Free A Soldier's Heart by Alexis Morgan

took shelter in the far corner of the room behind a couple of boxes that Spence had stacked there for just that reason. Mooch seemed to understand that not everyone who walked through that door was a friend.
    When he was out sight, Spence opened the door to find Amanda Mann standing outside. She held up a few of the movies she’d borrowed and said a little louder than necessary, “I brought your DVDs back and wondered if I could borrow some more.”
    “Sure, come on in.”
    Once inside with the door closed, she handed him the movies. “Actually, I really came by to see how your dog was doing.”
    Then she frowned as she looked around. “Where is he? Tell me you guys didn’t throw him right back out on the streets already. Because if you did, it would have been kinder to let him die from the gunshot.”
    Spence shuddered at the thought. “No, ma’am, he’s here. We’re just trying to be careful about who sees him.”
    He gave a sharp whistle, which brought Mooch trotting out of his hiding spot. Amanda immediately crouched down and held out a doggie treat. “You’re sure looking better, boy.”
    Mooch sat down and carefully accepted her offering with a gentle wag of his tail, a far cry from his usual behavior. Earlier that morning, Leif had complained that the dog had almost taken his fingers along with the bits of bacon he’d brought back from the mess for Mooch.
    The dog’s behavior pleased the vet as well. “You’re quite the gentleman, aren’t you, Mooch? Have you been watching those romantic comedies with your buddy here?”
    Spence was pretty sure his face had flushed red when she looked up at him. “I so wish Leif had kept his mouth shut about that. Note to self: Kick his backside for him as soon as possible.”
    Amanda laughed but then her expression turned more serious. “Actually, I’m glad this little guy is fitting in so easily. Some of the strays our guys have tried to adopt have been too feral to make good pets. It makes me wonder if Mooch used to belong to somebody before you.”
    Spence didn’t like that idea one bit. The dog was his—period. He knelt beside her. “You saw how he looked the night we found him. He was half-starved and filthy. I’m betting it had been a long time since he’d been eating regularly.”
    “Well, he’s yours now, there’s no doubt about that.”
    She did a quick examination. Mooch basked in her gentle attention, not even complaining when she checked his wound. When she was done, she slipped him another treat as a reward.
    “His wound is healing up fine, and he’ll be good as new soon. I’d even guess eventually his fur will cover the scar.”
    As she petted Mooch, she gave Spence a considering look. “How much longer do you have left on your deployment?”
    That was a problem. “A few weeks.”
    “Lucky you. I’ve still got six months to go. But back to Mooch, what are you going to do about him when it’s time for you to go wheels up?”
    That was something that had been keeping Spence awake nights. “I was going ask around to see if anyone had any ideas about what it takes to ship him home.”
    “I figured you might be thinking along those lines.” Amanda pulled a card out of her pocket and handed it to Spence. “Here’s the contact information for a group that might be able to help. I have to tell you, though, it’s not cheap or easy.”
    “Money’s not a problem.”
    Thank goodness that was true. His parents had left him a whole shitload of insurance money, and they’d had the wisdom to put their estate in the hands of a good attorney. If it had been up to Spence’s uncle, every last dime would’ve been spent on booze and cigarettes years ago.
    “And who will take care of Mooch the next time you’re deployed? Do you have family or a friend who would take him if you can’t be there for him?”
    A much harder question. Callie would be the logical choice, but she moved around even more than he did.
    “I’m working on that