about not responding to commands, there’s a chance she could be burned out or suffering from PTSD.”
He flinched. It was there and gone in the blink of an eye, but she’d caught it. Chief Faraday was the kind of guy who wore the weight of the world on his shoulders… or at least the well-being of a dog that wasn’t even his.
“What do I do with those?” He nodded toward the bottles in her hand.
“Three times a day for both. It’s really important that you keep her calm and from moving around a lot. Use the sling to help support her hind legs when she gets up to walk, but keep it far enough forward. Here.” She pointed to the area where he needed to place the device. “Her appetite might drop off some due to the lack of activity, but that’s normal. Dogs are pretty intuitive when it comes to healing. Just don’t let them rush her back into training.”
“Will do, Doc. I assume Dr. Lagasse will be around tomorrow to check on Bella at the kennel, or do I need to bring her in for a follow-up?”
“He’s on leave, so I’ll be by in the morning.” She turned and grabbed a pen and pad of paper, quickly scribbling on it before handing it to Jax. “Please give this to whomever is on duty. If she takes a turn for the worse or appears to be in a lot of pain, have them call me right away.”
“Thanks. And if you really want to help, don’t include in your report that you think my dog has mental issues. They’ll want to send her to Texas for reevaluation and training. Let’s get her leg healed and give her a break, and see how she does first.”
“I’ll agree on one condition.” She waited for him respond, but only got a raised brow. “Be honest with me about her progress. I might be able to help and keep her from being sent away.” What she was offering to do went totally against her job description working for the Navy, protocol, and her better judgment, but damn. She knew if someone tried to take away one of her four-legged family members, her heart would break.
“You got a deal, Doc.”
Chapter 2
Risa pulled up in front of her farmhouse and swore. Sitting on the front steps was Fiona Sinclair, her best friend in the whole world, sipping a glass of wine with Risa’s cat on her lap and the pups at her feet. After Jax had left with Bella, Risa had cleaned all the equipment and sterilized the room. Then she wrote up her report while everything was fresh in her mind, minus her suspicions about the dog’s mental state. And she’d forgotten about Fiona and their plans.
They had met the first day of first grade. Fee had been the only one not to make fun of Risa’s English accent. Risa had been tall, gangly, and shy, while Fee had always been a bit smaller than the others kids. She’d also been a bit fiercer, and they’d made a perfect team.
She hung her head as she slipped out of the SUV. “Fee, I’m so sorry—”
Fiona held up a hand. “Was it a work emergency?”
“Dog with a fractured hip.”
“Aw, poor baby. Say no more. Here, you probably need this as much as I do.” She held her near-empty wine glass out to Risa.
Risa took the glass and sat down on the steps next to her friend. The cool, crisp white wine slid down her throat and burned her empty stomach. She handed the glass back and took a minute to greet her cat, Morpheus, and her two dogs, Athena and Eir, while studying the prominent stress lines on Fee’s face.
“Rough day?” Risa asked.
“Salvador strikes again.”
Given Fiona’s ex-husband’s track record, Risa didn’t bother asking what happened this time. It didn’t matter. Her role was clear. “Where’s the body? I’ve got the perfect spot to bury him.”
Fiona laughed and laid her head on Risa’s shoulder. “I shouldn’t laugh. You’re probably more than half serious.”
“I’ll have you know I’m one-hundred-percent serious. The guy’s a wanker and doesn’t deserve to breathe the same air as that sweet, beautiful boy he helped create. That was his one-and-only good deed in life. Now that he’s accomplished his mission on the planet, he can exit this plane of existence.”
Fiona held up the empty wineglass. “You drank all my wine, you lush. Anyway, it doesn’t matter, because Dylan—and, by extension, me—won’t have to deal with Salvador for a while.”
Risa sat up with maybe a bit too much enthusiasm. “Is he getting sent to the Sandbox? Or the frozen tundra of Siberia? Both are incredibly too good for him, but it’s a start.”
“For a woman who would give up her own life to save any four-legged creature, you’ve got a surprising mean streak.” Fiona stood, still holding Morpheus. “Did you hear your Mommy, Morph buddy? I know, I’m shocked too, but I like it. Not sure what that says about me.”
“You’ve got incredible taste in friends?” Risa suggested.
“And horrible taste in men.” Fee set down the cat and automatically went into a Mountain Pose. She breathed deeply and twisted to the side. “He’s someone else’s problem now. He blew off his week with Dylan because this was the only week he could take his honeymoon.”
“Your ex got married and didn’t tell you ahead of time?”
“Nope.” She twisted the other way, exhaling. “Not sure if he thought I’d show up and stop the wedding, or what. If it wasn’t for the crushed look on my baby’s face, I’d be dragging you out to celebrate.”
Risa got the hint; Fee was ready for their yoga workout, but first she needed to change out of her work clothes. She headed inside, followed by the dogs, cat, and her friend. “Where is Dylan?”
“With my parents.”
Stripping off her scrubs, Risa paused. “Then what’s stopping us from going out? This deserves at least a nice dinner and maybe some chocolate lava cake.” She smiled at the thought.
Fee snapped her waistband. “Uh… yoga pants. Plus, you look exhausted. So how about we call for pizza, and while we wait, do some yoga. You can tell me about your day and why you came home looking all frowny.”
So much for lava cake. But Risa agreed and finished changing. First she called in the pizza order, then kicked the four-legged children out to play, or else Eir would be sticking her nose in Risa’s face the minute she went into Downward Dog.
As Fiona led her through the now-familiar poses, Risa tried to clear her mind like instructed. It was so easy for her friend. She was a pro and had discovered yoga before they hit their teens. For Risa, it was a time for her mind to go into overdrive.
Risa’s brain kept circling around to her last patient, and even more so around her human. Striking hazel eyes, hair that was neither blond nor brown but somewhere in between, and a smile that did funny things to her insides. Add all that to a man who cared deeply for his dog, and you had a near perfect package.
“Near” being the key word.
“Yo, earth to Risa.” Fiona waved her hand in front of her face. “Hello, pizza’s here.”
“Has it been an hour already?” Risa asked as she went to pay for the pizza and let the crew back in.
“Yep. I have to say, I’m impressed. I’ve never seen you so in tune and lost in meditation before.” At the look that must have passed on Risa’s face, Fiona narrowed her eyes and pointed a finger. “You weren’t meditating, were you?”
“I tried. It’s not my fault my brain won’t settle down.”
Fiona slid two slices of loaded pizza onto her plate and headed for the recliner. “At least your body is healthy. As for your mind, I give up.”
“It’s my last patient, Bella. She’s a military working dog.”
“The one with the broken hip.”
“Yep,