All About Trust: K-9 Unit (Hero Hearts: Contemporary) Read online

  She’d just gotten out of a relationship with her last boyfriend. Fiancé, her brain corrected her. Brad Willis had been her fiancé. And, it hadn’t just happened, either. They’d broken up two years ago.

  She still hadn’t gotten around to dating. Brad had been a bad idea from the start. They were ill-suited and just didn’t have the same goals in life. While it had been a mutual agreement to break up, she’d still been hurt in the process. Since then, she’d been careful not to get involved with anyone again.

  She sighed, wondering why, after two years, she still didn’t feel like she was ready to get back on that horse. She was older, with a good job, and had great friends and family to support her. But anytime she felt tempted, she thought back to Brad, and the wasted years they’d spent together. She just didn’t want to get into a long-term relationship that ended up going nowhere. And how did you know how it was going to go? You didn’t and that was the point.

  Annoyed with herself, she put the fur into the trash can and washed her hands at the built-in sink. After drying them, she instantly put her hands through her hair, as was her habit when she was agitated, nervous, or fidgety. At work she was normally careful not to touch her hair because of fleas and the other common issues with animals, but she couldn’t help it at times like these. It was why her hair always looked windswept. It wasn’t a style, it was just the way it naturally fell.

  Get it together, Karin, she told herself. Her best friend, Dana, was going to kick her when she found out about Karin turning down a guy like Nick. She sighed out loud. Nick was a dreamboat, a guy that would make her jealous of any of her friends for finding and settling down with, not to mention the fact he was a guy in uniform. And she’d just turned him down flat. And based on the records of Buzz, he wouldn’t be back for, oh, another twelve months or so.

  How would she ever find her soulmate if she wasn’t willing to give a guy a chance?

  4

  You should’ve taken Buzz back.”

  Nick rolled his eyes at his best friend, Jack Sondham. “And said what? That Buzz missed her?”

  Jack bent over to grab the fallen frisbee. He threw it up into the air and Buzz chased after it, his tail wagging uncontrollably. “Couldn’t you just say he was acting weird or something? That he swallowed some of your testosterone powder?”

  Nick bit back a laugh. “It’s not testosterone powder, it’s a protein supplement, and it’s just to help maintain muscle mass.”

  “Oh, yeah. Sure, it is. You’re trying to keep up with the big guns.” Jack flexed his biceps, grinning annoyingly. Jack was bigger than Nick, with a stockier build. He could pull it off with his dark blond hair, blue eyes, and tan skin.

  Nick scoffed. “You’re looking a little softer than normal, Jack. I think you’re losing your edge. Afghanistan was easy on you. Lots of carbs over there?”

  They smiled, able to laugh about it now when a few months ago it hadn’t been much to joke about. Nick and Jack had been best friends since high school. They’d gone to different colleges but where Nick had joined the police force right away, Jack had gone into the Navy and become an MP. He’d just returned from a tour in Afghanistan and was currently on leave in Reno. Soon, too soon if you asked Nick, he’d have to leave for his new position at the Fallon Naval Station, which was about two hours away from Reno.

  “I’m not the one who just go shut down by a pretty little dog lover. Just your type. Bet she wouldn’t have said no to me, though.” Jack showed his pearly whites, striking a pose that made Nick laugh. Nick could admit that Jack was more of a hit with the ladies. It came naturally to him—the looks and charm. Nick was more quiet and didn’t like to put up a front. He figured the right woman would come along eventually and they’d both know it.

  Buzz came back with a ball instead of a frisbee. Nick grabbed it out of his mouth. “What have you got there, Buzz? This isn’t yours.”

  “I think your dog might’ve taken our ball.”

  Nick turned around to face the owner of the thief that had stolen Buzz’s frisbee and forgot the words he’d been about to say.

  It was Karin. She was wearing black yoga pants and a neon blue tank top. Yes, it was definitely her. Her hair was pulled back loosely into a high pony and her face was perfectly pink and flushed.

  “Oh, hi.” He wished he’d thought of something less lame to say, but he tilted his head and smiled, anyway.

