Page 75 of Love in Training
Monday, March 28, 20__, 4:17 AM
From:[email protected]
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: no subject
Dear Kyle,
I’m starting to wonder if you had any idea how much you were loved.
I guess that isn’t fair. You’d still be here if you knew. It just kills me that you couldn’t see it through the darkness while you were here. I’m sorry we couldn’t help you—we just didn’t know how.
C
DREW
He’d just completedthe Level II class graduation. His manager, Shawna, was handing out treats, certificates, and congratulations, and he was ducking out to take Diesel to acupuncture when the woman approached.
“Drew? Do you have a moment?”
He paused at the door. “Yes, of course. Congrats again to Garbanzo.”
He knelt to pet the dog, a strange-looking mix with the body of a basset hound and the spotted coat of a dalmatian. The lady and her daughter had been in his Monday class for several months, but he could only remember the dog’s name.
“We just wanted to say thank you,” the woman said. He looked up when her voice wavered. “We didn’t know what we were doing when we got this dog. We got him because he was cute, but he turned into a little demon. He got into everything, he’d snap at my neighbors. I thought I was going to have to bring him to a shelter, but my kids?—”
She glanced at her daughter and swallowed hard.
“Anyway. Coming here was a last resort. I wasn’t even sure it would work. But what we learned in your classestransformedhim. We’re so grateful. I-I just wanted you to know.”
He blinked. The dog sat patiently, waiting at her heel like he’d been taught, but Drew could remember the demon behavior she described. Hehadbeen quite a handful.
“I think you’re giving me too much credit,” he said. “You showed up for the classes. You did most of the work.”
But his chest lightened at the thought that the work he loved was keepinganydog out of a shelter. Improving people’s lives.
He picked a toy from one of the retail displays and presented it to the little girl, who looked about eight. “Here—an extra reward for a job well done. I hope we’ll see you in Level III?”
“Absolutely.” The woman beamed. “We can’t wait.”
Her daughter grinned as they headed for the door. “Thanks, Mr. Drew! See you next week!”
He scanned the jogging path at the park as he drove to the vet. It was too early for Caprice and Rufus to be there, but looking for them had become something of a habit. It didn’t feel quite as frantic as it used to. He knew exactly where they were right now—she’d told him. Rufus stayed with her during the day, under her desk at theObserver. Her boss liked him. He got walks and treats. And in the evening, they came to train with him.
At some point, he realized he looked forward to it. Occasionally, they still had awkward moments, but overall, they’d fallen into an amiable rhythm. The dog came in, had a ball, and went home tired. Caprice mostly sat and watched, but he knew she paid attention. They never talked much, but the times they did were surprisingly easy. Almost pleasant.
Nothing wrong with that—it was better for Rufus if they were getting along.
It only bothered him a little when he caught himself clocking the hours leading up to their meetings. Or when he noticed how quickly their time together seemed to pass. Or that Sunday, theday she’d asked to skip, had felt like the longest day of the whole week.
He’d started to accept the dog was safe, maybe even happy with her. She wasn’t the person he thought she was. Sometimes she was even affectionate with Rufus when she didn’t realize Drew was watching. She’d rub his ears and look into his eyes with a sad smile, and something would catch in Drew’s chest.
He just wasn’t sure how he felt about that yet.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-SEVEN
