Second Chance Soldier Read online

  “Really? Why not?” Amber prepared herself to convince her mom that this was simply a business get-together. She needed to ensure she wouldn’t be alone with Evan on this outing. Not that she’d ever consider it a date, but she also didn’t want her mother, or anyone in town who happened to see them together, to think it was.

  She was floored a bit by her mother’s response. “I’ve agreed to join Nathan for dinner tonight.” She glanced toward Evan. “That’s our neighbor, who owns the resort next door.” She returned her attention to Amber. “He’s been so—so kind since we lost your father. It’s just a nice gesture on his part, not a date or anything like that. You know I’d never do such a thing. But, well, he invited me, and—”

  “I understand, Mom,” Amber interrupted, lying somewhat but not wanting her mother to suffer any further because of anything she did or said. “It’s probably a good thing for us to go out with friends right now.” But was this, unlike her prospective dinner with Evan, actually a date with their next-door neighbor, Nathan Treggory? Unlikely, especially since her mom recognized how it could look and rejected the idea.

  But Amber still would want to hear more about it after the fact.

  “Thanks for understanding, dear. And, Evan, I’d be glad to talk to you nearly anytime, answer questions and all. Just not tonight.”

  “I get it,” Evan said. “Let’s talk some other time.”

  So, date or not, Amber found herself committed to going out for dinner with Evan tonight to discuss the ranch and business and whatever else came up in the conversation.

  About him, though. She had no intention of talking about herself.

  And yet… The idea made Amber’s insides churn even more. What was it about this man that made her get all mushy and weird? The fact that he appeared to be sad and needy?

  The fact that he clearly was a damn good dog trainer?

  She’d have to keep in mind that she’d just broken up with the guy she’d thought was the love of her life and had no interest in getting involved with another man.

  “All right,” she said brusquely, heading for the front door. Her mother was at her side with Lola. Evan and Bear were behind them. She turned. “It’s four o’clock now. Come over to the main house at six and we’ll decide where to go downtown—somewhere without our dogs?”

  Why did Evan’s look seem as uncomfortable as she felt? And then he glanced up, briefly met her gaze and nodded. “Fine with me.”

  And Amber, despite feeling trapped, felt herself smile.

  *

  Evan followed the women outside along with the dogs. Dinner with just Amber? Should he call it off? Tell her he’d forgotten other plans? Tell them he’d wait for a time when Sonya could join them?

  But heck, some of what he wanted to discuss would be helpful at that first class he would apparently teach tomorrow.

  Besides, being with Amber—lovely, in-charge Amber—might be one more step toward his forcing himself to leave old issues behind, plant himself firmly in this new life with all its promise.

  “See you at six,” he said to her, then noticed a man walking up to the small house next to his along this row. He nodded toward him. “Who’s that?” he asked.

  Both Sonya and Amber turned. “Oh, that’s our ranch hand, Orrin Daker,” Sonya said. “Come on. We’ll introduce you to him.”

  Another new acquaintance? The idea felt unsettling to Evan, yet meeting someone else he should know as long as he lived here would be another step into his new existence.

  “Thanks.” With Bear at his side, he followed the two women and their dog past the nearest houses to where Orrin, who’d apparently seen them, waited.

  “Hi, Orrin,” Sonya said. “I’d like you to meet our new dog trainer, Evan Colluro. Evan, this is Orrin.”

  “Hi, man,” Orrin said. Probably in his early twenties, the guy had a tall head of light brown hair and a matching beard and mustache. He wore a red Chance, California, T-shirt over scruffy-looking jeans. He stared—no, glared—at Evan as if he was an interloper out to steal his job and his home.

  Which made Evan highly uncomfortable, yet he stared right back at the guy despite the effort it took—at least for a few seconds.

  “Hi. Good to meet you. Make sure you let me know what you’re up to if you think it’ll affect my training here, and I’ll do the same with you.”

