Read Online Soul Scars (Dog Haven Sanctuary Romance) by Tasman Gibb - Free Book Online Page A

the note and handed it back to Lulah. “Hell, poor Vince. Personally, I think you made the right call. You said he’s working on a project for his daughter. From the talks I’ve had with him, she is his reason for living, and he wants to be there for her. My gut feeling is that he’s okay right now.”
    Mike tapped on the door frame and stepped into the office. “Morning, all. No Vince?”
    Lulah waited for Adam to respond. “Vince isn’t so good today; you and Lulah can work without him.”
    “That’s fine. It often happens with these guys.” Mike smiled. “Let’s work with Calliope first; then we’ll temperament test a couple of the other dogs you told me about.”
    LULAH ENJOYED WORKING with Mike these past three days. He had so much to teach her, and Calliope showed what a clever girl she was.
    “She’s a great dog, Lulah. If you have a couple more like her, you’ll have your program off to a running start.”
    Great, except it’s not my program yet. There are a few more exams to pass first.
    They were sitting in the lunch room down at the Dog Haven Sanctuary indoor training area, commonly referred to as HQ. Interns and volunteers tagged along with them today, and they hung onto Mike’s words. He was pleasant enough looking, average height and build, with a ready smile. The dogs liked him, too. Lulah sat back as the interns grabbed the opportunity to question him. His answers were calculated yet generous, worded in a way that took the mystery out of the training. She noticed how he watched her, too. Picked up on his body language that hinted he would enjoy the chance to know her better. The problem with dog trainers was that they were good at reading human body language, too. Yeah, those little glances and touches showed interest even if he didn’t yet realize it.
    He seemed so uncomplicated, so un-Vince . God forbid, he might even be reliable. So why wasn’t she interested in giving a few glances back? She knew she didn’t want someone unreliable like her father. Even more, she knew that UHT Vince was a total no-go zone. It seemed she still needed her baser self to acknowledge that message.
    She hadn’t heard from Vince, and her concern rapidly switched to unease. Fear waited in the wings to present itself at two a.m. when the logical part of the brain wasn’t suffering the insomnia the rest of her had to bear. She’d resorted to a cup of warm milk the night before; that did nothing to relax her. Instead, she sat up in her bed, staring across at the barn, too frightened to let herself imagine the emotional depths Vince may have reached. Thank God she’d had the foresight to put in a large bed, because once awake, Joker and Calliope hopped up to lie with her. They were quiet, their soft breathing and gentle snuffles soothing to her chaos. Good dogs.
    Mike had spoken to her, but she hadn’t heard a word. “Sorry, Mike, what did you say?”
    “I was checking whether you were coming out with us all tonight for beer and pizza. You’d said you might have something else on.”
    She’d hoped Vince might be back, and if he was, she wanted to be around in case he needed to talk. And, if he returned, she was fairly certain he wouldn’t want to go into town for a meal with everyone from the Sanctuary. But she couldn’t hang about just in case Vince needed her. They didn’t have that investment in each other, and she wasn’t going to become co-dependent girl. If she wanted, she could easily cry off with the excuse that she had studying to do, but given Mike was a Certified Animal Behaviorist, she could almost bet that he would offer to stay behind and help. Luckily, she wasn’t a betting woman.
    “I’m free tonight, Mike. I’ll be there.”
    “What are the travel arrangements?”
    “We usually car pool. I think I might take my car.”
    “No, save your gas; let me pick you up.”
    Ah. Now that means I’ll have to give him my address. “It’s okay. I can meet you down at the Sanctuary