Chapter Two
E mily knelt in front of a kennel, using all her knowledge and focus to coax the terrified Chihuahua to lift her head. The poor dog shook, laying in a corner, her back against the left wall, head on her front paw, gaze on the floor.
The unresponsive cutie broke her heart.
“You remember me, sweetheart,” she said, keeping her tone soft and low. “I’m the one who rescued you.”
The dog probably hadn’t seen it that way, though.
Emily was the Animal Control Officer on duty yesterday when a call came in from the sheriff. He was on a wellness check and discovered the dog laying by her deceased owner. Apparently, the older woman had been dead for two days and Zena hadn’t left her side.
Emily’s heart squeezed and throat heated. No creature was more loyal than a dog. She’d come across countless humans who didn’t deserve that gift, but suspected the deceased woman wasn’t one of them.
According to the vet who’d examined Zena, the dog was in good health other than being a little overweight, but that was a plus, considering her lack of food for two days.
She held out a dog treat and waved it in the hopes Zena would catch the scent or at the very least, see it. Other than letting out a sigh, the dog didn’t move.
“Go on, honey. You need to eat,” Lyndsey urged from behind. “All you had was a little kibble this morning.”
Her best friend had a heart bigger than the moon.
Growing up, Emily had lived next door to Lyndsey, and they’d bonded over their mutual love of animals. While other little girls were playing doctor with dolls, she and Lyndsey had played veterinarian with stuffed animals, which ultimately led to associate degrees in veterinary technology.
Although they shared the same degree, they didn’t share the same passion. Lyndsey’s desire was to heal animals. Emily’s desire was to rescue them. So, her friend got a job with the local vet, and Emily moved to Houston because Harland County didn’t have an animal control program.
But they did now, and she’d jumped at the opportunity to transfer from Houston and move back to her hometown. Emily was proud to serve her community and to rescue local animals in need.
“Come on, honey,” her friend said again. “Just a little bite.”
Emily knew Lyndsey would be the right person to foster Zena. Anyone who invested time and money to convert a building in her backyard into the perfect temporary housing for small animals was someone who’d go the extra mile the dog needed.
There was a cat room with a separate space for kittens, a dog room with kennels, a play area, supply room with a stackable washer and dryer, medical room, grooming room with a washing station, and a kitchen for meal prep. Emily loved the set-up so much, she’d hired the same contractor to convert the outbuilding into a foster area on her recently purchased ranch.
With luck, it would be ready in two months.
The sound of the front door opening followed by two sets of footsteps had Emily watching Zena for signs that she was aware of new people in the building.
Nothing. Not even a blink.
“How goes things?” Mel asked.
The woman ran a non-profit organization called Pet Survivors out of the local shelter. Its mission was to rehome pets that outlived their humans. Something both Emily and Lyndsey supported one hundred percent.
“The same,” Lyndsey replied as Emily backed up and slowly rose to her feet, careful not to make any sudden movements.
“Can I try?”
Emily stilled and knew without turning around that the male voice belonged to Holden…the gorgeous man she’d assaulted with the volleyball earlier. And even if she hadn’t recognized his voice, the way her pulse fluttered and face heated was a dead giveaway.
Stupid body.
Ignoring those reactions, she turned around and shook her head. “Not sure that’s a good idea. Her state of mind is delicate right now.”
Emily didn’t know the guy. The last thing she wanted was to subject Zena to someone who might turn harsh or frustrated.
“It’s okay,” Mel said. “Holden was the K-9 handler in Carter’s unit. He said he’s the best he’s ever seen.”
Holden’s brows rose. “He did?”
Mel grinned. “Yeah. He said you have a natural affinity with dogs.”
“Then, please, give it a try,” Lyndsey said, motioning toward the still unresponsive Chihuahua.
He transferred his gaze to Emily but remained outside the kennel. His respect for her approval gained him several brownie points. Too bad the other kennels were empty. Dogs were fantastic judges of character, but Zena was too closed off to give her a read on Holden.
Still, if there was a chance the man was actually as good as Carter said, then for Zena’s sake, Emily needed to take it.
