Happy smiled as I turned the radio up and started swaying with the beat. We had been on the road for just over four hours and I was getting restless. Kip had lent us his truck for the trip since we weren't sure how the dog would do on the long ride home. I knew Happy wasn't looking forward to such a long trip in a cage, but he was being a good sport about it.
"Do you want me to stop at a service station soon?" Happy asked after my song was over. I stretched my arms above my head and nodded.
"Yes please. I need coffee." I smiled, drunk with the excitement of meeting our potential dog in less than a day. It helped that we had escaped Charming for a little while as well. The drama and violence had started getting to me. I wasn't a pacifist but I had my limits.
Happy shut the truck off and tossed the keys to me. We had agreed to take turns driving and he had been driving since we left Charming. I followed him into the service station and headed straight to the restroom. Happy was on the phone when I found him a few minutes later. I could tell it was club related, so I didn't interrupt him. I got a large coffee and poured a combination of vanilla and caramel creamer in it. After that, I loaded up on some chips, granola bars and a couple bags of gummy worms. Happy joined me at the counter and set a couple bottles of water and his own coffee down as he ended the phone call.
"$18.42 sir," The clerk was a younger guy, probably still in high school. Happy counted out the money as the guy bagged my food up. I noticed Happy was scowling.
"What's wrong?" I asked as we got back in the truck. He took a long drink of coffee and shook his head.
"Kid called me sir. If I had my kutte he wouldn't do that shit." Happy grumbled. I laughed and earned a scowl. "He probably thinks I'm your dad."
"You're only ten years older than me. He probably didn't think anything." I rolled my eyes. "In case you didn't know, you still look like a hard ass without the kutte."
"Kat, pass that asshole." Happy said as I rode up on a car that was hogging the left lane. I turned on my blinker and got in the right lane. The car got over in front of me. I squeezed the steering wheel tighter and sped up, getting closer and closer to their back bumper. When the front bumper of the truck was just inches from the car, I jumped over to the left lane and floored the accelerator. Happy leaned back in the seat once we were several hundred yards past the car. It amused me to have him as my passenger. Kip hated how aggressively I drove.
"Remember our first road trip together?" I smiled over at Happy. We had only been dating for a few months when we rode down to Bakersfield for his mother's birthday. I had been so nervous about meeting her. I had agreed to ride with Happy on his Harley instead of ride my own motorcycle. My ass was numb from the uncomfortable rear seat and the usual, vibrating ride of a Harley.
"Yeah, you whined about the bitch seat the whole time." He opened the bag of gummy worms and handed me a pink and blue one, my favorite.
"You try riding five hundred miles on the back of a Dyna." I teased, biting the head off the worm. He rolled his eyes. "My bike's seat was twenty times more comfortable than your Harley's."
"Yeah but you're all cramped up like a jockey." He argued. I shook my head. It was a disagreement we had since the day we met. We continued debating the pros and cons of both types of motorcycles for a few miles. "Do you want another bike?"
"I do but I don't even have an actual job right now." I had been helping Gemma with odd jobs at the clubhouse and in the garage office but didn't have any full time employment yet. Happy shook his head. I knew what he was going to say. "I need a job, Happy."
"No, you don't. You want a job." He had added me to his checking account and insisted to consider his money ours. It was hard and we often argued about it. My therapist loved that issue. "What do you want to do, Kat? Waitress for shit tips?"
"No," I wasn't sure how to respond. What did I want to do? I laughed, "If I could do anything, I would spend all day with dogs."
"Then do that. Train them or something." Happy shrugged. I opened my mouth to argue but it really did sound like my dream job. He rubbed my thigh. "If you want to do it then do it, babe. You don't have to be in a rush to make a fortune."
"Let's see how I do with this dog and we'll talk about it." I wasn't as confident in my ability to actually make a living training dogs. I couldn't tell if he thought it could actually be a job for me or if he just wanted me to stop trying to find a job.
