Her K-9 Protector
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Kimberly Van Meter
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Chapter 1
“Kenna, can you put Noble and Officer Merritt into Room Two?”
Without looking, Kenna Griffin finished filing and rose with a ready smile—only to stop short at the man waiting in the lobby with the impeccably trained German shepherd. Noble didn’t react to anything but his partner’s cues, despite a yapping poodle and a skittish cocker spaniel.
And his partner stole Kenna’s breath.
Kenna vaguely remembered something her sister had mentioned over dinner about the new K-9 officer hired through an extension grant that saved the program from being axed. Still, she hadn’t mentioned the man being good-looking as hell.
Not too tall but tall enough, a solid build that tapered to lean hips and a full head of dark hair that looked as if given half the chance, it would spring into a riot of stubborn curls—Officer Merritt was eye candy to a female population with a sweet tooth.
Which, for Kenna, was a big red flag flapping in front of her.
Although a tough pill to swallow, Kenna had finally accepted the bitter truth about her internal compass—when it came to picking good guys, the damn thing was broken.
And she’d made a vow to herself that men were out of the picture until she could get herself figured out. She owed that much to her son, Ty, who’d been through the wringer right alongside her, and she was determined to make better choices.
Especially after the last guy. An involuntary shudder passed through Kenna. You’re safe. He can’t find you. Stay focused. Everything is fine.
“Kenna?” Isabel’s inquiry punctured Kenna’s stall. She recovered with an even brighter smile, even if it was more fake than a three-dollar bill. She’d only just gotten this job at the veterinary office. She wasn’t about to blow it over something as stupid as a momentary glitch in her hormonal brain.
“Sorry, yes, absolutely,” she said, motioning to the officer and his K-9 partner, “if you’ll follow me.”
Once inside the exam room, she pulled the chart to take notes for Dr. Mallory. “And what brings you here today?”
“I think Noble might’ve tweaked his paw running after a perp the other night. He seems to be favoring it a bit. I wanted to get him checked out, just to be sure.”
Kenna, always a sucker for an animal in need, softened at the mention of a perceived injury. “Poor guy. Did he catch his suspect?”
“He did,” Officer Merritt answered with pride, his brown eyes lighting up as his mouth curved in a grin. “The perp will likely think twice about trying to outrun a working police dog like Noble. His teeth are as fast as his feet.”
Kenna forgot and smiled with genuine delight but cocked her head, recalling, “I thought it wasn’t PC to have dogs biting people anymore, even if they’re criminals.”
“There are two kinds of K-9 training—bite and bark. The dogs trained to bite will apprehend the suspect with their teeth on an arm or a leg. The bark dog is trained to alert the officer of the location of the perp without contact. Noble is a bite dog. Much more effective, if you ask me, but yeah, some departments are reluctant to take on the liability of a bite-trained K-9 and opt for the bark.”
Kenna wished someone had sicced their police dog on her ex the last time he put her in the hospital. Stop it. Don’t go there. Let the past die. “Well, he’s beautiful, and I hope his paw is okay. The doctor will be in shortly.”
But before she could leave, the officer said, “I’m new to town, so I haven’t met everyone yet. What’s your name?”
No personal details. The knee-jerk reaction was part of her new playbook, but he worked with her sister at the police station, and they were bound to run into each other again when the town was impossibly small. “Kenna Griffin,” she answered, knowing it wouldn’t take long for the light of recognition to dawn.
“Griffin? Any relation to Detective Luna Griffin?” he asked.
“She’s my older sister,” Kenna confirmed with a short smile, taking that as her cue to exit gracefully, but he was too quick.
“Like I said, I’m new to town. Lucas Merritt,” he said with a good-natured grin that seemed too wholesome for someone like her. If he only knew the skeletons in her closet, he might not be so eager to get to know her. “Originally from Kansas, but don’t hold that against me. I’m already loving Montana.”
