Read Online Battlescars by Ann Collins - Free Book Online Page A

animals were fed and watered, then spent some time playing with them all. They tossed balls for the dogs and rubbed their ears, then plied the cats with catnip and rubbed their bellies as they stretched with pleasure.
    Leon let Dyson scoop him up and put him back into his cage. He leaned over and whispered into the cat’s ear. “Thanks for getting me on her good side, Leon.”
    The cat purred and rolled over for a belly rub.
    Mr. Marbles saw them to the door. He seemed sad that they were leaving, and kept jumping up on Kayla as if to make her stay. She finally told him to sit and walked away, leaving him looking forlorn as they closed the screen door behind them.
    “How about dinner?” Dyson asked. “I’m starving.”
    He could barely believe his ears when she said, “I know a great place.”
    “Want me to drive?”
    She smiled at him as she slid into the passenger seat. Dyson stood there for a moment, looking back at the shelter. She was actually in his car, spending time with him after their day of volunteering. He was tired and hungry, but the idea of spending more time with her had him energized. He was counting his lucky stars that he would be able to get to know her a little better.
    The restaurant she had chosen had a nice little outdoor section, and they made the most of it by sitting underneath one of the brightly colored umbrellas. It was neither too hot nor too cold, just the perfect kind of day that begged for outdoor fun. Dyson ordered water for both of them and watched her over his glass as she looked around at the people.
    “I love to people-watch,” she said. “That’s why I love places like this. I can look at people and nobody thinks it’s strange.”
    “What’s the weirdest thing you’ve seen while people-watching?”
    He watched her brow furrow as she contemplated the question. “Weird? I’m not sure. There are the occasional homeless people with carts filled to the brim with random things. Sometimes there’s car trouble. But there are plenty of interesting things, like seeing couples fight, or seeing parents have a meltdown over their kids not behaving. Usually just behavior that you might not expect to see in public.”
    Dyson was listening to her, but he was clearly watching something across the street. He stared for a moment, and then looked back at Kayla. She looked puzzled and somewhat annoyed.
    “Were you even paying attention?” she demanded.
    “Speaking of behavior,” he said, and pointed toward the balcony across the street.
    Kayla looked up. He watched her face as she saw the couple there, the pretty woman and the handsome man who were facing one another on a balcony across the street. They must have believed that they were hidden from view as they began kissing passionately on their terrace above the street. Dyson looked around at the other diners and realized that the angle of the umbrellas hid the couple from everyone else – everyone but those at the end table that Kayla and Dyson occupied.
    Kayla’s face flushed bright red. She pulled her eyes away and fiddled with her napkin, but then she looked back, as though she couldn’t help it. She was simply drawn to the vision up there on the balcony, much the same way he was. But rather than continue to look up, Dyson watched her, much more interested in what she was thinking and feeling than in what was happening on the balcony.
    Finally Kayla looked away, staring at the table. “We shouldn’t be watching,” she said.
    The waiter showed up and took their order. Sandwiches and chips all around. Dyson glanced up again when the waiter left and almost choked on his water. Kayla looked up at the same time and together they watched as the woman unbuckled the man’s belt, unbuttoned and unzipped his pants, and slipped her hand inside. The man pushed against her, his hips thrust against her hand. Dyson heard Kayla gasp in surprise as the man ran his hands underneath the woman’s skirt and it became clear that she wore