Love Inspired Suspense June 2021--Box Set 1 of 2, page 14
Poppy gasped. “Gillian? I thought she liked me!”
“She loved you,” Lex said. “She was disappointed when I didn’t marry you. But she also knew that I didn’t feel good enough for you and that it was keeping me from stepping up and being an equal partner, like you deserved. She said a marriage should feel like a strong partnership of equals, not one person feeling more or less than the other.”
She swallowed a painful breath. “I’m so sorry,” she choked out. “Did I make you feel that way?”
He reached for her hand and squeezed it a long moment.
“Not really,” he said. “Not on purpose. You were just so good at everything. Like, with the wedding, you were so organized and on top of everything. You clearly didn’t need my help. I felt like if I did try to get involved I was just going to mess things up, and when I did try to suggest things you’d tell me it was already sorted.”
“If I’d known that wedding planning was making you feel that way, I’d have canceled everything and just eloped with you!” Poppy said. “I loved you, Lex. I thought you were the most amazing person I’d ever met and I really wanted to marry you.”
“Well, I really loved you and wanted to marry you, too,” Lex said. “Truth is, I didn’t move out to Gustavus because I was finally stepping up and chasing some big dream. I wanted to get away from everything that reminded me of you.”
“Really?” She felt her voice drop.
“Yeah.” His voice dropped, too. “You were so incredible, and I just couldn’t convince myself I was worthy of you. The fact you went for the K-9 trooper training program the moment we split and got accepted...it made me feel like I’d never catch up.”
“A relationship is not a competition.” She chuckled softly. “I’m never going to be you and you’re never going to be me. I don’t have your instinctual heart for those who are suffering. You love people better and stronger than anyone I’ve ever known. Sure, I might be better at budgeting or spreadsheets, but my life was so much better and richer for having a man with a heart like yours in it.”
She leaned forward and felt his forehead brush against hers.
“I could never ask you to give up Stormy, your career and your team to stay here with me,” Lex whispered, his voice husky.
“And I could never ask you to be anyone other than who you’re called to be, either,” Poppy said.
“I wish I knew the right thing to say right now,” Lex admitted.
“Yeah, me, too.”
Her hands slipped up around his neck, and his fingers brushed her face. For one long moment, she let herself kiss him as he kissed her back. And somehow, despite all the tender embraces they’d shared in the past, this one felt deeper, richer...stronger. It was the kind of kiss shared between two people who’d cared for each other profoundly, missed each other and wished there’d been a way to stay in each other’s lives.
Stormy growled, a deep guttural warning sound. The fur stood on end at the back of her neck. Poppy and Lex pulled apart and leaped to their feet.
“What’s up, Stormy? What do you sense?” Poppy asked her partner. Her hand slid to Stormy’s back. She could feel the tension radiating through her. “Show me.”
They followed the K-9 out of the cave, walking single file, pushing their way slowly through the trees in the pale predawn light. For a moment she didn’t hear anything.
Then came the wail, high-pitched and terrified. The animal cry was so eerily similar to that of a crying infant that Poppy felt her heart seize in terror as Danny’s face filled her mind.
Somewhere, a little baby bear cub was crying out in fear.
“They’ve got her!” Lex called.
Their footsteps quickened as other sounds greeted their ears. The mama bear was snarling. Voices were shouting and swearing. Then she heard the sound of gunfire and the snarling abruptly stopped.
She prayed she’d reach the baby bear cub in time.
Then the trees parted in front of them and there lying on the ground ahead of them was the mother bear. Her black fur was tinged with a silver-blue around the paws and belly. Red blood soaked her soft fur from the bullet wound in her chest. Poppy grabbed Stormy’s collar with one hand as she felt Lex grab her other one. Her heart ached.
“There’s nothing we can do,” he said and she could hear his own internal pain filling his voice. “She won’t make it long enough for us to get her help. And in the meantime a wounded bear can be extremely dangerous.”
