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Chapter 1
Jake
It feels weird walking around Oakside without Atticus at my side. Since the day I got him, my therapy dog has pretty much been attached to me, and it's not far-fetched to say that he is my best friend. But walking around without him feels like I'm missing a limb.
When Dr. Tate approached me about dropping Atticus off for a patient to spend a little time with him, I was hesitant. Apparently, the patient hasn't been opening up to the doctor and thinks that she would be a good fit for a therapy dog but wanted to see first.
Normally Paisley would just bring in her therapy dog, Molly, who meets with everyone here. But after Paisley found out that she was pregnant, she has had some bad morning sickness. So, she's been staying home and in bed.
Working security here at Oakside has been the best job I could ask for. Not only do I get to see my friends every day, but I also get to feel like I'm actually making a difference in other people's lives. Besides Atticus, Paisley's husband, Easton has become one of my best friends, and he's also my boss, being the head of security.
"Only fifteen more minutes. I really appreciate you doing this so Paisley didn't feel obligated to come in," Easton says as he walks up beside me and catches me checking my watch.
"I'm happy to help. It just feels really weird not to have him here," I confess.
"Yeah, I know the feeling. Even when Allie is here is in the backyard with the other dogs, it still feels like something's missing because she's not right at my side," he says of his own therapy dog.
Right now, like always, she is at his side and stands between us. On a good day, Easton hates being touched by anyone other than Paisley. So Allie is great at forcing space between Easton and other people. However, she’s more relaxed around me now. As if she could read my thought, she looked up at me and I swear she is smiling. I'd pet her, but she has her vest on, so I just return the smile.
I get why Dr. Tate didn't ask Easton to borrow his dog. Since he is head of security here, Easton needs her more than anyone else. Easton was a former prisoner of war, so knowing that his therapy dog has his back means everything. Atticus is to help me calm my anxiety and to pull me out of any PTSD episodes. Having him around and knowing I'm not alone has helped more than I could have imagined.
Glancing at my watch again, I see there is less than ten minutes until the end of the patient's appointment and I can finally collect Atticus.
"I'm going to head over to Dr. Tate’s office. The appointment is almost over," I tell Easton, already moving off.
One thing I love about Oakside is all the natural light, so it never feels dark and gloomy. The way they planned the little courtyards was ingenious. Because of them, there is always natural light, even in the center of the place. An added benefit is that almost everywhere, you have easy access to an outside space.
When I get to Dr Tate's office, I check my watch again. Shrugging my shoulders, I figure it's close enough for the appointment to be over, so I knock on the door. I hear Dr. Tate chuckle on the other side before he opens it. Smiling, he steps aside and lets me in. "Well, you lasted longer than I thought you would," he greets me.
As soon as I stepped into the room, Atticus leaves the side of the patient and is right in front of me. Bending down, I pet him and give him a treat, letting him know that he acted correctly.
It's only then I glance up and see the patient looking back at me, her eyes wide.
"Jake?" she whispers. It’s obvious that she’s in as much shock at seeing me here as I am at seeing her.
"Kassi?" I say, knowing there's no possible way that my brother's ex is sitting in a chair staring at me right now.
Though she looks a lot like the Kassi I know and remember. So, it has to be her, all grown up since I saw her last. Her blonde hair is longer and falls against her shoulder in waves. She no longer looks like the young girl who dated my brother. Now she’s a stunning woman staring back at me with full, kissable lips and bright hazel eyes. Her figure is beautifully filled-out with curves for days.
"You two know each other?" Dr. Tate asks.
"She dated my younger brother. The last time I saw her was right before I shipped off to boot camp." Even though I’m speaking to him, I’m not taking my eyes off the woman in front of me.
"We broke up a couple of weeks after that," she says, staring right back at me.
It's then that I realized that if she's here in that chair talking to Dr. Tate, she joined the military as well. More to the point, if she's here, she was badly injured. My heart starts racing, and this protective instinct I haven't felt in a really long time takes over.
"I didn't know you joined up."
"Yes, I'm a nurse in the Army. You went into the Navy, didn't you?” she asks curiously.
"Yes, and then I joined the Navy Seals and was medically discharged a few years ago. What are you doing here? Are you okay?"
This time, she glances at Dr. Tate before looking back at me, and it’s obvious she's uncomfortable about discussing it.
"After I was deployed, the hospital I was stationed at was bombed. Unfortunately, I was injured," she says quietly. Though her tone clearly states that this is a topic that is not open for discussion.
"Well, I was going to go to the dining room and get some lunch. Would you like to join me?" I ask. One of the benefits of working here is any meals on my shift are covered. While the food they serve is all healthy stuff, it isn't half bad.
