CHAPTER 4
Liam waitedfor Saint to bring the keys to his borrowed car. He imagined Addyson owned a cute little poodle, or one of those short, long-haired dogs complete with a bow in its hair and polish on its toes.
Taco walked in and grinned. “Hey, bro. Saint ran home to help his wife. I’m dropping off the keys to the car.”
“Thanks. You don’t happen to know where the nurse Addyson Parker lives, do you?” he asked. “I left her room and forgot to get her address after promising to feed her baby dog,” Liam said.
Taco pulled out his phone and texted someone. “No, but I know people.” Five seconds later, his phone dinged. “Let’s go. I have it. It’s on one of the backroads, and if you don’t know your way around, you’ll miss it.”
“Great, thanks. I’ve tried getting the woman to relax a bit. I’m hoping by taking care of her puppy, she’ll let me in,” he admitted.
“Oh, ya got the hots for one of the nurses,” Taco said, surprised. “Be careful. We may be a way from the base, but we still tend to get a few base bunnies even on the mountain with all these veterans around here.”
“I’m afraid it’s one-sided. Every time she sees me, she scurries in the other direction. The car accident gave me my first chance to talk to her. I knew her husband. She doesn’t know he died saving our team,” Liam confessed. “I didn’t know it until yesterday, and I can’t tell her.”
Rubbing the back of his neck, Taco agreed, “Damn, it’s a tough situation. If you decide to make it serious, maybe Leo will come up with a workaround, and you can tell her.”
“We’ll see how it goes. First, let’s go take care of her little darling. She didn’t get the bump on her head checked out because she ran late due to the accident,” Liam said, shaking his head.
“Women get all kinds of crazy over their animals. I can’t really say anything. Tess has Tamale. He’s done wonders for her. I’d give my life for him.”
“Cole set me up with Apollo. We’ve trained a few times together, and I already feel a connection with him,” he said as the two men headed toward the hospital’s entrance.
“The team can’t wait to see you in action with him. Cole took him on the practice op, and the dog scared the crap out of people,” Taco told him, pointing toward a black SUV. “Original, isn’t it? Nothing says surveillance like it.”
“Ha,” Liam barked out a laugh. “It’s a good thing I’ll only be using it for a few weeks until I find one of my own.”
They drove off the mountain and Taco showed him the gravel road which led to Addyson’s home. He parked the SUV, and Taco followed him to the front door. He took out Addyson’s key and turned the lock. They entered the house to find it deadly quiet.
“You sure she didn’t hallucinate when she told you about a dog?” Taco teased as he glanced into her office. They heard a thunderous sound above them, and then the animal flew down the stairs.
“Shit,” Taco said, jumping back at the sight of the Great Dane’s massive size. It growled and pinned Taco against the wall.
“Easy, Zeus,” Liam said, catching the dog’s attention. “Easy, boy.”
The dog growled menacingly at him.
“Shit,” Taco exclaimed. “He’s not a dog. It’s a damn horse.”
“She actually called it a baby,” Liam chuckled. “Addy sent me, boy,” Liam cajoled. The dog’s ear perked up at the sound of her name. “Calm down and I’ll get your dinner,” he promised.
It acted as a magical word as the dog sat on its haunches.
Taco clutched his chest as he stared at the massive animal. “How have we not seen her with him? It’s not like she can hide him.”
“I don’t know. How far does Whiskey live from here?” Liam asked as he located the dog’s bowl and his food.
Seeing Liam as his friend, Zeus followed him around while he held the food bowl, scooping the food and setting it on the floor.
When he finished, he turned and gazed at the men expectantly.
“Oh, no. You keep your eyes on him. I saw your teeth,” Taco said, holding up his hands. “He’s the one with the hots for your owner.”
Zeus galloped toward Liam and barked in his face. Recalling Addy’s words about the back porch, he walked to the back door and opened it. The dog bounded into the backyard, did his business, and then waited.
“What the hell’s he doing?” Taco exclaimed.
Liam searched the porch until he spotted the big rubber ball. He threw it, and Zeus bounced on all fours and went after it. Liam threw it repeatedly, but the dog never tired.