She blinked back tears. They hadn’t been quick enough to save the mama bear. But they would not fail her baby girl...
They pressed onward. Determination and strength radiated through Stormy’s tall form, her body strained forward as if wanting to run but holding herself back awaiting Poppy’s command. Her ears were perked toward the cacophony of sounds ahead.
The poachers were just steps ahead of them now, and she knew without a doubt that Stormy wouldn’t let the little cub down. The K-9 would protect the terrified animal, while Poppy and Lex took the poachers into custody, unmasked them and stopped this travesty once and for all.
A motor roared ahead as they reached a clearing. There was tiny cub trapped in a cage on the back of an ATV. The larger poacher in fatigues sat at the handlebars, with the thinner poacher behind him.
“Go!” the thin man shouted, and the vehicle sped up, leaving Lex and Poppy running behind it.
Poppy pulled her weapon, even as she knew she’d never be able to make the shot at that distance.
“We’re never going to outrun them on foot!” Lex shouted.
“No, but Stormy can,” Poppy said. She turned to her partner. “Stop them!”
Stormy woofed loudly and charged. Her body sprinted, faster and faster, toward the ATV with the tiny captured bear on the back. Within a moment, she’d pulled alongside them. Her teeth bared as her body leaped. The ATV swerved.
A shot rang out.
Stormy yelped. Her body twisted unnaturally in the air as she fell backward. The ATV drove off into the dawn with the captured cub. The wolfhound collapsed.
Stormy had been shot.
TWELVE
“Stay with me!” Lex shouted to the huge dog as he and Poppy eased Stormy from the back of his truck and into his arms. The dog’s eyes were closed, and her breath was labored. Blood soaked through the plaid shirt he’d tied around her leg like a tourniquet. He stumbled up his walkway to the front door, taking the heavy bulk of the dog’s full weight into his arms. “You’re going to be okay. I promise!”
Stormy whimpered. Thank You, God! The wound seemed superficial, as far as bullet wounds went, and the dog was still conscious. Later, he was sure his back and arms would hit him with the full ache and strain of having picked up a dog that heavy off the ground, working with Poppy to carry her through the woods to the boat, speeding as fast as he dared back to the dock and then lifting Stormy again into the truck to drive her home. But for now, there was nothing but adrenaline pumping through his veins.
He would save Stormy. He would not let Poppy down.
He could hear prayers pouring from Poppy’s lips for her K-9 partner as she ran beside the dog’s head.
His mother threw the front door open before they even reached the porch.
“Will and I got your texts,” Gillian said, quickly stepping aside to let them in. “I’ve got the table prepped and Will is upstairs watching Danny. What do you need?”
“She was shot once, in the right hind leg,” he said. “She should be fine. It’s just a surface wound. But we’ve just got to clean the wound and stitch it up or we’re looking at infection.”
Gillian’s portable table, which she used for emergency first-aid house calls, was spread out beside the dining room table. He lay Stormy down on it and looked around. Her medicine bag was on the kitchen island.
“Stay by her head and keep talking to her,” he told Poppy as he made a beeline for the sink. “I’m going to wash up. She’s going to be fine.”
“You’re closing the wound yourself?” Poppy asked.
“We have to,” he said. He yanked the tap to scalding hot and started to lather his hands. “Our town’s usual veterinarian won’t be back from visiting his grandchildren in Anchorage for at least a week. And the closest emergency vet is in Juneau. But Mom worked in an emergency room and I’ve done more than my fair share of emergency animal care as a park ranger.”
Then he turned the tap off with his elbow and turned back to Poppy. His heart ached as he saw the depth of worry that pooled in her eyes. Tears glistened on the edges of her lashes.
“Trust me,” he said. “I’ve got this. She’s going to be fine.”
“I know.” A weak smile crossed her lips. “I trust you.”
He swallowed hard and prayed he wouldn’t let her down.
