closed his eyes on a fresh wave of guilt. She’d been dealing with so much, and feeling so alone, and after they talked he’d ignored her simple request because he’d gotten sad over his dad’s death, something he hardly ever thought about anymore.
On impulse he pulled his phone from his pocket and rifled through his photo album. After finding the one he wanted, he scrolled to Lani’s name in his contacts and opened a text. I’m sorry about tonight, he typed, before attaching the pic and hitting Send.
No immediate answer. With a sigh, Geo pushed to his feet and headed for the shower, his silent phone tossed to the bed. When he emerged from the steamy bathroom, towel around his hips, his screen lit up, then faded to black as he eagerly reached for it.
Anticipation burning through him, he pulled up her reply.
Don’t be sorry. It was a weird night for both of us, I think. But thanks for the pic! I’d love to hear the story behind it sometime.
I’d love to tell you. His heart beating a bit faster, Geo typed, Can I take you to dinner the next time we’re in town? We should be home in a week or two.
It seemed forever until her answer came, although it was only a couple of seconds.
Sure. I’d like that.
An idiotic grin spreading over his face, Geo replied, It’s a date.
* * *
“Holy shit.”
Lani stared at the picture on her phone screen. In it, a shirtless Geo crouched next to a sleek black-and-tan dog, who sat looking stoically into the camera. Geo’s lips held a rueful twist, one hand braced on his thigh, the other held up to display his muscular forearm—a forearm crisscrossed with lurid stitches in the shape of a bite mark.
What was he saying, that Bosch had bitten him? What would make a dog turn on his handler? Holding the phone high, she peered into Bosch’s intelligent brown eyes.
“Why would you do that?”
Bosch gazed back at her, his ears upright, chest up and out, for all the world looking most pleased with himself. Damn, it sounded crazy, but the expression on his face reminded her of someone...
But who?
When it hit her a split-second later, she clapped her hand over her mouth to muffle her giggle. He reminded her of Geo himself—completely self-assured, with a bone-deep confidence that bordered on arrogant.
“Oh, my God, Bosch. You’re a SEAL in canine form, aren’t you?”
Of course he was. Spec ops dogs would have to have much the same traits as their human counterparts, who were all Type A mixes of stubbornness and competitiveness. But what’d happened between Geo and Bosch to cause this?
She couldn’t wait to find out.
Heading into the kitchen to make sure all the Chinese food was put away, the new journal sitting on the table caught her eye. Lani glared at it.
“Get those thoughts down,” Maura had said at the end of their session when she’d handed the journal to her. “Let them flow. Even if some days all you manage to write is what you had for dinner, I want you to get used to putting your thoughts and emotions into words. You’ve been holding them inside for far too long.”
Daily homework. Great.
With a grunt, she snatched up her favorite pen with the purple ink and flipped the journal open to the first pristine white page. The first few sentences came out stilted, flippant, as she attempted to describe her day. When her hand started to cramp, she tossed the pen down and slammed the journal closed. “Ugh, this is dumb.”
How was writing stuff down supposed to help her accomplish jack-shit anyway? All the assignment had done so far was contribute to her ongoing sense of failure, and that was something she definitely didn’t need.
She could manage that part all on her own, thank you very much.
Giving up for the moment, Lani grabbed her tea mug and headed to the living room and her couch. She got comfortable, then took a sip of the fragrant brew while she regarded the phone resting on her thigh.
Unable to help herself, she opened the picture again, this time ignoring the dog to focus on Geo. He looked sweaty, dirty, as if he’d just completed an exercise. She traced her eyes over his camo pants and boots, his ridged abs and well-defined chest. That wound on his arm had to hurt, yet he was crouching next to Bosch as if they were still best friends. What in the world...?
She dropped her