Page 19 of Wicked Healing

“Can you take a different job in the Navy?”

He looked out the window. “Probably,” he admitted, looking at her. “But I don’t think I will. There’s no way Wicked would be able to rejoin, and we’re a package.”

His expression lightened when he looked at the dog, and Wicked thumped his tail.

“You might consider law enforcement,” she said thoughtfully. “I wonder if their requirements are as strict as the SEALs?”

He shrugged. “I’ve wondered about that as well, actually. It probably depends upon the district or department.”

Erin nodded, moving to sit in the chair again. “I think you have some time to decide.”

He sighed thoughtfully, stroking the dog. “I want to thank you again for bringing him all the way out here. I know it wasn’t easy to schedule.”

She shrugged lightly. “My mom watches over the kennel when I’m out. She’s retired so she needs the job sometimes, otherwise she’d watch soaps all day. And mettle in my dating life.”

“How many dogs do you have there?”

She thought about the dogs in the house and out in the kennel. Then there was the cat room. And two dogs had been in the care room when she’d left, working through belly issues. Mentally she went through the roster. “About seventeen, all tolled, both dogs and cats. Some are regular vacationers, some are deployed military, others are fosters. There are several air bases around Phoenix. And I get some referrals from Texas and California for cases like yours. I even have a few horses boarding.”

“That’s a lot of animals,” he said with a laugh.

“Yes, but it’s something I enjoy doing. I wouldn’t do anything else.”

There was a knock on the door and Paul stuck his head inside. “Mind of I join you for a minute?”

“Come on in, Paul,” Luca said.

Paul stopped at the corner of the bed and Wicked looked at him but didn’t lift his head. He’d accepted that the man was not a threat.

Paul tipped his chin at Wicked. “I love it when we have animals on the floor. There’s an instant upswing of moods, both of the patients and the care givers. Everyone is talking about your dog.”

Smiling, Erin nodded. “You guys need an animal on staff.”

Paul looked at her, his head cocked. “You know, we’ve actually thought about doing that. We have a woman that comes in every once in a while with a dog, but I don’t think it’s enough.”

“I know several children’s hospitals that have hired dogs on full time. It’s huge for kids to have an animal.”

Paul smiled at her and there was something in his eyes… Erin got the feeling that he was thinking about something more personal. She glanced at Luca. He was scowling at the two of them, and she suddenly felt guilty. He was the one she was here for.

Paul turned his head back to Luca as well. “If Wicked is amenable, maybe you can visit a few of the guys? I think it would really brighten their day.”

Luca nodded. “I think I can do that. A few of them, anyway. I’ll see how the dog does.”

“That’s all I can ask,” Paul smiled. “He’s a beautiful animal and with the prosthetic, I think he’ll really have an effect.”

Yes, he probably would. Erin had seen more than one patient in the halls with obvious amputations. She had thought about being a volunteer over the years, but she already had so much on her plate.

“Anyway, I was talking to your team, and they seem to think that you’ll be checking out of our hotel soon.”

Luca’s brows lifted. “Really?”

Paul shifted on his feet. “Well, your prosthetics seem to be fitting well. And everything else has healed, for the most part. Surely they’ve talked to you?”

Luca shifted on the bed, reaching out to stroke Wicked. “They have. What kind of timeline are we looking at?”

“A few days,” Paul shrugged. “Maybe a week. When Erin said she was bringing the animal out I thought it was in preparation of you going home.”

Luca’s mouth fell open, and he kind of sat back against the mattress. Paul seemed to sense his distress because the man stepped forward and rested a hand on his shoulder.

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