know the difference.” His grin widened. “Until her pillow gets up and goes home with you, that is.”
“Lewis is a great dog. That’s why I’m using him to sire pups while I can.” She sighed happily. “I can imagine his offspring pulling me through the woods till I’m old and gray. If not, I can always fall back on my other training.”
“Other training?”
“Yes.” Leaning her head back against the seat, Stacy explained. “There’s a law enforcement training academy in Tennessee that gives classes in man-tracking. It’s a tough course but worth every drop of sweat it takes to pass.”
“Sounds fascinating.”
Stacy studied his profile as he drove, looking for any sign he was making fun of her. Detecting none, she went on. “It is. It’s also the hardest thing I’ve ever done. They lay a trail but it’s booby-trapped, just like it would be if you were following a smart criminal who was determined to stop you any way he could. The test goes on day and night. To pass,you have to find your quarry without tripping one of the traps.”
“Isn’t that kind of dangerous?” His brow was furrowed.
“Not really. We worked in teams. There was a security man following with a radio in case any of us got hurt.”
“Hurt? How?”
“Well, there were hidden pits, water obstacles, planted copperhead snakes, cliffs to rappel down on ropes….”
Gray held up his hand. “Whoa. I don’t think I want to hear any more.”
“Why not? Not your style?”
“Not even close,” he admitted. “I like it better when we’re following your dogs. At least that way nobody’s likely to get hurt.”
“Oh, I don’t know. A person could get tangled up in the leash and be dumped on his south end.”
Gray’s head snapped around. “You saw that?”
“Uh-huh. It was quite a show.”
“Thanks,” he said, making a silly grimace. “How did you know I wasn’t seriously hurt? I might have been.”
“Not a chance. You landed on your brains. Besides, I could hear you yelling at Clark. Such language.”
“I didn’t cuss.” He squinted over at her. “Did I?”
“No, you didn’t. I was just teasing. Actually, Ithought you handled yourself quite well for a novice. Clark’s not an easy dog to work with.”
“At least he likes me,” Gray said, glancing at the sleepers in the back seat. “I wish I could figure out why Lewis took to Missy so easily, yet he won’t warm up to me.”
“That’s probably because of the conflict between us. He’s very sensitive to my feelings. Sometimes he knows I’m upset even before I do.”
“Are you upset, now?”
Stacy didn’t like the brief, penetrating look he gave her. She hesitated. It would have been easy to tell a lie, just a little fib, and be done with their conversation. But it wouldn’t have been fair.
“No, I’m not upset,” she finally said. “It wasn’t much fun facing your folks but the confrontation did have its useful elements. For instance, the way you stood up for me was very nice. I should have told you so sooner. I really appreciated the moral support.”
“My pleasure, Ms. Lucas,” he said with a grin. “You did a pretty good job yourself.”
“I did, didn’t I?” Her smile grew to equal his.
“The look on your father’s face when we walked in together was priceless.”
“Did you see Mother’s expression? She looked like she’d swallowed a lemon.”
“More like an unripe, wild persimmon,” Stacy said. “Ever eat one of those? They’ll leave your mouth puckered for hours.”
“Afraid I haven’t had the pleasure,” Gray toldher. “If my cook doesn’t buy it at the market, I don’t eat it. Safer that way.”
“But not nearly as much of an adventure,” she countered. “You should cut loose once in a while. Enjoy yourself. Act more like your paternal grandfather. I’ll bet he was a fascinating person. You must have inherited at least some of his venture-some spirit.”
Gray shrugged and sighed. “I wish I could
“Lewis is a great dog. That’s why I’m using him to sire pups while I can.” She sighed happily. “I can imagine his offspring pulling me through the woods till I’m old and gray. If not, I can always fall back on my other training.”
“Other training?”
“Yes.” Leaning her head back against the seat, Stacy explained. “There’s a law enforcement training academy in Tennessee that gives classes in man-tracking. It’s a tough course but worth every drop of sweat it takes to pass.”
“Sounds fascinating.”
Stacy studied his profile as he drove, looking for any sign he was making fun of her. Detecting none, she went on. “It is. It’s also the hardest thing I’ve ever done. They lay a trail but it’s booby-trapped, just like it would be if you were following a smart criminal who was determined to stop you any way he could. The test goes on day and night. To pass,you have to find your quarry without tripping one of the traps.”
“Isn’t that kind of dangerous?” His brow was furrowed.
“Not really. We worked in teams. There was a security man following with a radio in case any of us got hurt.”
“Hurt? How?”
“Well, there were hidden pits, water obstacles, planted copperhead snakes, cliffs to rappel down on ropes….”
Gray held up his hand. “Whoa. I don’t think I want to hear any more.”
“Why not? Not your style?”
“Not even close,” he admitted. “I like it better when we’re following your dogs. At least that way nobody’s likely to get hurt.”
“Oh, I don’t know. A person could get tangled up in the leash and be dumped on his south end.”
Gray’s head snapped around. “You saw that?”
“Uh-huh. It was quite a show.”
“Thanks,” he said, making a silly grimace. “How did you know I wasn’t seriously hurt? I might have been.”
“Not a chance. You landed on your brains. Besides, I could hear you yelling at Clark. Such language.”
“I didn’t cuss.” He squinted over at her. “Did I?”
“No, you didn’t. I was just teasing. Actually, Ithought you handled yourself quite well for a novice. Clark’s not an easy dog to work with.”
“At least he likes me,” Gray said, glancing at the sleepers in the back seat. “I wish I could figure out why Lewis took to Missy so easily, yet he won’t warm up to me.”
“That’s probably because of the conflict between us. He’s very sensitive to my feelings. Sometimes he knows I’m upset even before I do.”
“Are you upset, now?”
Stacy didn’t like the brief, penetrating look he gave her. She hesitated. It would have been easy to tell a lie, just a little fib, and be done with their conversation. But it wouldn’t have been fair.
“No, I’m not upset,” she finally said. “It wasn’t much fun facing your folks but the confrontation did have its useful elements. For instance, the way you stood up for me was very nice. I should have told you so sooner. I really appreciated the moral support.”
“My pleasure, Ms. Lucas,” he said with a grin. “You did a pretty good job yourself.”
“I did, didn’t I?” Her smile grew to equal his.
“The look on your father’s face when we walked in together was priceless.”
“Did you see Mother’s expression? She looked like she’d swallowed a lemon.”
“More like an unripe, wild persimmon,” Stacy said. “Ever eat one of those? They’ll leave your mouth puckered for hours.”
“Afraid I haven’t had the pleasure,” Gray toldher. “If my cook doesn’t buy it at the market, I don’t eat it. Safer that way.”
“But not nearly as much of an adventure,” she countered. “You should cut loose once in a while. Enjoy yourself. Act more like your paternal grandfather. I’ll bet he was a fascinating person. You must have inherited at least some of his venture-some spirit.”
Gray shrugged and sighed. “I wish I could
Similar Books