“Welcome to Cottonwood,” she murmured with a short smile, relieved as Dr. Mallory rounded the corner so she could make a quick exit. But she added, “Nice to meet you,” and then practically ran back to the front desk.
Isabel, her coworker, finished checking in a tabby cat with a torn ear and a sour disposition, then turned to Kenna, eager to gossip and trade notes about the newest Cottonwood resident.
“It isn’t every day a man like that walks into town. I could drown in those eyes,” Isabel said with a sigh. “Mmm, men like him are a reminder that God does, in fact, have favorites.”
“I didn’t notice,” Kenna lied with an airy smile, returning to her filing even as her heart pounded against her rib cage. “He’s probably married, though.”
Please be married.
“He’s not,” Isabel returned with a certainty that spoke of research behind the scenes. “Lucas Merritt became Cottonwood’s most eligible bachelor the minute he stepped into town. I wish he were a little bit taller, though. Then he’d be almost perfect.”
Kenna frowned. “He’s tall,” she said. “I mean, he seems tall enough.”
Isabel mentally sized Lucas up from memory. “Hmm, I’d say probably about five-ten. I like guys who are at least six foot.”
Kenna paused, glancing over at Isabel with mild confusion. “You’re barely five foot two. Why would you want someone so much taller than you?”
Isabel shivered with a slight grin. “Just feels more masculine when they’re towering over you. Not that I don’t enjoy a short king. I’m just saying, if I’m looking to settle down, I want my future baby daddy to have some height to pass on to the kids.”
Isabel was younger than Kenna, and conversations like this were a stark reminder of that age gap. Life had taught Kenna that a man’s height didn’t make him a good person. “Well, sounds like a permanent crick in the neck when they’re too tall,” she said, eager to change the subject. “I’m going to do a quick check on the spayed pit mix. Watch the front for me?”
“I could check the pit if you want,” Isabel offered, gesturing toward exam room two, but that was exactly why Kenna didn’t want to be around. Let Isabel drool over Cottonwood’s newest eligible bachelor. Kenna didn’t want anything to do with a man like him.
Or any man, for that matter.
It was safer that way.
Lucas Merritt listened with half an ear to Dr. Mallory as she examined Noble’s paw, a bit too distracted by the exotic woman who’d nearly blown him over at first glance. Common sense told him getting hooked by the first beautiful woman he saw in his new environment was a bad idea. He’d put it into his head that he’d stay single for a year while he got his bearings in his new town. Seemed like a solid plan at the time, but how was he supposed to hold himself to that plan when a woman like Kenna Griffin waltzed into his life? Those high cheekbones were sharp enough to cut glass, but those dark eyes were like those of a doe, wild and untamed yet gentle.
She had the kind of face men in history books went to war over.
He wasn’t the poetic type, but the flutters in his gut weren’t from the burrito he’d eaten earlier. The last time he’d felt this kind of jolt, he’d fallen head over heels for the devil’s concubine, who’d nearly destroyed his life. Not a great endorsement for the flutters, which was why he’d made the plan to stay single until the dust settled on his move. He’d spent a long time reading up on repeating patterns and whatnot, and he was determined to avoid that trap like a bad haircut.
Besides, he didn’t leave all that behind in Kansas only to play the sequel in Montana.
Fresh starts required discipline.
And yet, he wanted to know more about the brunette with the shy smile.
Dr. Mallory interrupted his thoughts with her decision. “I think Noble is fine, but we should do an X-ray to be sure.” She jotted down her notes with quick efficiency. “The department has set up an account for Noble, so we can get started if you’re available.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, dragging his attention back to the moment. “I thought maybe he bruised his pad or something, but I didn’t want to take any chances.”
“Better to be safe than sorry,” Dr. Mallory agreed with a nod, moving to click a temporary leash onto Noble’s collar. “It’ll be a few minutes. You can wait in the lobby if you want.”
