Chapter 10 #2
“Standard. Better control during training.” He added it to the cart, then grabbed a matching collar. “You might like to switch later on, but at the beginning, the retractable ones can be dangerous if the dog lunges unexpectedly.”
“Voice of experience?”
“Dancer taught me that lesson early on.” Noah crouched to measure the collar against Ripley’s neck. “Your girl here is about the same size he was at this age.”
Your girl. The words sent a little thrill through her as Noah handed her the collar and nodded to Ripley. She bent down and tried it on the dog, Ripley sitting perfectly still as if she understood the importance of the moment.
“She really likes you,” Noah commented, scratching under Ripley’s chin. “Dogs are excellent judges of character.”
“What if I’m terrible at this?” The question slipped out before she could stop it.
And, no, she definitely wasn’t used to being this vulnerable in front of a guy. Noah never made her feel like she had to pull punches, though, or be anything other than herself.
It was doing a number on her.
He stepped close enough that she had to tilt her head back to meet his gaze. “You won’t be. But even if you struggle at first, I’ll be right here to help.”
“Why?”
“Because I want to.” His gaze turned molten as they stared at each other, undercurrents rippling the space between them.
There was something super hot about a guy who didn’t shy away from tough questions. Who seemed so genuinely earnest in his responses, as if it had never occurred to him that he could lie or hedge.
But then he cleared his throat, shattering the moment as he turned back to the shelves. “Food and water bowls. Stainless steel lasts longer than plastic.”
They worked their way through the store, Noah explaining each item as it went into the cart.
She watched Noah confidently selecting supplies, explaining each choice with the expertise she usually insisted on having herself.
The strange part wasn’t that she was letting him lead—it was how natural it felt to trust his judgment.
When was the last time she’d trusted anyone’s judgment but her own?
Ripley watched the proceedings with keen interest, occasionally bumping Sabrina’s leg as if reminding her that all of this was really happening.
“Do I want to know how much this is going to cost?” she asked as the pile grew.
“Consider it an investment in your future.” He tossed in a rope toy that made Ripley’s tail wag so hard, she nearly fell over. “Besides, wait until you see the bill for her first vet visit.”
“Are you trying to scare me off?”
“Never.” His hand brushed the small of her back as they rounded the corner to another aisle. “Just being honest about what you’re getting into. A SAR dog is a serious commitment.”
That was a word she didn’t throw around very often.
“Good thing I don’t scare easy.” She meant it to sound confident, but her voice wavered slightly as she internalized that this was in fact one of the scariest things she’d done.
And she wasn’t pushing back.
Noah’s gaze met hers unflinchingly. “That’s one of the things I like best about you.”
* * *
An hour later, they stood in Sabrina’s living room surrounded by shopping bags. Her credit card might be smoking slightly, but Ripley’s obvious excitement made it hard to regret a single purchase.
“Where should we start?” Sabrina surveyed the pile of supplies, thinking how her normal MO would be to google the answers.
But she didn’t have to with Sexy SAR Expert in the house. They’d spent hours together over the last few days. Shouldn’t she be ready for him to go? She wasn’t though. Not by a long shot.
“Food and water station first.” Noah held up the stainless-steel bowls they’d chosen. “Kitchen?”
She nodded, leading the way. Her house suddenly felt different with Noah in it. Smaller. More intimate. And not just because of his height—his presence filled the space, which of course made her realize how empty it normally was.
That rode shotgun in her chest, with far more weight than the dent in her credit card.
“This corner would work.” He indicated a spot near her breakfast bar. “Easy to clean if she splashes.”
“When,” Sabrina corrected as Ripley wriggled across her carpet, familiarizing herself with every inch. “Pretty sure it’ll be when she splashes.”
Noah’s laugh curled her toes. “Fair point. We’ll get you a mat too.”
“Add it to my tab.” She crouched to help him arrange the bowls, very aware of his proximity. “I had no idea dogs needed so much stuff.”
“Just wait until we start training.” He bumped her shoulder playfully. “The equipment list for SAR work is twice as long.”
“You’re really going to help me with all of this?”
His hands stilled on the water bowl. “Of course. For as long as you want.”
