Perfect Partners Page 19

  “We’ll see,” she said. “Whole grain toast okay?” Sara asked, redirecting the conversation. “I figured I’d pack us a nice lunch for later while we’re hiking.” She rolled out the pantry where the bread was stored. “But we should eat something a little more substantial than blueberries now.”

  Izzy noticed how quickly Sara took the spotlight off herself. Leaning against the cushioned back of her stool, she mused on Sara’s theory.

  “You know,” Izzy started, “if you got your own dog”—she drew lazy circles on the top of the granite surface—“you could name it.”

  “I name a lot of the dogs,” Sara countered, clearly not seeing where Izzy was going.

  “I mean, you could name it something special.”

  Sara shook her head, apparently still not following.

  Izzy waited until Sara’d popped the bread down into the toaster and was giving Izzy her full attention. “If you raised the puppy from the start and it was yours”—she chewed the inside of her cheek, a little nervous over what she was about to suggest—“you could name it for your mom.”

  Sara’s stunned expression revealed it was a possibility she’d never considered.

  “Just hear me out,” Izzy said. “Your mother was a hero. She gave her life for this country too. Just because she wasn’t a cop or a soldier doesn’t diminish the sacrifice she made. It might be nice to honor that. That’s all I mean.”

  The toaster popped and Sara grabbed the bread along with some butter and jam. When she returned to the high counter, her face showed a mix of emotions Izzy couldn’t quite put her finger on.

  “I don’t hate the idea,” Sara said. “But it only works if the pup’s a girl.”

  “How’s that?” Izzy gave her bread a healthy slather of jam. “You manipulate names all the time. A female dog honoring Rob Mullen is called Tempe.” She crunched her toast with satisfaction. “Need I say more?”

  “Good point.”

  “What was your mother’s full name?”

  “Elizabeth Tucker Wright.”

  “Betty if it’s a girl. Tuck if he’s a boy.” Izzy held up her hands. “Wait.” She paused a full dramatic second. “ET,” she declared emphatically, doing a celebratory chair dance at her offering. “I’m good at this. ET is gender neutral and it’s cute. I like it.”

  “You’re cute,” Sara, said coming around the island to kiss her.

  “You’re going to do this,” Izzy said.

  “The dog or the name thing?”

  “I was talking about getting the dog. The naming is entirely up to you. I was just putting that out there as a suggestion.”

  Sara turned Izzy in her chair, so they were face to face. “I meant what I said last night, you know.” She looked to the ground seeming almost sheepish before she made real eye contact again. “I love you, Iz.” She leaned in for a kiss, but Izzy stopped her, holding her face in her hands.

  “Thank God,” she said with a sigh of relief as she brought their foreheads together. “Because I love you too.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  The afternoon with Izzy’s family was pure enjoyment and the perfect ending to their long weekend together. After three amazing days hiking and talking and learning each other’s bodies, it was nice to have a down day, full of delicious food and warm welcomes. Sara was enamored of the easy rapport Izzy shared with both of her siblings, watching them alternate between ribbing one another and singing each other’s praises. That relationship was topped only by the affectionate moments she was able to observe between Izzy and her grandmother.

  “Sorry about all the Spanish,” Izzy explained, settling into the front seat of Sara’s car as she arranged containers of leftovers on her lap. “I hope it didn’t seem rude, but Abuela is really self-conscious about her English. Particularly in front of new people.”

  “I didn’t think it was rude at all.” Sara hoped her tone conveyed the warmth she felt all over. “I actually thought it was sexy.” She looked over her shoulder to make sure Chase was secured in the second row of the cab before shifting into gear. “How come you don’t talk to me in Spanish?”

  “Do you speak Spanish?”

  “That’s hardly the point,” Sara said.

  Izzy leaned over to swat her thigh, but Sara caught her hand and held it. “In all seriousness, Iz, your family is amazing. They were unbelievably sweet to me.”

  “They know how important you are,” she said, emphasizing her point by using their joined hands to caress Sara’s thigh. “Plus, they should be sweet to you because you are incredibly nice to me.” Sara watched her gaze out the window at the suburban landscape. “We drove right by Overton to come here. I know full well you could have dropped me off and chilled out at your place there.”

