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  “What about you? Are you spending the holiday with Sara?” Jen asked. Her voice held no judgment but Izzy sputtered anyway. “Don’t worry, I won’t say anything,” Jen reassured her, returning Izzy’s playful nudge with one of her own.

  “Is it that obvious?”

  Jen laughed out loud. “You got it bad, honey,” she said, swatting Izzy’s forearm. “I wouldn’t worry, though—by the looks of it, she does too.” Her nod was sincere. “I’m happy for you two.”

  Izzy was about to delve further into how she’d come by her realization but her phone dinged with a text.

  Your car is still here. But I can’t find you. A sad face followed.

  Back training field, she typed. With Jen.

  I see you.

  Izzy turned her head and saw Sara headed their way with a huge wave and an even bigger smile.

  “What’s this, extra credit?” Sara said, squatting next to Izzy and Jen on the soft grass.

  “I’m freaking out we won’t pass certifications.” Jen nodded toward her dog. “Today was a hot mess.”

  “Nah.” Sara reached up to pet both dogs, who went crazy for her the instant she sat down. “This girl here”—she rubbed Tempe’s neck—“she’s just like her namesake. Smart and willing, totally perceptive. A little intense.” She added a small thoughtful chuckle. “But an absolute sweetheart. Isn’t that right, honey?” She rubbed Tempe vigorously, clearly delighting in the dog’s exuberance.

  “You knew the officer she’s named after?” Jen asked.

  “Rob Mullen from Tempe, Arizona,” Sara declaimed. Izzy wondered at her spirited, particular response. “That’s how he introduced himself. To everyone.” Sara shook her head smiling, her expression a mix of fondness and sorrow as she added, “Sweet kid.” She pulled a ball out of her pocket and threw it far enough for both dogs to get a good rush. “I trained him a few years ago.”

  “What happened?” Izzy asked, sort of nervous to hear the answer.

  “He was in a car accident on patrol.”

  Izzy heard sadness in Sara’s voice and longed to touch her, provide comfort for the loss she clearly still felt.

  “It was just one of those fluky things,” Sara said without giving any more details. She took the ball back from Tempe and chucked it again. “You’re not going to fail certs,” Sara said calmly. “You’re right about one thing, though.” She leaned toward Jen. “You are freaking out.” She pointed at Tempe, who was play fighting Chase for the ball. “Look at her. She’s fine.” She tapped Jen’s shin. “You have to remember, everything you feel comes down that leash to her. You’re stressed and she can feel it.” She nudged Jen with her shoulder. “Be confident. You’re a great handler. She’s a great dog. This is all in your head. Now, relax.” It sounded like an order and Jen seemed relieved to follow it.

  Mark sauntered toward them across the field and Sara was the first to acknowledge him, giving a hearty wave. Izzy followed suit, swallowing her smile at the hilarity of their unspoken foursome.

  “Ladies,” Mark said. Izzy watched him make subtle eye contact with Jen before he looked at her and Sara. “Jen and I were going to grab a bite. Care to join us?”

  Izzy was pretty sure he was just being polite. She might not know how Jen could tell she was hot for Sara, but she was pretty sure Jen and Mark wanted to be alone. Taking pity on them, she declined with a scrunch of her nose. “Thanks anyway.”

  Mark didn’t push. He made casual conversation with Izzy as Jen collected Tempe and thanked both her and Sara for the impromptu training and therapy session.

  “Not hungry?” Sara asked, her eyes still on Mark, Jen, and Tempe as they made their way across the field.

  Izzy hooked Chase’s leash with the toe of her boot, giving half a shrug. “More like I didn’t want to share you tonight.” She looked up into the late-day sun. “I daresay they feel the same.”

  “Hey.” It was one word, but embedded in the subtext Izzy heard so much more. She watched Sara’s body language as she looked at Chase, lying down on his side. “He needs a break.”

  Covering Izzy’s hand with hers, Sara added, “I missed you.” Sara put on a serious pout. “I barely saw you all day. Let me take you to dinner.” She must’ve sensed Izzy’s reluctance because without waiting for a response she added, “Please?”

  Glancing down at her clothes, Izzy frowned. The same boring blue uniform as every other day.

