unison, each vying for the soldier’s attention. Gemma threw her hands up in the air. “Everyone wants a puppy.”
“Speaking of puppies,” Victoria said, coming into the back room. “Your two o’clock appointment is here.”
Gemma spotted a young girl accompanied by her mother and father following Victoria into the back room. She inched away from Cole and smoothed back her hair. “Go ahead and look around.” She handed Cole her master key. “Take them to the dog run and I’ll check in with you later.” She gestured with a nod to the young family of three and mentally went over their adoption file to remember their names before explaining to the men, “Larissa is here to adopt a new pet.”
Cole touched her arm to draw her back to him. He put his mouth close to her ear, his words for her and her only. “I’ll catch up with you later. There are some things we need to sort out.”
While his comrades examined the canines through their cages, Cole turned away from her and started to walk the length of the shelter. Gemma worked to get her focus on the task at hand and off the sexy soldier she wanted again in the worst way. She dropped down on one knee to face the young girl who couldn’t be more than four years old.
“How are you, Larissa?” she asked.
“I want a puppy.” Her big brown eyes lit with excitement as she clapped her chubby hands together.
“Well you certainly came to the right place,” Gemma said, laughing. She reached for the girl’s hand. As Larissa slipped her fingers into Gemma’s palm, her heart hitched, just a little. Seeing her sweet face had Gemma thinking how much she wanted to have a family of her own someday. Cole was right. She did want the house with a white picket fence. Maybe he did know her better than she knew herself. But it did have her wondering more about Cole, his demons and all the secrets he held close.
“Personally I’d like one that’s already house trained,” Larissa’s mom said, bringing Gemma’s thoughts back as the woman crinkled her nose in distaste.
“No, a puppy.” Larissa’s blonde curls flared around her head as she shook it.
Larissa’s father grinned and threw his hands up in the air in defeat. “I guess it’s a puppy, then,” he said, but from the warm, loving look in his eyes, she could tell he was happy about the choice and that he’d do anything to please his sweet daughter.
She guided Larissa over to the pen full of puppies and the girl squealed in delight. Gemma pulled open the door and when the child rushed in, the hairs on Gemma’s arms lifted. As an uneasy feeling moved through her, she glanced over her shoulder. She caught Cole watching the young family, a barrage of haunted memories brewing in the depths of his dark eyes. In that instant everything inside her went out to him and her heart squeezed painfully.
Jack stepped up to Cole and he turned away. She swallowed down the rush of emotions and understood that no matter how horrible his childhood had been, it had somehow shaped him into the incredible man he’d become today. But it didn’t change the fact that somewhere deep inside him, that little lost boy still existed. A boy who needed a family every bit as much today as he did all those years ago.
When Cole and the others disappeared out back with a handful of dogs, Gemma turned her attention to Larissa. She spent the next hour helping her find the right dog for her family. Once done and the papers were signed, she saw them off and made her way to the back shelter to check on progress.
She found Victoria standing in the doorway, watching the men toss tennis balls to the animals in the grassy pen out back.
“How’s it going out there?” Gemma asked.
Victoria released a long sigh. “I think I’m in love.”
Gemma laughed. “Which one?”
“All of them.” Victoria cast her a curious glance, her green eyes dreamy. “What about you?”
“What about me?”
“Oh come on, Gemma. I don’t know who you think
“Speaking of puppies,” Victoria said, coming into the back room. “Your two o’clock appointment is here.”
Gemma spotted a young girl accompanied by her mother and father following Victoria into the back room. She inched away from Cole and smoothed back her hair. “Go ahead and look around.” She handed Cole her master key. “Take them to the dog run and I’ll check in with you later.” She gestured with a nod to the young family of three and mentally went over their adoption file to remember their names before explaining to the men, “Larissa is here to adopt a new pet.”
Cole touched her arm to draw her back to him. He put his mouth close to her ear, his words for her and her only. “I’ll catch up with you later. There are some things we need to sort out.”
While his comrades examined the canines through their cages, Cole turned away from her and started to walk the length of the shelter. Gemma worked to get her focus on the task at hand and off the sexy soldier she wanted again in the worst way. She dropped down on one knee to face the young girl who couldn’t be more than four years old.
“How are you, Larissa?” she asked.
“I want a puppy.” Her big brown eyes lit with excitement as she clapped her chubby hands together.
“Well you certainly came to the right place,” Gemma said, laughing. She reached for the girl’s hand. As Larissa slipped her fingers into Gemma’s palm, her heart hitched, just a little. Seeing her sweet face had Gemma thinking how much she wanted to have a family of her own someday. Cole was right. She did want the house with a white picket fence. Maybe he did know her better than she knew herself. But it did have her wondering more about Cole, his demons and all the secrets he held close.
“Personally I’d like one that’s already house trained,” Larissa’s mom said, bringing Gemma’s thoughts back as the woman crinkled her nose in distaste.
“No, a puppy.” Larissa’s blonde curls flared around her head as she shook it.
Larissa’s father grinned and threw his hands up in the air in defeat. “I guess it’s a puppy, then,” he said, but from the warm, loving look in his eyes, she could tell he was happy about the choice and that he’d do anything to please his sweet daughter.
She guided Larissa over to the pen full of puppies and the girl squealed in delight. Gemma pulled open the door and when the child rushed in, the hairs on Gemma’s arms lifted. As an uneasy feeling moved through her, she glanced over her shoulder. She caught Cole watching the young family, a barrage of haunted memories brewing in the depths of his dark eyes. In that instant everything inside her went out to him and her heart squeezed painfully.
Jack stepped up to Cole and he turned away. She swallowed down the rush of emotions and understood that no matter how horrible his childhood had been, it had somehow shaped him into the incredible man he’d become today. But it didn’t change the fact that somewhere deep inside him, that little lost boy still existed. A boy who needed a family every bit as much today as he did all those years ago.
When Cole and the others disappeared out back with a handful of dogs, Gemma turned her attention to Larissa. She spent the next hour helping her find the right dog for her family. Once done and the papers were signed, she saw them off and made her way to the back shelter to check on progress.
She found Victoria standing in the doorway, watching the men toss tennis balls to the animals in the grassy pen out back.
“How’s it going out there?” Gemma asked.
Victoria released a long sigh. “I think I’m in love.”
Gemma laughed. “Which one?”
“All of them.” Victoria cast her a curious glance, her green eyes dreamy. “What about you?”
“What about me?”
“Oh come on, Gemma. I don’t know who you think
Similar Books