“All right.” She stepped forward to leave, unintentionally brushing Holden as he entered.
Damn, he was solid, and her pulse did that stupid hiccup thing again. Ignoring her body, Emily stood between her friends and turned her focus to what was going on inside the kennel.
“It’s okay, Zena,” Lyndsey said next to her. “Holden’s here to help.”
The man didn’t say anything. No soothing words or whispers. Nothing. If fact, he turned his back on the dog and sat down, remaining silent. He didn’t even look at Zena, just inched his way backward, a little at a time, until he hit the back wall.
Emily wasn’t sure what she’d expected but it definitely wasn’t this silent treatment. Frowning, she continued to watch, and after another minute of non-movement from either of them, she wondered if the guy was trying to get the dog to fall asleep.
But then she saw it.
A slight movement in Zena’s brow.
Then Holden slowly reached into his shirt pocket and removed…a piece of chicken?
Whatever it was, he ripped off a small piece and held it in front of the dog. Zena’s nostrils flexed, then the miracle of miracles happened. She lifted her head and took the chicken from Holden’s hand.
Lyndsey’s inhale broke the silence, but luckily it didn’t stop the dog from eating. Emily swallowed past a hot throat and blinked the burning from her eyes as she watched Holden start to place pieces of chicken on the floor, farther and farther away, encouraging Zena to stand. And she did. By the time the chicken was gone, the dog stood in front of Holden in the middle of the kennel, allowing him to pet her.
“Good girl.” He finally spoke in that soothing tone she’d expected earlier.
Zena wagged her little tail and wasn’t the only female to respond. Emily’s stomach fluttered without permission.
When Holden rose to his feet, Zena lifted up to place her front paws on his knee. Smiling, he bent down to scoop up the Chihuahua. “Good girl,” he repeated as he walked toward them.
The sight of the hot guy gently holding the tiny dog in his muscled arms melted a hole in the tough shell surrounding Emily’s heart. At times, that shell was necessary to do her job.
But this was no longer her rescue. It was Lyndsey’s foster case, so Emily let her guard down and smiled as Holden stopped in front of her.
“I get it now, Zena,” she said, waiting while the dog sniffed her before lifting a hand to pet her. “You were holding out for Holden.”
He half chuckled, half groaned. “No, she was waiting for someone to treat her like a dog.”
“A dog?” Mel arched a brow.
Lyndsey frowned. “What do you mean?”
She stepped aside to allow him to exit the kennel.
“It’s simple,” he said, handing the Chihuahua to Lyndsey without the dog protesting.
Emily tried not to be impressed. But she was. Big time.
“What was going through your mind when you tried to get her to eat?” he asked her friend.
Lyndsey shrugged. “That I felt bad that she’d lost her owner, but that she needed to eat.”
Holden nodded. “You humanized her. She’s a dog. They process things differently. Nose. Eyes. Ears. Touch.”
“Ah,” Emily said. “That’s why you didn’t talk or even look at her when you first went in.”
His “silent treatment” was exactly the opposite. It spoke volumes to the dog.
He smiled. “Exactly. I engaged the nose with the chicken. Then made eye contact before I spoke, and finally, I touched her.”
“Brilliant,” Mel said. “Looks like my husband was right about something. You are good with dogs.”
They laughed.
“And now I think we should leave Lyndsey and Zena alone,” Holden said, motioning for her and Mel to lead the way out of the building.
Emily didn’t need further urging. Even though the dog room was fairly spacious, with a three-foot-wide aisle between the two rows of five kennels, her body was way too aware of the gorgeous guy and his hot body.
Once outside, she found it easier to breathe…and think. Now that she knew her body reacted way too strongly to the man, Emily planned to keep her distance.
“How’d it go?” Carter asked as he approached.
Mel smiled, sliding her arm around her husband. “Great. Holden got through to her, right, Emily?”
She blinked, not expecting to be pulled into the conversation. “Uh, yeah. Zena seems to be responding now.”