  “Yeah. Right.” Orrin then slipped into his house.

  “He’s really a nice guy,” Amber said unconvincingly. “He does a good job for us, and my dad even used him sometimes when he was all dressed up in a protective outfit as the guy the K-9s he was training attacked. His family has lived in Chance forever but his being right here on the ranch makes it easier for us to let him know what we need to have done.”

  “Makes sense,” Evan said. It also made sense, judging only by this first, uncomfortable meeting, that they might want to fire the guy and get someone more personable and accommodating.

  Did Orrin really like being an agitator during training sessions, or did he feel forced into it?

  Well, Evan would find out. He was the newcomer. He was the one with the most to learn—and, hopefully, would have the most to give—in his new position.

  Amber was standing beside her mother, and appeared impatient as she looked at him.

  “Like I said, see you at six at your house,” Evan told her, hoping this entire situation wasn’t a big mistake.

  Bear sidled up to him as if feeling his unease and wanting to make it go away. He hadn’t been trained as a service or therapy dog, but his effect on Evan these days was similar.

  “Come, boy,” Evan said as the women and Lola walked off in the direction of their home. He began to follow at a discreet distance. He needed to move his car along the driveway extension they’d shown him behind the houses and park behind his new place. Then he could unload the clothing and few other items he had brought along.

  He was about to start his new life—and that night, while he was with Amber, he would find a way to ensure he get along with her—and also turn off any totally inappropriate attraction he felt toward her.

  His job here was to work with trainers…and dogs.

  *

  It was nearly six o’clock. Amber waited outside in the cool, brisk air beside her silver SUV, which she’d retrieved from the garage at the rear. It was now parked at the front of the driveway, near her house, right beside the main dog-training area, as she watched for Evan to appear. He had apparently moved his car since it had previously been parked right here. She assumed it was behind his new quarters. Good. For now, it should stay there.

  This would be an interesting evening. For one thing, her new employee had invited her to join him for dinner. Her mother, too, of course, although that wasn’t now the situation.

  Earlier, after returning from showing Evan his house, she had left her mother watching her favorite afternoon talk show on TV, and, in her own bedroom, used her laptop to do some online research about PTSD to see what she might learn about Evan.

  From what she read, PTSD could involve quite a few different symptoms, from ongoing nightmares and depression and even suicide wishes, to just wanting to avoid people, including family members—and strangers.

  But he’d invited his new employers to join him in a strange environment for dinner. Though Amber didn’t know what went on in Evan’s mind, his avoiding eye contact a lot indicated he wasn’t much for socializing.

  That suggested he really wanted to work here. Maybe it was because he’d be dealing with dogs even more than people. That was fine with her.

  Her mother had driven her own car to go meet Nathan a short while ago. That was good. He hadn’t come to the house to pick her up—which would have appeared more like a date, highly inappropriate considering how recently they’d lost her dad.

  Just before Amber got ready to leave, she’d brought the pups in training inside the home, along with Lola. She enclosed the pups in the family room that her dad had outfitted to accommodate yo
ung dogs, since her mother would be gone, too. It contained crates and dog beds, and a washable linoleum floor. Fortunately, the dogs were all trained well enough already to be loose and not closed into crates for now.

  She spotted Evan striding up the walkway in front of the employees’ houses. He cleaned up well, she thought as he drew closer. His interview and demo outfit had been nice but fairly casual. Now he had on a beige button-down shirt tucked into brown slacks, though he still wore athletic shoes.

  She, in turn, had donned a blouse and midlength skirt, both in pale green. Her shoes were casual pumps with low heels.

  They were both dressed as if this was, in fact, a date. Well, she’d make sure he remembered, as the evening progressed, that she was his employer.

  “Hi,” she said as he approached. As they’d decided earlier, he hadn’t brought Bear, and she had left Lola in the house with the pups. That would give them more leeway about the restaurant they chose. She had a pretty good idea where to suggest. First, though, she asked in jest, in an attempt to ease any tension Evan might feel about spending this evening alone with his new boss, “What? A dog trainer without his dog?”

