Page 76 of Surge

Sensing the quick tightening of tension—especially with the way Garrett’s lips pinched into a line, Delaney wanted to explain the spook was joking. “I?—”

“Absolutely.” Garrett smiled. “It happens. So, readjust, get back in.”

To her amazement, the two fist-bumped. Huh. Maybe they could get along for more than two seconds.

Garrett scratched his head, gazing at Caldwell for a moment, then, “Okay, team. Is there more to discover on the connection between Shoemakers Extraordinaire and Shoe Luxe, or do any of you have another idea? Caldwell, we could use your HUMINT ASAP.”

Zim started coughing. “Oh, that’s bad!” he croaked.

Caldwell fanned the air in front of his face. “Whoa! Who did that?”

The nasty smell reached her, and Delaney wrinkled her nose. “Sorry. Surge has room-clearing flatulence some days.” She felt herself gagging. “C’mon, dude—outside.”

The Mal was a black blur sprinting to the front door, and she followed.

“Always blame the dog, right, Rogue?” Zim teased.

She turned and glared at him. “Ha, ha, ha! Y’all must be fifth graders.”

The men started laughing. With a grin, she opened the door and went out with Surge.

Garrett came out into the grassy area as Surge took care of business and stank up the yard.

“That smell is worse than the river!” He grinned and lobbed the KONG to her. “Thought you might need this.”

“Aw, thanks. Definitely.”

Surge pounced in front of her, tail whipping through the air as he stared at his toy.

She tossed it, and he sprinted for it, then came back and dropped it in front of Garrett. She shook her head. “Y’all have really gotten to be friends.”

He cocked his head. “Friends? Caldwell and me?”

She laughed and choked at the same time. “You and Surge.”

He thrust out his chin and winked. “True, this dog and I are friends now. And that’s thanks to your training sessions.”

Somehow that warmed her, and she hoped it wasn’t showing as a blush since the Jakarta evening was starting to darken the grassy area.

Surge brought the KONG and dropped it in front of her, and she focused on him. “We’re taking turns, huh?” She lobbed it over by the fence, and Surge dashed after it.

“Remember when you made me play hide-and-seek with Surge so we’d get used to responding to each other?”

She smiled. “I tried not to laugh as you squeezed under the porch. Neither of you needed to learn the commands. You just needed time working together.”

Surge dropped the KONG at his feet, but Garrett ignored it and raised his arms. The Malinois leaped into them, tail wagging.

Garrett’s eyes widened. “He does trust me.”

Staring at them, Delaney smiled. “He doesn’t jump into Dad’s arms. Or Heath’s,” she said, her voice cracking.

“He doesn’t?” Garrett let him jump down, tossed the black rubber toy into the corner. Surge chased it down.

“Nope.” She grinned. “Time built trust.”

He whooshed out a breath. “Sure did.”

Delaney faced him. “What are you thinking about?”

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