Page 10 of Faking it with the Green Beret

“Everything’s fine,” Elizabeth answered.

Jillian patted Boss’s head when he approached the patrol car.

John’s eyes narrowed. “You two know each other?”

Elizabeth hesitated. “We do,” she admitted.

He waved a finger at Jillian. “You checked to see if I had a record.”

“I wasn’t going to let just anyone take her dog.”

He gave the kind of throaty, good-natured chuckle that was downright sexy. “It wouldn’t show I got busted for stealing two candy bars from a mini-mart when I was around twelve. But don’t worry, I made full restitution and did my time. Grandmothers tend to impose stricter penalties than a court. I appreciate that you were looking out for my—her—dog.”

“Take good care of him. Don’t let me catch you stealing candy bars, or I’ll lock you up and give her back that hoss.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Thanks,” Elizabeth said before Jillian drove away, then shifted her guilty gaze to John.

“I’d love some time with Boss,” said John, “but I don’t want to inconvenience you or expect you to wait around. Would it be okay for me to drop him off or meet up with you a little later?”

It wasn’t ideal, but they needed time together after months apart. “That’s a good idea. He might not understand you leaving him right away. I’ll text you my address. There’s a gate at the drive. Press the button on the speaker, and I’ll let you in.”

“I won’t be too late. Want to go for a ride, boy?”

Boss looked to Elizabeth before he turned toward John’s truck.

John hesitated. “Thank you again. You—you don’t know how much this means to me.” His voice warbled, and she couldn’t miss the moisture in his kind eyes.

She forced a smile and nodded. It wasn’t the first time she’d given up an animal she loved. This time it was because someone loved the pet even more than she did.

* * *

Shortly before sundown,John buzzed for her to open the gate. Instead of coming to the front door, he threw a ball for Bruce—no, Boss—to chase in the grassy field along the front of her property. As darkness settled, the game ended. John took a seat on one of the rockers on the front porch, talking to Boss in a soothing tone for several minutes before knocking.

Elizabeth opened the door.

Rather than charge in, Boss remained at John’s side. He extended a lovely, oversized bouquet of cheerful sunflowers, with yellow and white daisies, and purple statice to her. In his other hand, he held a bag from the pet store.

“You didn’t have to do that.” She had no real choice but to accept the flowers. Better than having to explain.

“A small thank you for all you’ve done for Boss. Many people wouldn’t adopt dogs that are part Rottweiler. And feeding him isn’t cheap. I tried to wear him out a little. Do you want me to get him settled for the night?”

Her mouth went dry at the idea of this oversized, powerful stranger coming into her home, despite Jillian running his license and tags. “Um, he usually watches TV with me before bed.” With the dog bed in her bedroom, the front porch was as far as this stranger was getting.

“I understand. I just thought it might be easier for me to slip out. Here are some of his favorite treats.” He handed her the bag from the pet store.

Boss’s ears perked up.

John dropped to one knee while she opened the bag of treats. “You stay here, boy. I’ll be back tomorrow. I promise.”

She held onto Boss’s collar as John got to his feet and backed away. Boss pulled and barked as John walked to his truck. John waved, his reluctance to leave his best friend evident in the way he hesitated before driving away.

“It’ll be okay, Boss.” The name still sounded strange on her lips, but the idea of him being the boss of a big, badass soldier made her smile.

The flowers had been a nice gesture. At least they weren’t a bouquet of red roses, but a man giving her flowers was still an emotional trigger for her. It seemed a waste to throw them out, so she divided them into two bundles and put them in vases. She walked around the oversized rhododendrons separating her house from The Oasis’s tiny homes. She delivered one bouquet to Wren in Haven House and the other cluster to Ariana in Sanctuary Lodge. She didn’t explain where the flowers came from since she didn’t want to alarm Ariana or break the news that Boss would be leaving. She still needed a little time to process that herself.

ChapterSix

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