  “What’s wrong?” Sara asked, clearly picking up on her subtle distress.

  “Nothing,” she huffed out. “I would just like to look nice for you one of these days.”

  “Izzy.” She paused. “You look amazing every single day.”

  Even though it was a sweet compliment and obviously sincere, Izzy couldn’t help rolling her eyes. She flicked her dark blue tee. “It would be great if you saw me out of this uniform for once.”

  Sara’s smile was demure and brazen at the same time and Izzy shook her head at her unintentional double entendre. “That’s not what I meant.”

  “I know.” Sara wrapped her arms around her knees and swayed a little on the grass next to her. “I happen to think you look fantastic in uniform, for what it’s worth.” She touched the back of Izzy’s leg discreetly. “Come on. I know a burger spot a few towns over.” Izzy felt her hand slip under the cuff of her pants, the touch of one finger caressing the skin at the back of her calf. “We both need to eat. This place is cute and quaint with good food and a ton of privacy.” Sara stood and held both hands out to help Izzy up. Pulling her close she whispered, “I don’t know how much longer I can wait to kiss you.”

  Forty-five minutes later, they sat kitty-corner holding hands under a small angled table nursing their iced teas as they waited for their burgers.

  “How was DC?” Izzy asked, hoping she’d mastered keeping the envy out of her tone.

  “Fine.” Sara rubbed her thigh. “How was class? Did I miss anything good?”

  “Dave nearly got bit on the hand being the decoy during bite work yesterday.”

  “I heard.” She rubbed her temples. “I swear to God, I don’t know how I’m going to survive this.”

  Izzy laughed. “What does that mean?”

  Sara shook her head as she leaned back in her seat. “When John called and told me someone almost took a bite, right away I worried it was you.” She brushed her hair off her face. “I don’t know how I’m going to deal when you’re back on patrol.”

  Izzy ran her palm along Sara’s thigh. “You’re going to trust me. And know that I’m smart and careful. I don’t take stupid risks.” She felt Sara’s hand cover hers. “Because I know I have you waiting for me.”

  “Promise me. No heroics.”

  Izzy nodded assurance even though she knew it was a guarantee she couldn’t keep.

  Sara flashed a skeptical look—she saw right through her. “Did you always want to be a cop?” she asked.

  “Always.” Izzy fingered the edge of her fork. “Do you know about all the cops who died?” she asked, deflecting the focus from herself and reviving their conversation from earlier. “The ones the dogs are named for, I mean. I was thinking about the guy you mentioned earlier.”

  “Yes,” Sara answered. “But Rob I trained, so that was different.” She sounded so sad, Izzy worried she’d made a mistake asking, but then Sara smiled. “Chase, of course you know the story there. Jett, that’s Gilmartin’s dog, he was named after an army pilot who died in Iraq. Sammy is in honor of P.O. Samantha Burns. She was ambushed responding to a domestic. Shot and killed from the second-story window after a woman falsely reported her boyfriend was beating her. So yeah,” she nodded, “I guess you could say I make it a point to know the details.”

  Izzy was impressed and touched by her thoughtfulness. “That’s really something.”

  “The stories are important.” Sara was visibly flustered and took a hasty sip of her drink. “The officers, their legacy…it matters.”

  “Sara.” Izzy could tell her question had sent S
ara down a path she hadn’t intended. “Look at me.” Sara turned and Izzy gently touched her panic-stricken face. “I’m not any of those people.” Finding her hand, Izzy held it and waited for eye contact, hoping Sara would see just how much she meant to her.

  Sara’s expression softened, but only slightly. “Don’t you ever get scared?”

  “At work?” Izzy stopped to think about it. “God, I’m always so busy, there’s no time.” She chewed her cheek for a second. “Of course, there are moments that are scary.” She shrugged. “But most of the time, I’m giving directions. Telling people the difference between the uptown subway and the crosstown shuttle.” She squeezed Sara’s hand. “Or, you know, delivering Stanford Wilson’s granddaughter in the ladies’ room in the middle of the night.”

  “The senator?”

  Izzy smiled in confirmation.

  “No way.” Sara seemed truly shocked and fumbled her drink, recovering when the waitress arrived with their food just then.

