Stars Over Alaska (Wild River #4) - Jennifer Snow Page 0,129
soar as he held her tight and deepened the kiss.
He wouldn’t be letting this amazing catch go anytime soon.
* * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from The Rancher’s Forever Family by Sasha Summers.
The Rancher’s Forever Family
by Sasha Summers
Chapter One
“Think she’s going to come inside?” Hayden asked, glancing back at the small red car—and the woman inside—that had been sitting in front of the K-9 Center for the better part of an hour.
His dog, Charley, a Belgian Malinois, answered with a part grumble, part whine and rested his chin on Hayden’s knee. As always, Hayden caved to the silent request in the dog’s tawny eyes and gave an obliging scratch behind the ear. Charley leaned in, his long tail thumping against the stained concrete floor in an unmistakable thank-you.
“Yeah, I know, you’ve got it rough.” Hayden chuckled, glancing at the clock on the wall. His appointment was already twenty-three minutes behind. Technically she was here—if sitting in her car counted. “We’ll be back on the ranch before noon.” He had to be there or he’d hear about it later. His mother didn’t mind helping out with his eleven-month-old son, Weston, but with any luck, they would be there before his son woke up from his morning nap, needing a change and a bottle. If Dr. Elizabeth Vega ever managed to exit her vehicle and actually come inside. His attention returned to the car, beyond curious at this point.
She was slumped forward, forehead resting on the steering wheel, AC blowing hard enough to keep her long dark hair dancing around her. If she hadn’t been talking minutes ago—hands flying and head shaking—he might have been worried. At one point, she’d even opened the door. He and Charley had both stood, ready to greet her. Then the car door had slammed shut, Elizabeth Vega still inside.
Because she was struggling. That was the word Dr. Mark Sai had used. Several times. Sai was very good at being diplomatic; it was his job. Hayden could remember how careful Sai had been the first few times they’d met. Sai had been the unit psychiatrist who had to determine his overall mental health after every difficult incursion. Hayden had landed on his couch a few times. He hadn’t liked it, but Mark tried to make it suck less. So, when Sai called, asking for a favor, Hayden said yes. He was looking for a therapy dog—something to help a patient process a recent trauma and support her return to daily life. Most of the dogs that came through the center were ready for retirement, needed extra care or had medical disabilities. But Sierra was a rare exception.
Hell, Sierra was a rare dog. Steady and reliable, she had a calming effect on her handlers and the people she had worked to save.
It was possible she was just what Dr. Elizabeth Vega needed. Sai hoped so. And while Hayden refused to give his comrade-in-arms a guarantee, he was willing to chance it. If, and only if, what Dr. Vega needed wasn’t too much for Sierra to shoulder. Ultimately, Hayden wasn’t in the business of healing people—that was Sai’s job. His job? Honoring and respecting the service these dogs had given their country.
Only way to know? Get this interview started.
“How about we go check on her?” He pushed himself up from the chair.
Charley jumped up, eyes on him, ears alert.
“Don’t get too excited, we’re just going outside.” With a final glance at the paperwork on his desk, he put his hat on, smoothed a hand over his shirt and headed for the door with Charley at his heels.
The heat greeted them like a punch to the chest, humid-heavy and sweat-inducing. Not that he minded. After two tours with forty-five pounds or more strapped onto his back, little things like triple-digit heat didn’t bother him. Or Charley. Considering what they’d been through together, not much got to them.
But when Elizabeth Vega looked up and he saw the raw panic on her face... Well, it got to him. A hell of a lot. So much so that he stopped walking right there, in the middle of the damn parking lot.
Maybe it was her posture, bowed up and defensive. Maybe it was how big her eyes got when she saw him standing there. Or how her grip, knuckles white already, tightened on the steering wheel. He knew fear when he saw it. Question was, what was she afraid of and what was he supposed to do about it?