Chapter Five
CHAPTER FIVE
Bryan kept glancing over at the beautiful woman beside him. Something about her intrigued him as she settled into sleep. He lay back against his seat, enjoying her floral scent. After reviewing the proposal he planned to submit to his partner, Samantha, he ordered a drink. He glanced at the dog, who curled up in the corner, behaving perfectly. It wore a vest saying, “Do not distract” on both sides and had a medical alert badge. Bryan recalled reading something about handlers not wanting the animals’ names on the vests to prevent people from calling out their names while the dog worked. He wanted to ask the dog’s name but decided against it, not wanting to put her in an awkward position.
If he happened to see Chase or Kassie, he wanted to compliment them on their program. Somehow, he didn’t expect them to have goldens for service dogs. He anticipated German Shepherds.
Allie sighed in her sleep, her head tilted to his shoulder, and she shivered slightly. He slid the blanket over her shoulder and felt the coolness of her skin. Taking his jacket, he placed it over her, hoping he didn’t presume too much. She felt way too cold for his liking. Surprised by his protective instinct over a woman he recently met, his eyes slowly perused her.
Bryan knew she hid brilliant sky-blue eyes from meeting her the night before. Compared to her updo from the previous evening, she wore her hair down. It fell in waves over her shoulder, the highlights casting a golden glow around her angelic face. Her pert little nose showed a bit of attitude, and he wondered how close it resembled her personality. Allie seemed quiet and a bit on the shy side.
He shook himself back into reality and focused on his reports. Now and again, he caught himself glancing down at her and smiling. Buried in his work, the flight felt short.
The pilot announced to prepare for landing. He peered at Allie’s head, which fit snuggly into his shoulder. Slipping off his jacket, he gently nudged her. “Allie, we’ll be landing soon.”
She rose, noticing where her head lay. A slight blush filled her cheeks. “Oh, my gosh. I apologize. I wish you had woken me up.”
Smiling, he reassured her, “You slept soundly, I didn’t have the heart to wake you.”
She leaned down, rubbed her dog’s head, folded her items, and placed them in the bag. He stood and stretched his hand, offering to put it away.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Maybe I’ll see you on the mountain,” he said as he sat and buckled in for the landing.
“Enjoy your visit.” The dog whined and she glanced down. “We’ll find the relief station before I grab my bags. I didn’t forget about you.”
The dog sat up and prepared to leave the aircraft as if he understood her.
The plane taxied to the gate and Bryan rose, removed her bag, and allowed her to exit first. He watched as she increased her pace to find the nearest relief station.
He walked to the baggage claim, waiting for the alarm to sound, indicating the bags arrival. A large dog wearing a service dog vest, propelled its owner toward the luggage. Bryan took in the two heavy chains wrapped around the animal’s neck and guessed by the behavior and extra precautions the owner didn’t want to pay the extra cost to transport it properly. He scanned the area, searching for Allie as the conveyor belt moved.
He spotted her rushing toward the carousels to their assigned one. He heard the growl and before he managed to warn her, the vast dog lunged, heading straight for Allie and her service animal.
“Allie,” Bryan called as he ran toward her.
Allie glanced up at hearing her name called to see the gnashing teeth and black fur race toward her. Placing Hemi behind her, and attempting to step back, she cried out as the dog growled and snapped, trying to maneuver around her.
The owner yelled, “Stop!” He yanked on the chains to no avail as the animal dragged him.
The dog found an opening, biting Hemi, making him cry out and Allie fell to her knees to cover him. The vicious animal bit again, catching her in the arm, but she refused to let go.
“Get your dog under control,” Bryan barked as he pulled the animal away from them. Security arrived and people surrounded them.
“Allie, where did he get you?” he demanded.
Realizing she and Hemi were no longer under attack, she searched her companion for injuries. Blood mixed into his fur. She dug into her bag and grabbed her blanket to cover the wound.
A large hand fell on her shoulder, startling her. She whimpered as the adrenaline rushed through her. Worried about her animal, Allie patted the ground, trying to find her purse while she held the makeshift bandage to his leg.
“Do you see my purse?” she asked desperately. “I need to call the vet.”
Bryan picked up the items scattered across the floor from her bag and pulled out her phone. “Who do I need to call? You need medical attention.”
“I need the vet,” she repeated anxiously as she held onto her beloved animal.
Bryan removed his phone, and she vaguely heard him while security guards surrounded the snapping dog and owner, who continued to yell.
