Trained to Protect Read online

  A cop falls for the woman he’s sworn to protect

  A K-9 Ranch Rescue romance

  From the moment Elissa Yorian arrives at Chance K-9 Ranch, an unknown foe has her in his sights. Fortunately, Officer Doug Murran is on the case. As he tracks Elissa’s mysterious enemy, he does his best to resist the electricity he feels every time he looks at her. Still, their passion might not be enough to protect Elissa from a murderer...

  “Like I said, think hard about whether there’s someone who might have something against you. A neighbor or coworker who’s mad at you. A driver you cut off. Whatever.”

  “Why?” she demanded. “What’s really going on?”

  He pursed his lips. “Yeah, I think you should know, though I was asked to keep it quiet. Amber, for one, was choosing to ignore it. But this break-in here...”

  “What?” Elissa repeated.

  Doug looked straight into her eyes. “The night of your interview at the K-9 ranch, and before you came back up to give your demonstration, this was found on the fence there.” He pulled his phone from his pocket, fiddled with it some, then thrust it toward her.

  A photo was there depicting the front gate up the driveway to the main house at the K-9 ranch.

  And on it was a sign: Be Careful Who You Hire.

  * * *

  Don’t miss upcoming books in the K-9 Ranch Rescue miniseries!

  * * *

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  Dear Reader,

  As I said here in the introduction to Second Chance Soldier, the first in my K-9 Ranch Rescue series for Harlequin Romantic Suspense, I’m a dog lover. Trained to Protect is the second in that series, and it involves both therapy dogs and police K-9s...and their people.

  In Trained to Protect, Elissa Yorian is a therapy dog handler as well as a nurse. After hearing about a part-time job being offered at the Chance K-9 Ranch for someone to provide classes for other therapy dog handlers, she jumps at the opportunity to apply for it. She gets the job—but she also becomes the target of some strange threats. Fortunately, she meets Officer Doug Murran, a K-9 cop with the Chance police department, whose job includes helping to protect the ranch in his town—and it soon includes attempting to protect the lovely and vulnerable Elissa.

  I hope you enjoy Trained to Protect. 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

  TRAINED TO PROTECT

  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

  Second Chance Soldier

  Trained to Protect

  Undercover Soldier

  Covert Attraction

  Harlequin Nocturne

  Alpha Force

  Alpha Wolf

  Alaskan Wolf

  Guardian Wolf

  Undercover Wolf

  Loyal Wolf

  Canadian Wolf

  Protector Wolf

  Back to Life

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  Acknowledgments

  I love the idea of therapy dogs—pets who are taught to help people with physical and mental issues by providing loving visits with them—and very much appreciate the friends and acquaintances who have given me insight into many of the aspects of training them and getting them officially qualified to provide that kind of help. Thanks to all of you, in particular Karen Saunders and Bonnie Schroeder, who provided lots of answers to my many questions.

  And thanks, too, to the K-9 officers who have also answered my recent questions or given demonstrations of how those wonderful K-9s work—most especially Officer Maribel Feeley of the Glendale Police Department’s K-9 Unit.

  Thank you all!

  Of course, as before, Trained to Protect is a work of fiction, so if anything seems untrue that’s because I’ve modified reality to fit the story.

  And, as always, many thanks to my wonderful editor, Allison Lyons, and my fantastic agent, Paige Wheeler.

  Dedication

  Like Second Chance Soldier, Trained to Protect is dedicated to all dogs and those who train and work with them, most especially police and military K-9s...and therapy dogs and their handlers.

  And, as I always do, I dedicate this book to my wonderful husband, Fred, as well as our dogs, Mystie and Cari, who in their ways are my therapy dogs.

  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

  Excerpt from The Pregnant Colton Witness by Geri Krotow

  Chapter 1

  Elissa Yorian stepped through the door into the Chance Coffee Shop and looked around.

  This was her first time in Chance, California, and she was eager to see how this meeting turned out. If things went well, she could land a part-time job teaching people to train and work with therapy dogs. And giving lessons at a really renowned facility. Therapy work was something she loved, and she’d been doing it for a long time.

  This place appeared like nearly any chain shop that specialized in coffee drinks, with a counter where patrons could place their orders and a long glass-fronted display case with food inside. It was noisy with conversations from the many people sitting at small tables, a busy place, which wasn’t surprising since it was nearly lunchtime. Elissa had planned her drive well from her home in San Luis Obispo—sometimes referred to as SLO. It had taken her nearly forty-five minutes to get here, with traffic, as she’d assumed.

  Depending on the schedule of classes she’d hold, her commute wouldn’t be especially fun if she landed this job, but her commitment would only be part-time.

