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Ethan moved up to the fence and leaned over the rail, trying to spot Tango, his heart thumping in his chest.
“You’re not dancing, Gator?” Auralia asked.
“That’s a Cerberus deal.”
Ethan looked over his shoulder at Gator.
“If there was a group called Delta and you deployed with them,” Gator said, “then you’d know that at the end of the day they had a tradition of playin’–"
“Volleyball,” Ethan said.
“Same thing, for Cerberus, exceptin’ that they got them dogs to think about. So they decided to do some dance routines.”
“Same cohesion and stress relief. I like it.” Ethan’s attention was on the dogs, and he thought he spotted Tango trotting toward Creed.
Moments later, the music blasted from the loudspeaker, and there she was, TangoPango, in lockstep with the team as they started their routine.
Ethan swiped a hand down his face. God, she was beautiful.
She was out there hitting every mark on beat.
Auralia leaned in. “Is that why you call her Tango? Her dancing skills? She’s amazing.”
“I got her while I was over in Ukraine. My landlady had two Malinois that she bred. Tango’s mom’s name is Tangerine, and her dad is Pogo because he jumps around all the time. So my landlady started calling her TangoPango, but mostly we stuck to Tango. She is graceful. Isn’t she?”
“She looks like she’s having fun.”
Out in the field, the operators bent over, and their K9s leaped onto their backs. Tango stood tall on Creed. There, Tango stilled, staring across the field, hard-focused on Ethan.
“Looks like Tango figured out you're here,” Auralia said.
Tango ululated with a high-pitched note that carried longing and frustration.
Auralia laughed. “Puppy love. Poor baby.”
As the team danced their routine, Tango didn’t miss a beat. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t barking, whining, and loudly protesting every step of the way.
The crowd laughed at her antics.
“Is she staying here at Cerberus tonight,” Auralia asked, “or are you taking her home with you? You should probably take her home with you. That’s so pitiful.”
“Home for my sake,” Ethan said without taking his eyes off Tango. “But also because—if she’s up to it—I have a security gig tomorrow just out of town at a country estate. I have us both assigned for it. Should be an easy day. I’m looking forward to spending some low-stress time walking around out there. The gardens are beautiful, lots for Tango to sniff.”
On the last note of the song, laughing, Creed made a gesture that must have been a release because Tango came flying across the grass and leaped over the fence into Ethan’s outstretched arms, as the crowd cheered.
Ethan meant to lower Tango gently down. But the velocity of Tango’s leap knocked him off his feet.
And there he was on the ground, getting scolded for not being with her and at the same time getting licked from ear to ear as Tango forgave him.
“Good, girl, sweet Tango. I love you, too. Man-oh-man, I missed you like crazy.”
Chapter Three
Jay
Monday
Just as Jay had predicted, as soon as they walked through the apartment and Viv saw Ben’s face, she jumped from her chair and rushed forward. “Jesus, what the hell happened to you?”
