Second Chance Soldier Read online

  Sizzling days of danger…

  Introducing the K-9 Ranch Rescue series

  Devastated after her father’s murder, Amber Belott wants to keep his legacy alive by saving his K-9 ranch. Her first move? Hiring Evan Colluro, a former military K-9 trainer, who impresses—and attracts—her. If only she weren’t his boss…and his past didn’t trouble him. Evan joins Amber in investigating. But when chaos erupts, it threatens all that’s drawing them together.

  “Maybe this is a prelude to learning, at last, who killed my father.”

  “Maybe, but it would be a good thing if you stayed alive long enough to find out.”

  “Yeah, there is that little angle, isn’t there?” Now she seemed to be calming a bit. Appearing more speculative—which worried Evan.

  What if she put herself into more danger?

  Damn, but this gorgeous—and foolish—woman exasperated him.

  And that wasn’t all she did to him…

  “Look, Amber. I don’t know what you’re thinking, but you need to be especially careful now. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

  She turned and looked him straight in the eye.

  Not long ago, he’d have been highly uncomfortable with that.

  Not now, though.

  He started to reach over to pull her into his arms, but she beat him to it. They were suddenly both standing. Amber pressed herself against him—and raised her mouth to his.

  *

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  Dear Reader,

  Those of you who know my writing are aware I’m a dog lover. That’s one reason I’m delighted to be writing the K-9 Ranch Rescue stories for Harlequin Romantic Suspense. They take place in the fictional town of Chance, California, and involve dog training, suspense…and, of course, romance.

  In Second Chance Soldier, the first in the series, Amber Belott has returned home to the K-9 ranch begun by her father, who was recently murdered. In his loving memory, and to help her mother, she’s determined to keep the ranch going despite her dad having never taught her to train dogs. She searches for the right head trainer—and is highly impressed by the demonstration provided by former military K-9 officer Evan Colluro. She hires the sexy and skilled trainer on the spot—without realizing he has a mild form of PTSD.

  But Evan’s skills outweigh his past—and as Amber and Evan work together to bring more students to the ranch for pet and K-9 dog training, and to find the truth about what happened to Amber’s dad, their attraction becomes undeniable.

  I hope you enjoy Second Chance Soldier. Please come visit me at my website, lindaojohnston.com, and at my weekly blog, killerhobbies.blogspot.com. And, yes, I’m on Facebook, too.

  Linda O. Johnston

  SECOND CHANCE SOLDIER

  Linda O. Johnston

  Linda O. Johnston loves to write. While honing her writing skills, she worked in advertising and public relations, then became a lawyer…and enjoyed writing contracts. Linda’s first published fiction appeared in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine and won a Robert L. Fish Memorial Award for Best First Mystery Short Story of the Year. Linda now spends most of her time creating memorable tales of paranormal romance, romantic suspense and mystery. Visit her on the web at www.lindaojohnston.com.

  Books by Linda O. Johnston

  Harlequin Romantic Suspense

  K-9 Ranch Rescue Series

  Second Chance Soldier

  Undercover Soldier

  Covert Attraction

  Harlequin Nocturne

  Alpha Force Series

  Alpha Wolf

  Alaskan Wolf

  Guardian Wolf

  Undercover Wolf

  Loyal Wolf

  Canadian Wolf

  Protector Wolf

  Back to Life

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  Second Chance Soldier is dedicated to all dogs and those who train them, including police and military K-9s.

  And, as I always do, I dedicate this book to my wonderful husband, Fred. Good thing he likes dogs, too.

  Acknowledgments

  Since I have been well trained by my dogs so far, and not so much vice versa, I want to thank everyone who advised me about dog training. That includes the Hollywood Dog Obedience Club and its wonderful officers, trainers and members I’ve met. They have shown me what pet dog training is all about.

  I have also watched several demonstrations of police K-9s in the Los Angeles area, which have proved to be fascinating and useful, and I have additionally been privileged enough to have had discussions with some K-9 officers. I particularly want to thank the Glendale Police Department and its K-9 unit, most especially Officer Shawn Sholtis and his K-9, Idol.

  Thank you all!

  Of course, Second Chance Soldier is a work of fiction, so if anything seems incorrect that’s because I’ve modified reality to fit the story.

  Many thanks also to my wonderful editor, Allison Lyons, and my fantastic agent, Paige Wheeler.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Excerpt from Colton K-9 Bodyguard by Lara Lacombe

  Excerpt from Fatal Chaos by Marie Force

  Chapter 1

  Was this demonstration going to be as unimpressive as all the others had been so far?

  Amber Belott could only wait and watch—and hope that, finally, she and her mom, Sonya, had found their answer at last, a skilled person who could take over training potential police K-9s and other dogs, as well as additional trainers, now that her father was gone.