“What can I do to help?” Poppy asked. She was pacing back and forth so quickly she was practically shaking. “What if Danny wakes up and hears us and it scares him? What should I tell my team? How is this going to affect her ability to be in the K-9 unit?”
“Poppy, listen to me,” Lex said softly. Her visible agitation faded, and she stopped walking as he said her name. “You don’t need to plan or be in charge of anything right now. You definitely don’t need to worry. What I need you to do is be there for Stormy. Stay by her face and keep her calm. Cradle her head, stroke her nose, talk to her and pray for her. Reassure her that she’s not alone and that she doesn’t need to be scared, because you’re there for her, okay?”
Poppy nodded. “Okay.”
He took a deep breath, met his mother’s eyes and then turned to where Stormy lay on the table.
Help me, Lord. Guide my hands. Then all distractions of the world around him faded as he focused on the task in front of him. It wasn’t until after he’d stitched up Stormy’s wound and carefully bandaged it again, and his mother had gone upstairs to check on Danny, that the ambient sounds of the world around him came back into focus.
He stepped back and Poppy’s hopeful eyes met his.
“It’s done,” he said, his voice feeling oddly husky in his throat. “She’s good. Really good. She might have a limp for a week, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s up and walking in a couple of hours. When you get back to Anchorage be sure to have her checked out by the K-9 vet. Now, come on, help me get her over to the blankets on the floor by the fire.”
Poppy nodded and her eyes glistened. When she opened her mouth as if to speak, no words came out. Gently they carried Stormy over and laid her on the soft nest of blankets on the floor in front of the fire. He went back to the kitchen area to wash his hands and tidy up, and when he returned he found Poppy crouched on the ground beside her partner. She ran her hand gently over the back of Stormy’s head. The wolfhound’s eyes opened and her tongue licked Poppy’s hand, then she closed her eyes again.
“Hey.” Will’s voice came from the doorway behind them. Lex turned. Poppy’s colleague was standing there with his K-9 partner, Scout, by his side.
“Hey!” Poppy replied. She started to get up but Will waved her back down.
“Just wanted to let you know that I just got off the phone with Lorenza,” he said. “She wants me to catch an early flight to Juneau to liaise with the team there. They don’t know if the ship has left yet for the animal auction or not, but judging by the time you say the second bear was poached, they think we’re dealing with a pretty small window of time. She said for you to call her later and she’ll arrange a flight out for you and Stormy this afternoon.”
“Thanks,” Poppy replied.
“How’s she doing?” Will asked. Concern filled his face.
“Pretty good,” Poppy said, glancing back at her K-9 partner. “Thanks to Lex.”
Will nodded and went upstairs, leaving them alone again. Lex crossed the room and sat down on the floor beside Poppy. She leaned back against him, and he wrapped his arms around her shoulders from behind.
“How soon until you think she can fly home?” Poppy asked.
“Few hours,” Lex said. “Not long. She really is a tough dog.”
“She is.” Poppy nodded, and he felt her soft hair against his face.
“I’m sorry we didn’t stop the other bear cub from being poached.”
She turned and looked over her shoulder at him. Her cheek brushed against his arm. “Are you kidding?” she asked. “You were completely right about the location. If anything, it’s my fault for telling Stormy to charge into danger like that, but that’s her job. She’s a state trooper and is trained to risk her life when duty requires her to. Stormy’s far more than just a dog. She’s a law enforcement officer.”
“I know,” Lex said softly.
Just as he knew there was absolutely no way to relieve the unrelenting heaviness inside his heart. Here Poppy was in his arms, her face just inches from his. It would take nothing to lean forward, kiss her lips and pull her closer. But then what? There was little he could say. There was no way he could ever ask her to give up her partner, her career and her team to move here to Gustavus to start a life with him and Danny, no matter how much his heart might want to. There was no possible compromise where she somehow kept her job with the K-9 trooper unit and lived somewhere so remote she’d have to fly hours to every case. And if he gave up his life here to chase after her, wouldn’t he just be repeating a new variation of the mistakes he’d made in the past?
