Rookie K-9 Unit Christmas. Valerie Hansen
for a copy of your incident report,” Zoe said. “There wasn’t much to it.”
“Did it say whether there was news on the ballistics?”
“Not yet. Don’t get discouraged. We’ll keep an eye on your case.”
He scanned her khaki uniform. “Are you working here?”
“Not today, but I do sub. Just getting the dog used to seeing me ready for duty and doing a bit of extra training. Why don’t I get my car and you can follow me home. I’m sure you’d like to get Patrick settled and get some rest yourself.”
“Home with you? I figured I’d rent a motel room.”
“Don’t be silly. I have plenty of space.”
He eyed the panting dog at their feet. “What about your K-9? Will she be okay with a kid?”
“Yes, she’ll be fine. That was part of her training. These dogs can differentiate between felons and friends.”
Still concerned, Sean leaned closer to speak more privately even though they were alone. “Patrick is not typical in any sense of the word, Zoe. We’re going to have to be very careful when we introduce them. The poor kid has had it rough.”
“I understand. I really do,” she said. “But didn’t his doctors warn against babying him too much?”
“Ensuring his safety is not the same thing. If those guys who broke into our apartment had seen him acting up, they might have shot him just to make him be quiet.” Sean squelched a shiver. “When he gets scared and can’t communicate, he tends to panic.”
“Maybe Freya can help with that, too,” Zoe said. “This evening, after supper, I’ll invite my trainer and the K-9 cop who founded the assistance dog center to join us for coffee and dessert. That way Patrick won’t have to sit through a whole meal with strangers if he isn’t able, and they’ll still get a good idea of your needs. Okay?”
“Sounds like you’ve worked it all out.”
“I’m doing my best.”
“I know you are.” Starting to turn toward his truck he said, “Let’s go. I’m ready.”
* * *
Traffic was predictably light all the way to the rented house. The place was actually too big for one person but was all that had been available, so she’d leased it. Looking back, she wondered if God had arranged the extra room for this purpose. True or not, the notion was comforting.
She motioned Sean to pull into the driveway ahead of her. Instead, he drove onto the sorry excuse for a lawn and left room by the garage for her.
“I meant for you to use the driveway,” she said, approaching his truck.
“It all looks the same to me.”
“So I gathered. You parked on what’s supposed to be the lawn when it gets proper watering.”
“Sorry.” An eyebrow arched. “Is it always this cold here? When I think of the desert, I picture heat.”
“It depends on the elevation and time of year,” Zoe said. “A light jacket is usually enough for us, even in the winter. When there’s snow in Flagstaff and around the Grand Canyon, it can feel colder, though. It generally warms up during the day and cools off when the sun goes down.”
She leaned to peer into his truck and smiled broadly at the little boy who’d just awakened. “You must be Patrick.” When the child hid his face, she added, “My name is Zoe.”
“That’s right,” Sean said. “This is the friend I told you about while we were driving. She’s a very nice lady.”
Still, the child cowered. “I’ll go get my partner,” she told Sean, adding a smile at Patrick. “Then we’ll all go inside together.”
Forcing the little boy to act sociable would have been wrong no matter what. Since he was clearly afraid, Zoe wanted to make certain this first meeting with her K-9 went smoothly. Therefore, she ordered Freya to heel and kept her on a short leash.
Sean was carrying Patrick and waiting at the front door of the simple, one-story, stucco home. The boy had his face pressed to his daddy’s shoulder, hiding his eyes as if doing that made him invisible.
Sensing his uneasiness, the dog whined and wagged her tail. Zoe was about to silence her when she saw a big blue eye peeking out to see what was making the noise.
“This is Freya,” Zoe said. “She lives and works with me. She’s really friendly.”
The key turned in the lock. Zoe pushed open the door and stood back. “After you.”
A small hand reached back, and both of the child’s eyes peered over Sean’s shoulder. “Da.”
“Dog? Yes, she’s a dog. A very nice dog,” Zoe said. “Would you like to meet her?”
“Da!”
Zoe laughed. “I think it’s time you put Patrick down, Sean. He may not be ready to accept me,” she whispered, “but it looks like he’s more than ready to have a fur buddy.”
“I don’t know.”
“Let’s try it,” she suggested. “Put Patrick down so he and Freya can meet on the same level.” A flat hand in front of the eager K-9’s muzzle kept her from lunging and overwhelming the child the way most dogs would.
As soon as the boy’s shoes touched the floor he ducked behind his daddy’s leg, holding on at the knee. Zoe wasn’t worried. She caught Sean’s eye and shook her head to keep him from interfering, then sat on her heels.
“Patrick, this is Freya.” She looked to her panting partner. “Freya, this is Patrick. Friend.”
There was no doubt the dog agreed. Although she kept her distance as ordered, she began to wiggle as if seated on a hill of swarming ants.
“Put your hand out like this and let her sniff you,” Zoe said, demonstrating. “She can tell you like her by the way your fingers smell.”
Sean interrupted. “Is that true?”
“In a manner of speaking. She can sense fear and pick out gunpowder residue, plus all sorts of icky things I won’t mention. The key is this introduction. It will be your turn as soon as Patrick is done.”
“Maybe I should...”
“Trust me?” she said.
A soft chuckle preceded Sean’s reply. “Since when did you get so bossy?”
“Since I was trained and know what I’m doing.”
“Humph. Okay. You’re the police officer.”
“Yup,” she said with an echoing laugh. “Watch and learn, civilian.”
Another hand signal caused Freya to lie down. Patrick reached forward. She sniffed his fingertips, then licked them. He giggled. “Like me.”
“Yes, she does. And so do I,” Zoe said. As if on cue, the dog rolled over, tail still wagging, legs flopping wide. “She trusts you and wants you to scratch her tummy,” Zoe told the boy. “Go ahead. Her fur is really soft.”
He had to come out from behind Sean and squat to reach the dog’s stomach. Zoe couldn’t have been happier at his rapid response. She grinned up at Sean. “Okay. Your turn. She wouldn’t have rolled over if she was worried about you, so join the party.”
Sean began by crouching, then dropped all the way next to his son, keeping one arm around him. Patrick eased into his father’s lap, followed closely by Freya. The idyllic scene was the kind that made Zoe wish she could snap a photo without disturbing them. Father and son were hugging each other while the dog leaned against Sean’s chest and reached up to lick under his chin as if they had known each other for years.
He