Their eyes met and that spark flared again, the one that had been present from moment one. Noah was close enough to kiss, his gaze on her lips making it clear he was thinking about it too.
Ripley chose that moment to wedge herself between them, almost knocking Sabrina off-balance. Noah’s hand shot out to steady her, warm against her waist.
“Thanks.” She caught her breath, trying to ignore the flutters taking flight inside at his touch. “We should probably finish setting up before it gets too late.”
“Right.” But he didn’t move away immediately, clearly enjoying being close to her too. “Where do you want her bed?”
They worked together to arrange Ripley’s space, Noah explaining the importance of establishing routines early. The dog followed them from room to room, investigating each new addition to the house with enthusiasm.
Noah moved through her space like he belonged there, rearranging her carefully maintained independence to make room for Ripley. For himself. The strangest part? She wanted him to stay, to keep filling up her empty corners with his presence.
Everything was upside down.
“She’s going to need a lot of exercise,” Noah said as they set up her crate in the spare room. “Daily runs, structured play sessions. SAR training will help, but she’s got tons of energy. Just like you.”
Sabrina raised an eyebrow.
“It’s a compliment. You two are perfectly matched in that department.” His grin held an edge that made her pulse skip. “I have a feeling you’ll keep each other busy.”
Finally, everything had a place. Sabrina collapsed onto her couch, suddenly exhausted. Ripley immediately hopped up next to her, laying her head in Sabrina’s lap as if she’d been doing it for years.
“She’s already claimed you.” Noah settled on Ripley’s other side, his arm stretching along the back of the couch behind them. “Look at that face. She knows she’s home.”
Home. Such a simple word, but it squeezed something in Sabrina’s chest. She’d never thought of this place as a home. Her apartment was spare, functional. A place to sleep between shifts. Work had always been her focus.
Now she had dog beds and toys and a cabinet full of supplies. A living creature who would depend on her completely. Never mind that Ripley had ties to her job. It didn’t feel like an assignment.
This was totally new ground. And she didn’t know how to feel about the way Noah threaded through everything.
“You’re quiet all at once.” Noah’s voice held a note of concern. “Did I overstep?”
“No.” She scratched behind Ripley’s ears, smiling as the dog’s eyes drifted closed in bliss. “Just realizing how big of a change this is.”
His fingers brushed her shoulder, the touch sending warmth through her whole body. “You don’t strike me as the type to back down from challenges.”
Even the fact that he knew that about her kind of made the point.
“This is different.” She gestured to Ripley, to the evidence of their shopping spree scattered around her living room. “This is a lot of reality. I paid an exorbitant pet deposit. It doesn’t feel like there’s room for backsies.”
“Scared?”
The question could have sounded mocking. Instead, his tone held simple curiosity, as if he genuinely wanted to understand what she was feeling.
“Terrified,” she admitted. “But also excited. I’m not sure I’ve ever felt that way about anything before.”
“That’s exactly how you should feel about the best things in life.” His hand settled more firmly on her shoulder. “The trick is not letting the fear stop you from going after what you want.”
Their eyes met over Ripley’s head, and Sabrina had the sense again of being on that roller coaster, cresting over the first hill at that point when the world opened up. You could see forever and you forgot for a moment that the bottom was about to drop out.
She should probably grab onto something. The way Noah had blazed into her life, upending everything in the span of forty-eight hours—that probably wasn’t going to stop.
And she didn’t see herself tapping the brakes. Not yet. There was too much to discover here, too much exhilaration to experience.
Besides, Noah wasn’t asking her to marry him. He’d given her a dog. And a potential leg up with the selection committee. Nothing more. She could handle this.
“Thank you,” she said softly. “For Ripley. For all of this.”
“Thank you for not shoving it all back in my face.” He leaned closer, his breath warm against her cheek. “For being exactly the woman I thought you were. One willing to take a chance on something great.”
When his lips met hers, Ripley huffed and wiggled off the couch, apparently done with being squeezed between them. Sabrina barely noticed, too caught up in the way Noah kissed her—like he’d been thinking about it since their last kiss, like he couldn’t wait another second to taste her again.
Like she was exactly what he wanted.
She could get used to this.