Page 53 of Mountain Rescue
“Yeah, not sure why you trying to kill me is such a turn-on.”
This man. She could easily fall in love with him if she let herself. She wouldn’t, though. There was only heartbreak if she went down that road. “Hot cowboy aside, you’re strange, you know that, right?”
A grin stretched across his face. “Damn, girl, you’re funny. I really like you.” He brushed away the lock of hair that had fallen over his forehead.
She grabbed his hand and traced her finger over his two bent ones. “Did this happen when you were a prisoner?”
“Yeah.” He curled his hand around hers. “So, tell me about a day in the life of Rachel Denning.”
He didn’t want to talk about that time. Had he talked to anyone about it? His family. Jack or Noah? A therapist? She wasn’t an expert on what he’d gone through, but it seemed to her that it wasn’t something he should hold inside.
“A day in the life of Rachel Denning is pretty boring. Making movies involves a lot of sitting around in makeup and costume waiting to be called on the set when it’s time to film a stunt. I read a lot.”
“I guess you don’t have lines to learn?”
“Nope. They can make me look like the actress I’m stunting for, but they can’t change my voice.” She really did lead a boring life, but she wanted to know more about his. “How old were you when you had your first kiss?”
“Seven.”
“For real?”
“Uh-huh. Leah Ann Sorenson. She dared me to kiss her.” He shrugged. “What was a boy to do but follow through when challenged? So, I kissed her, and she slapped me.” He grinned. “That was before I was an enlightened male.”
She laughed. “Doesn’t seem fair that she dared you to do it and then slapped you. Okay, what about your first real kiss? How old?”
“Thirteen. Leah Ann Sorenson. At least that time I didn’t get slapped.”
“That’s hilarious.”
“What about you? Who and how old?”
“Fifteen. Steve Cochran. I had the biggest crush on him, then he kissed me, and it was yucky. It was a very slobbery kiss.”
“Gross. Okay, who gave you the best kiss you’ve ever had?”
“You.” She wasn’t sure she should have admitted that, but it was the truth. And oh, his smile made her glad she did.
“Yeah?”
“Mmm-hmm. But I haven’t kissed a lot of guys, so check back with me in a year or two.”
“Hell no. I’m always going to be your best kisser.” He brought her hand up to his lips and pressed his lips to her palm.
No man had ever kissed her palm, had ever made her feel so special. They talked late into the night, telling each other their favorite colors, favorite foods, and sharing stories from their childhood.
When she yawned, he said, “Turn around and scoot back, sleepyhead.”
She fell asleep with him spooned around her, and her last thought was how much she was going to miss him when she returned home.
Rachel hadn’t known what to expect Operation K-9 Brothers to be like. Maybe some cages with dogs in them, but it was nothing of the sort. The dogs were housed in large kennels with plenty of room to move around. All the dogs looked happy and healthy. Her favorite part was the building housing the puppies. She’d played with them for a while, then had come outside to watch Jack work with Dallas and Bella.
“Someone trained her very well,” Jack said as he stood in front of Dallas and Bella. “I’m having trouble believing that same person was the one who abused her.”
Rachel had come to the same conclusion. How could someone take so much care in a dog’s training only to hurt the dog? “Maybe someone stole her from her owner?” She sat in a lawn chair Jack had set out for her while he worked with Dallas and Bella. They hadn’t found a command that Bella didn’t know.
Jack nodded. “Possibly. We had her checked for a chip, but she doesn’t have one. Surprising for a purebred.” He studied Bella for a moment. “She’s scared to death. I think before we work with her anymore, she needs more time to start believing we’re not going to hurt her.”
Although she performed on command, she kept her still too skinny body pressed against Dallas’s leg whenever possible. Rachel had the impression that as long as Bella was touching him, she felt safe. Rachel knew the feeling.
