they’re going to send her back to Texas for evaluation and retraining.”
Risa could see the heartbreak in his eyes, and her own heart broke with his.
“I might be able to help.”
“Tell me what to do.”
What she was about to suggest would break the rules. Something she bet a guy like Jackson Faraday didn’t take lightly.
“Bring her to my place.” He opened his mouth to object, and she laid a hand on his arm. “Let’s see how she does in a different environment, around dogs that still have a job to do, but a different sort of job.”
He scratched his chin and studied her. “What are you thinking, Doc?”
“She’s burned out on action and service.” Risa watched as Bella snuggled closer to Jax. “Plus, throw in separation anxiety. She’s gotten attached to you, and when you’re not around, she misses you.”
“Can you fix her?”
Good question. One she didn’t know the answer to. “Maybe. Let me evaluate her and then we can go from there.”
“Thanks. It’s stupid. I know I’m going to say good-bye to her someday—”
She reached out, squeezed his hand, and didn’t let go. “It’s not. It’s a sign of the kind of person you are: compassionate, caring, and kind of sexy.”
“Are you hitting on me, Doc?” His eyes sparked with interest or surprise. She wasn’t sure which.
“Of course not.” She sat back. “That would be unprofessional of me.”
“Would it compromise your morals, Doc, dating a patient?”
She laughed. “Probably, since all of my patients are four-legged and furry.”
“Then I’m guessing it’s that ‘no dating military’ rule of yours.” He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Kind of a shame.”
Oh boy. His touch sent the butterflies in her stomach into flight mode. All she wanted to do was lean into his touch instead of pulling back.
“It’s not personal.”
“It never is, Doc.”
His words said one thing, but the shrug, the casual way he leaned away from her, and the easy tone said another. Somewhere in Jax’s past, he’d been hurt, and she’d bet it had something to do with his military service. It was a hard life to lead, not just for those serving, but also for the women and men who loved them. Going months without seeing each other, facing life’s trials alone, and the ultimate—not knowing if they’d come home—was more than most could take.
“Do you mind if I hang around for a while? To monitor Bella’s mood,” she quickly clarified at his questioning look. The last thing she wanted him to know was that she was rethinking her own rule.
* * * *
Jax couldn’t think of a better way to spend an evening than with a beautiful woman, even if it was in a dog kennel. “Make yourself at home.”
She settled in across from him, leaning back against the concrete wall. The room was about six feet wide and her long, jean-clad legs ate up most of the space. She didn’t seem to mind sitting on the floor as she crossed her ankles and lazily ran her hand back and forth over Bella’s hindquarters.
“So why veterinary?” he asked.
Her smile was sweet and dreamy and made his heart skip. “Thought that was obvious with all my animals. How else would I afford their medical bills?”
The answer was flippant and not the whole truth, so he waited her out.
She shrugged and shifted her gaze. “My mum says I was destined from birth to be a vet. I don’t remember, but apparently my first animal rescue was an injured bird when I could barely walk.”
“And you’ve been saving animals ever since?”
“Pretty much. I moved on to cats, dogs, squirrels, and a baby skunk once. Mum wasn’t too happy about that one, although she didn’t complain about Petunia nearly as much as she did Tulip the Attack Parakeet. He was messy and noisy and bit a lot.” Her face lit up when she talked, and he was enthralled. “Plus, I pretty much prefer animals over people. So it seemed like the right career path.”
He couldn’t imagine this vibrant, outgoing, caring woman not liking someone or, for that matter, someone not liking her. But someone did. He’d be willing to bet his future job that both acts of vandalism hadn’t been coincidence.
“What’s wrong with people?” he asked. It wasn’t just about the case.
“It’s not that I don’t like them. I just like animals better.” She looked at Jax with those soft caramel-brown eyes, and every protective instinct in him came out. “Animals are honest and love unconditionally. If they don’t like you, you know it. They don’t play silly mind games and they’re loyal, even when a person doesn’t deserve it. Be there for them, and they’ll always be there for you.”
“When you put it that way, I get it. Still, not all people are bad.” He nudged her leg with the toe of his boot.
“There are a few, like those who are willing to spend the night in a kennel to comfort a dog that isn’t even his.” She nudged him back. “So tell me, why military police? Why not something with more action?”
“I washed out of BUD/S in my third phase.”
“Oh. Sorry.” She covered her eyes, then slowly lowered her hand. “This is the other reason why I prefer animals. Less chance of sticking your foot in it.”
He tugged her hand playfully. “No worries. You had no idea, and that was years ago. I tore my meniscus, which rated me unqualified for SEAL, but not military police.”
“So why the military? Why not local law enforcement, or federal?”
Bella crawled over and laid her head on Risa’s lap, which was huge in Jax’s opinion. It was his girl’s way of giving her stamp of approval.
“Like you, it was preordained. My dad was Army, his dad, and his before him. To say they were kind of shocked and disappointed when I went Navy is an understatement.”
“You rebel.”
He laughed. “Yep, that’s me. Bad boy, breaking all the rules.”
“I’m betting you toed the line your whole life. Never once skipped school, lied, or missed a curfew. Am I right?” She dared him with her look to contradict her, and he was happy to do so.
“I skipped school once, put a frog in my sister’s bed and lied about it, and I didn’t have a curfew. And aren’t you the pot calling out the kettle?”
Risa picked at a piece of invisible lint on her jeans, avoiding his gaze. A fact he noted with enjoyment.
“Participating in senior skip day doesn’t count, and I’ll have you know I missed an entire month of art class and still passed because the teacher believed me when I said was helping to organize the class food drive,” she said.
“Wow. I didn’t realize I was in the company of a professional juvenile delinquent. Guess we should all be thankful for that tender heart of yours, or who knows where you might have ended up.”
“First you have to get caught.”
They laughed together. It was the first time in a long time Jax had been this relaxed around a woman. He wasn’t sure if it was Risa, or her rule about not dating military.
Before he could give it any more thought, his phone rang. He pulled it out of his shirt pocket and looked at the display. “Excuse me, I need to take this.”
“Go ahead.”
Risa turned her focus on Bella as he stood