  And it would be worth it.

  She remained at the doorway, searching through the crowd. She knew from the Chance K-9 Ranch website and other online resources what Amber Belott looked like. That didn’t mean she would recognize her, though, in all the faces of people sitting at tables, talking, sipping their drinks and munching on pastries and sandwiches in this place filled with the aroma of coffee.

  No, she would rely on what Amber had told her in their telephone conversation yesterday. For one thing, she’d watch for a woman in a Chance K-9 Ranch T-shirt. Amber owned the ranch along with her mother and, from all Elissa had re
ad online about the noted dog training facility, was the one in charge.

  And her? She had dressed up as if this was a job interview—which it was. She hadn’t overdone it but had put on a knee-length gray dress and black jacket, not to mention higher heels than she ever wore on a work day at the hospital where she was a nurse.

  There. At a table near the counter, Elissa spotted a woman who had just stood up. She appeared slender, of medium height, with wavy reddish hair. And yes, she was wearing the anticipated T-shirt.

  Smiling, her small purse slung over her shoulder, Elissa began making her way through the tables. In less than a minute she had reached her goal. “Amber?”

  “Elissa!” Amber reached out and gave her a brief hug, as if they were already friends.

  Elissa, hugging back, hoped that was a harbinger of what was to come.

  “Let’s get you something to eat and drink,” Amber said after stepping back. Elissa noted there was already a brown coffee cup on the table, as well as a paper plate with a half-eaten croissant on it.

  “Sounds good.” Elissa was rather surprised that she had to argue a bit about who would pay for the café mocha and scone she ordered, but allowed Amber to treat rather than cause even a small rift between them to start with.

  If she got the job, she would be glad to treat her boss to coffee or whatever in the future.

  In a few minutes, after the barista had done her thing, Elissa sat on the vacant seat at Amber’s table. Her view was of a few occupied tables between where she sat and the order counter.

  Amber began their conversation. “I already know the basics from our phone call, but please tell me more about your work with therapy dogs and training their owners.”

  Elissa couldn’t help grinning. She pushed her shoulder-length blond hair away from her face as she tried to get serious. But that was impossible, considering how much she loved what she did.

  “Well,” she began, “I’ve been at it for around three years. I’m a nurse, too. When I saw how therapy dogs who were brought into hospitals cheered patients so much, actually helping them improve faster, I had to give it a try.”

  Not just a try, but much more. She had chosen her dog Peace, a golden retriever, after watching many skilled breeds and rescue dogs. Goldens performed really well as therapy dogs, following their owners’ instructions and giving lots and lots of attention and love to sad and needy patients.

  She described how qualified therapy dog handlers had worked with Peace and her from the first, teaching her all she needed to get started. Then she began doing it on her own.

  And recently she had paid it forward and begun working with other potential therapy dog handlers in the hospital where she was primarily a full-time pediatric nurse. She had even provided a few classes for would-be handlers and their dogs, even though formal schooling wasn’t generally necessary for therapy dogs. If they had the right personalities for it, their skills could be learned as people worked with their dogs at appropriate locations with expert handlers. But her students had all been appreciative—and had done well, some going on to become certified handlers themselves.

  “Yes, we’re aware that most therapy dog handlers learn how to do it by working directly with others at various facilities,” Amber said. “But we want our Chance K-9 Ranch to expand into many different avenues for teaching dogs and their owners. We’re also looking for a basic pet trainer or two, but we especially would like to hire someone who provides therapy dog training—though I realize that it’s mostly the owners who need schooling. We want to start with basic classes at the ranch, then provide some of that hands-on training when the students are ready.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Elissa responded.

  “And your experience teaching other handlers sounds good to me,” Amber said as she took a sip of her drink. She was an attractive woman with assessing brown eyes and an expressive mouth. Would she be a good boss?

  Heck, she and everyone else at her ranch most likely worked with dogs. That certainly spoke well of her, along with the ranch’s reputation.

  “Thanks,” Elissa said. “And if you’d like, I can give you contact information for several more people who’ll act as references for me.” She’d asked some of her fellow therapy dog handlers before taking this meeting. She wasn’t attempting to keep her ambition here secret, although she’d also made it clear to those she’d spoken with about it that she would limit her time in this part-time position, if she got it, so it would not affect her full-time job.

  Or at least not much.

  “Good,” Amber said. “And as I mentioned on the phone, this kind of class is something new around here. We want someone quickly. You’ve got the best credentials and recommendations of any of our candidates so far, but I’ll want you to come to the K-9 Ranch and give a demonstration, preferably in the next couple of days, before we make any decisions. Also—” She stopped speaking and smiled as she gazed past Elissa.

