Chapter 15

The dog. Oh hell, the dog.

Why wouldn’t it go outside?

“Ryker,” Nathan crooned as he sat cross-legged on the floor in front of the animal. They were by the wide-open door, squared off, facing each other. The puppy was sitting on its haunches, and its circuit of looks was driving Nathan nuts.

Ryker gazed longingly outside, then scanned the cabin. Then he was back at Nathan.

“The bad man is gone now. It’s just you and me, buddy.” Nathan slapped his knee, made as if he was getting up to leave. “Let’s go!”

But Ryker sat there like a veritable statue. And the incredibly intelligent look the dog gave him while still not moving was driving him crazy.

For crap’s sake, here he was, begging a tiny little creature to please go outside. Where all dogs throughout time wanted to go. Begged to go. Pleaded and danced at the door to be able to go.

Hell, if a dog scrawled a to-do list, the top ten items would probably be the same line, over and over: Go outside.

See, this was why he’d sworn off dealing with living things. Maybe he could water a plant or two, enforce military regulations, deal with civilians in a crisis. There were proscribed procedures there, rules and processes to follow. Aberrations were dealt with, additional processes to handle said aberrations detailed.

But civilian life? Or dealing with a damn dog?

Not his forte.

What to do?

Digging in the fridge, he found half a sausage. And that got a reaction. Ryker jumped at his legs, eyes intent on the food.

“Do you want it?” He held it just out of reach, side-stepped to the door. “Want it?” Then he flung it. “Go get it!”

And Ryker stopped. Gazed lovingly at the treat, a metre away on the hard-packed earth. But he didn’t go for it.

The sad puppy eyes. The way Ryker looked outside, then snapped his gaze away, clearly wanting something he felt he couldn’t have. No matter how much he wanted it.

Hell. He knew that feeling.

His dog was not going to have to go through that. Not for one more second. The pup was obviously scared. Seemed it needed security.

He walked over, gave the dog a long look. Then bent, gathered it into his arms. Heard it whimper, so he pulled it gently to himself, and it snapped at him once, but he crooned, and the dog settled. “Everything’s fine, Ryker. And we’re going to have so much fun.”

They stood over the threshold for a second, and then, carrying the pup, he strode on to the woods.