Chapter 7
Cole walked along the hospital trails, letting Brody sniff to his heart’s content. Leo assured him Kassie didn’t mind him bringing his dog into the hospital and he made an appointment to meet with her. Sparky showed him the sign-up lists for volunteering and the veterans support groups.
“Listen up, Brody. You have to work now. We’re meeting with the woman in charge of this mountain, and I don’t want to give her any reason to kick us off.
We need to sign up for some volunteering and sit in on one of the groups,” he informed the animal.
“I hope you’re happy. Patch got in trouble for your little stunt and got a month of latrine duty. I can’t even look the guy in the eyes.”
Brody focused on everything but his master’s face.
“Then I sit down at breakfast and all I can think about is which plate you licked clean. I watched them eat and tried to guess which teammate would hate me when they discovered what you did, and I let them eat off your slobbery dish,” Cole continued. “Way to have my back there, man.”
Brody paid him no attention as he gazed toward the entrance of the hospital and whined. Sparky walked down the stairs with Ice and wiped her cheek.
Concerned for his new team member, Cole signaled for Brody to follow. Ducking down, Brody grabbed a fallen pinecone from the ground and caught up to his master.
“What’s wrong, Sparky?” he asked. “Can I do anything?”
She gave a small smile and shook her head.
“I’m worried about my friend, Hannah. I can’t seem to reach her, and I hate the silence.
My blindness has increased my other senses.
Sometimes I feel like she’s on the verge of saying something, but she stops.
I don’t know. Maybe it’s me hoping. I hate seeing her alone. ”
“Doesn’t she have family?” he asked.
Scarlett shrugged. “I’ve never seen anyone visit her besides Kassie and Dr. Meyers. They don’t tell us what’s wrong with patients. But she hasn’t said a word since I arrived. I feel like she’s there, listening to me.”
“I’m sorry. At least she made a friend out of you. I think it’s admirable you visit her. Most people might’ve given up when she didn’t talk.”
“Since you’re new here, I’ll give you a quick rundown on me.
I made it through my tour. On the way to our flight, insurgents attacked our Humvee and a metal bar hit me.
When I woke up, I found myself blind. Two members of my team didn’t give up on me.
When I didn’t respond, they called in the reinforcements by way of one of my friends, Rainey.
I ended up here. It’s the best thing ever to happen to me.
I met my husband here. Then, I got hired to work with the team.
It gave me a purpose. It makes me wonder about Hannah’s friends.
Why don’t they visit? Then, I think Hannah might need a purpose. ”
“I have to go. I have a meeting with Kassie Winters about volunteering at the hospital. She wants to meet me,” Cole said, rising and signaling to Brody to follow. “Maybe we can put our heads together and come up with something for your friend.”
“Thanks, Cole,” Sparky said as she rose. “Tell Kassie I said hello.”
Cole bounded up the stairs and held the door for his partner. He checked in at the desk and waited for Kassie to finish a meeting. Brody moved to his left and slightly behind his chair. Distracted by the teens interacting with the veterans, Cole didn’t see Kassie enter.
She waved her hand in front of his face and smiled. “Hi Cole. I’m Kassie. One day on the job with Leo, and you already have a dazed expression on your face. It must be a new record,” she teased.
Cole stood and shook her hand, already liking her. “Thank you for meeting with me on such short notice. Leo said he wants me to get to know the town and the mountain,” he explained.
“Of course, it’s no problem. We love getting new volunteers. I thought you planned to bring your dog with you,” she said, searching around him. “Leo seemed impressed.”
Cole whipped his head around and searched the hall. “Don’t worry. He’s very people-friendly,” he assured her. “This can’t be happening,” he muttered under his breath.
Kassie walked over to a few teens and they took off in search of his ex-four-legged-friend. “Don’t worry. We’ll find him. Why don’t you take the hall to your left, and I’ll head toward our offices. If you find him, go to any nurse’s station, and they’ll page me. I’ll page you if we find him.”
Cole practically ran down the hall, desperately searching for any signs of Brody. “Where did you go? I swear I’m not giving you another burger for a month,” Cole gritted between his teeth.
In the second unit, he spotted a black tail rounding the corner.
Cole hastened his steps and ran to catch the mischief-maker.
“Brody, get back here,” he ordered as the dog disappeared into a room.
He gently knocked on the door. “Hello, I’m Cole.
May I come in to retrieve my dog? Don’t worry, he won’t hurt you. ”
No one answered and Cole hastened inside. He nearly clutched his heart when he saw the massive dog drop something in a young woman’s lap and stand on his hind legs to kiss her cheek.
“Brody! Have you gone insane? Get off her,” he ordered in his alpha voice. Brody immediately sat and his mouth opened into a smile as his tongue hung out to the side.
