Chapter 14 #2
She needed space. Just a little breathing room to get her head on straight. To reel everything back until this thing with Noah became fun and uncomplicated again.
“So, I was thinking,” she said, her throat raw for some reason. “Ripley needs a little more focus. I love that you’re taking time out to work with us, but I think it’ll be better if we find someone else for a bit.”
Noah’s face scrunched up as he processed that. “Okay. Did I do something wrong?”
“Yeah, you’re distracting,” she said with a hollow laugh that he hopefully didn’t notice. “We spend more time kissing than training. I want to get my SAR certification and not have to redo everything in a few weeks when I realize Ripley and I are behind.”
“Oh, I see. I’m too sexy for you on the training field.” He laughed, thankfully seeming to buy her excuse.
It wasn’t an excuse. It was the gospel truth. Just not the whole reason.
“I know a guy,” he continued with a nod. “I’ll get you in touch with him.”
Sabrina blew out a breath. Crisis averted. She could lay low without Noah cluing in and focus on SAR training. Like she should be.
* * *
“Again.” Nathan Bradley’s command lacked the warmth that always colored Noah’s voice. “Your dog’s form is sloppy.”
Ripley’s form was not sloppy. She’d executed the recall perfectly, just like Noah had taught them. But apparently Bradley had different standards.
“Good girl,” Sabrina murmured as she gave Ripley the release command. The lab’s tail drooped slightly, picking up on the tension that had been building for the past hour.
This had seemed like such a good idea in the car the other day. Get some distance, gain some clarity, focus, focus, focus. Except she missed Noah and she had a feeling Ripley did too.
Noah would have noticed the dog’s flagging enthusiasm immediately. Would have called for a water break or switched up the routine. He’d have noticed Sabrina’s mood too and would have kissed her frown upside down by now. Twice.
Which was exactly why she was working with Nathan Bradley, a guy who did nothing for her at all with his mountain-man beard and barrel-shaped chest. So his methods were different than Noah’s. Good. That’s what she and Ripley needed.
“Reset.” Bradley’s tone held an edge of impatience. “And this time, make sure she stays in proper heel position. I don’t know what kind of subpar training you’ve been doing, but—”
“Her training has been excellent.” The words snapped out before Sabrina could stop them. “She’s crushing the certification requirements.”
Bradley’s eyebrows shot up. “According to who?”
Noah.
Heat crawled up her neck as she bit back a defense of Noah. Because that’s who Bradley was really criticizing, and it wasn’t accurate or fair. But she wasn’t working with Noah, and besides, they weren’t a couple. He didn’t need her speaking up for him.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she pulled it out without thinking about how Bradley would react.
Sexy SAR Expert: Got a possible lead on Camille. Call you later?
Her heart did a stupid little flutter. Great. This distance idea had really worked out. Instead, her brain seemed determined to fixate on Noah and the lack of his presence.
Except maybe that was the problem. Giving herself space had started to feel less like a smart choice and more like a defense mechanism. Against what? A fantastic guy who had done nothing but treat her like a queen?
“Would it be possible to get back to work soon?” Bradley’s dry voice interrupted her spiral. “We’re never going to resolve the problems with Ripley’s training at this rate.”
Sabrina gritted her teeth before she snapped at Bradley again. Noah would have texted her that question while standing next to her. As a joke. Apparently joking wasn’t allowed while training with Nathan Bradley. Neither was fun.
Noah had fun without trying. It was just part of his nature.
She jammed her phone back in her pocket without responding to him. This was getting ridiculous. She was ridiculous.
“Reset,” she told Ripley, who immediately moved to heel position. Perfect form, no matter what Bradley claimed.
For the next hour, she threw herself into the training. Focused on the technicalities, on proving that she and Ripley had what it took. That she didn’t need anything. Or anyone. Sabrina West would get SAR certified and be the best of the best.
But with every correction, every clipped command from Bradley, a voice in her head that sounded suspiciously like Noah’s whispered that if he was so fun, why had she backed off? Noah’s middle name might as well be Fun, so what was the real problem here?
Her phone buzzed again right after she and Bradley wrapped up.
Sexy SAR Expert: Dancer says Ripley is ghosting him.
Despite everything, she smiled. Noah had a way of doing that—cutting through all the crap with his ridiculous charm.
That was exactly it, wasn’t it? He made everything so easy. So natural. Like being part of his family, part of his world, wasn’t a big deal. It could even be considered fun.
Ripley bumped against her legs, brown eyes full of concern. Even her dog knew something was wrong.
“Good job today.” She scratched behind Ripley’s ears, ignoring Bradley’s pointed comments about their form. “Sorry I subjected you to that.”
What was she doing? Running away from the best training partner she’d ever had because…what? Because his family liked her? Because he made her want things she’d convinced herself she couldn’t have?
Because she was scared?
All at once, she had a minor epiphany that felt more like the onset of a migraine. All those relationships that had fizzled out—had she been the cause?
All this time, she’d been convinced she’d never met a guy who could keep up with her. Had she been running too fast to make it worth their while to catch up?
Was she doing that with Noah?
Sexy SAR Expert: Everything okay? You’ve been quiet today.
Her throat tightened. Even through text, he noticed. Cared.
What was she doing?
They were having fun. They’d never stopped having fun, and then out of nowhere, she’d freaked out over nothing and pulled the rug out from under the best thing that had ever happened to her.
Ripley whined softly, still picking up on her mood.
“I know, girl.” She sighed. “I’m being stupid.”
She was. Noah hadn’t breathed a word about picking out furniture together. He was just being Noah. A thrill a minute, funny and genuine. Not terrifying at all.
Sabrina: Training ran long. I miss you.
There. That wasn’t so hard.
Sabrina: We should go away together for the weekend.
Okay aliens had possibly taken over her body. But she sent the text anyway.