Baby, Hold On by Stephanie Bond Read Free Book Online

too.”
    “How long have you lived here?”
    “Almost a year.”
    “Do you have family nearby?”
    “No, they’re all in New York and Connecticut.”
    He seemed surprised. “What do they think of you living in such a remote place?”
    “They think I’m crazy for moving to the wilderness,” she said with a laugh. “They’ve never understood my connection to animals, why I’d want to make my living working with dogs.”
    He smiled. “My family is like that too.”
    “But what you do is so important.”
    “Thank you. But like you said, not everyone understands why I’d want to work with dogs.”
    “How long have you been a handler?”
    “Twelve years now.”
    “So Sheridan isn’t your first dog?”
    “No, ma’am…but he’s the best.”
    At the pride and affection in his voice, her heart swelled. She felt a sudden kinship with Mike, and a surge of appreciation for his service to the country.
    Not to mention his brawny contribution to the scenery.
    A warm flush that had nothing to do with the late-day heat made its way up her body. A warning flag raised in her mind, reminding her Mike Nichols was simply passing through. He had engaged her to help his dog, not to spin fantasies about his big, sexy physique.
    They had reached the bank of Timber Creek, a bubbling, cool stream known for its fishing. Lacey watched Sheridan to see if he would follow his retriever instincts and jump into the water.
    He crouched at the muddy edge and stuck his black nose near the water, watching tiny fish dart back and forth. The sight would have been comical—Sheridan still clutching the pink bone in his mouth—except for his obvious anxiety. He whined, but he didn’t go in.
    “Enough of this,” Mike said, then tramped through the grass and waded into the creek up to his knees. “Sheridan, come,” he commanded.
    The dog whimpered and looked back at Lacey.
    “Has he been in the water since the last mission?” she asked.
    He paused as if he had to think about it. “No.” He leaned forward. “Sheridan, come .”
    The Lab whined again and dropped to his belly in the grass.
    Mike massaged the bridge of his nose, clearly perturbed. He walked forward and Lacey was afraid he was going to try to haul the dog into the water.
    “Wait,” she called. “Don’t force him in. Will you splash him instead?”
    Mike frowned. “Splash him?”
    “Humor me.”
    He looked dubious, but he scooped up water and splashed the dog. As she suspected, Sheridan shrank away, then shook himself and ran back to her.
    Mike waded out, slinging water off his long arms. His dark eyebrows were knitted together. “Damn, he’s afraid of water? That’s not even natural .”
    Lacey could feel the dog trembling against her leg. She stroked his ears and murmured soft words of comfort until he quieted. Then she held his face until he focused on her and followed her movements. When she stood, she found Mike staring at Sheridan, his expression forlorn.
    “This is bad,” he said, shaking his head. “Maybe I should just retire him…retire myself.”
    She frowned. “Retire from handling?”
    “Maybe. I’m up for reenlistment, so I have an opportunity to change my classification.”
    “To what?”
    He shrugged. “Something else. Maybe I’ve lost my touch.”
    “I don’t think that’s what’s going on here.”
    He frowned and jammed his hands on his hips. “Care to let me in on what you do think is going on here? Or are you just going to spin some kind of mumbo jumbo about my dog being depressed?”
    Lacey’s own ire spiked. “I have a theory,” she said tersely.
    “I’m all ears,” he barked.
    Lacey realized Sheridan was looking back and forth between them, and cowering against her leg. She exhaled to keep from transferring more stress to the dog. “Was the weather bad during the last mission?” she asked in a calmer voice.
    Mike nodded. “It was stormy, a driving rain.”
    “Was there lightning?”
    “Yeah, some.”
    “I think Sheridan