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After spending an uneventful Sunday, Callie was ready for work on Monday. At eleven on the dot, Owen and Jill entered her training facility. Callie was finishing up her puppy class, and as she said goodbye to her students, she kept an eye on Owen.
He looked good today, with the tail of his shirt tucked into dark jeans and the cuffs rolled and pushed up his forearms.
After the last student left, Owen came over to her. “Are you ready for us?”
She wasn’t sure she was ready for Owen and the potency of his presence, but she was ready to teach his unruly dog some manners.
She nodded and walked over to a bench in the ring where she taught most of her classes. She settled down and patted the seat next to her. “Let’s chat first about Jill.”
“All right.”
“So, I gather she was pretty much indulged from the time she was a puppy. She hasn’t been taught the basics.”
“That’s right. I can’t even get her to sit, but she did offer Poe her paw. So my Aunt Tilly must have taught her that.”
“I can guarantee she’ll sit on command before you leave today.”
“I have no doubt. This is, after all, Sit Happens.”
She shook her head as she fought to ignore his charming banter. “Most humans don’t realize that dogs are not people, too. Dogs are dogs and they’re pretty simple. Their natural instinct is to want structure, rules, and boundaries. That’s why there is a hierarchy in packs. They each know their place and where they stand and how to behave. When they step out of line, the pack leader makes corrections. That’s where you come in. You’re the pack leader. Right now, Jill doesn’t respect you. She won’t listen to you because you haven’t taught her you’re the boss.”
“I get it. A dog responds to the owner’s ability to understand him and give him what he instinctually needs as a dog.”
“Correct. Once you start setting some boundaries, it’ll get better. Let’s start with teaching her how to sit.
“Here is a treat,” Callie continued. “Hold it in your hand, but let her see it. Keep saying sit until she obeys, then give her the treat. This will probably take several tries.”
She watched as Owen worked with Jill and was impressed by his patience. It was too bad she couldn’t forget how his mouth felt on hers or how she reacted to him as a man. But she would be either an idiot or a fool to believe that a relationship with him could go anywhere.
It was time to find something lasting and real. Flings were something for a younger woman with less experience. She wanted mutual trust and commitment. By Owen’s own admission, he could give her neither.
There was just that niggling doubt. Could it be because he’d had such a tough life when he was young? Could it be that he was afraid to take those steps because he’d been hurt and abandoned?
The thought gave her pause, and she did conjure up Brooke’s stern face to help her. But Brooke didn’t know his circumstances. She knew her nurturing friend’s face would soften after hearing Owen’s story.
She watched as Jill almost got it, but Owen tried one more time, and then she did it and the look on his face was priceless. Callie cheered and clapped. Owen rose in one powerful push of those thighs and wrapped his arms around her. She hugged him back, caught up in the simple breakthrough.
Then the hug changed. She felt the tension in his body and the innocent moment of victory changed into something lethally charged. He felt so wonderful, as if he was the intricate, hard-to-find puzzle piece that just…fit. She didn’t want to let him go, but she knew she must. He pressed his face against her, the warmth of his skin and breath seeping into her pores and igniting a raging fire. Trying to hang onto her control, she closed her eyes against a rush of passion so intense her whole body clenched.
They turned their heads at the same time, seeking what each of them craved. His lips brushed across hers. Warm, a little soft, but the right amount of firm. He slid his fingers along the back of her neck, beneath the heavy braid that swung there, sending a delicious little shiver all the way down her spine.
He dropped another whisper of a kiss across her lips, then another, inviting her to participate, clearly not sure how she felt. But she wished that he wouldn’t be tentative, wished he would make the decision final and then she wouldn’t have to berate herself later. He lifted his head just enough to look into her eyes, a silent question in his own.
She met intensity with intensity, but she knew that it would be a mistake to get involved, even though the man made her body literally hum.
He saw her refusal to continue and backed off. “We should have talked about this…thing between us.”
“You mean the chemistry?”
“Is that what it is?” he said with a smile.
“Isn’t it? We click. That’s all. I just need something…more.”
He nodded. “I understand. But I have to say I have regrets.”
“It’s better than me ending up with a broken heart. I said I understood the ground rules. But I think I’ll pass instead of play.”
She took a deep breath. “So, now that that’s settled, let’s focus on Jill. The most important, best thing you can do for her is take control and keep it. She will test you. That is her natural instinct. Pack leaders lead, and that’s what you need to do. If she exhibits any type of behavior that you frown on, teach her the behavior that you want instead. She really does want to follow you. Exert that control. You’ll have a much happier dog, especially now that she’s going to have puppies. She wants to make sure her environment is safe. Also, I want you to consider something.”
“What is it?”
“I think Jill would benefit from agility training. She has a lot of energy, can jump like a dream, and has a lot of coordination for a Dane.”
“Agility training?”
“Yes, it’s an obstacle course. There are even competitions.”
“No kidding.” He paused. “Okay, I’ll consider it. But would it be safe for her while she’s pregnant?”
“I wouldn’t have her hurdling, but she looked pretty comfortable jumping over your couch. I would suggest some basic stuff. I think she gets into trouble because she’s active, intelligent and bored a lot of the time. It couldn’t hurt to start teaching her the very basics. All I’m doing is asking you to consider it.”
“I will, seriously. So next week, the same time?”
Callie nodded. “I’ll see you then,” she said with feigned brightness. When he walked away, all she felt was longing, and most likely the same regret he was feeling.