  Evan Colluro was the eighth person who’d come to the Chance K-9 Ranch, just outside Chance, California, to perform a demonstration. A tryout. An audition of sorts.

  Evan had just arrived. At least he was right on time, unlike most of the others, whose excuses tended to be how remote this place was. At the top of the driveway near their house, he exited his black sedan along with his dog, who was, unsurprisingly, a German shepherd.

  His résumé had described his extensive work with dogs, particularly in the military, but nothing had prepared her for how good-looking he was. He was tall and slender with broad shoulders, and the fit of his charcoal knit shirt implied strong muscles beneath. He wore black slacks and new-looking athletic shoes, somewhat informal attire, yet he looked ready for both a job interview and a critical dog-training test session.

  Again unlike some of his either more formal, or more sloppily dressed, predecessors…

  Amber, on the other hand, wasn’t dressed particularly to impress. Neither was her mother. Both wore casual blue work shirts tucked into jeans. Amber didn’t care what Evan thought of her, except as a potential employer.

  She approached the man with short black hair who now stood bes
ide his car, his dog at his side. “Evan?”

  “That’s right. And you’re Amber?” Though he stood facing her, he didn’t quite look at her. He had a hint of dark beard stubble on his long, angular face, a cool expression in his deep blue eyes that gave no indication at all as to what he was thinking or feeling. Maybe he was watching her mother. Or looking at their black Labrador retriever, Lola, who stood beside Sonya.

  “Yes. Welcome. And who’s this?” Amber gestured toward his dog, wanting to approach to pet him but recognizing that was a bad idea with a trained K-9 without asking permission.

  “This is Bear.” There was a note of pride in Evan’s voice. “He’s been with me for a while.”

  Which suggested he might be a former military K-9.

  “May I pet him?” Amber asked.

  “Sure.”

  While she stroked the apparently pleased dog’s head behind his ears, she next asked, “Would you like to come inside for a cup of coffee?” That would mean a chat about Evan’s background, which Amber already somewhat knew from their online conversations, or the job, which he’d learned about the same way. “Or just start with the dogs?”

  “The dogs,” he said with no hesitation.

  “Fine.” In fact, that was good. Talking with the guy now wouldn’t tell her what she needed to know.

  Watching him in action would.

  “First,” she said, turning away from Bear, “I’d like you to meet my mother, Sonya, and our dog, Lola.”

  Lola, though restrained by a leash held by Sonya, had leaped forward and now traded nose sniffs with Bear. No animosity that Amber could perceive—a good start. Whatever his background, Bear also appeared well behaved.

  “Hi.” Her mom stepped forward. She held her hand outstretched and Evan grasped it but didn’t look straight into her eyes, either. Amber wondered once more what was on this guy’s mind.

  “Hi,” he responded, letting go right away.

  Amber exchanged a brief glance with her mother, then turned back to Evan. “The first puppies who need training are over there.” She pointed toward the location just beyond the wide driveway that he had probably noticed before.

  Three German shepherds about six months old stood watching them from a small area surrounded by a chain-link fence, just beyond the main wood-plank fence at the edge of the rolling lawn. The pups had been selected by Amber’s dad when they were even younger as having the temperament to potentially have a future as skilled police K-9s.

  By Amber’s now-deceased father…

  Now wasn’t the time to think about that.

  For the first time since he arrived, Evan smiled. “I noticed them,” he said, not taking his eyes off the canines. “Okay if I join them and check out where they are in their training?”

  “Sure,” Amber said, but almost before the word was out of her mouth he began striding in that direction.

  Trading glances once again, Amber and Sonya followed, not far behind. Her mother still held Lola’s leash, restraining their dog from getting too far ahead—and in Evan’s way. Bear stayed at his side, though, without a leash.

  It was May, and the air was warm, the sky a brilliant blue. A lovely day—if there could be such a thing in this family any longer. A good day, at least, for this kind of test.

  As Evan reached the fenced area, the ranch’s barely trained K-9 German shepherd puppies—Rex, Hal and Lucy—all stood as they saw him, clearly excited. Rex started barking, the sound shrill and loud, inciting the others to do the same.

  Evan looked down into the face of the initially guilty dog, gestured and said, “Sit!” softly yet firmly.

  Amber was both amazed and pleased to see Rex immediately both sit and quiet down, and the others followed suit.

  “Wow,” whispered her mom at her side, obviously equally impressed.

  Was it this man’s body language, his clear intent to take control? Amber had no idea, but it felt different, very different, from the others who’d been here before him. Some had yelled orders above the barks, some had shoved the pups into place, and some had done both. Others had bribed them with treats.

  Evan’s approach was different. So was his attitude. He seemed strong yet caring.

