Free Shelter Me by Catherine Mann Page A

second while I switch into more substantial shoes.”
    Kneeling by the shoe rack, she ditched her sandals and tugged on red cowboy boots. She stood and angled past, just close enough that the scent of citrus and perspiration hit him like a drug with reminders of warm, sexy nights of them tangled up together in the back of his truck or in his bed in the small apartment he’d rented.
    Mike cleared his throat, determined to bide his time. Anticipation made the payoff all the sweeter. “Did you ever figure out how he escaped last night? Trooper’s quite a Houdini. He found ways in and out of the FOB not even our top security knew about.”
    “Gramps let him out of his crate and Trooper managed the rest of the escape on his own. Clearly, he’s still attached to you. That’s understandable with so much change in life. It’s a lot for any dog to process.”
    “Maybe if I stick around for a couple of hours, he will settle in. I could put the time to good use and fix anything that’s broken.”
    She glanced over her shoulder, her blond ponytail swishing. “In spite of what my brother says, we’ve got it under control.”
    “Of course you do,” he said, not bothering to point out she was walking past a loose shutter that smacked the side of the house. “Surely there’s something I could help out with to pass the time while Trooper gets his bearings.”
    Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “What’s really going on with you?”
    “I don’t have anything else to do.” Except fantasize about getting her naked again. Although watching her walk in shorts and cowboy boots was definitely sweet. “I’m at loose ends for the next few weeks. Mandatory leave after battle to get my head on straight again before going back to work, and not even working that much since I’ll be moving soon.”
    “Surely you would rather party with your friends than fix broken kennel latches here.”
    “You have broken kennel latches?”
    “Damn.” She winced. “You tricked me.”
    He spread his hands wide. “I couldn’t have tricked you if you didn’t keep secrets. What else is broken? Throw the whole list at me. I can take it.”
    “What’s broken? Everything.” She half laughed as she opened a gate to a fenced area within their larger property enclosure. “Seriously, just the regular sorts of stuff that you tend to let slide when you’re busy and Dad’s away. To-do list kinds of items. We’ve been focused on expanding the rescue. We’ll get around to catching up on the other stuff in time.”
    Serious remodeling had gone on in the past year, especially with the barn, things he hadn’t seen when eating in the family’s patio area. Some of the horse stalls had been converted into a line of five long kennels that were half inside, half out. The barn doors were open today, and he could see a bigger play area with dog beds and toys.
    Outside of the barn, a large part of the yard had been sectioned off into a doggie haven. Fat oak trees sprawled, providing shade for a couple of napping pooches. Plush grass stretched like carpet from edge to edge of the fence, some kind of minor miracle given how many animals must tromp through.
    There was a sheltered area over a concrete slab with a baby pool full of fresh water. Trooper took off like a bolt of lightning and charged straight in. Clementine looked up from under the tree then went back to sleep. A couple of older beagle puppies raced over to meet and sniff the new guy on the block.
    Sierra watched with perceptive eyes. She had her mother’s gift with animals even if she’d chosen a different path for her life.
    He looked around at the other changes made to the place. When they’d deployed, Lacey had only just started her animal rescue, fostering a few animals in her house along with the help of three other foster families. The Colonel had shared her plans for expanding. He’d been proud and a little bemused. Allen McDaniel had said that at first it seemed his wife was empty nesting