We drove through the night to San Antonio, only stopping for an hour nap when we ran out of coffee and couldn't find an open service station. We were both tired of being in the truck, so we headed down to the river walk to stretch our legs and get some lunch before heading to the base. I felt myself starting to get nervous. What if we had wasted a trip? What if we took a dog home and it ended up being uncontrollable.
"You're going to get worry wrinkles if you keep screwing your face up like that." Happy said, tossing a fry at me. I threw it back at him, not in the mood to be teased. "What?"
"I'm just worried this won't work out." He raised his brow. "The dogs, I mean."
"I know what you meant. Why wouldn't it work out?" He asked, leaning back in his chair. I ran through a list of negative outcomes quickly. He laughed when I finally stopped. "Kat, it's going to be fine. You're like a fucking dog whisperer."
"I'm pretty sure that's trade marked." I muttered. He leaned across the table and kissed my forehead. I blinked as he stood up and tossed a couple twenties on the table. "What are you doing?"
"Going to get my wife a dog so she stops freaking out." He turned his back and started towards the exit. I took one more drink of my water before hurrying after him. My excited butterflies were starting to return.
"I'll drive." I offered. I knew he had never been to a military base and the gate procedures would probably irritate him. I had to pull all the strings I had just to get him access to the base due to his criminal history. My palms started sweating as we waited in line.
"ID's." The girl at the gate looked like she was fresh out of basic training. I handed her both of our ID's and a letter from the Lieutenant Danvers. She stepped into the guard shack as another airman ran a mirror wand under the truck. I bit my bottom lip when I saw another airman standing to the side with a canine. Happy chuckled.
"You look like a little kid. It's cute." He said quietly. I smiled, confident that there was little that could sour my mood. The girl with our ID's returned.
"Here you go, Sgt. Epps. The lieutenant is clear that you're here. Do you need directions to the kennels?" She asked with a smile. I shook my head, telling her that I'd spent several months at the kennels. She nodded and waved us through.
"That was easier than I thought it would be, convict." I teased Happy. He raised his middle finger at me and looked around the base. It was just after four o'clock, so traffic was starting to pick up. I rolled the windows down and took in all the familiar sounds of planes flying over and squadrons singing jodies as they ran as a unit. I noticed Happy had started watching me. "What?"
"You miss it, don't you?" His tone didn't give away anything about the way he wanted me to answer that. I shrugged.
"Parts of it. This is one of the more glamorous bases. Army posts are nearly as fancy." I explained. He nodded and sat up as we turned on the road towards the kennels. There were several dogs out on the training courses with their handlers. I felt a pang of sadness, remembering late nights with Rex on those same courses.
"Sgt. Epps, how was your trip down?" Lieutenant Danvers met us at the truck with an extended hand. I felt a strong urge to salute him but managed to resist. Happy walked around the truck and also shook the young lieutenant's hand. I noticed how rigid Happy had gotten.
"Long but I'm hoping it was worth it." I motioned back towards the courses behind us. "You've got some great looking dogs working out there."
"They're the veteran dogs. I'm trying to get those rookies into the habit of trusting the damn dog and not calling all the shots." He laughed. I nodded, remembering my fellow trainees having similar problems. I was somewhat of a star student in handler school. "So, do you want to meet the dogs?"
"I can't wait." I smiled. He nodded towards Happy and led us back to a newer looking kennel a hundred yards or so past the main kennels. The dogs started barking loudly as we approached. We entered a fenced dog run and waited. Danvers came out a few minutes later with a large, dark Belgian Shepherd. He was young and seemed very playful.
"Hey buddy. You're just a big puppy, aren't you?" The dog wagged it's tail so enthusiastically that his whole body wiggled. He went over to Happy and gave him big, wet kisses on the cheek. I gave the puppy a good scratch behind the ears before standing up and talking to Danvers. "He obviously doesn't have a mean bone in his body. He's a good boy but I think he'd be better with a big family."
"You okay?" Happy asked while we waited on the next dog. I sighed and he wrapped an arm around me.