  Which caused Elissa, thrilled to hear Amber’s reference to her background, to turn to see what she was looking at.

  She smiled, too, as she saw two cops in black uniform jackets, a man and woman, walk into the coffee shop. But she wasn’t smiling at them.

  No, she grinned because these were obviously K-9 cops. They both had dogs on leashes at their sides. As Elissa watched, they approached the table where she sat, maneuvering effortlessly through the crowd.

  Amber stood. “Hi, Maisie and Doug,” she said as the cops reached them. “And hi, Hooper and Griffin, too.”

  Elissa rose, as well, while Amber introduced the officers and their dogs to her. The two cops apparently had more in common than merely being K-9 officers. They were also brother and sister. If Elissa was correct, Maisie, with short, blond hair and an air of being in charge, was the older sibling. Her dog, Griffin, was a golden retriever who appeared older and larger than Elissa’s Peace, whom she’d left at home.

  “Hi, Elissa,” Maisie said when Amber had completed the introductions. “So you’re a therapy dog trainer. I’d like to learn more about that. I think Griffin would be a wonderful therapy dog along with his great K-9 skills—which are mostly scenting out drugs and bad guys.”

  Hearing his name, the dog looked up at his handler and wagged his fluffy tail. Elissa couldn’t help smiling. “I’d be glad to show you,” she told the cop.

  She turned her smile toward the other officer, Doug. He didn’t smile back as he looked at Elissa. Why not? She felt an inappropriate twinge of hurt—no, it had to be irritation—that she immediately sloughed off.

  Too bad his sister seemed nicer, though, since even with a neutral expression on his face, he appeared to be one hot, handsome cop. His hair was light brown, darker and much shorter than his sister’s. His chiseled features were dominated by the way his hazel eyes, beneath thick brows, seemed to focus on Elissa, which made her insides churn with something she hadn’t felt—hadn’t allowed herself to feel—for a very long time: lust.

  Though he hadn’t spoken after saying hello to her, she determined to break the silence between them. After all, it wouldn’t hurt for her to have additional allies in this area who clearly cared about dogs. “I’d be glad to give you a therapy dog demonstration, too,” she said. “And if it’s possible, I’d also love to watch a K-9 training session sometime.” One that included his German shepherd.

  “Then Amber has hired you already?” Doug’s tone sounded somewhat skeptical—and Elissa figured he knew enough to recognize that she had just met her potential new boss.

  “Not yet,” Amber said. “That’ll depend on how Elissa’s demonstration at the ranch goes. Does tomorrow work for you, Elissa?”

  She’d fortunately anticipated the possibility and scheduled the next day as another day off from the hospital—though she’d been prepared to change that if necessary. “That works great for me,” she said. She turned back to Maisie, though she also would be inte
rested in a response from her brother. “Will you come and watch the demo?”

  “Unlikely.” Maisie’s tone sounded regretful. “We’ll be on duty and there’s an investigation pending that we’ll probably be involved in.”

  “Well, maybe another time,” Elissa said, hazarding a brief glance toward Doug. He was still watching her with those intense hazel eyes.

  “Maybe,” he said, then looked down and patted the top of his shepherd’s head. “As long as Hooper doesn’t mind. He provides all the therapy I need.”

  * * *

  Doug Murran ran into a lot of women both in his capacity as a police officer and in everyday life, even in a town as small as Chance. Some were nice looking, even pretty.

  But few were as attractive as Elissa Yorian.

  Maybe it wasn’t only her sexy, appealing appearance in her attractive professional outfit, though. Or her slightly unkempt blond hair framing a lovely, mostly smiling face.

  Maybe it was because she clearly loved dogs. After all, she was a therapy dog handler and trainer. She was additionally a nurse, another indication that she cared about helping people.

  He cared about helping people, too, though from a different perspective.

  He was a cop.

  “Do you two have time to join us for coffee?” Amber asked.

  “Sure.” He moved his gaze to the K-9 Ranch owner. He’d just been about to suggest the same thing—even though he figured his dear sis, Maisie, would balk at the idea. They’d intended just to come in and leave with take-out coffee. But their next meeting at the Chance Police Department headquarters wasn’t for another half hour.

  “Oh, but—” Maisie began from beside him.

  “But we can’t stay long,” he added. He didn’t look at Maisie, knowing her gaze would be shrewd and critical.

  She knew him well, for multiple reasons—as both his sibling and coworker. But he stayed out of her way—mostly—when she began flirting with a new guy. She needed to learn to do the same with him.