To Love Someone (Baytown Boys #14) - Maryann Jordan Page 0,77

glanced at the buttons on his shirt, wondering if they would hold. “I know the recognition goes to the breeder as well as the owner.”

“Oh, yes, indeed. I sell the champion pups to owners who will show them, and when they win—and they always win—then as breeder, I get the honors. And the money when more people want my dogs.”

Paula slipped from the room, returning after a moment with a tray carrying glasses of lemonade. They sipped their drinks as they continued to listen to Jim expound on his dogs’ bloodlines. A beautiful German shepherd wandered the house, his noble bearing giving evidence that he was in charge of his domain.

“I’m a little bit bigger than some breeders,” Jim said as they walked out the back door and down the path toward the pristine kennels, each with their own run. “I have several dams and sires. All certified purebred by the American Kennel Association. All with excellent ratings and certification by the OFA. I get top dollar for the puppies and have several litters each year. Once I retire a dam, I’ll have another one ready to breed.”

“And their vaccinations?”

He chuckled and hooked his thumbs in his belt. “Now, don’t get upset that I don’t use your clinic—”

She threw her hands up in front of her and shook her head. “Not at all. To be honest, I don’t have the time to handle your level of operation. Your location is closer to Maryland, so I was curious considering veterinarians are licensed by state.”

“I’ve got somebody close by in Maryland that I can use if there’s an emergency. But a good friend of mine is a veterinarian in Virginia Beach. Granted, it takes him about ninety minutes to drive here, but I make it worth his while. He handles all the examinations and vaccinations.”

By now, they’d circled around the expansive kennels. Two men came from a small barn, both pushing wheelbarrows that appeared to be full of dog food.

“Let me introduce you to my employees. This is Lionel Watson and Alejandro Cortez.” Joseph and Samantha greeted the men who stopped and offered the barest hint of a nod. Jim continued, “Lionel is from the Eastern Shore and Alejandro comes across the bridge from Norfolk several times a week. Don’t know what I would do without them.”

While Samantha seemed completely taken with the beautiful German shepherd specimens, Joseph attempted to view the space with a suspicious eye. He didn’t know what he thought they might find… a large animal so obviously a wolf in the kennel right next to the other dogs? Before coming, he’d asked Samantha if she would recognize a full-blooded wolf or even a wolf-hybrid.

She’d replied that not having much experience it would be harder but that wolves had fixed fur along their neck and back, called the cape, which dogs don’t have. But she’d admitted that a hybrid could have that. She had told him that a full-blooded wolf would have smaller, rounded ears.

As they were finishing their tour, Samantha turned toward Jim. “I understand some of your dogs go for training with the military.”

“Yes, there’s a trainer in Maryland that I’ve used. In every litter, I evaluate each dog. There are some that I can tell are going to be a champion show dog. Others, loyal pets for the discriminating owner. Others, high intelligence and yet would not be a dog for show. Usually, I’m able to provide two to three dogs a year to be trained. Every dog I’ve ever sent for training has always been picked by either the military or law enforcement.”

“I worked with the dogs when stationed in Afghanistan,” she said, immediately drawing Jim’s attention.

“You were a veterinarian over there?” Jim asked, not hiding his surprise.

She nodded, her fingers running through the fur of the dog at their side. “Army.”

“Well, lucky you. To be able to work with those dogs… who knows? You might have worked with one of mine. Yes, yes, lucky you.”

Jim moved on to the next kennel and continued talking about his dogs, but Joseph kept his eye on Samantha. A smile stayed plastered on her face, but he noted a specter of sadness moved through her eyes. Fuckin’ idiot, Jim! Who the fuck would think anybody was lucky to be over there?

Their tour came to an end, and they thanked Jim and Paula for their hospitality. Climbing back into Joseph’s SUV, Samantha’s attention was focused on the pictures on her phone, pleased that Jim had allowed her to take