“I’m really going to miss you,” Poppy whispered.
She closed her eyes and as his hand brushed the side of her face he felt the soft wetness of tears slipping from underneath her eyelids.
“Me, too,” he said.
His heart lurched. He wanted to be her hero, to swing into action and rescue her from the situation they were in. He wanted to go back in time and fix their past heartbreak. He wanted to solve the case, capture the poachers, rescue the glacier bear cubs and rehabilitate them back into the wild himself.
Maybe he’d always wanted to be the one to leap in and rescue her, on some level, and when he didn’t need to he didn’t know what role he was supposed to play in her life. A marriage should feel like a strong partnership of equals. He had no idea what that would even look like.
All he knew is that the longer he stayed there, holding Poppy in his arms and wiping her tears from her eyes, the more likely he was to pull her close, kiss her lips and hand her his damaged heart.
Then they’d both end up hurt again. For both their sakes, he couldn’t let that happen.
“I’ve got to go,” he said, easing himself away from her and standing. “I’m sorry, I have to get to work. Glacier Bay National Park opens to tourists for the season in about two weeks and we’ve still got a lot to do to get it ready. Not to mention we have to manage the press side of the bear cubs being poached.”
She looked up at him for a long moment, then she stood and ran her hands through her hair.
“Yeah, you’re right,” she said. “I’m sorry, I guess I forgot you’ve got more to your job than just escorting us around and helping out my team.”
A forced smile crossed her face and he recognized it in an instant as the one she used when she was determined to put a bright spin on things instead of falling apart.
“Depending when you get back, I might not be here,” she added. “I know that Will definitely won’t be as he’s leaving momentarily by the sound of things. But until I talk to Lorenza, I won’t know when they’re flying me out.”
Yeah, she was definitely using that upbeat tone of voice that meant she’d decided not to be upset. It was one he wished he’d paid more attention to in the past, before it was too late.
“I’m probably looking at a ten-or twelve-hour workday today, to be honest,” he said, hoping his attempt to be positive sounded as natural as hers. He shifted his weight from one foot to another. “There’s not much I can do to help with the case now that the bears have been poached, and I’ve got a lot of overtime ahead of me to catch up on everything. But text or call me to let me know when you’re leaving, okay? And if you happen to still be here tonight when I get back, maybe you can let me know how things are going with the case?”
Poppy gasped, her attention suddenly diverted before she could answer, and it took a moment to figure out why. He turned. Stormy was slowly climbing to her feet. They watched as she rose, gingerly at first, testing whether to put weight on her bandaged hind leg before deciding against it and standing on three. Her tail thumped weakly. Prayers of thanksgiving slipped almost silently from Poppy’s lips.
“You’re up,” Lex said. He reached out his hand and Stormy licked it gently. “You really are something else. Even injured you can probably still beat me at crawling.”
“I’m sorry.” Will’s voice came from behind them. “Your mom’s on a phone call. And I tried to stop him, but he got away from me.”
Lex turned and there stood Danny still in his pajamas, holding the kitten in front of him with both hands.
“Grandma said Stormy hurt,” Danny said. “Mu’shoom want help!”
Poppy’s hand rose to her lips as if to stifle a cry as Danny crossed the floor carefully holding the kitten.
“No problem,” Lex told Will.
The trooper walked over to the kitchen and poured some food in a bowl for Scout and an instant later his K-9 partner bounded down the stairs to join him.
With Lex’s guiding hand, Danny set Mushroom down beside Stormy. The wolfhound bent down and sniffed the kitten’s head, then slowly she eased herself back to lying down. The kitten curled up against her snout and Stormy’s tail thumped slowly in response.
Lex swept Danny up into his arms. “That was very good thinking, buddy.”
“Good kitten,” Danny said.
“Yes,” Poppy replied. “She’s not big and strong like Stormy, but she’s very good at being a kitten. And you are very good at being you.”
