Page 23 of Her Delta Force Protector

“Your dog. Did he take the shoe so he could find my baby?”

No, he took the shoe because he liked it, but maybe Duke could give her a little hope while they searched. Kade took the shoe away, then held it to Duke’s nose. “Find the boy, Duke.”

Duke snatched the shoe back, then took off with his nose to the ground. Kade ran behind him, with the woman following them. Hell, the dog thought this was a game. About the time Kade decided to put a stop to this and call his brother, Duke raced around the hood of Earl’s pickup, and damn if there wasn’t a little boy—one shoe on, one off—standing on the running board and reaching his hand inside the truck to pet Billy.

His mother scooped him up. “Sean Luke Dawson, you never ever leave my side.”

“Look, Mommy, there’s a goat in that truck.”

“I don’t care if there’s an elephant in there, you don’t leave Mommy like that.”

Duke dropped the shoe at her feet, and she kneeled in front of him. She glanced up at Kade. “What’s his name?”

“Duke.” Duke, the dog he’d yet to figure out. Had he known they were looking for the boy, or had it been a game and it was by chance that they came across him?

“Well, Duke,” she said. “You’re my hero. Thank you so much for finding my baby.”

“I’m not a baby,” Sean grumbled.

Duke offered her his paw, and after more gushing of her thanks to both him and Duke, the woman headed back to the ice cream shop. Kade wondered if one of Miss Mabel’s space aliens had taken possession of the dog, one with brains.

Kade eyed him with suspicion. “Dude, was that pure luck, or have you only been masquerading as a goober?”

Duke answered with his goofy grin.

Chapter Eleven

“I think for reasons only known to him, Duke’s hiding his smarts,” Kade said after finishing the story of Duke’s afternoon. The whole family was here along with Harper, and they were sitting on the deck, eating the pizzas Tristan and Skylar had brought.

Tristan watched Duke chase a bumblebee around the yard. “I’m not so sure about that. Smart dogs know to avoid bees.”

“Duke finds me all the time when I hide from him,” Everly said.

“We should experiment. Dogs can track from scent, but can Duke? Or was that a fluke?” Harper slid a second slice of pizza onto her plate. “After we finish eating, I’ll hide. See if he can find me.”

Everly jumped up. “Let’s go, Miss Harper. I’ll hide with you.”

“Not until we finish our dinner,” Parker said. “Sit, Ev, and eat the rest of your pizza.”

“But Daaaddy, I need to show Uncle Kade that Duke knows how to find people.”

“And you will, as soon as you finish your dinner.”

Kade’s niece was just too adorable. Harper leaned toward her. “I have to eat the rest of my pizza, too, before I can go play. Let’s finish together.”

“Okay, but don’t eat faster than me.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

Twenty minutes later, after everyone was done eating, she stood on the lawn with Kade’s family, preparing to test Duke. Fuzz sat on the deck, watching them, and Harper wondered if the police dog resented all the attention her dog was getting.

But was he her dog anymore? Romping around the Church brothers’ yard, Duke seemed happier than he’d ever been when living with her. She wanted him back when she had a place of her own, but seeing him with the brothers and Everly, would she be doing the right thing to take him away from here? Even though it would break her heart to give him up, where he’d be happiest was something to think about.

“I’m going to take him inside so he can’t see where you’re hiding,” Kade said.

Everly tapped his arm. “You mean where Miss Harper and me’s hiding.”

“Yes, Miss Everly, that is what I meant.” He grinned at Harper over Everly’s head. “She’s a bossy one.”

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