Instantly, his thoughts went to Vanessa, Aiden and the four fostered puppies Aiden had named after national parks.
Nope. He shook his head. Not a smart idea to get too emotionally involved. Although, he had offered to talk to Aiden, hadn’t he? And to keep Vanessa safe during the daytime hours?
Yes, he had.
She’d be safe with Eagle until he got there, so he took a quick walk around base to clear his head. He was secretly glad her house wasn’t far from his as it would be easier to keep an eye on her.
He was thrilled when he’d found his place, located on a dead-end street not far from the veterinary clinic.
Dogs were known to suffer from PTSD, too, and he used the fact to argue why he was the best fit for Beacon. With Jake gone, he was Beacon’s best chance. He’d even gotten Jake’s younger sister, Jacey, who was also a dog handler currently deployed overseas, to add her support.
He and the dog were two wounded warriors who deserved to be together. And the powers that be within the Air Force had finally agreed with him.
He ran into Captain Kyle Roark outside the veterinary clinic and waved him down. “Hey, any news on the female dog you operated on last night?”
Kyle nodded. “So far, she’s holding her own. I have her on heavy-duty antibiotics and I’m keeping her sedated because of the extensive sutures. In my professional opinion she was likely attacked by a coyote.”
“I’m happy to hear she’s recovering. And an animal bite is better than the idea of humans hurting her on purpose,” Isaac said with a heavy sigh. “At least now there’s no reason to believe there’s a possible connection to the Olio Crime Organization.”
Kyle grimaced. “I’m not sure they’re entirely out of the picture. No one living on base has reported a lost dog, aside from the training dogs that are still missing. A person within the crime ring may have sneaked the dog on base because she was pregnant and they wanted nothing to do with a litter of pups.”
“Why?” Isaac asked. “They could dump her anywhere.”
“Who knows how these guys think?” Kyle shook his head. “It’s just odd that she showed up here, that’s all. Anyone on base would take better care of their pet.”
“Maybe.” Done with the discussion of the injured dog, he turned his attention to the topic that had him anxious. “Are you going to be around later when Beacon arrives?”
Kyle’s face lit up with a wide smile. “Wouldn’t miss it.”
“Great. I’ll see you then.” Isaac waved and took Tango home.
He did some chores around the house for a couple of hours. By lunchtime, he decided he couldn’t stay home alone any longer. He picked up three meals to go from Carmen’s, his favorite Italian restaurant, and brought them over to Vanessa’s house.
He walked up to Vanessa’s front door and rapped lightly.
A series of high-pitched yips could be heard from inside, making him smile. Vanessa opened the door looking surprised to see him.
“Isaac, I wasn’t expecting you for a couple of hours yet.”
“I brought lunch from Carmen’s,” he said, lifting the bag as proof. “Enough pasta for all three of us.”
Her expression softened as she realized he’d included Aiden. “Come in. Lunch will be a welcome break from the nonstop potty training going on around here.”
“I can only imagine,” he said with a chuckle. Inside, he nodded to her brother.
“Hey,” Aiden greeted him cautiously.
“How are our four national parks doing?” he joked.
“They’re awesome.” Aiden placed the puppies back in their box. “Something smells good.”
“Carmen’s is always amazing.” He set the bag in the center of the kitchen table as Vanessa and Aiden washed up at the sink. Vanessa was more beautiful than he remembered, with her dark wavy hair hanging loose around her shoulders. She wore her dress blues and he appreciated her delicate features.
Whoa, wait a minute. What was wrong with him? He’d been around plenty of attractive women before. Even since his former fiancée, Amber. None had even remotely raised his interest.
Until now.
Vanessa pulled out plates and silverware while Aiden fetched three bottles of cold water from the fridge. He opened the bag and pulled out the aluminum to-go containers of pasta, each still warm from the oven.
Vanessa took her seat, bowed her head and began to pray. “Dear Lord, we thank You for this food we are about to eat and for the friendship You have blessed us with. Keep Beacon and the puppies safe in Your care, Amen.”
Despite his reservations about God and faith, Isaac thought of Beacon and found himself responding with a heartfelt “Amen.”
“Amen,” Aiden added, glancing down at the box of pups near his feet.
The spaghetti and meatballs from Carmen’s were delicious, and as they ate, they discussed the puppies at length. Isaac was impressed at the responsibility Aiden was taking in caring for them, especially the way he’d found a way to identify each one by sight corresponding them to their name. Denali had a notch in her right ear and Shenandoah was the runt of the litter. Bryce had a small tan spot on his belly while the fur on the tip of Smoky’s tail was black.
Vanessa seemed more relaxed, too, despite the bruises that darkened her neck. He was relieved to hear she’d used ice to keep the swelling down.
The time flew by and he soon realized they had to leave to avoid being late. He asked Aiden if he wanted to come with them, but the young man insisted on staying home to watch over the pups.
“I’m going to try some mash while you’re gone,” Aiden said with a wry grin. “Better that Nessa isn’t here to watch, since Kyle warned me about how messy they’ll get.”
“Maybe you should feed them in the bathtub,” Vanessa suggested, her expression half-joking. “That way you can contain the mess and go right into giving them a bath.”
Aiden laughed at her suggestion. Vanessa looked so surprised, Isaac wondered how long it had been since she’d heard the sound of her brother’s laughter.
Fostering the puppies was obviously a great job for him.
“I’ll leave Eagle here with Aiden,” Vanessa said. “I’m sure Beacon doesn’t need the added stress.”
Isaac hesitated, then nodded. “It’s probably best.”
“We’ll take my SUV,” Vanessa said. “I’ll drive.”
“Okay.” After loading Tango into the back, he slid into the passenger seat beside her, wishing he was armed. But only Security Forces cops were armed on base, and as a pilot he couldn’t carry one without special permission. As she drove, he kept a sharp eye out for anything suspicious.
Canyon Air Force Base was huge, covering over 600 acres. Roughly seven thousand people were on base at any given time, mostly military and some civilian. The airport runway was located on the north side of the base, a distance from the housing section.
Isaac swiped his damp palms against his jeans, unaccountably nervous. This was the moment he’d been waiting for since he arrived stateside.
Vanessa glanced at him. “Looks as if there’s already a big crowd of people gathered there along with the media. I hope I can find a place to park.”
Normally he wasn’t a fan of crowds, but knowing Beacon would be getting off the plane in less than thirty minutes made the discomfort worthwhile.
They