  Izzy covered her lips with a finger acknowledging the scandal associated with the situation. As soon as they were alone again, she divulged a little.

  “I wasn’t sure who knew,” Izzy said, taking a bite of her turkey burger. Swallowing quickly, she added, “Judging by the look on your face, this is news to you.”

  “You’re serious?”

  “You can’t say anything. I’m sworn to secrecy.” Izzy reached for the ketchup. “And honestly, I can appreciate that.” She shook a small amount from the glass bottle. “Wilson’s sixteen-year-old daughter left Oklahoma and ended up like a million other teens—in New York City, alone and terrified. I gather she did not tell anyone she was pregnant before she bolted.” She dipped a fry and waited for questions.

  “You knew who she was?”

  “God, no.” Izzy held her fry in the air. “I don’t follow politics,” she added biting the french fry in half. “But she was hysterical and scared and talking a mile a minute. She spilled her story in about thirty seconds.” She wiped her hands on a paper napkin. “She kept saying she wanted her mother. But that baby was coming. No doubt about that.” Izzy tucked an errant piece of lettuce back under the bun. “I did what I could. And called my boss right away.”

  “Did you actually deliver the baby?”

  “Yes.” She held her burger aloft seeking the best spot to attack. “I was the only person there until an emergency services crew arrived and took over.” Man, that was a crazy night, thinking about it now. She placed her burger down. “By the way, the people who showed up were not regular EMS. I have no clue who my boss called, or how far up the chain ascended, but…boom.” She mimicked an explosion with one hand. “Out of nowhere a special team was on the spot. Along with a bunch of dudes in suits. Maybe it was Secret Service,” she wondered aloud. “It was some kind of specialty protective detail for sure.” She reached for her drink and took a quick sip. “Anyway, after all the commotion died down, the shift commander called me in his office. I mean, he let me get cleaned up first. Then before I knew it, there were a bunch of big shots on-site. They told me I had to keep everything quiet. I suppose due to Wilson’s climbing political aspirations and his far-reaching influence.” She fingered her straw. “I would never have said anything anyway. To me, it was never about the senator. That poor girl was terrified. Whatever her father’s beliefs about out-of-wedlock babies and how something of this nature might affect his constituency, she deserved the decency of respect and privacy. I couldn’t care less about her dad.” She crunched into her pickle, savoring the taste before taking a second bite.

  “Anyway, during the debriefing, someone in the room asked me if there was a special assignment I wanted.” Izzy popped another fry. “I thought they were just making small talk.” Her tone echoed her ever-present disbelief at the unlikely turn of events. “I said K-9. I didn’t think it was, like, a real question.”

  Sara laughed.

  “I’m telling you this,” Izzy said, “not because I think it’s okay to betray the promise I made to keep my mouth shut.” She reached over and touched Sara’s hand. “And I know you weren’t serious when you made a comment the other day about my brother and my dad being on the job and hooking me up with special assignments. Of course it’s not true anyway, but it’s always bothered me, knowing you must wonder how I ended up here. I hate worrying that you think I manipulated my way in. Or called in a favor.”

  She leaned back in her chair all but admitting defeat.

  “I mean, I do realize that’s what happened. I got into K-9 through connections. That truth isn’t lost on me.” She itemized the list on her fingers. “The shift commander, Lieutenant Anderson, your ex-girlfriend.” She let out a labored breath. “God, it annoys me that she has a role in this.” She fisted her hand and let it drop on the table with a small irritated thud.

  Sara covered her hand with hers, effectively deflating her slight anger.

  “Izzy, you belong here.” Sara paused a second, clearly waiting to gauge Izzy’s reaction as she spoke. “I didn’t know that story,” she said. Izzy knew that was the truth—her shock was honest. “John doesn’t know. Neither does Nicole,” she offered. “You have my word—I won’t tell a soul. Out of respect for you and for Clare Wilson.” She offered a small wink at Izzy’s surprise she knew the senator’s daughter by name. “I do follow politics. I know the huge splash this would have made in the news.” She laced their fingers together, obviously choosing her words carefully. “Do not ever think you don’t deserve to be here, because you absolutely do.” Bringing their intertwined hands to her lips, she kissed the back of Izzy’s hand delicately. “As far as I’m concerned, Chase and the citizens of New York owe that young lady a huge thank you.” Sara’s face flooded with color and she looked down at her half-eaten dinner. “Me too, for that matter.” Sara’s eyes held so much vulnerability that Izzy thought her own heart might explode. “Without her, who knows when I might’ve found you?”