  “Hi.” Karin blinked and then smiled back.

  Jack cleared his throat and chuckled. “Um, hi, I guess.”

  Nick had forgotten about Jack. “Sorry, this is my buddy Jack. He was just leaving.”

  “Um, no, Jack was not just leaving. Jack was about to ask this lady what her name is and why her dog stole our frisbee and replaced it with this chewed up ball.” Jack held up a dirty white ball that had seen better days.

  Karin laughed, a breathless sound that charmed both Jack and Nick. “I’m sorry. I think they got confused.” She pointed to a spotted terrier mix sniffing at the air. “That’s Peanut, the spotted one. She belongs to my friend, Dana. Babs is mine, next to Peanut. Babs stole your frisbee, but she won’t give it back until you offer her that white ball of hers. I know it looks gross, but she loves it and far be it from me to deny her that simple pleasure.”

  Jack frowned but motioned for her to lead the way. While her back was turned and after she’d walked a few steps away from them, Jack grabbed Nick’s arm. “Dude, who’s the hot chick?”

  Nick shrugged him off. “She’s not just some chick. That’s Karin, from the vet clinic.”

  Jack’s eyes got laughably round. “Ooh, gotcha. Well, then it’s fate. You have to ask her out again. Just so I can watch her turn you down, and then I can take her out.”

  Nick sucker punched him in the arm. “Shut up.”

  They both jogged to catch up to Karin, who was taking them over to a secluded spot with a blanket. On the blanket sat a jaunty basket full of snacks—fruit, cheese, and bread. Jack sat down, helping himself to some snacks.

  “Wow, this looks great. I’m starved.” Jack smiled as he plucked off some grapes and popped them in his mouth.

  “Didn’t your mother ever tell you it’s rude to butt in?” Dana’s eyes narrowed in annoyance.

  Jack didn’t seem to mind, inviting Nick, Karin, and Buzz to sit down and have some snacks with him. Nick stroked the two dogs that were stretched out just off the blanket. Karin had a Westie named Babs, whose eyes seemed to follow the white ball wherever it went in Nick’s hand, and Dana had the terrier named Peanut, who was much more preoccupied with the cheese than with the humans.

  Karin seemed genuinely happy to see him, so Nick took it as a good sign. If this was a do-over, he certainly wasn’t going to waste it. She introduced her friend as Dana Taylor, Jack and Nick each taking a turn to shake her hand without her getting up off the blanket.

  “So how do you two know each other?” Nick looked back and forth between Karin and Dana, looking more toward Dana to keep her included.

  Dana looked laughingly at Karin. “We met around a year ago, when Karin first moved to Reno. I work for a real estate agent. I mainly do vacation rentals.”

  “She’s just being modest.” Karin waved her friend’s comment away. “She doesn’t just work for them. She manages their entire rental management department. You should hear the stories she tells.”

  Dana looked embarrassed but proud. Even Jack had to admire her ambition. She looked a little younger than Karin, but the two were a fun pair to talk to. And look at. Nick noticed Jack’s eyes on Dana more than once.

  He supposed that Dana wasn’t really Jack’s type, as she clearly had brains and wouldn’t let him get away with his usual bravado. But she was also a very pretty woman. She had red hair and was a lot taller than Karin, probably about five feet nine inches, if he had to guess. She seemed fun and had a quirky sense of humor.

  It didn’t take long to realize why Karin and Dana were best friends. Karin was the more sedate of the two, but any
story they had inevitably turned to fits of giggles and them talking over one another. It was cute. Nick was glad that Karin had found a friend here. The two of them actually reminded him of his and Jack’s relationship. Jack was by far the more outgoing of the pair of them, but Jack needed Nick to keep him grounded and focused.

  “Buzz seems to have found a friend.” Karin motioned over to where Buzz and Peanut were lying next to each other on the grass. Buzz was even sharing the white ball with her, something that Babs didn’t seem too fond of.

  “Yeah, he’s a real charmer, that one. The ladies love him,” Nick joked, looking into her green eyes. Wishing his canine had taught him a few things about convincing a girl to be his friend.