  She liked his quick smile and shrug. “And a dog-ranch owner without her dog?”

  She laughed. “Come on. I’ll drive us to town.” She motioned toward the passenger side of her car. An expression she couldn’t quite read passed over his face but he said nothing. Surely he wasn’t some male chauvinist who expected to drive, even under these circumstances, when she knew the town a lot better than he did?

  Or…was that somehow related to his PTSD? Had he somehow been injured in a car?

  She wasn’t about to ask.

  “I intended to meet you here first to make sure we were still on for tonight, then go get my car,” he said.

  “No need.” She motioned for him to get into the passenger’s side, and with only another second’s hesitation, he complied.

  Chapter 3

  Amber started the engine and headed down the country road toward town, only a ten-minute journey. They soon passed the resort owned by Nathan, and Amber wondered how things were going with her mother’s non-date with him.

  Evan remained silent. “How’s Bear doing?” Amber finally asked, determined to cast aside thoughts of her mom.

  “Fine. I left him in the kitchen, though he’s a good boy and should do fine with the run of the house in the future.”

  “I’ll bet.” She searched her mind for another topic he might be interested in discussing. “How was your drive from Los Angeles?” That was where he had been living when they first began communicating about the job.

  “Some traffic, but not bad.” He looked straight ahead, not at her. She, though, glanced toward him. He appeared relaxed—and was as good-looking as she’d considered him before.

  “Good.” She again watched the road in front of them. “I hope you don’t mind, but we’re making a couple of stops before dinner.”

  “Really? Where?” He did look toward her now. Was he concerned about the location, or how many people he’d see, or…well, she had no idea.

  “The local Pets and Products first. I need to pick up some dog food.” She’d also see one of her closest friends around here at the shop, the local franchise’s owner Mirrisa Jenkins.

  Mirri would be happy for Amber, that she’d finally found someone to restart classes at the K-9 Ranch.

  “I’d like to visit there, too,” Evan said. “I need some supplies for Bear.” He paused. “Where else?”

  “You’ll like this one.” She hoped. “I need to see a guy at our local tech store. He maintains the ranch’s website, and I want him to let the world know that we’ll be starting more classes again.” When Evan said nothing, Amber wondered if he felt uncomfortable about the concept of “letting the world know.”

  “Of course, if you don’t want your name mentioned, just tell me.”

  He seemed to hesitate, but only for a second. “No, that’ll be fine—although, don’t you want to wait until you see how the classes work out before you start promoting again?”

  “Are you saying you may mess up?”

  Again a hesitation, but then Evan said, “Absolutely not. You’ve hired the right guy.”

  “That’s what I figured.” Amber couldn’t cross her fingers easily since she was driving. But considering the other candidates, she believed what he’d said was true.

  *

  They were finally at the restaurant called The Joint.

  Evan allowed his prior tension to ease up, relaxing his shoulders and breathing evenly. He would now get to start the conversation he had planned.

  Not that he’d minded being at that Pets and Products shop. It was like every other one he had gone into over the years, and it sold the wholesome food that he always fed Bear, as well as the healthy treats he gave his dog, though not part of any training.

  That friend of Amber’s—Mirri—kept looking from him to Amber and back again, as if assessing whether there was more than a new employer-employee association. He fought down the urge to tell her that what she was looking for was simply not there.

  So far he liked Amber…sure. But if he finally got to the point, ever, when he was ready to start some kind of relationship with a woman again, it wouldn’t be one in a position to tell him what to do.

  He’d had enough people doing that while he was in the military. Although his connections with his senior officers had been as expected and appropriate, he’d not been close friends with any of them. And now that he was fighting with his own psyche to regain internal balance, he wasn’t about to make things more difficult by getting involved with yet another person who was able to give him orders.