  “I wanted to come. Your family is important to you.” She activated her turn signal to navigate the side streets. “That makes them important to me. Plus, I’ll do almost anything for free food.” She wiggled her eyebrows.

  “Anything, huh?”

  Sara shrugged in playful response.

  “Well, that’s a tempting offer,” Izzy countered. “Care to spend the night at my place to test that theory?”

  “What is it you think I wouldn’t do for you?” Her voice came out more serious than she intended, but in truth there wasn’t anything she could think of that fit those parameters, and she wanted Izzy to know it. At the stoplight, she turned to Izzy to study her face and see if there was anything hovering behind her lighthearted insinuation.

  Izzy shook her head. “Nothing,” she said, matching Sara’s tone. “I think I was just trying for one more night together. It stinks knowing that I have to wait until next weekend to be with you.”

  “I know. But it’s only a little while longer. Then class will be over, and my schedule will ease up a bit. The last few weeks of a session are kind of intense. We want to make sure you’re all ready for certifications. Plus, I’d like to finish up my final draft of the K-9 program overhaul in the next few days.”

  Izzy’s confused expression signaled she wasn’t entirely following, so Sara clarified. “The project I’m working on with Nicole.” Her voice almost cracked when she said her name, and Sara hated herself for it.

  “Oh, right,” Izzy said breezily. “I just didn’t make the connection for a second.”

  “Normally”—she merged left onto the main thoroughfare—“I would stay another night. I love being with you.” She reached over and rubbed her thumb over Izzy’s hand. “But it’s a big week coming up and I still have some prep work to do for the certs. You understand, right?”

  “I do.” Izzy sounded bummed, but not deeply upset. Her behavior seemed to support her sentiment with a good-bye that lingered on the edge of sweetness without any pressure at all.

  ***

  The following day Sara resisted the temptation to sit in on morning agility because she knew it was just an excuse to see Izzy’s gorgeous smile. Instead she forced herself to be a grown-up, hunkering down in her office and polishing off the final adjustments to her K-9 project pitch.

  She was more than a little proud of herself for sticking to the same regimen all week, and by eleven o’clock Thursday morning, she had a completed proposal. She took a moment to consider the day’s schedule to figure Izzy’s whereabouts when her phone blew up with a string of texts from John:

  Izzy got hurt on the obby.

  I’m sending her up to the office with Jen.

  It doesn’t look too serious but I need you to assess if she should go to medical.

  A second passed as she tried to process the fact that Izzy had been injured on the obstacle course.

  Another ten seconds went by before a fourth message arrived: Obviously, if she needs to be treated, please transport and stay until she’s all set. Thx.

  She answered John with a quick 10-4 and bolted from her desk just in time to see Izzy and Jen walking into the building.

  “What happened?” Sara heard the tension in her voice but couldn’t do any
thing to keep it at bay.

  “I’m fine,” Izzy said, holding a crumpled paper towel to the side of her face.

  “She got hit with some debris,” Jen explained. “It was the weirdest thing. We were all just watching, when Dave and Remy went by doing the course pretty fast. They looked great actually, but Remy must’ve kicked something up and sent it flying in the air.” Jen nodded at Izzy. “Poor Izzy didn’t even know she was cut until I saw the blood streaming down her face.”

  “See?” Izzy offered defensively. “How bad can it be when I wasn’t even aware it happened?”

  “Let me see,” Sara said, unable to wait as she began her triage right in the corridor. She pulled Izzy’s makeshift bandage away. “Did you feel anything when it happened?”

  “Like a sting, I guess,” she said.

  With two fingers Sara tugged gently on either side of the cut to see if any tissue was visible inside the laceration. “Does this hurt?” she asked.

  “Not really.” Izzy’s big brown eyes were sexy and Sara wanted to hug her, to hold her and protect her forever.