  “Karin, we should get going. I have that showing in a couple hours and I need to get home and shower first.” Dana began packing up the basket, dodging Jack’s hands as he continued to dip into the snacks.

  “Well, that was forward, but I guess I can take you home.” Jack was joking and he gave a wide-eyed smile at Dana that she simply frowned at. She clearly wasn’t impressed by his over-confidence.

  Nick whispered in Karin’s ear, breathing in her floral scent. “I don’t think Dana’s buying into the whole package of the Sondham charm.”

  She laughed, her eyes glimmering in the sunlight. “Yeah, I’d probably tell your buddy not to hold his breath.”

  He chuckled quietly, hoping Jack wouldn’t get curious and ask questions later.

  5

  Do you really have to go?” Nick twisted his mouth and tilted his head.

  “I do.” She felt disappointed to have to leave him, but tried not to show it. It would be unkind to to get his hopes up. She helped Dana pack their things up, the whole time thinking of things she should say or wished she’d said.

  When they finished, they bid the boys farewell and started walking to the parking lot. Karin’s brain was going a mile a minute, but she kept telling herself just to keep walking. She’d already turned him down once. He’d probably gotten the hint and wasn’t going to ask again.

  She realized she was quite sad that she’d probably not hear from him again. She shook her head to get rid of the regretful sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. It was for the best.

  They were almost at the parking lot when she heard a deep voice behind her. “Hey, Karin! Wait up.”

  She turned, surprised that it was Nick. Jack was still back by the tree, clearly giving them space. “What is it? Did we forget something?”

  “Um, sort of,” he said, giving her a charming half-smile. “I think you forgot to give me your answer.”

  “My answer?” she asked, confused. “About what?”

  “About that date. I know we didn’t finish talking about it, so I wanted to make sure you had enough time to think about it and give me an answer.”

  “What?” She narrowed her eyes, then a smile crept to her lips. Nick was good… he was very good. She slowly let a grin cross her face. “Oh really? We didn’t finish? Because I’m pretty sure I did give you an answer.”

  He started to shake his head. “Nope, I distinctly remember you saying you’d think about it. So, have you? Thought about it?”

  All she’d done was think about it, but she wasn’t going to admit that to him. At least, not right now. “I haven’t really had time to think about it.”

  Nick scoffed. “Oh, come on. Now I know you’re telling a fib.”

  Karin laughed. He was confident. And he had good reason to be. If he looked hot in his police uniform, he looked even better in civilian clothes. He was wearing black athletic shorts and a loose-fitting muscle shirt. He looked amazing. She could clearly see the muscles in his arms and his legs, and she couldn’t help but admit that she liked what she saw. A lot.

  “What did you have in mind?” she asked, unable to say no a second time. She didn’t want to kick herself for declining again when all she’d wanted was to take back the refusal she’d given him the first time a week ago.

  “Have dinner with me. Tonight.”

  She thought about it. It was Saturday. Without checking her watch, she was pretty sure it was around four o’clock. If she said yes, he’d think that she was a loser who didn’t have plans on a Saturday night.

  But I don’t have any plans, she thought. She laughed mentally at her own silliness and accepted. “Fine, but no sushi.”

  He smiled broadly, and she got lost in the dreaminess of that smile on his handsome face. “How do you feel about Tex-Mex?”

  “I feel like obsessed is a strong word, so we’ll go with love,” she said, meaning it. Tex-Mex was in her top three.

  “Have you been to The Taco Bar?” He motioned for her to walk and followed her over to Dana’s car.

  “No, she hasn’t!” Dana yelled from the driver’s side. “But she should, it’s amazing!”

  Karin laughed, shaking her head. “Well, there you have it. Apparently, I should go.”

  “That you should. You have a smart friend,” he said, loud enough for Dana to hear. “I’ll see you there, seven o’clock?”

  “Works for me,” she agreed softly, immediately thinking of what she’d wear. Nick smiled at her, a sweet smile that told her that he was glad she had accepted. Not able to keep the smile off her face, she hopped into Dana’s car, ignoring Dana’s teasing as they drove back to Karin’s place.