"It's not about babies. I just hate turning dogs away when I know they need a home." My lip quivered. Happy chuckled and kissed the top of my head. We met three other dogs and I felt terrible after not feeling a strong enough connection with any of them. Finally, it was time to meet Havoc. Danvers suggested we meet him one at a time, so Happy stepped to the outside of the fence. I called out to Danvers just before he went in the kennel, "Can you just let him out on a lead? Don't walk him in."
"Are you sure?" I nodded. He shook his head but agreed. A couple minutes later, a very large German Shepherd came barreling at me. He was beautiful. He was very dark, almost solid black but he had caramel rings around his eyes and caramel flecks on his legs. His teeth were bared as he ran at me.
"Stop." I commanded, standing tall. He stopped in his tracks and stared at me. I waited for what felt like half an hour. "Release."
Havoc didn't charge me again. He slowly walked up and started sniffing me curiously. I turned my palm towards him and let him come closer on his own terms. As soon as his nose touched my palm, he started nuzzling my hand and leaning against my legs. I looked back at Happy and smiled. Danvers was standing beside him with a pleasantly surprised grin.
"Come meet him, Hap. He's a good boy." I knelt down, returning the nuzzling Havoc was giving me. As soon as the gate opened, he switched. Instead of charging Happy, he positioned himself directly in front of me and started guarding. Happy paused. "Havoc, down."
I had to repeat the command twice but he eventually laid down. I could tell he wasn't fully comfortable but he stayed still. Happy followed my instructions to walk slowly with his hands by his side. Havoc started whining, showing that he was stressed by having to restrain himself. I told Happy to stop a few yards away. Havoc stopped whining after a couple minutes and started to relax. Once he laid his head on his paws, I suggested Happy approach him, slowly.
"Don't get me bitten." Happy said softly. I knew he wasn't thrilled with facing down a ninety pound dog. Havoc didn't react as Happy got closer. He raised his head and turned it curiously once Happy was about a foot away. "Now what?"
"Stop and ask him to come." I shrugged. It was up to Havoc now. Happy looked up to the sky and let out a long breath. "Don't look him in the eyes."
"Havoc, come." Happy's voice was stern but even. Havoc stood but didn't move forward right away. Happy looked at me, so I gave him a reassuring nod. Havoc started sniffing and inching towards Happy. A couple minutes went by and Happy was petting Havoc and seemed much more relaxed.
"So?" I asked Happy after Havoc returned to me with a large, rubber tire. He took a deep breath and paused, building tension. I scowled at him and Havoc's ears pricked up. Happy nodded. I smiled and pulled Havoc into my arms. "You're coming home with us buddy. Yes you are. Yes you are."
"He's never been this calm. I'm glad you found him." Danvers said after we finished the paperwork. Havoc was playing with his tire and keeping watch over us. "Congratulations."
"Thank you so much for keeping him for us." I scratched Havoc's back and smiled.
"Want to run him through a course for old times sake? Might help him calm down for the ride." Danvers suggested. I bit my bottom lip and looked at the course. I worried that it would bring back too many memories. Havoc whined and nudged my hand.
Twenty minutes later, I was breathless but smiling from ear to ear. Havoc was proud of himself and celebrating with his tire. Danvers gave me a smile and patted Havoc on the head before we loaded up into the truck. Happy had agreed to drive for the first couple of hours so I could make sure Havoc was settled in. I chose to give him the chance to ride in the back seat as opposed to his carrier in the back of the truck.
"You were impressive on the course." Happy said after Havoc settled down. I smiled, my cheeks blushing a little. "Really, I've never seen that side of you."
"Thanks. I'm out of practice but it felt good to do that. Juice and I watched some old videos with Rex and it reminded me how much I loved it." I smiled back at Havoc who was looking out of the window. Happy didn't say anything for a few minutes. I looked back at Happy and noticed he had tensed up. "What's wrong?"
"You never talk about Iraq or Rex." He kept his eyes on the road and his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly.
"I do, sometimes." He scowled. "I was already watching some videos of Rex and I training when Juice came over. I needed a refresher before we brought this guy home."
