Read Online Baby, Hold On by Stephanie Bond - Free Book Online Page A

Mike out front, washing his SUV. While her mind raced, her body reacted to seeing him shirtless, wearing only running shorts and sneakers. As his powerful limbs moved, his bronze skin glistened under the sun and water droplets from the spigot he held.
    He took her breath away. Before she knew it, she was jogging in his direction. She and Sheridan were still a few yards away when he noticed them. He turned off the water hose and strode toward them.
    “Is everything okay?” he called.
    “Yes,” she said, a little winded. “Can I see the footage from your last assignment again?”
    “Sure,” he said, stopping to scratch Sheridan’s neck before heading to the cabin. “But why?”
    “Just a theory,” she hedged.
    He walked up onto the porch and over to a table where his cell phone lay. “How did he behave without me?”
    “Fine.” Was it her imagination, or did he seem disappointed?
    He picked up his phone and punched in a few entries, then held it out to her. It was hard to concentrate on the footage with him standing so close to her. She watched the small screen, focusing on Sheridan. When she saw a flash of pink, she said, “Pause it.”
    He did, then asked, “What do you see?”
    “The pink article you’re offering to Sheridan—what was it?”
    He bit his lip, as if trying to recall. “That was a sweater for a little girl who was missing.”
    “How did it go?”
    “It was a difficult search—the neighborhood where the girl lived was destroyed. And then the storm blew in, but Sheridan wouldn’t stop searching.”
    “How did the search end?” She held her breath.
    “Thankfully, someone found the girl. She escaped with only a few scrapes.”
    “Someone found her—not Sheridan?”
    “Right. She had run to her grandmother’s house, ending up several streets from where we were.”
    “You said an SAR dog’s reward is when he finds what he’s looking for and gets his treat.”
    “That’s right.”
    “What happens when he doesn’t find what he’s looking for?”
    “Sometimes we plant volunteers or other handlers in the debris, just to reward the dog so he doesn’t get discouraged.”
    “And is that what happened in Missouri?”
    Again, Mike had to think. “No. The storm blew in and the conditions were so hazardous, we didn’t want to risk putting a plant in the rubble.”
    “So maybe he did get an electric jolt, and now he associates loud noises and water and the color pink—if he can even tell something’s pink-with the frustration of an unfinished mission.”
    Mike pulled on his chin. “That’s a stretch.”
    “But worth pursuing?”
    “What did you have in mind?”
    “Take the toy from him, but this time, use it to let him find me.”
    He splayed his hands. “We have nothing to lose at this point.”
    Speak for yourself, she thought. Because she realized when she’d returned and set eyes on Mike that she was head over heels for him.
    He squinted. “You look…different.”
    Good God, was it written all over her face?
    “Did you change your hair?”
    She’d forgotten. Lacey gave a nervous laugh and lifted a hand to finger the unfamiliar sleek texture. “Yes.”
    “And your clothes?”
    She looked down at the preppy outfit. “Yes.”
    “Hmm, pity.”
    Lacey blinked.
    Then he looked at Sheridan and clapped his hands. “Okay, let’s do this.”

Chapter Ten
    Mike tried to listen as Lacey suggested a plan for allowing Sheridan to complete his unfinished mission. But he was so distracted by the shape of those pink lips he hadn’t yet kissed, he barely heard what she was saying.
    Besides, she’d already said the magic words take the toy from him, and that’s all he needed to hear to be on board.
    While Sheridan was napping, Mike removed the pink toy from the dog’s bed, then extended it to Lacey. “We need your scent on it.”
    She suddenly looked nervous. “How does this work?”
    “Dogs follow the scent of human skin cells that are constantly being sloughed off when we