followed, stopping by a photo in a bamboo frame on her counter, a rainbow-colored hot air balloon with a redhead waving from it. He leaned closer. “Is that you?”
“I wanted to do something daring.” She made a face. “I know, it sounds stupid… Sometimes I just feel like I don’t want to miss anything life has to offer. Ever been up?”
“Wouldn’t if they paid me. I’m more of a feet-on-the-ground kind of guy.” He grabbed a handful of treats from the bag she held, then took the collar and strode out to the deck, where the dog was waiting.
The Rottweiler backed a few feet away, tail between his legs.
Bing held up a treat. “Here you go, boy. Sit.”
The dog did.
“He’s been trained at one point.” He tossed the treat, and the Rottweiler snapped it out of the air. The next one Bing kept in his hand. “Come on. You can take it.”
He kept his voice calm and low as he asked Sophie, “What have you been calling him?”
She stepped out onto the deck behind him. “Peaches.”
He bit back a grin. The name had probably been picked to make the Rottweiler seem less scary to her. It was an indignity, but he wasn’t about to criticize her for it.
“All right…Peaches,” he said as the dog came up to him and took the treat.
He squatted slowly and handed out more goodies, letting the dog sniff him. “There you go. That’s a good boy, Peaches.” He patted him.
“How do you know he isn’t going to bite you?” she whispered.
“For one, his mouth is full. Two, he’s wagging his tail. It’s all in the body language.”
He gave the dog another treat, then patted him again before slipping on the collar.
Peaches immediately sat down and began clawing at it.
“Eh.” Bing made a sharp, disapproving sound. Then when the dog put the paw down, he said, “Good boy. Do you want another treat?” And tossed one high.
“You disrupt bad behavior and reward good behavior,” he told Sophie as Peaches snapped the treat out of the air. “Dogs are way better than cats in this regard. They actually want to please.”
She flashed him a skeptical look. “You make it sound easy.”
“It is.” He scratched Peaches behind the ear when the dog came up to him. “He’s got pretty good manners. He’s probably house trained, if you want to let him in.”
She gave the dog an uncertain look. “I’m not supposed to have pets.”
“Allergies?”
She hesitated. “Heart transplant.”
He stared. He understood science as far as forensics went, but taking a heart out of one person, putting it into another, and making her live… “You’re—”
“A freak,” she finished for him.
“I was thinking more like a living miracle.”
Surprise flickered in her eyes.
He kept playing with the dog. “Are you sure you don’t want me to take him?”
She hesitated a moment before she answered. “He shouldn’t be shuffled around. Someone will see one of the posters and call. He can stay until then. I don’t mind a few more days.”
She had a good heart, wherever it’d come from. He couldn’t help his gaze sliding to her chest. He wished her T-shirt would dry already.
Peaches sat and leaned against him. The Rottweiler was looking at her as if she puzzled him. That made two of them.
A warm breeze blew across the backyard, the sun bright above them, not a cloud in the sky. Being out here in the sunshine with Sophie and Peaches, talking like this was nice, some part of his brain registered.
Maybe he’d come back and check on them again tonight.
His evenings were usually all the same, either on duty or at home, going through case files, looking for anything he might have missed at the office, trying to solve cases. Then looking at Stacy’s file before he went to bed, hoping he’d see something he kept missing.
A squirrel darted along the split-rail fence. Peaches took off, barking. But when he caught up with the squirrel, he slowed and let it go. He’d only wanted to play.
“A born hunter he’s
“I wanted to do something daring.” She made a face. “I know, it sounds stupid… Sometimes I just feel like I don’t want to miss anything life has to offer. Ever been up?”
“Wouldn’t if they paid me. I’m more of a feet-on-the-ground kind of guy.” He grabbed a handful of treats from the bag she held, then took the collar and strode out to the deck, where the dog was waiting.
The Rottweiler backed a few feet away, tail between his legs.
Bing held up a treat. “Here you go, boy. Sit.”
The dog did.
“He’s been trained at one point.” He tossed the treat, and the Rottweiler snapped it out of the air. The next one Bing kept in his hand. “Come on. You can take it.”
He kept his voice calm and low as he asked Sophie, “What have you been calling him?”
She stepped out onto the deck behind him. “Peaches.”
He bit back a grin. The name had probably been picked to make the Rottweiler seem less scary to her. It was an indignity, but he wasn’t about to criticize her for it.
“All right…Peaches,” he said as the dog came up to him and took the treat.
He squatted slowly and handed out more goodies, letting the dog sniff him. “There you go. That’s a good boy, Peaches.” He patted him.
“How do you know he isn’t going to bite you?” she whispered.
“For one, his mouth is full. Two, he’s wagging his tail. It’s all in the body language.”
He gave the dog another treat, then patted him again before slipping on the collar.
Peaches immediately sat down and began clawing at it.
“Eh.” Bing made a sharp, disapproving sound. Then when the dog put the paw down, he said, “Good boy. Do you want another treat?” And tossed one high.
“You disrupt bad behavior and reward good behavior,” he told Sophie as Peaches snapped the treat out of the air. “Dogs are way better than cats in this regard. They actually want to please.”
She flashed him a skeptical look. “You make it sound easy.”
“It is.” He scratched Peaches behind the ear when the dog came up to him. “He’s got pretty good manners. He’s probably house trained, if you want to let him in.”
She gave the dog an uncertain look. “I’m not supposed to have pets.”
“Allergies?”
She hesitated. “Heart transplant.”
He stared. He understood science as far as forensics went, but taking a heart out of one person, putting it into another, and making her live… “You’re—”
“A freak,” she finished for him.
“I was thinking more like a living miracle.”
Surprise flickered in her eyes.
He kept playing with the dog. “Are you sure you don’t want me to take him?”
She hesitated a moment before she answered. “He shouldn’t be shuffled around. Someone will see one of the posters and call. He can stay until then. I don’t mind a few more days.”
She had a good heart, wherever it’d come from. He couldn’t help his gaze sliding to her chest. He wished her T-shirt would dry already.
Peaches sat and leaned against him. The Rottweiler was looking at her as if she puzzled him. That made two of them.
A warm breeze blew across the backyard, the sun bright above them, not a cloud in the sky. Being out here in the sunshine with Sophie and Peaches, talking like this was nice, some part of his brain registered.
Maybe he’d come back and check on them again tonight.
His evenings were usually all the same, either on duty or at home, going through case files, looking for anything he might have missed at the office, trying to solve cases. Then looking at Stacy’s file before he went to bed, hoping he’d see something he kept missing.
A squirrel darted along the split-rail fence. Peaches took off, barking. But when he caught up with the squirrel, he slowed and let it go. He’d only wanted to play.
“A born hunter he’s
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