Status Updates From K-9 Protector

Bomb threat. Burke swore. He turned on the siren and lights and stomped on the accelerator. He punched in Hazel’s number on the phone. It went straight to voice mail. He picked up his radio. “Delta K-9 one—10-4.” He answered that he was responding to the call. He knew that address. Hazel’s clinic.

Burke reached for her hand. “You okay?” She laced her fingers together with his. “I’d like to say it’s like riding a bicycle. But...it was never like that before. I can’t feel my bones. I feel glorious.” She turned her head to see him on the pillow beside hers and felt a tug of something precious and fragile in her heart. “You?” He rolled onto his side, facing her. “You were worth the wait.”

“I’m drippin’ on you, Doc.” His voice was a husky growl against her ear. “Just let me hold you for a minute.” “I’ve got no problem with that. But I’m fine, Haze.” He stepped to one side, pulling her with him as Justin locked the door behind him. “Any issues here?” he asked the officer who’d been guarding her. Justin shook his head.

When had she gotten so old and cynical? How long had surviving her life been more important than living it? Too long. She’d taught her daughters better but had reached fifty and was no longer practicing what she preached. Hazel vowed to change her life. Right now. She wasn’t going to be a coward about living anymore. And if grabbing Jedediah Burke was part of that spiritual renaissance, then so be it.

He was also old enough to know love was a precious thing, and trust was probably the greatest gift a person could give him...and Hazel had refused to trust his belief that they were meant to be together in every way. He was stumped on how to get her to take that leap of faith with him. But losing Hazel... The idea of never working side by side with her or trading dumb jokes or kissing her again gutted him.

To hell with tiptoeing around his feelings. He kissed her squarely on the mouth, stealing her gasp of surprise. He kissed her hard. Kissed her well. Kissed her until she understood he’d never tire of kissing that beautiful, responsive mouth, and pulled away. “That’s chemistry. It isn’t a bad place to start a relationship.”

Unless you have a better offer, I’m taking you to dinner.” A better offer? Burke had been waiting for an invitation from Hazel Cooper for a long time. And even though there’d been no declaration of affection, or even an admission that this crazy lust he felt was mutual, getting an invitation to loft that Hazel called home felt like taking their relationship to the next level.

“Maybe you’ve traded some of those youthful energy reserves for life experience. You’ll be smarter about dealing with this mess than you were the last one. And if you are intimating in any way, shape or form that you are over the hill, and not strong or vibrant or able to deal with what life’s throwing at you right now, I’m going to have to pick a fight with you.”

“Dr. Coop?” He turned to see the lighter envelopes floating to the floor alongside the small package Hazel had dropped. “Hazel?” Her panicked gaze darted up to his when he used her first name. What the hell? He glanced down at the mess around her feet, searching for one that looked like a threat. “Did you get another letter?”

The man was fit, interesting and aging like a fine wine. And she really did appreciate a good merlot. Hazel shook her head at the analogy that sprang to mind. Her daughter’s fantasies must be rubbing off on her. She pulled the curtain and turned away from the window. Yes, Jedediah Burke was an attractive man, but she wasn’t in the market for romance.

It started out interesting but I'm not feeling the chemistry between these two. Still more like friends and not in love like they state.

Big oopsie! They have the vet checking on a neutered female dog. 🤦‍♀️
Females get spayed not neutered. #EpicFail