Page 11 of Everlasting Promises

Laughing, I tug on the toy, digging my heels into the dirt and leaning backward for leverage. Rex’s hind foot slips out from beneath him again, and he lands heavily on his back flank, whimpering as he falls.Shit!That’s twice in the last few minutes, and he seems to have hurt himself this time.

I quickly tuck his toy in my pocket and squat down, but Rex leaps back onto his feet, nudging the side of my jeans. He wobbles a little and whimpers again, so I carefully rub his back flank.

“What happened, boy?” When he tries to free his leg from my grip, I know he must be hurt. Shit. “You’ll be okay. Let’s get back to the cruiser, buddy.”

I collect his lead and walk a few steps, then realize he’s unable to bear any weight on his hind leg, so I bend down and carefully scoop him into my arms, ensuring I don’t aggravate his injury. I’ll have to take him to the police-sanctioned vet to get checked out. I kiss the top of his head as I carry him back to the playground. Sweat coats my back, and my muscles scream the longer I carry Rex—all eighty-seven pounds of him—back to the parking lot to find the mother and her daughter happily reunited.

With her daughter tucked safely in her arms, the mother makes a beeline for Rex and me. “Thank you so much for findingMia. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you. Words just don’t seem enough.”

“Seeing you together and safe is all we need.” My arms tremble. I need to put Rex down before I drop him.

Her eyebrows dip, causing creases to form between them. “Is he okay?” She points her chin down at Rex.

I glance down at my partner. “He slipped and hurt his back leg, so I need to take him to the vet.” The sooner I get him into the back of the cruiser, the sooner he’ll get the help he needs.

“Oh, no.” She holds her daughter with one arm and reaches out with her other to stroke Rex’s fur. “Thank you for finding my baby girl, Rex. I hope you feel better soon.”

Mia lifts her head from her mother’s shoulder and reaches over to stroke Rex, too. “Mommy, can we get a doggy?”

Rex’s tail wags as his tongue lolls out of his mouth. Even though he’s injured, he still laps up the attention they’re giving him.

Typical.

I settleRex on his bed with a treat and set the timer for his next ice session. My phone rings, and I grab it with a wince as Seb’s name lights up the screen. Accepting the call, I hold it to my ear. “Sorry, Seb. I have to bail.”

“What, why?” he whines.

I sigh and run my hand over the top of my head, then grasp the back of my neck. “Rex and I had a search and rescue this afternoon, and he’s injured his hind leg.”

“Oh, shit. Is it bad?” Seb’s shock and concern translates clearly through the phone.

“It’s not too bad, but he’ll be out of action for a few days. I need to make sure he rests, and I need to ice it on and off through the night, so I can’t leave him.”

I hear him moving around and the rattle of keys. “I’m on my way. I’ll pick up beer and pizza. I haven’t had pizza since that night at Brady’s, so I’m overdue.”

A laugh bursts across my lips; the guy is a fiend for pizza. “Thanks, man.” I end the call and grab a bag of peas from the freezer, then drop my ass to the floor to hold them on Rex’s hind leg. “You really did a number on yourself, buddy.”

He raises his head and looks at me, then drops it on top of his front paws with a sigh. I lean my head against the wall while I hold the makeshift ice pack in place.

Closing my eyes, my cheeks rise at the memory of the little girl curled up in a ball in between the rocks. After her solo adventure, she must have been exhausted. Thankfully, Rex is amazing at what he does, and we were able to reunite mother and daughter. Warmth fills my body with pride for a job well done today. A successful rescue is what Rex and I live for. It’s one of the reasons we do this job.

Rex barks a second before the front door bangs open. “Stay,” I command, standing to greet my friend.

“Honey, I’m home,” Seb calls.

I chuckle as his footsteps sound down the hallway, and he arrives at the kitchen door. Grabbing the pizza from him, I drop it to the counter and put the peas back in the freezer. Seb places the beer next to the box and heads straight to Rex. He squats next to him and rubs from the top of his head down his side to his rear. Rex’s tail wags like crazy, and I’m proud of him for remaining on his bed and off his leg. Seb nuzzles his head. “You okay, boy?”

Rex licks the side of his face and Seb chuckles. He turns to me, then climbs to his feet. “How did the search go?”

I pop the top off two beers, open the pizza box, and hand Seb his drink. “A four-year-old wandered away from her mom at Bosworth Trails. Found her curled up asleep between two boulders. If she’d walked another twenty feet, she would have fallen over the ridge.”

He scrapes his fingers through his short beard. “Shit.”

I nod as I take another drink and swallow. “She wandered about a mile and a half on her own. I was relieved when we found her safe.”

Seb grabs a slice of pizza and takes a bite, shaking his head in disbelief. “I bet her mom was beside herself. People don’t realize how fast and far their kids can get in a short amount of time.”

I grab the pizza and lead Seb through to the living room, then grab Rex’s bed with Rex on it and carry it over so he can hang out with us.

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