Happy didn't say anything. I wanted to ask him if he was upset about me not talking about Iraq or if he was upset about Juice. The question sounded ridiculous in my head. He had no reason to be jealous or upset about Juice. I decided he was probably tired. We were already back on the road and had barely rested in the last thirty-six hours. Havoc whined and laid his head on the center console. Happy rested his hand on his head and rubbed between his ears. I turned on the radio and leaned back, trying to rest a little before we switched.
"Hey." Happy nudged me and I sat up quickly. It was dark out and we had stopped at a service station. "He probably needs to get out for a while."
"Yeah, definitely." I rubbed my eyes and hooked Havoc up to his lead before opening the door. He waited for permission to exit the truck and then ran straight to the grass to relieve himself. Happy rubbed my arm and kissed the top of my head.
"Do you want some coffee?" He asked as I struggled to keep Havoc away from a other people at the station.
"Please? Thanks for letting me sleep." I smiled. He squeezed my butt and gave me a smirk before walking to the shop. Havoc whipped around and watched him walk away uneasily. I watched as he side stepped closer to me and leaned into my legs. He started to growl when a man parked his truck nearby. I patted his side, trying to reassure him that he wasn't working, he could relax. It seemed to be working until the man started walking towards me. Havoc laid his ears back and started barking and snapping. The man froze in his tracks. "Havoc, down."
"You need to control that beast!" The man yelled, pushing his jacket back and placing his hand on a gun. Havoc saw that as a threat and started lunging at the man.
"Dude, just back up and get your fucking hand off your gun." I called over Havoc's barking. The guy took a step back. Havoc was already angry. I stepped back, leading him with me. "Havoc, leave it."
It took a few seconds but he finally stopped barking. He started pacing and growling. I loosened the tension on the lead and coaxed him over to me. Havoc kept his eyes on the man who had returned to his truck, but he allowed me to lead him away. I could tell it was going to take some work to get Havoc to trust people more. I wasn't angry or disappointed though, he was only doing what he thought was best.
"Is he going to do that with everyone?" Happy said after we got in the truck. Havoc gnawed on his tire, a completely different dog than he had been ten minutes before.
"Hopefully not. I think if we introduce him to people calmly and in a controlled environment, it should be better." I couldn't guarantee anything. I had only just met Havoc and he seemed to be fiercely loyal and protective. It was a great trait for a working dog but he was definitely more aggressive than most. "I'm not just going to walk him into the clubhouse and let him loose."
"Well, you could walk him into the fucking cigar shop and let him loose." Happy suggested. I pulled back onto the interstate and chuckled. Havoc shook his toy ferociously.
"Ugh, I have never been happier to be home." I said, practically falling out of the truck. Havoc yawned at the same time as Happy. "Come on."
We walked inside and Havoc started sniffing everything in the living room. Happy watched him uncomfortably. I walked into the kitchen and filled the bowls we had gotten for him with food and water. He rushed into the kitchen as soon as he heard the food bag.
"Are you sure he shouldn't have a kennel outside?" Happy asked as Havoc chomped away at his kibble.
"No, Hap. He needs to be in the house if he's going to become more of a pet than a working dog. Besides, if someone breaks in or something he isn't going to be much help locked up in the back yard." I said, appealing to Happy's own protective nature.
"I guess. He's not sleeping in the bed." I looked at the overgrown puppy that was playing with his empty food bowl. If I was single, he would definitely sleep in the bed with me but I understood where Happy was coming from.
"Okay," I consented. Havoc nudged the back door with his nose. I opened it and let him out in the back yard to do his business. "See? He's a good boy."
"If you say so. I'm going to bed if you don't need any help." Happy yawned again. I shook my head and whistled for Havoc to come inside. He ran in at full speed, barely sliding to a stop before running into Happy. "Damn puppy."
"Aw, say I didn't mean to. Did you, Havoc? No, say I just want to play." I grabbed his toy and started playing tug with him as Happy walked down the hall. After a couple hours, Havoc was slowing down, so I got him settled down in his crate. Eventually I planned on letting him sleep on a bed outside of the crate, but I didn't think Happy would be too pleased to wake up and find the house destroyed because Havoc had gotten bored.
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