  “I think it’s just a scratch,” Sara said, hearing her own voice relax at the news. She turned to Jen. “You can head back to the course,” she said. She just wanted to be alone with Izzy. “Tell Dixon it’s minor. No medical necessary.” Quickly facing Izzy she added, “Unless you want to go to the medical division or to a hospital. It’s obviously your decision.” She hadn’t moved her hand from where it cupped Izzy’s arm. “I’ll take you. That’s not an issue at all.”

  “Do you have any medical training?” Izzy said flirtatiously.

  Sara loved her spirit even in the face of a small setback. “I was a vet tech in my early twenties,” she said, sincerely. If Izzy was inviting her to play doctor, well, it was a game for two, right?

  “That’ll do.” Izzy smiled.

  “Come on,” Sara said, dismissing Jen with a thankful wave before she faced Izzy. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”

  For some bizarre reason, the first aid kit was stored in the kennel area and secretly Sara was happy for the seclusion. With everyone out in the field training, they had a rare few minutes of privacy. She asked for a second recounting of the incident as she washed out the cut and applied antiseptic, placing a square Band-Aid over Izzy’s right cheekbone. When she was bandaged up and completely out of harm’s way, Sara leaned in and kissed her.

  “This is going to be brutal.” She took Izzy’s hand and put it over her heart. “Do you feel my heart racing?”

  Izzy reached up and touched her face. “I’m fine. It’s a scratch.” With one finger she lifted Sara’s chin so their eyes met.

  “This time, sure,” Sara said, feeling herself getting overwhelmed with fear. “When I got the text from John that you got hurt—”

  “Sara.” Izzy held her face softly. “I’m okay. Okay?”

  Sara slipped her hands around Izzy’s waist and pressed her head against Izzy’s forehead, rocking them ever so slightly. “Don’t ever get hurt again, okay?”

  “Deal,” she said, but her voice was a husky whisper.

  Sara leaned forward to kiss her again when the door opened behind them.

  “I heard there was an injury—” Nicole’s affected voice slightly preceded her when she entered and even though Sara and Izzy hadn’t actually been kissing, they were still very much in each other’s space. Nicole’s expression was nothing short of utter shock. “I…I’m sorry,” she said, stumbling over her words. Looking from them to the silver door handle where her manicured hand still rested, she let out an audible sigh. “Sorry,” she said again, her voice regaining its professional tenor. She closed her eyes and added, in a tone that was positively dismissive, “I can honestly say, I did not see this coming.”

  Sara felt herself begin to sweat as she watched Nicole purse her lips and flash a fake smile.

  “I’m going to assume you’re okay, Officer Marquez.” She took a half step out of the room before turning back. “A word when you’re through here, Sara.” Her heels echoed the entire way out, and Sara waited until she was sure Nicole was gone before turning to face Izzy.

  “Well, that wasn’t awesome.” Sara felt her shoulders slump, her annoyance at the situation on display. She met Izzy’s eyes, expecting the same reaction, but instead what she saw was fury.

  “What is going on here?” Izzy’s tone was ice-cold and it threw Sara off.

  She stuttered, searching for an answer, confused over the turn of events and what Izzy was implying. She didn’t have a clue what to say, but her silence was making it worse and she could see Izzy was on the verge of crying.

  “God, Sara,” Izzy said. “Just tell me what the fuck is going on.”

  “Nothing.” It sounded weak and she regretted her word choice instantly.

  “Oh, nothing. Great. Thanks.” Izzy pressed her temples and Sara reached out to comfort her. “Don’t.” Izzy pulled back and turned away.

  “Izzy, why are you so upset? I know it kind of sucks that Nicole saw us. More for me than you, to be honest.”

  Izzy whipped around. “You don’t even get it.” Her eyes were red and glassy and full of so much pain.

  “Explain it to me, then.” She was pleading, but Izzy stepped past her to the door. “Wait,” Sara said. “Please. Talk to me.”