  6

  Oh, it’s just dinner. Relax. Karin tried to calm herself down.

  Normal adults went on dinner dates all the time. This was a thing. A real thing real people did. She needed to act like she’d done this before, because of course she had. It seemed that the butterflies fluttering in her stomach were unaware of that simple fact.

  She didn’t want to get too attached to this guy. Based on his looks and what she knew about Nick, she knew it could happen far too easily with a guy like him. He was sweet, ambitious, and gentlemanly. She wasn’t sure about his beliefs, though. They hadn’t talked about that, and she wished they had. Did they share the same values? Was he a Christian? Did he even go to church?

  Deciding she’d have to get answers to these questions tonight, she pushed those thoughts aside and focused on getting ready.

  Groaning in frustration after she tried on her second dress, she ripped it off and threw it on top of the hamper. Too dressy. The first had been too casual. Taking a deep breath, she put on one her favorites—a black floral dress that was just the right amount of casual. She added some black sandals, a long chain pendant necklace, and dangly sterling silver earrings.

  Looking at herself in the mirror, she hardly recognized the woman looking back. Young, fresh, and excited. More excited than she had been in a while. Her cheeks were flushed, an easy smile lit up her face, and her eyes were bright. She added a touch of makeup and perfume, fluffed up her curled blonde hair, and grabbed her black envelope clutch. If she took any longer she’d be late, and something told her that Nick wasn’t the type to be late. To anything.

  “Wish me luck, Babs,” she whispered to her devoted companion, fluffing the soft fur behind the dog’s ears. She yawned in pleasure, but Karin took that as a sign she wished her good luck. Karin needed all the support she could get.

  Once she got to the restaurant, she wasn’t surprised that Nick had beaten her there, even though she was five minutes early. He walked forward, his eyes wide. “Wow, you look fantastic.”

  He went in for a hug right away. His arms wrapped around her and so did his masculine scent. The embrace was a little unexpected, but not too forward or familiar. It was just friendly. She enjoyed the small touch, glad to have a reason to bring him in close, too.

  She laughed while still in his arms, flushing. “Don’t say that like you’re so surprised! Any excuse to get out that white lab coat does wonders for my complexion.”

  Nick joined her in laughter. “I know how you feel. Some days I feel like the uniform is a second skin to me. I barely recognize myself when I’m out of it.”

  She too was having a hard time reco
gnizing him in his khakis and blue cotton button-down shirt. He looked very handsome. He smelled amazing too, warm and manly. She didn’t know what type of cologne he wore, but she liked it. He pulled away, but only to direct her attention to the hostess waiting patiently.

  “Should we sit?” he offered, placing his hand on the small of her back as she followed the hostess over to their table on the patio. She tried not to shiver at the awareness his hand was causing her body. Something about his touch felt natural and unforced, and she was grateful that they seemed to have physical chemistry at least.

  “I hope you don’t mind that I asked for a table outside. We can go back inside if you want to, though.” He waited until she was seated before he took his own place at the table.

  Appreciating his concern, she shook her head. “No! The patio is great! I love being outside, so this just adds to the whole ambience of the place. I love the strings of lights, too.”

  Looking over the menus, they ended up deciding to share appetizers and a huge taco platter. After the waiter seemed to keep bringing out heaps of delicious Tex-Mex food, she started to feel full.

  “Nick, I know that I ordered like a dozen tacos, but I have to admit I think my eyes were bigger than my stomach. No way can I eat another bite.” She patted her belly dramatically.

  His eyes were drawn to her waist, something in them making her feel warm. “Yeah, I think I might be in the same boat.”

  Flushed, and charmed at his masculine appreciation, she looked away.

  “But, I think I can still handle some dessert. Come on and join me. We can share that, too.” Nick raised an eyebrow and she could see the dare.

  “Hmm. I shouldn’t, but I can’t let a dare go unheeded. So, sure. Let’s have dessert.”

  “The specialty of the house is fried ice cream. It’s my favorite.” He raised his chin and she laughed.