  And that was just the beginning. Without looking toward Amber or Sonya for consent, Evan opened the nearby gate to the lawn, and he, Bear and Lola—whose leash he’d removed—then entered the smaller fenced area.

  “Hi,” he said to the pups, who all squirmed on the ground beside him. He appeared to study them for a while, then Rex dashed around and the other two rolled on the grass as if wanting to be petted. He didn’t touch them but asked Amber for their names. He repeated the names, watching each dog to see their reactions. “Okay,” he finally said. “Let’s do it.”

  The three young shepherds plus Lola were then subjected to a whirlwind of instructions, including commands they might not have heard before. Bear, too, participated, clearly knowing and obeying each order.

  Evan’s large, strong hands moved in an assortment of gestures that were each tied to one of those verbal commands. He sometimes repositioned his large, lithe body while getting the dogs to move, too. His hand movements were gentle as, looking straight into their faces, he guided them into the positions he wanted them to achieve. Each time they obeyed a command, a touch or both, he rewarded them with praise.

  His tone was encouraging, as if the dogs understood every word, and maybe they did thanks to his accompanying gestures or their limited prior training.

  Evan seldom scolded them, but he did distract one or another when they didn’t obey by walking in front and grabbing the dog’s attention by movement and a strong tone of voice.

  He also rewarded them now and then by extracting a toy that resembled a small fabric suitcase handle that Amber knew was called a tug from one pocket, and at other times a ball out of another pocket, each time tossing it for an obedient dog to chase and bring back.

  Meanwhile, Bear followed all of Evan’s commands, as if he provided an example each time.

  The pups that Amber found so adorable, so sweet—and so disobedient—now acted as if they couldn’t wait to receive and obey the next command.

  After about twenty minutes, when Evan had worked with all the shepherds—plus Lola—several times, he turned and looked toward Amber and her mother, who both watched him over the fence. It was the first time he’d glanced at them since starting.

  “I gather that these pups have had a small amount of training,” he said, “but they’ve a lot to learn. I’ll want to hear more about their background. I assume the intention is for one or all of them to wind up as police K-9s, so I could start their initial training for single-purpose use—just finding and attacking bad guys. But most police departments prefer dual-purpose dogs, those that can also do drug or explosive sniffing, cadaver location, search and rescue or more, and I can help prepare them for that, too, though what they’re taught will depend on their individual skills and what their ultimate handlers will want from them.”

  “And you can provide all that training?” Amber asked. She was definitely impressed. None of the others she’d invited here had come even close to what Evan had already accomplished.

  “Well, sure,” he said, as if that was a foregone conclusion. He briefly looked her straight in the face, as if trying to read her mind, but only for an instant before he glanced away and turned back toward the dogs.

  Amber started walking away and gestured for her mother to follow. They didn’t go far before she stopped, looked at her mother and asked in a low voice, “What do you think?”

  “Grab him while you can,” Sonya said equally softly, but with a large smile.

  Amber nodded, then called to Evan, “We’d like to discuss a possible job offer with you.” She walked toward him and added, “Please shut the pups into their enclosure, then let’s go into the house and discuss it, okay?”

  “Okay,” he agreed—and Amber knew her responding smile was even larger than her mother’s.
/>   Unsurprisingly, after more commands, followed by petting, verbal rewards and a few more tosses of toys, Evan got the three young pups to sit and stay while he locked the chain-link fence gate behind him, as if the dogs lived to obey him. Amber could only grin about that.

  But surprisingly, rather than join them directly, Evan held back as they walked toward the house. Amber turned often to look at him, admiring the wide smile on his angular face that was leveled only on the two canines still with him, Lola and Bear.

  Maybe it was a good thing he was so wrapped up in communicating with the dogs…for now. Once they reached the house, only the humans would be speaking.

  “I’m really surprised,” Sonya whispered from beside her. “I’d figured we’d find the right choice thanks to one of your dad’s cop contacts.”

  All the others who’d come to try out for this job had either been sent by nearby police departments after Amber had contacted them, or were recommended as skilled trainers by the law-enforcement associations her father had joined because they had K-9 handler members.

  But none had worked out. And this guy, from what Amber had seen online, had appeared potentially perfect.

  She knew from his résumé and the references he’d provided that Evan Colluro was in his early thirties, a couple of years older than her. His credentials were impressive: seven years in the military, the last three working in a K-9 unit. He had earned several commendations and had left the military just over a year ago after an injury.

  “Hey, I know you’re not an internet fan,” Amber replied softly, smiling as she looked down at her mom. “But sometimes people even meet their true loves thanks to websites. It’s worth a shot at trying to find the right employee there.”

  Amber winced at her own words. She had badly misstated her thought. A shot? How stupid of her to use that term.