  Izzy stopped and started a few times before giving in. “We have different boundaries, you and me.” She let out a long sigh and her chin trembled. It broke Sara’s heart to see her insecurity. “I’m not friends with any of my exes. But you are, and that is something I have to adjust to.” She looked up at the fluorescent lights. “Nicole is your ex, and your friend, and your boss. Which is…well, it’s honestly a lot for me to understand. But I’ve been trying.” She let her face fall into her hands for a moment before she made eye contact again. “But she is also still into you. I don’t know how you don’t see it. Or maybe you do.” Her shrug made it seem like she’d given up.

  “Izzy—”

  “Sara, you’re the one she calls when she’s locked out, you’re the one she wants to spend holidays with, she’s either up here or you’re in DC working on her project. I mean, come on.”

  “It’s not like that,” she said, but she heard the doubt in her own voice.

  “Isn’t it, though?” Izzy wiped a stream of tears away. “I hate that I’m saying this.”

  “So don’t.” Sara’s voice cracked. “Don’t say it.”

  “I have to.”

  “We can figure this out.” She reached for Izzy’s hand and held it.

  “I know you care about me.” Izzy squeezed her hand and Sara felt her throat tighten. “The fact that Nicole has no idea about us, it says a lot.” Sara fought back tears as Izzy continued. “Forget that it’s me. I can understand you not wanting to tell her you’re with someone from the class. But she thinks you’re single. Available. I can’t make sense of that. Especially after last weekend.”

  “Iz, I just haven’t talked to her yet. I didn’t even know she was here.”

  Izzy’s defeated smile told her it didn’t matter. The damage was done. “I have to go. I have to get Chase. And go home.” She fought hard to swallow a sob and it made Sara’s heart bottom out.

  “But wait.” Sara tipped her head down and a tear fell on the toe of her boot. “What are you saying?”

  Izzy dropped her hand and stepped to the door. “I tried really hard to be patient. I have nothing left.” Her beautiful face twisted into a knot of agony. “I can’t just stand by while you try to figure out what you want. I’m sorry, Sara.”

  She didn’t wait for an answer and Sara didn’t have one anyway. She stood completely still, paralyzed by the weight of what was happening as she heard the squeak of Izzy’s boots echo down the hallway.

  Almost on autopilot, Sara walked out of the facility and into the woods of Arren’s Hollow, thoughts of Izzy and Chase and Nicole fighting for space in her brain. She picked up her pace and raced to her favorite boulder, hoisting hersel
f on it as the sun broke through the trees. She was exhausted and crying. She lay back on the warm surface, letting the golden rays touch her face. She wanted to erase the last hour, to make everything better. She was suddenly overwhelmed with the memory of sitting in this very spot with Izzy, weeks ago. Why hadn’t she told Nicole about them? It seemed crazy now. Was Izzy right? Was she hedging her bets?

  She shook away the thought because it wasn’t true. She wanted Izzy. In this moment, she knew it with absolute clarity. She popped up and wiped her tears away, determined to make things right. But by the time Sara walked back to the classroom area, the building was deserted. A quick glance at the practice field reminded her that class had been dismissed for the day. The school routine was the same as it had been in years past. With certifications beginning on Monday, there was no curriculum left to cover. Like always, John had let everyone go early and designated Friday as an optional training day.

  She rubbed her face, searching for the way to make things right. She needed to call Izzy, to talk everything through. But as she pulled out her phone, it hit her. There was something else she needed to do first.

  ***

  “What’s with the surprise visit?” Sara stood in the door frame of the dimly lit guest office located in the very back of the building, where Nicole always worked when she was in town.

  “I didn’t realize I was required to announce my schedule,” Nicole answered, not bothering to look up as she pored over her work.

  “I just think it’s odd.” Sara folded her arms across her chest defensively. “We talk all the time. Now all of a sudden, you don’t even tell me you’ll be here?”

  Nicole didn’t lift her eyes from the spreadsheet she was studying. “I hardly thought it mattered much.” She reached for a fancy pen, sliding it open with a click. “Although my unanswered texts do make more sense now,” she added, applying a dramatic signature before giving Sara her attention.

  Sara’s answer was a shrug, and she knew it didn’t suffice, but even though this conversation was a necessity, she was at a loss for words.