“You know, there are a lot of dogs at the shelter that could use your help,” Carter said. “Maybe you can find time to volunteer, Holden.”
Mel nodded. “My husband’s right again. Wow, that’s twice in one day, honey. You’re on a roll.”
Holden chuckled, and Emily felt obliged to do the same, even though she wanted to groan. If the man volunteered at the shelter their paths would surely cross. since it was now connected to Animal Control headquarters. Distance and avoidance wouldn’t be possible.
“What do you say, Holden?” Mel smiled at the guy.
He frowned. “I don’t know. I haven’t even started my job with Mac yet, so I don’t know what type of schedule I’ll have.”
“It won’t be a problem,” Carter said. “Hunter, Sinjin, and I volunteer there a lot.”
Shoot. Emily held back another groan. The guy was right. She’d seen several of the men from ESI helping out at different times throughout the week.
Which was a good thing , she reminded herself. She needed to think of the animals, not her discomfort.
“Okay, then.” Holden smiled. “I’d be happy to volunteer.”
Mel fist-pumped the air. “Super! Isn’t that great, Emily?”
She nodded. “Yes. We can always use help.”
“We?” Holden turned to her, and she noticed his eyes were more hazel than brown. “Do you volunteer there too?”
Emily opened her mouth, but Mel spoke first.
“Sometimes,” her friend said, and the mischievous gleam in her eyes wasn’t lost on Emily. “Most everyone here volunteers at one time or another.”
“True,” Carter said, releasing his wife to slap a hand on Holden’s shoulder. “How about we join the guys in beating the wetsuits off the squids in some horseshoes?”
Holden chuckled. “I’m in.”
Once the two men walked away, she turned to Mel and crossed her arms.
“What are you up to?”
Mel slapped a hand to her chest and widened her eyes. “Me? Nothing?”
She snorted. “Bullshit. Why didn’t you let me tell Holden I was an animal control officer?”
“Because, dear Emily,” Mel said with that darn twinkle in her eyes again. “The best way to keep a man’s interest is with a little mystery.”
“Wait a second.” She frowned. “I never said I was interested in Holden.”
Mel chuckled. “You didn’t have to, right, Lyndsey?”
Lyndsey shut the door of the foster building and approached with a gleam in her eyes that said she’d heard the last part of their conversation. “Right. That blush in your face gave you away. So did that gleam in his eyes when you hit him with the volleyball.”
She snorted. “That wasn’t a gleam, it was pain.”
Mel laughed. “Good try, but he definitely ogled your ass when you walked away.”
“What?” Her heart skipped a beat as she glanced from one smiling face to the other. “You two are so full of it.”
Mel nodded. “If you mean full of knowledge, then you’re right. Because the way the awareness zinged between you two spoke volumes.”
Lyndsey hooked her arm through Emily’s and grinned. “Yeah, at about a hundred and twenty decibels.”
“Okay, now that’s settled, I think we should celebrate Zena’s breakthrough with another piece of chocolate cake.” Mel slid her arm through Emily’s free one. “If there’s any left, that is.”
More than happy to switch the focus from Holden to Zena, she smiled. “Sounds like a plan.”
As she walked with her friends to scout out the decadent dessert, Emily’s common sense kicked in and quieted the fingers of anxiety that had started to squeeze her chest. There was no reason to worry about her friends trying to play matchmaker.
Holden hadn’t shown any signs of awareness . Mel and Lyndsey were just teasing her because her stupid face had flushed. Yeah. That made sense.
And even though she was bound to bump into the guy at the shelter, it didn’t mean she would have another reaction to him. That episode in the kennel was just a fluke.
Feeling better, she cut herself a piece of cake, and her gaze drifted to the handsome newcomer who stood laughing with his buddies in the far corner of the yard.
Goosebumps spread across her shoulders and raced the spark of heat that shot to her toes.
Shoot.
So, it wasn’t a fluke, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t handle it.
She straightened her spine. This wasn’t going to be an issue. She’d faced tougher situations than this unwanted attraction and had always remained in control.
Of course, those situations had always involved her heart…not her stupid, haywire body.