“Oh, she looks, all right,” Holden said, a smile spread wide across his face. “A lot.”
Dante went brows up while his pulse jumped. “She does?”
“Yep.” His buddy’s grin widened. “Like right now.”
Again, his pulse jumped and once he got it to settle, Dante turned in the direction of Holden’s gaze and spotted Amanda in the dog yard behind the kennels…looking his way.
When she lifted a hand and waved, he smiled and waved back. A few seconds later, she turned her attention to the dogs clamoring by her feet, waiting for the ball to leave her other hand.
He ripped his gaze away and found his buddy grinning at him. “What?”
“Nothing.” Holden shrugged. “Just looks like one of those possibilities we were talking about.”
“I don’t know.” He hesitated. “Noah—”
“Is with Emily taking care of the pigs,” Holden interrupted. “And you know he loves the pigs.”
“Yeah.” Dante laughed. “That’s all he’s talked about this week.”
Dante had to buy his son a farm animal coloring book at the store, so he’d stop drawing them on books, the mail…the table.
Holden grinned. “Good. Braddock and I were about to round up some stray cows, so that leaves you free to help Amanda exercise the dogs.”
Before he could reply, his buddy was walking away.
“Hey, you were wrong about one thing, Holden.”
The guy stopped and turned to face him, one brow raised. “Oh? What’s that?”
“You said wewerebrothers in Delta,” he replied. “We’re still brothers. Always will be.”
A grin spread across Holden’s face. “Hooah.”
“Hooah,” he uttered in return, before heading for the dog kennels.
Didn’t matter that they were civilians now. Holden and all of Dante’s military friends would always be his brothers. That bond didn’t dissolve after active duty.
It would remain forever, he thought to himself, as he walked through the kennel building and opened the door that led to the large, fenced area out back. Amanda was throwing a ball and eight dogs of all sizes and breeds ran barking after the bright yellow toy.
He was amazed how the dogs didn’t fight. They each took turns and respected boundaries. It was something to watch. Thedogs were happy and grounded. They’d found the place where they belonged, and they thrived.
Exactly what he wanted for his son…and for himself.
“Hey, hi.” Amanda’s face lit up when she spotted him.
As usual, when graced with one of her beautiful smiles, Dante’s heart stirred, and warmth washed through his body.
“Hi.” He smiled back. “Holden said you might need help exercising the dogs.”
Relief lowered her shoulders. “Yes. Can you take over? Pretty sure I threw out my shoulder and possibly my blade along with the ball two tosses ago. I’ve asked them to bring it back, but they only focus on the ball.”
He chuckled, already more relaxed than he’d been all day. Her presence was soothing.
“Sure,” he said, and she dropped the ball into his hands.
The dogs immediately rushed to him and waited. Dante wound up and lobbed the ball far across the yard. Running and barking, the happy dogs raced for the prize.
“Geeze, Dante.” Amanda blinked. “That went twice as far as mine. You should take over the ball throwing from now on. You’ll give them a much better workout than I am.”
