toll, mentally and emotionally. She understood the need to keep the information secret but wondered about the burden military personnel carried long after the fighting was done.

“Thank you both for your service,” she said, and she meant it.

Kade’s gaze intensified for a split second, causing warmth to spread through her. The man was easy on the eyes and had the kind of focus that made him good at everything he did. Very good. Exceptionally good. His hands had done things to her body that she…

This seemed like a good time to shake those thoughts out of her mind.

“You’re welcome.” Those words came out with a smirk that almost convinced her that he could read her mind.Almost.

As for Rinty, he had obedience training. They could build on that.

Kade’s grin faded as he motioned toward Rinty. “You should be the one to feed him next time. It’ll get him used to the idea that all good things come from you.”

“Aren’t you worried about how he reacted to you a few minutes ago?”

“Not really. He was doing his job, protecting you. That’s all I care about right now.” Rinty had, in fact, been ready to take a bite out of Kade. “I’ll give him treats and sit with him. He listened to my command, so that’s a good sign he won’t act aggressively toward me as long as he thinks I’m not hurting you.”

Kade went to work fixing a pot of coffee in an old-fashioned machine that was straight out of the nineties. It spit and sputtered, making an entire pot at one time. “Would you like a cup?”

Bree rubbed her belly. “Yes, but I can’t have one.”

“Damn,” Kade said, twisting his face in sympathy. “How long has it been since you’ve had caffeine?”

Before pregnancy, she hadn’t imagined her life without coffee, either. She realized he was keeping her talking about anything unrelated to what had happened to put her in the hospital. Then, there was Zeke. A mental break was not only welcomed but also needed for the sake of the baby.

“Too long,” she said. “Counting the exact number of months would be too depressing.”

Kade gave a knowing look. She smiled at the thought of him attempting to go an entire day without caffeine. He must have. Right?

“Surely you’ve gone without caffeine,” she said.

“Coffee. Yes. Caffeine. Hell no.”

“How?” She moved to the table and took a seat across from the one he claimed. Given her body’s reaction to him, she needed to put as much distance and space between them as possible without being obvious. The man didn’t need to know just how warm certain parts of her became when he was in proximity.

He pulled a tin out of his pocket. “These are magic.”

“I should have known you would have figured out a way to always have caffeine on hand.” Again, she laughed. It had been far too long since she’d smiled, let alone had a reason to laugh. And losing Zeke had convinced her that she might never laugh again.

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