Free After Love by Kathy Clark Page A

hadn’t been nearly as sexy as Jamie or he might have done better in class.
    Ralph was working with an Irish setter mix in the arena, so Jamie led the way to the third kennel building.
    “What did he do to get exiled to the end?” Nick asked as they passed pen after pen of barking dogs.
    “They get placed in whatever pen is empty at the time. But Harley’s kind of a loner, so I think he prefers being as far out of the noise as possible.”
    Unlike the other dogs, who were clamoring for attention, Harley sat at the front of his pen, his alert eyes missing nothing. When he saw Jamie and Nick approaching, he stood and panted, his long, pink tongue lolling out of his mouth.
    “It looks like he’s smiling,” Nick commented.
    “I think he is,” Jamie agreed. She unclipped a small carabiner from the gate latch. “You’ll have to get security locks on your doors if you don’t already have them. Harley’s kind of a Houdini when it comes to opening gates and handles. Shepherds are masters at that.” She handed Nick the leash that had been hanging by the pen. “Bring him outside.”
    Nick held out his hand and let Harley sniff it to refresh his memory. Harley didn’t push or try to escape as Nick opened the gate and clipped the leash to his collar. “Good boy.” Nick rubbed Harley’s head and scratched his ears. Harley leaned his head into Nick’s hand, encouraging him to continue.
    “You’ve made a friend for life,” Jamie said with a chuckle.
    “Harley, heel,” Nick commanded, and Harley immediately responded, moving to the man’s left side. Nick started walking, and Harley kept pace at the proper position. “He’s doing pretty well, isn’t he?” Nick was pleased with his progress.
    But Jamie shook her head. “Harley’s doing great. However, you’re holding the leash wrong. It should be in your right hand and crossed in front of you. And keep it loose. Relax your arm.”
    “Really?” Nick fumbled with the leash, changing it to his other hand and trying not to get tangled up in it. Harley waited patiently, his lips spread. If he had been smiling before, he was laughing now. “Sooner or later, you’re going to do something to make her scold you too,” Nick told Harley in a loud whisper.
    “Let’s try it again,” Jamie said, trying to be serious, but the laughter in her eyes gave her away.
    Nick circled the yard with Harley close to his hip. The dog obeyed quickly commands to sit and stay.
    “Sometimes you’re going to need him to stand at your other side,” Jamie told Nick. “Just pat your hip and say, ‘Harley, right here.’ He probably doesn’t know that command, so you’ll have to work with him on both sides.”
    Nick tried it, and Harley gave him a curious look but didn’t obey until Nick tugged on his leash and positioned him. After only a couple demonstrations, Harley picked it up, then looked up at Nick as if to say
That was fun. What’s next?
    They kept practicing for an hour until Jamie could find no fault with either of them, then she showed Nick how to train Harley to find loosies. They worked on that for another hour until Nick collapsed on a wooden bench under an ancient live oak tree, and Harley plopped down at Nick’s feet on the cool grass. “Were you ever in the military?”
    Jamie seemed surprised by the question. “No, why?”
    “You’d make a great drill sergeant.”
    “Ha! I’m going easy on you today.”
    Nick groaned and slumped back until his head rested against the tree’s rough bark.
    “But now I think you’ve earned a reward. Let’s go into town for lunch…my treat.”
    Nick jumped to his feet before she could change her mind and make him walk that damn circle ten more times. “Let’s go. But lunch goes on my expense account. This is definitely work related.” He picked up Harley’s leash. “We’ll take my truck. Harley might as well get used to it. He’s going to be spending a lot of time in there.”
    They walked together to his truck and