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“Hey man, give me a minute,” I whisper, putting the phone on the nightstand so I can pull on my boxer briefs and shirt.
When I’m safely downstairs I say, “Sorry about that, just had to find somewhere to talk.”
I hear Kurt chuckle down the phone. “Finally got yourself a girl?”
“It would appear so,” I admit, surprising myself. “So what did you find out about Caesar?”
“Yeah, about that. Seems you’ve opened yourself a huge can of worms there, man,” Kurt replies sullenly.
“What do you mean?” I ask, feeling the goosebumps rise on my arms. This doesn’t sound like it’s gonna be good news.
“Caesar was taken from this base about seven months ago by his handler. They both went AWOL and the MPs have been looking for them since. The guy went completely off the grid and this is the first lead we’ve had on Caesar.”
“What the fuck?” I growl. “So you know where the guy is?”
There’s a long pause which makes my hackles rise in anticipation.
“Brandon, he’s dead.”
I feel a chill run down my spine and I pull my shirt around my body. “Shit,” I sigh. I have a feeling I already know the story Kurt is about to tell.
“Yeah, he was found in a motel outside Vegas. He’d put a gun in his mouth. He made fucking mess, but he kept his dog tags on so the local cops could I.D. him,” Kurt continues solemnly. “He’d been spiraling since his last tour. Caesar was his dog so one night he broke him out of the kennels and took off. The base doc says they were treating him for pretty severe PTSD. But for the grace of God, it could be any one of us.”
I think back to my own struggles. In some of my darker moments, I’d seriously considered ending it all. But I allowed the therapy in. I know dozens of guys who couldn’t, and I’ve lost more friends than I even want to think about.
“You there, man?” Kurt’s voice brings me back to the moment.
“Did he have a family?” I ask, my voice gruff with emotion.
“An ex-wife and three kids he hadn’t seen for a few years. The guy was a real fucking mess. Is the dog okay?”
“He is now. I suppose the one solid the guy did was drop Caesar at this place. The dog went nuts for a bit, but I think we’re making progress with him. It actually all worked out.” I know it’s a shitty time to feel this good, but I can’t keep the smile out of my voice.
“So you and the woman from the kennel are …?”
“I think I love her.” And even as I say the words for the first time out loud, I know I mean them.
“Well that’s amazing, good for you, Brandon.” There’s a pregnant pause. “You know we’re gonna need Caesar back, right?”
I had a feeling this was gonna happen. A fully trained MWD is a valuable commodity, and the Army aren’t going to just let him live out his days on this farm.
“Is there no way he can retire out? I’ll take him on so he’ll be in safe hands,” I offer.
“I don’t know, man,” Kurt sighs. “As soon as I put his microchip number into the system, it flagged him, so I’m sure the MPs will be on their way to pick him up in the next week or so. You could come up to Oregon to speak to the Base Commander in person, that might go some way to persuading them, but if you wanna do that you’ll need to get your ass up here pronto.”
I know I can’t allow Caesar to go back into the military. I’ve seen PTSD in dogs and some of the other behaviors I’ve seen him exhibiting seem to indicate he’s not ready to go back to active duty. I want to help him; I owe it to Bella and all the other dogs who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
Chapter 10
Julia
The delicious ache between my legs is the first thing I notice when I wake up and stretch my body. The second thing I notice is that the bed beside me is empty and all of Brandon’s discarded clothes are gone.
Immediately, my heart drops and I search around looking for a note or anything to explain his absence. When I don’t find anything, I sit up and hug the comforter to my bare breasts, feeling vulnerable and confused.
But then I look over at my phone and notice the time — it’s just after six-thirty — I realize I’m probably worrying for no reason. I know that Brandon always gets up early to start his work and why should this morning be any different? He’s a diligent man with a strong work ethic so just because he spent the night in my bed doesn’t mean he’ll shirk his duties.
Feeling a little better and slightly less hysterical, I shower and dress quickly, eager to see the man who rocked my world. My stomach does somersaults as I literally bounce down the stairs and fix a coffee to take down to the kennels.