  When they’d completed their purchases, they had gone around the corner from the pet store, which was on Chance Avenue, to the Cords and Clouds shop on Mercer Street. It was a small tech store run by a guy named Percy Relgin, who looked like the stereotype of geekiness: he was young and thin, with puffy hair and glasses. Amber had introduced them, then told Percy she wanted him to update the ranch’s website again, as he had recently. But this time he was to focus on Evan and add a description of his excellent lessons for pet dogs and potential trainers, which were about to begin, and to say that more classes, including police K-9 training and instruction for therapy dogs and possibly service dogs, too, would be scheduled eventually.

  Evan sloughed off his concern about being able to meet her standards. He could do it. He would do it. And he forced himself to give Percy all the information about his background and skills that he asked.

  Amber and Percy then talked briefly about the ranch’s email. Apparently the guy had figured out her father’s password, which now meant Amber could access what was there. Then they left.

  The Joint was between the two shops, on the joined corner of their respective streets. He had noticed it when he had first driven through Chance on his way to the ranch. The restaurant owner knew Amber and greeted her right away. “I’ve got just the right table for you now,” he said, which was good since the place was crowded.

  “Thanks, Gus,” Amber said. “By the way, this is Evan, my new dog trainer.”

  “Hi, Evan.” Gus reached out to shake hands. He wore a black T-shirt and jeans, less dressy than the servers, who had on gray knit shirts and dark trousers. “Glad to meet you.” He preceded them between the tables, and Evan watched as Amber said hi and waved to several seated patrons.

  At an empty table in the middle of the room, Gus handed them menus, then walked away.

  The restaurant appeared to cater to everyone. Evan noted the assortment of families and couples and groups of men and women seated around tables similar to theirs: plastic with a wood-grain finish. The acoustics were what he’d anticipate in a place like this, with a hum of conversations that was loud but didn’t drown out the server’s voice when she asked what they wanted to drink.

  Since they were here to discuss his questions he didn’t want any alcohol, not that he feared he wou
ldn’t stay sober, but because he wanted to appear professional. He ordered a cola.

  “So,” Amber said once the server had gone. “What did you want to discuss tonight?”

  He first asked about the ranch: how Amber’s father had started it, why it was at such a remote location and how he’d nevertheless lured in people from all over to learn how to train not only pets, but also police K-9s and therapy dogs. She responded that her dad believed in himself and wanted students to come to him and learn, with dogs, in a comfortable environment. And it had worked well, she told Evan, which he knew from Corbin Belott’s reputation on the internet rating sites and the numbers of classes he’d apparently taught. But Evan recognized her worry about the future and was both grateful and concerned she would be relying on him.

  In answer to further questions, Amber said her dad had loved working with dogs and even training other people to work with them, but had enjoyed doing it all himself, so he’d had no backup employees. She said he’d made a good living at it.

  Evan also wanted to know what the family believed had happened to Corbin Belott, though he wouldn’t mention that now. Corbin had been murdered, Evan knew from his research. Shot, and his body was found on the grounds of his ranch by a ranch hand, whom Evan now believed was Orrin.

  According to news reports, the case remained unsolved. Did his family have any idea about his enemies? Might his wife and daughter be in danger, too?

  And Evan wondered how Amber and her mother handled such a horror. Sure, he had seen and dealt with death in many tragic ways, had nearly died himself—and would have, had it not been for Bear. But he had been at war, in a dangerous situation that he had chosen, somewhat, to face.

  That was very different from what had happened here.

  But this wasn’t the time or place to ask Amber about what had happened to her dad. It might never be appropriate, despite his curiosity.

  Evan instead went to another item on his mental list that was more critical to him and his new job. “I know I’ll be working with some of your long-standing students tomorrow, which is great. I’ll get a taste of the classes your father taught both to potential pet trainers and to their dogs that need training, and that should help a lot. But I gather there aren’t other classes of any kind scheduled right now.”