  Izzy was overjoyed but also overwhelmed, and she couldn’t find the words to properly echo Sara’s emotion without sounding trite.

  It didn’t matter, because Sara filled the silence, saying, “I’m sorry I took so long to give in to what I was feeling.” Sara looked nervous that she was saying too much but continued anyway. “It was stupid. I was…scared, I think.”

  “You don’t have to be scared with me. I feel what you feel.” Izzy was serious and she hoped Sara understood what was in her heart.

  Their eyes stayed locked for a few seconds, and Izzy thought Sara was about to say something heavy, but the waitress interrupted to see if they needed a refill on their drinks. They declined but the moment was gone, their attention back on the meal in front of them.

  “Do you have plans for the Fourth?” Sara asked, bringing the conversation back to the lighter side.

  “Just a barbecue at my parents’ on Sunday.”

  “School is closed Thursday and Friday.”

  Izzy knew the schedule and knew Sara knew that she knew it. Why was she stating the obvious? She could only hope…

  “Spend the weekend with me.” Sara spun the salt shaker in her hand, looking slightly shy at her spur-of-the-moment invitation. “There’s beautiful trails by my house,” she said, as if to sell the offer. “Up in the mountains. It’s peaceful and quiet. I would love for you to see it.”

  “Yes.”

  “Can we go after class tomorrow?” Sara tucked her hair back behind her ear. “I know I said the weekend, but I guess I meant, you know, more than that.”

  “You are so unbelievably adorable when you’re nervous.” Izzy touched her hand. “Do you really think I’m saying no to any of this?” She felt her smile blossom as she spoke. “An extended weekend in the country with you sounds amazing.” She let her hand drift up Sara’s arm, caressing the tiny raised scars scattered along her smooth skin. Acknowledging them openly for the first time, she asked, “These are bites, aren’t they?”

  “I’ve been working with dogs a long time,” Sara answe
red with a small shrug. “Occupational hazard.”

  “Now whose job is dangerous?” Izzy lifted her eyebrows insinuating the answer to her rhetorical question. “You be careful too.”

  “Trust me, the dogs are—”

  Izzy silenced her with one finger over her lips. “Promise me.”

  “I promise,” Sara whispered.

  It was small, the moment, but Izzy knew what she was really asking, and in Sara’s simple response she heard a commitment to so much more than safety.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Whatever Izzy was expecting, it wasn’t this.

  After an hour and a half of highway, Sara steered them through a small quaint town beyond which they picked up a semipaved road, before guiding the pickup onto a secluded gravel path obscured amidst the towering foliage.

  A hundred yards down the rough drive, the trees cleared, and in the center of a lush and green manicured lawn stood a contemporary Cape, bright and fresh and amber hued, bearing a modern Lincoln Log exterior, the color and style a bold and welcome contrast against the rich brown bark of the trees surrounding the property.

  “Holy smokes, Sara,” Izzy said. She looked over and was rewarded with a shy, proud smile. “Your house is beautiful,” she added.

  “Don’t get too excited. You haven’t seen the inside,” she said, pulling in front of one half of the two-car garage right next to the porch. “I made sure to come up here last night to tidy up,” she said, shifting into park. “Hopefully it passes the test.”

  “I’m sure it’s fine.”

  “Says the woman whose house is always impeccable.”

  Izzy laughed, but it was true. She was a neat freak through and through. But after stepping inside Sara’s home, she concluded that either Sara was a complete exaggerator, or she’d spent all night cleaning. Her home was modest and beautiful with a rustic elegance that reminded Izzy of luxury log cabins she’d seen on TV. Vaulted ceilings and upgraded furnishings complemented the open plan, yet the house still oozed comfort and charm. She couldn’t help picturing herself cozied up with Sara on the corner sectional in front of the stone fireplace, a glass of wine in hand, Chase at their feet, the dead of winter, white and picturesque beyond the warm walls.