stepped away when she nodded, hesitating until she released him to clutch Alec’s arm instead, and gave her a reassuring smile. “Toby’s not a lead balloon, lass.”
“I’m calling his trainer first thing tomorrow,” she growled, deciding anger would serve her better right now, “and asking why in hell nobody taught him to swim.”
“You don’t know that he wasn’t,” Ian said, reaching Toby. “But it’s possible he had a bad experience involving water at some point before you got him, and he’s just taking his good old time getting over it.”
Oh God, what if that was true? “Then we should stop, because it’s better if he doesn’t remember something horrible,” she said, unable to keep her growing horror out of her voice. “The fear could immobilize him and he could drown.”
Jessie heard a loud gasp followed by a muffled yelp and nearly lost her footing when she spun to see Duncan striding out of the solarium with Merissa in his arms. “Hey!” she shouted, only to have Alec stop her from trying to go after them.
“Jessie,” Ian said firmly, drawing her attention again. “Do you want Toby to spend the rest of his life being afraid of water? Because it appears to me that he’s determined to do this.”
“But we could make it worse,” she said as she tried to go to Toby, only to have Alec stop her again. “He could start having nightmares,” she rushed on. “Or a flashback or something, and be traumatized all over again. Please, Ian,” she whispered, hugging herself as she dropped her gaze from his silent scrutiny.
“Do you trust me, Jessie?”
She snapped her head up. “I don’t even know you.”
His eyes turned unreadable, and he gave a barely perceptible nod. “That’s true. Then do you at least know Toby well enough to trust him?”
“With my life.” She dropped her hands below the water to ball them into fists. “The same way he trusts me to protect him.”
“Can’t you see he’s wanting to do this, Jessie? He wouldn’t have left your side if he didn’t, or allowed us to take off his gear. But animals loathe feeling helpless, and to stop Toby from conquering this particular demon will only give it more power over him.” He gestured at the trembling dog. “He’s just spent the last ten minutes slowly winning the battle; don’t make him leave in defeat.”
Jessie rubbed her palms up and down her thighs, torn between wanting to throw a hissy fit to make this stop and trusting that Ian was right. She finally sucked in a shuddering breath. “O-okay,” she said, watching Ian turn away before she could read his expression. Jessie took another deep breath and held out her trembling hands. “C-come on, Tobes. Swim to me, brave boy.”
Toby pawed at the water, yipping frantically as he worked himself into a terrible frenzy, until he suddenly gave a sharp bark and lunged off the step toward her. Jessie in turn lunged toward him as he immediately sank beneath the surface, and she would have gone under herself if Alec hadn’t caught her.
“Give it a second, lass,” he said next to her ear. “Ian’s got him.”
Toby resurfaced, although she couldn’t tell if it was under his own power or because Ian’s hand under his chest was lifting him up. Toby thrashed violently, wheezing and hacking as he eventually started moving forward, his big brown eyes locked on Jessie the entire time.
And so began their water dance, with Alec continuing to move her just out of Toby’s reach and Toby slowly doing more swimming than thrashing, until Alec led Jessie to the steps when Ian nodded and she sat down. Finally able to reach his prize, Toby scrambled onto the step beside her, his chest heaving with ragged pants as he licked her chin.
Jessie threw her arms around his trembling body and buried her face in his wet fur. “Oh, Toby, you’re so brave. You swam!” She gave him a fierce squeeze. “I’m sorry you had to go through that,” she whispered. “But you know
“I’m calling his trainer first thing tomorrow,” she growled, deciding anger would serve her better right now, “and asking why in hell nobody taught him to swim.”
“You don’t know that he wasn’t,” Ian said, reaching Toby. “But it’s possible he had a bad experience involving water at some point before you got him, and he’s just taking his good old time getting over it.”
Oh God, what if that was true? “Then we should stop, because it’s better if he doesn’t remember something horrible,” she said, unable to keep her growing horror out of her voice. “The fear could immobilize him and he could drown.”
Jessie heard a loud gasp followed by a muffled yelp and nearly lost her footing when she spun to see Duncan striding out of the solarium with Merissa in his arms. “Hey!” she shouted, only to have Alec stop her from trying to go after them.
“Jessie,” Ian said firmly, drawing her attention again. “Do you want Toby to spend the rest of his life being afraid of water? Because it appears to me that he’s determined to do this.”
“But we could make it worse,” she said as she tried to go to Toby, only to have Alec stop her again. “He could start having nightmares,” she rushed on. “Or a flashback or something, and be traumatized all over again. Please, Ian,” she whispered, hugging herself as she dropped her gaze from his silent scrutiny.
“Do you trust me, Jessie?”
She snapped her head up. “I don’t even know you.”
His eyes turned unreadable, and he gave a barely perceptible nod. “That’s true. Then do you at least know Toby well enough to trust him?”
“With my life.” She dropped her hands below the water to ball them into fists. “The same way he trusts me to protect him.”
“Can’t you see he’s wanting to do this, Jessie? He wouldn’t have left your side if he didn’t, or allowed us to take off his gear. But animals loathe feeling helpless, and to stop Toby from conquering this particular demon will only give it more power over him.” He gestured at the trembling dog. “He’s just spent the last ten minutes slowly winning the battle; don’t make him leave in defeat.”
Jessie rubbed her palms up and down her thighs, torn between wanting to throw a hissy fit to make this stop and trusting that Ian was right. She finally sucked in a shuddering breath. “O-okay,” she said, watching Ian turn away before she could read his expression. Jessie took another deep breath and held out her trembling hands. “C-come on, Tobes. Swim to me, brave boy.”
Toby pawed at the water, yipping frantically as he worked himself into a terrible frenzy, until he suddenly gave a sharp bark and lunged off the step toward her. Jessie in turn lunged toward him as he immediately sank beneath the surface, and she would have gone under herself if Alec hadn’t caught her.
“Give it a second, lass,” he said next to her ear. “Ian’s got him.”
Toby resurfaced, although she couldn’t tell if it was under his own power or because Ian’s hand under his chest was lifting him up. Toby thrashed violently, wheezing and hacking as he eventually started moving forward, his big brown eyes locked on Jessie the entire time.
And so began their water dance, with Alec continuing to move her just out of Toby’s reach and Toby slowly doing more swimming than thrashing, until Alec led Jessie to the steps when Ian nodded and she sat down. Finally able to reach his prize, Toby scrambled onto the step beside her, his chest heaving with ragged pants as he licked her chin.
Jessie threw her arms around his trembling body and buried her face in his wet fur. “Oh, Toby, you’re so brave. You swam!” She gave him a fierce squeeze. “I’m sorry you had to go through that,” she whispered. “But you know
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