“Samantha. It’s Bryan. I’m at the airport with one of the Serenity Mountain service dog trainers, Allie. A dog just attacked her and one of their dogs. Who do I notify?”
Allie sat stunned as Bryan accepted towels from an airport employee and pressed them to her arm, making her hiss. His hand held her thigh while he pressed down on another wound.
“Thanks, Samantha. I’ll keep you posted.” Bryan hung up the phone. “Serenity Securities and Chase will arrive in twenty minutes. They wanted me to reassure you the vet will ride with them.”
She nodded mutely, still in shock at the sudden attack.
“Ma’am. I’m Officer Johnson. Can you tell me what happened?”
“I came to collect my bag when his dog came out of nowhere and attacked,” she said numbly.
“The owner says your dog provoked his service animal,” the officer replied. “I’ve requested a medical unit. They’ll arrive shortly.”
She glanced up when she heard a growl come from Bryan’s throat. “I’m not telling you how to handle your job. But you’re questioning her when the other animal has two chains on his neck and the owner can’t control him.”
“Do you have any papers proving this animal’s a service dog?” Office Johnson asked.
“For Pete’s sake, read her jacket. She works for the Winters Foundation.”
Her hand reached out, touching his arm. “I’ve got this.”
“Officer Johnson, if anyone shows you paperwork on a service animal, it’s fake. The laws don’t protect real service animals or require full registration and documents to prove training. I want a full police report and a copy of the dog’s immunizations,” she said calmly.
The officer nodded and rose, speaking into his coms. A medical unit raced toward her as she sat sprawled against the wall. Bryan ran his hand through his hair, seeming as distraught as she felt.
“Hello. I’m Denise. Can you tell me where you’re injured?” An older woman asked as her partner set down his medical supplies.
“I want a vet. My dog needs care immediately.”
“I understand, ma’am. I’m unable to touch him. I’m here to care for you.”
Bryan knelt beside her. “Allie, you’re bleeding. Let them help you.”
She shook her head as she continued to care for Hemi. Tears pooled in her eyes at the sight of his wound. She saw four large men and an older gentleman striding toward them. She recognized the Serenity Securities leader, Leo Armstrong and the Winters Foundation doctor, Chase Winters. Bryan’s friend Whiskey accompanied them. As they neared, Dr. Winters produced his bag.
“My friends will care for me, Denise. They’re coming now.” She pointed toward the men.
“All right, ma’am. I’ll need you to sign off on refusing medical treatment.” She went to retrieve the form.
“Hello, Allie. I brought Jake, my godfather, who’s a retired vet. He’ll care for your dog while I examine you. Leo and Whiskey will handle the report, get your bags and talk to the officer.”
Whiskey shook Bryan’s hand. “It’s nice to see you.” His Irish lilt grew deeper as he glanced down at Bryan’s bleeding wound. “Doc, we have another patient. It appears Bryan’s got a bite to the hand.”
Doc tossed him some gauze while gently cutting away the material of her jacket and shirt from the wound. He probed the area, frowning at the broken skin. “Whiskey, request a copy of the owner’s vaccination records on the dog. It broke skin. If it’s a service dog, he’ll have no issue with proving it’s up to date on shots,” he said doubtfully. “Allie, you’ll need stitches.”
“She has a bite on her leg, too,” Bryan added.
“I’m giving you something for the pain. I pulled up your medical records before we arrived. Do you have any allergies since you last updated the form?” Dr. Winters asked.
“No.” She winced as he brought out a syringe. Bryan quietly took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.
Doc wrapped gauze around her leg. Jake tended to Hemi. “He’ll be fine, Allie. I gave him something for the pain and I’ll stitch him up and give him some meds when we return and receive the other dog’s vaccination records.”
Leo and Whiskey brought out a wheeled gurney. They lowered it while Bryan and Chase helped her on it. They lifted Hemi and placed him at the foot. He rested his snoot on her feet and peered dolefully at her.
“I’m fine, sweet boy,” she reassured him as they adjusted the height and rolled them out the door. “Don’t I need to file a report?”
Leo smiled. “They’ll come to you. You’re part of our team and need medical attention. If they refuse, one of my men will drive you to finish the report.”
Bryan followed them down the hall, speaking with Whiskey. She lay her head against the gurney, feeling safe with the men from the mountain and her new friend. A few minutes later, they stopped at a helicopter. Doc and Leo lifted her inside and Bryan climbed in, flashing her a smile.
