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And he was in love with her, too.
Life was good.
8
“Heel,” Rhys ordered. He stood by the back door of the K9 SUV truck.
Honor was excited, as always, to be at work. The dog was going frantic in the backseat. The moment he issued the order, she sat. Her wide eyes watched him through the slightly open window. While he drove, she was like a pup at heart and wanted to capture any scents she could blowing in the wind. He opened the door, and it was then he saw her tail thumping on the seat behind her.
He grinned at his partner. She was ready to get to work. But today was different. They wouldn’t be chasing down a bad guy. Today was the day that Zayden had asked the favor of him. Today was media day for the K9 team. It helped to be in the public eye so they could connect with people and help educate about the police dogs.
Rhys snapped on her short leash and waved her down from the truck. Honor hopped out and pranced in place while he shut the door.
“Come,” he said.
He turned and took in the public park where they were meeting the crew from the local news channel. Zayden knew howmuch Rhys hated public talking. His gaze landed on two other K9 SUVs in the parking lot, and he relaxed. It would appear as if Daxton and his partner, Hawk, were there along with Arlo and Kimbo.
Honor took notice of the other two police dogs and barked her greeting at them. He scanned the area and took in his fellow K9 officers standing off by a large tree near the playground. They were all dressed in their matching police uniforms. The camera crew weren’t too far off from them. He walked over to them. It was a beautiful day for a quick demo for the public. Honor always shined when she wanted to show off how good she was.
Daxton and Arlo were experienced officers of the CPD. He’d known each of them a long time, and they were both good men. Daxton had joined the K9 unit about year before Rhys while Arlo came in a few years after Rhys.
“It about time you two showed up,” Daxton grumbled. Dark shades hid his eyes. Hawk sat at his heels, watching Honor as they approached.
“You know he had to make a special entrance.” Arlo chuckled. He leaned against the tree while Kimbo lay on the ground. Even though the dog had his harness on, he wasn’t completely relaxed. All the dogs were trained to understand that from the moment their work harness went on, they were in work mode.
“And you know I would rather be anywhere else but here,” Rhys admitted. He pulled his sunglasses off the top of his head and slid them onto his face. It was a bright sunny day, and the air was quite warm.
“I’m sure Zayden bribed you to be here. What did he promise you?” Daxton asked.
“Now don’t you worry about what I got coming,” Rhys teased. He ran a hand through his hair, wishing he’d grabbed his ball cap from the truck.
“So wait. Zayden promised you two something?” Arlo asked, looking between them.
Rhys remembered Zayden saying that Arlo had volunteered him and Kimbo. Arlo was a pretty outgoing guy. He was widowed at a young age and was a single father to a young boy. His wife had passed away a few years ago from cancer. The precinct had showed so much support to Arlo and his son. He had been a mess immediately after her death. The captain had forced the man to take time off afterwards. Rhys understood the single-father gig, but he was thankful for one that he had never had to go through being a widow. His divorce was bad enough, he couldn’t even begin to imagine if his woman died.
Jordan’s face came to mind.
A sharp pain lanced through his chest at the thought of losing her. Not when he’d just found her. It was apparent that it was never too late to find love. She was meant for him, just as he was meant for her. There couldn’t be a better person for him than Jordan.
But to have that taken away from him…
He’d go fucking crazy.
“Of course. Don’t tell me you just volunteered.” Daxton snorted.
Rhys chuckled at Arlo’s low curse. Zayden had taken advantage of him. If the sergeant wanted them to do anything extra, he would have to pay up. That was just the way it was. He got what he wanted, and the unit officers got what they wanted. It was a win-win situation.
“You missed out on getting Kimbo some good treats,” Rhys announced.
Honor whined from her seat at his feet. She was not happy that they weren’t busy. Zayden knew Rhys well and had already sent him a text with a photo of a case of Rhys’s favorite beer along with chicken treats for Honor.
Arlo would learn one day. It had been a few days since Rhys had seen either of them. They patrolled different areas of the city and were on different shifts. They stood around talking and catching up before the newsman came over to them.
“Hello there. Thank you for meeting with me today.” He stalked over to Rhys with his hand outstretched.
Rhys took his hand in a firm shake. He moved on and shook with Daxton and Arlo.
“My name is Scott Long, and that’s my cameraman, Mike, and my producer, Nancy.”
