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“It shows.”
Once Gunther was dry, Eden gave him a trim. She stayed calm and focused, despite Gunther jumping each time she touched him. “From what the owners said, this guy doesn’t like being groomed. So, I need to be a little more controlling with him than I usually am, until he gets used to me working with him.”
Next, she combed and brushed him, removing any mats from his fur. Once she finished by trimming his nails and any uneven areas of fur, they were done. Eden called the owners to let them know Gunther was finished while Chandler put the dog in a cage to wait for them.
While they cleaned up the grooming table, Chandler couldn’t help telling her how impressed he was. “Watching you work was amazing.”
“Aw, thanks.” A pretty pink color stained her cheeks as she threw a bunch of used towels in the hamper. “I’ve had a lot of practice.”
“Unlike me.” He chuckled, dumping a dustpan full of Gunther’s hair into the trash can. “I can’t imagine you ever losing control of a dog like I did.”
“Oh, trust me. Everyone goes through it when they first start.”
“Really? Have you ever gotten bit?”
“Yep. Once. It wasn’t bad, but now I don’t mess around. If it’s clear a dog won’t calm down, I muzzle them. For everyone’s safety.”
“Makes sense.”
“Worst mistake I ever made, though, was shaving the wrong dog.”
Chandler’s eyes widened. “Uh-oh.”
“Yeah.” Eden shrugged. “It was a super crazy day in the salon where I was working in Richmond. That’s where I got my training and certification—they provided it on the job. Anyway, there was a frequent client who brought their Springer Spaniel in a lot for grooming and boarding. His name was Jack. I’d worked with the dog before, and the owner always wanted him shaved as short as possible. I saw Jack was down for grooming, so I thought I’d get a jump on things and get him shaved early.” She winced. “Yeah. Except it turned out it wasn’t actually Jack. It was another client’s Springer Spaniel with nearly identical markings and even a similar name, Jinx. I wasn’t paying attention like I should have been and yep. I shaved the wrong dog.”
“Did you get in trouble?” Chandler asked.
“No. I mean, obviously the clients weren’t happy, but it grew out.” The bell out front rang, and Chandler grabbed Gunther while Eden rang up the customer. After that, it was time to lock up the salon. In the car on their way back to his house, Eden turned to him. “How bad was your SEAL training? I’ve heard it’s super tough to get in.”
“It is.” He told her all about the grueling hours and even more grueling physical requirements just to be considered for a team. “Toughest thing I’ve ever done in my life.”
“Sounds like.” She nodded, staring out the windshield. “I admire you for making it through.”
“And I admire what you did today, Eden. You really have a gift with animals.”
They shared a smile, and the connection between them shimmered brighter than ever. Not just attraction, but something more. Deeper and lasting. Respect. Approval. Admiration.
All things he hadn’t expected but cherished just the same.