“Yep,” he said, eager to talk to Kenna again, but he saw Kenna was gone as he exited the room. His enthusiasm dimmed, but the strawberry blonde smiled his way as if knowing immediately that Kenna had caught his eye and she was eager to share information.
“She’s checking on another patient,” the woman said with a quick grin, “but she should be back in a few minutes. I’m Isabel Donahue. So, you’re the new K-9 officer. What do you think of Cottonwood so far?”
“Beautiful town,” he answered, trying not to appear preoccupied with Kenna returning. “And the people are friendly.” Isabel gave off a real friendly vibe, but even though she was cute as a button, no fireworks went off in his head as they had with Kenna.
“Some are,” she acknowledged with a wink, “but then, it’s not hard being sweet to someone as cute as you.”
He felt the heat crawl up his cheeks at the bold compliment. “I don’t know about that, but I’m happy to be here. The department has been real accommodating.” He paused a minute, wondering if he ought to leave well enough alone, but he couldn’t quite help himself and asked anyway. “So, uh, your coworker, Kenna—is she, um, single?”
“Good gravy, there’s not a hint of shyness in you, is there? Most guys beat around the bush before getting to the real point of their interest. Kinda refreshing to meet someone who knows what they want.”
“I’m just curious, is all. Nothing serious.”
“Nothing wrong with being a little curious,” Isabel said. “But one thing you should know right off the bat with Kenna is she’s a single mom, so she’s not really looking for anything new, from what I can tell. But to be honest, Kenna is kinda private, so it’s hard to really know. I only just met her a few weeks ago when she started here at the office. I guess she grew up here in Cottonwood, though.”
Single mom—definitely on his red flag checklist—but applied to Kenna, he wasn’t as put off as he thought he would be. He acknowledged that information with a short nod. “Copy that.”
“I, however, am single as a Pringle and definitely no one’s mom,” Isabel supplied with a flirty grin. “I’d be happy to show you around town, introduce you to a few people, if you want.”
Not gonna touch that with a ten-foot pole. Isabel looked like a fun time, but fun times turned into nightmares when things didn’t go their way, and drama was the last thing he wanted to court in his new town.
“I appreciate the offer,” he said, not wanting to hurt Isabel’s feelings. Meaningless hookups weren’t his style, and he wasn’t about to start now, but there was more to his plan to stay single than just an aversion to hookups. His last emotional ride had been enough to turn a man celibate, and he was determined to shake off the residue of that life. Hell, he didn’t know how or when he’d be ready to trust another human being with his heart after Becca, so no sense in dragging someone along for a ride that ended up nowhere. Better to keep to himself than hurt feelings because his head was all messed up, but he wouldn’t be rude, either. He smiled, adding, “When I get settled, maybe I’ll do that.”
“I hope you do.” She grabbed a business card and scribbled her number on the back. “That’s my cell. If you find yourself all alone, bored and ready to have some fun, call me.”
He pocketed the card, even though he knew he wouldn’t call. “You got it.”
Before Isabel could say more, Dr. Mallory returned with good news, unsnapping Noble’s leash. “Noble is just fine. Picture of health. I think you were right on the money—he’s got a little bit of a bruised paw, but a few days of rest and he should be right as rain.”
Noble dutifully returned to Lucas’s side, looking at him with that alert gaze, ready for his following command. Relieved, Lucas said, “Thank you, Dr. Mallory. Good to hear.” He resisted the urge to linger, hoping that Kenna might reappear. “I appreciate you squeezing us in today.”
“Of course. We’re happy to accommodate our newest Cottonwood officer,” Dr. Mallory said with a wink and indulgent smile directed at Noble before leaving to see her next patient.
Still no Kenna. Where’d she go? The moon?
No, this was a good thing—a reminder that the last thing he needed was to get involved with a single mom who was skittish as hell.
Usually, they had their reasons.
And their reasons were all sorts of trouble he didn’t need.