“I’m so sorry, ma’am. I hope he didn’t scare you,” he said, turning to Brody. “What did you put on her lap?” he asked, dismayed.
Cole reached down to grab the item, hoping it wasn’t something disgusting. Yet the woman never said anything to him. “Let me take that for you. Again, I apologize.”
The woman’s hand curled around the object in her lap as Cole reached for it. He glanced up to stare into her bright green eyes.
“You don’t talk. You’re about Sparky’s age. Are you, Hannah?” he whispered. She didn’t move as she gazed back at him.
Cole picked up the pinecone covered in slobber. “Dude, remember our discussion about first impressions?” He walked to the hallway and glanced at the first name hanging on the door. He entered the bathroom and grabbed a washcloth to wipe her hand.
He knelt, gently cleaning off the slobber. He saw her wince as he removed the prickly cone and checked for any cuts. Assuring himself it didn’t hurt her, he laid her hand gently in her lap. “It’s nice to meet you, Hannah.”
He signaled for Brody to follow, pulled a lead from his pocket, and attached it to his collar. Entering the hall, he made his way to the nurse’s station and asked them to page Kassie Winters. A few minutes later, she grinned as Cole led his dog toward their original meeting place.
“My apologies, Kassie. He’s never done this before. I don’t know what got into him. He went into one of the patients’ rooms. The name on the door said Hannah. I apologized, but she didn’t respond. Do you know if she’s the same woman Sparky visits?” he asked.
Kassie’s eyes flared in surprise. “Yes, she is.”
“Can I visit her, too?” he asked on impulse.
“We prefer you work with the veterans,” Kassie said as she continued toward her office.
“I planned to sign up after I met with you. Sparky mentioned she wondered if Hannah needed a purpose,” Cole said, then realized he might’ve ratted his new team member out.
“She only meant to help. I caught her after she popped in to say hello to Hannah. Sparky said it felt good to have a purpose and it’s what helped her. ”
“It seems you have gotten to know your teammates quickly,” Kassie said, motioning him to have a seat on the couch.
“They’re all great. Thanks for the cabin, by the way.
It’s perfect. The guys helped me unpack, and then Sparky showed up with her husband and the most amazing food and groceries.
By the time everyone left, Brody and I didn’t have much to do,” Cole informed her.
“Leo gave me a month to settle in and gave me half the hours. It’s why I wanted to volunteer.
He says the team takes service seriously, and I want to dive in.
Geez, you don’t know me from Adam. I’ll keep Brody on a lead. ”
“Slow down, Cole,” Kassie laughed. “He appears perfectly calm. Moving can be stressful not only for us, but our animals, too.”
He let out a sigh of relief. “Thanks for understanding. I knocked on Hannah’s door before entering and apologized to her. Can you have someone check on her? I hope Brody didn’t scare her.”
Kassie picked up the phone and spoke with one of her nurses.
“I know you’re anxious to get started. But I have a suggestion for you.
I want you to start at the community center.
We recently lost one of our seniors in a fire there.
Our construction crews have worked around the clock to get it up and running, giving the older townsfolk somewhere to gather.
Some of them haven’t felt safe coming into town and I hoped the curiosity of a newcomer might draw them back in,” she explained.
“Sooo, you want to use me?” he teased.
“Exactly. Nothing drives a small town faster than word of mouth,” she agreed.
“Deal. I’ll start there if you’ll reconsider allowing me to stop in to see Hannah once you’ve gotten to know me,” Cole suggested, hoping he didn’t push his luck too far.
“I’ll tell you what. You can drop in to see Hannah once you’ve registered and attended the orientation class. All doors must remain open at all times. You can start at thirty minutes and you must sign in at the nurses’ station.”
Cole grinned and rose to his feet. Brody mimicked him. “Thank you, Kassie. We’ll be model citizens,” he promised.
“Trust me, Cole. I have no doubt. Remember, I may be Kassie Winters, but I’m a woman with a SEAL team and a construction crew at her disposal. If you hurt one of my patients, you’ll have to deal with me. Oh, and don’t forget the Russians,” she said, moving toward her desk.
He nodded as he shut the door. What was it with these Russian remarks?
Leo didn’t lie about his tin of cookies, but he figured he might be the target of some team fun.
Yet they never mentioned it again. Scratching his head, he returned to the cozy living area where the sign-up sheets hung on a wall.
He scribbled his name and left. His thoughts drifted back to the startling green eyes that met his.
It felt like a lightning bolt zapped him as he got lost in them.
When he cleaned her fingers from Brody’s slobber, he noticed the slender hands marred with marks around the wrists.
His mouth tightened at the image of someone trying to hurt her.
He glanced down at Brody as he took one of the trails back to the cabin. Maybe his four-legged partner felt something, too. Maybe Hannah was the reason he felt the pull to Serenity Mountain.