her face didn’t waver and his mouth tightened in a fierce scowl when she told him about the sideswipe.
“Hit-and-run, huh? No witnesses?”
“Not that we know of.”
One thick eyebrow went up. “We? Who’s on the case?”
“Ah—the police, of course. And a friend of mine. You don’t know him.” She returned his interested gaze with composure.
“I see. Well, I hope like hell they get the bastard. Take all the time you need, Kenzie.”
“Thank you. I mean it.”
His tone turned bluff. “Not a problem at the moment. I can spare you. Bottom line is looking good, real good.”
“The new clients?”
“One in particular,” Jim said. “Just signed a contract with a billionaire who wants canine protection. Got the wife and kids tucked away at a mountain estate and he’s nervous.”
“Doesn’t he have bodyguards?”
Jim grinned. “Several. But JB dogs are a status symbol, apparently. He insists on paying top dollar.”
“How much are you charging him?” Kenzie asked curiously.
“I suggested fifty thousand and he raised me to one hundred thousand. Per dog. For three dogs. I didn’t say no.”
“You’re bad.” Kenzie laughed.
“Hey, he started it. Three hundred thousand is small change to the guy. He wants to brag about how much his animals cost, I say let him.”
Kenzie shook her head with amusement. “No harm in that. He’s getting good dogs. So who’s doing the training?”
“Buddy and Wells. They can’t believe the money they’re making for the gig.”
He pointed a pencil at her and sounded stern again. “And by the way, you can forget about that unpaid-time-off crap. Your salary is direct deposit, and that’s not going to stop. You earned it, you need it.”
“But—”
“Just check in now and then,” he interrupted. “That’s an order.” His voice was gruff, but she knew that he didn’t show his soft side. “I want updates.”
“I will.” She smiled at him. Jim was army all the way. Never abandon a fallen comrade. He knew Kenzie wouldn’t have requested time off for a trivial reason.
“Wait. Before you go,” Jim said as she rose to leave. “Think you could get my gun back for me? I left it with Norm to have the firing pin fixed.”
“Sure.”
“I’d do it myself but I’m up against a time crunch today.”
Kenzie smiled at him. “No problem.” She wouldn’t mind a quick stop there. Norm Hamill’s firing range was where she’d learned to shoot before she’d enlisted and still went sometimes for target practice.
“Great. That’s one less thing to check off my list.” He pretended indifference. “Okay, I have work to do. Scram.”
“Yes sir.” Her tone was gently teasing. “And thank you again.”
“Stop saying that.”
She moved to leave and Truck half rose until Jim’s hand stopped him. He sank his big fingers into the dog’s ruff as Kenzie raised a hand to wave good-bye. There was a wistful quality in her gaze, and it puzzled the man.
“Should I close the door?” she asked him.
“Please do.” Jim and Truck watched Kenzie walk away on the other side of the glass panel.
“You thinking what I’m thinking?” he muttered to the dog.
Truck gave him a soulful look in reply and thumped his tail on the floor.
Jim Biggers knew in his bones that Kenzie wasn’t telling the whole truth. He threw his pencil down on the desk and watched her as she went down the hall. “Yeah. She left out about half that story.”
The question was why. He supposed Kenzie had her reasons. Jim shook his head and returned his attention to the computer screen in front of him
Outside in the parking lot, she walked quickly to her car, glancing at Buddy and Wells without saying hello. The two men were working with several new dogs, running them through simple commands that would become increasingly complex in the weeks ahead.
It was good to know that there were no urgent army orders right now. Landing a rich non-military client definitely took the pressure
“Hit-and-run, huh? No witnesses?”
“Not that we know of.”
One thick eyebrow went up. “We? Who’s on the case?”
“Ah—the police, of course. And a friend of mine. You don’t know him.” She returned his interested gaze with composure.
“I see. Well, I hope like hell they get the bastard. Take all the time you need, Kenzie.”
“Thank you. I mean it.”
His tone turned bluff. “Not a problem at the moment. I can spare you. Bottom line is looking good, real good.”
“The new clients?”
“One in particular,” Jim said. “Just signed a contract with a billionaire who wants canine protection. Got the wife and kids tucked away at a mountain estate and he’s nervous.”
“Doesn’t he have bodyguards?”
Jim grinned. “Several. But JB dogs are a status symbol, apparently. He insists on paying top dollar.”
“How much are you charging him?” Kenzie asked curiously.
“I suggested fifty thousand and he raised me to one hundred thousand. Per dog. For three dogs. I didn’t say no.”
“You’re bad.” Kenzie laughed.
“Hey, he started it. Three hundred thousand is small change to the guy. He wants to brag about how much his animals cost, I say let him.”
Kenzie shook her head with amusement. “No harm in that. He’s getting good dogs. So who’s doing the training?”
“Buddy and Wells. They can’t believe the money they’re making for the gig.”
He pointed a pencil at her and sounded stern again. “And by the way, you can forget about that unpaid-time-off crap. Your salary is direct deposit, and that’s not going to stop. You earned it, you need it.”
“But—”
“Just check in now and then,” he interrupted. “That’s an order.” His voice was gruff, but she knew that he didn’t show his soft side. “I want updates.”
“I will.” She smiled at him. Jim was army all the way. Never abandon a fallen comrade. He knew Kenzie wouldn’t have requested time off for a trivial reason.
“Wait. Before you go,” Jim said as she rose to leave. “Think you could get my gun back for me? I left it with Norm to have the firing pin fixed.”
“Sure.”
“I’d do it myself but I’m up against a time crunch today.”
Kenzie smiled at him. “No problem.” She wouldn’t mind a quick stop there. Norm Hamill’s firing range was where she’d learned to shoot before she’d enlisted and still went sometimes for target practice.
“Great. That’s one less thing to check off my list.” He pretended indifference. “Okay, I have work to do. Scram.”
“Yes sir.” Her tone was gently teasing. “And thank you again.”
“Stop saying that.”
She moved to leave and Truck half rose until Jim’s hand stopped him. He sank his big fingers into the dog’s ruff as Kenzie raised a hand to wave good-bye. There was a wistful quality in her gaze, and it puzzled the man.
“Should I close the door?” she asked him.
“Please do.” Jim and Truck watched Kenzie walk away on the other side of the glass panel.
“You thinking what I’m thinking?” he muttered to the dog.
Truck gave him a soulful look in reply and thumped his tail on the floor.
Jim Biggers knew in his bones that Kenzie wasn’t telling the whole truth. He threw his pencil down on the desk and watched her as she went down the hall. “Yeah. She left out about half that story.”
The question was why. He supposed Kenzie had her reasons. Jim shook his head and returned his attention to the computer screen in front of him
Outside in the parking lot, she walked quickly to her car, glancing at Buddy and Wells without saying hello. The two men were working with several new dogs, running them through simple commands that would become increasingly complex in the weeks ahead.
It was good to know that there were no urgent army orders right now. Landing a rich non-military client definitely took the pressure
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