Love at First Bark Page 34
From there, the conclusion was a natural one: Harrison was threatened by her. This big, fierce, firefighting hero of a man had taken one look at little old Sophie and decided he was the one at a disadvantage.
This must be what power feels like.
“I could have, but it was more important for you and Bubbles to forge a natural relationship.” She smiled gently. “I’m not going to be here all the time to help you. This is your life we’re talking about—yours and hers. You two have to find a way to make it work between you.”
Once again, his strong emotion seemed to wash away, rendering him almost boyish. “That sounds fair.”
“And it’s not going to be easy, getting her over a fear like this one,” she added. “If it’s even possible in the first place. I’m not going to lie—if Lila were to hear about this, she’d probably pull the plug on the whole project.”
He swallowed.
“Hey,” she said and laid a light hand on his arm. “It’s not as bad as you think. I’ll be here to help you every step of the way. Yelling, if I have to. Pushing.”
A rueful grin touched his lips. “You do seem to do an awful lot of that. Oscar should have warned me how combative you are.”
Sophie almost laughed out loud. Before yesterday, pushy and combative were two words that no one would think to associate with her. Yet here she was, standing tall, asserting herself, getting results.
“You like it,” she said.
He grunted a soft assent.
“You like Bubbles too, don’t you?”
They both looked down at the puppy, who was staring adoringly up at her new owner. Sophie decided right then and there that nothing—not even the flames of hell—would stop her from making these two happy together. It would be a hard road, convincing a man who loved danger as much as Harrison that a creature as small and vulnerable as this one was worth the effort.
But she was. She was.
“Okay,” Harrison said. His assent came so suddenly that Sophie had to ask him to repeat himself. He did with another of those hesitant, almost apologetic smiles.
“It’s not going to be easy, you know,” he added. “I’m not used to being pushed. I’ll fight you every step of the way.”
She nodded. “I look forward to the challenge.”
“It could get ugly. I could get ugly. I usually do.” He hesitated, his eyes anxiously watching her own. “Most people give up on me long before we get to this point.”
“Yes, well. I’m not most people.”
“No, Sophie Vasquez.” His voice dropped so low that her name sounded almost like a caress. “I think we can safely agree on that.”
She had no time to follow up on this promising turn of events. At that exact moment, Bubbles decided she’d had enough of playing second string to the pair of them. With another of her small, plaintive barks, she demanded that she be pet, made much over, and otherwise coddled as befitted a lady of her stature. And Harrison, proving himself a pushover of the highest order, gave right in.
As much as Sophie appreciated the picture made by a large, attractive man and his tiny canine overlord, there was still quite a bit of work to do if she was going to make a success of this.
Clearing her throat, she cast a look at Harrison’s bare feet and officially started the day. “If you want to hand her over, I’ll set up the morning training while you get dressed,” she said. “Did you two eat?”
He blinked at the sudden shift in the conversation but accepted it with a shrug. “Only half of us. Bubbles has been fed, but I didn’t have time, not with the fire situation.”
“Then I suggest you do that first.”
“Thanks, but I’m fine.” His stance indicated that the topic wasn’t open to negotiation.
And so it begins.
“I have no doubt that you are, but you need to make sure your blood sugar level is as normal as possible before we get started,” she said, her voice clipped. “We have to establish a consistent and stable baseline, or she’ll get confused later on.”
“But I—” he began before stopping himself with a nod. “Okay. You’re the expert. You’re in charge.”
Sophie was so startled by that—me, the expert; me, in charge—that she almost dropped the puppy being placed in her arms. She might have done it too, but Harrison handed over his precious burden with so much trust that she didn’t dare let go. Now that she’d accepted the challenge he’d offered, she was beginning to realize the enormity of it.
He hadn’t just given her his puppy to hold; he’d given her his entire life. His career, his future, his happiness—all of it now depended on her.
She gulped as she watched him turn on his heel and trot easily down the stairs. He paused just long enough to cast a glance over his shoulder, a slightly mocking lift to one of his heavy brows.
“You coming?” he asked.
She nodded, unwilling—and unable—to commit the folly of speech. She was on her way, all right. She was in this now.
She had to push. She had to fight.
But most important, she had to win.
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