He sat beside her. “Wow. You know how to make a homecoming,” he quipped.
“Let me check your hand,” Chase requested.
“Will Allie be all right?” Bryan asked before offering his injury to the doctor.
“Yes. I want to clean her wounds and stitch them up at the clinic. Jake has supplies at the service dog facility and asked Lisa to bring them. They’ll both be cared for,” Dr. Winters reassured him.
“I’m sorry to put you to all this trouble,” Allie said as they flew toward Serenity.
Chase smiled. “It’s no problem. We take care of one another. How do you feel?” he asked, not wanting to divulge her medical history.
“I’m fine. How’s Bryan?” She turned her head to gaze at the man who helped them. “I hope it doesn’t hurt too badly.”
“It’s nothing compared to you,” Bryan said as he glanced toward Chase. “Do you have an extra blanket, Doc? She gets cold easily.”
Whiskey grinned as he handed a blanket to Bryan, who unfolded it and placed it across her.
“Thanks.” She winced as she raised to check on Hemi, concerned about the bites. With the medication Jake gave him, he didn’t seem in pain, making her feel grateful.
“We’ll touch down at the hospital. José, our young teammate, will drive you to our house,” Whiskey addressed Bryan.
“I booked a hotel in Seattle,” he argued. “I don’t want to put you out.”
“You won’t. Don’t be silly, it’s late. When you return to Seattle, you’ll only catch a few hours of sleep. We can enjoy breakfast at the house, and you and Samantha can talk business. I’m working at the facility this evening and will take Ari with me in the morning.”
Leo chuckled and winked. “Don’t let him fool you. He makes excuses to bring her with him.”
“I dunno what you’re talking about,” Whiskey grumbled good-naturedly. His Irish accent deepened. “You don’t have any room to judge me. I don’t read SEAL training manuals, buy her dumbbell rattles, or explain how to beat a chemical warfare situation.”
Chase shook his head. “Don’t pay any attention to them. Both of them turned certifiably nuts when they started having children. I fully admit, I’m head over heels over mine.”
“Bah, you wait until the twins arrive, then you can point fingers,” Whiskey teased.
Bryan laughed with Allie at the men’s banter. The helo gently landed on top of the hospital. A medical team rushed forward, and the men transferred Hemi to his own bed while Jake walked beside him.
“Don’t worry, Allie,” Chase whispered. “Jake will patch him up in the cubicle beside yours. Do you need anyone to stay with you tonight?”
She knew why he asked. “I don’t know,” she responded quietly. “I still feel jittery from the attack. My meds?—”
“Whiskey grabbed your and Bryan’s bags. José will bring them in when he returns. Do you need anything now? I can call down to the pharmacy.”
“No. I took them before the flight,” she said as she laid back against the pillow, allowing him to cleanse her arm and prep it for stitches.
“Annabelle and Kassie will arrive shortly. They’ll help you into a gown and get you settled. My wife will examine your leg. It doesn’t appear to need stitches. The hospital isn’t necessarily a place of rest, but with Hemi down and what you experienced, I prefer you stay the night here where we can monitor you. Your blood pressure seems a bit high. Your injury can cause it, but I like to err on the side of caution,” he explained. “It won’t cost you anything and it’ll put all our minds at ease.”
She smiled at his kind offer. “Thank you, Dr. Winters.”
“Please, we aren’t around other patients. Call me Chase or Doc. Do you mind allowing us to monitor you?”
She sighed. “No. It’s probably for the best. I’ll need you to release me early in the morning. Spangle and Star’s puppies start training and I want to work with Tank before he and Richard return home.”
“Kassie rearranged your schedule and Richard doesn’t leave for three days. Rest and relax. Let my wife fuss over you. She’s mothering everyone and upset about what happened. You’ll take tomorrow off.”
She watched as he left the room. Allie closed her eyes, thankful for Erin’s discovery of this job. Doc and Kassie made this place a refuge for the teens and veterans who battled against their adversities, including hers.
Her mind wandered back to the man who threw himself in harm’s way. Bryan’s stark green eyes raked over her body to check for injuries, yet she felt the heat trailing down where he gazed. Did he feel it, too?
Allie squeezed her eyes tightly, shutting out the pain. Who was she kidding? She brought a whole new meaning to high maintenance. Perfect men like him didn’t want someone like her.