The Soldier's Valentine. Pamela Tracy

      “And to think she made fun of Wilma’s name.” Gary sat at the table. It felt odd, not having anything to do, but he’d been out of the military only a month, and his mind hadn’t wrapped itself around the term civilian.

      Bianca raised an eyebrow. “Oh, you had a whole conversation with Leann?”

      “Just enough to figure out she can control Wilma better than I can.”

      “How did the training go?”

      “Not so good. I can’t believe Max neglected to tell me Wilma only understands German! I spent a whole hour ordering Wilma to sit and offering treats. She sat, but not when I asked her to, and she still expected the treats. She jumped on me a least a dozen times and almost dragged me down a small hill when she spotted a cat.”

      “Now that you know about the German, it will help. What was Leann doing at the park?”

      “Husband-and-wife dispute.”

      “Ah,” Bianca said, “by the swings.”

      “How did you know?”

      “That would be Gail and Ray Goode. They argue at least twice a month and usually do so in the park. Gail doesn’t want her parents to hear. They’re the disapproving kind, not the helping kind.”

      “Officer Bailey handled it differently than I would have, but she handled it well. She separated them, sent the husband to his brother’s and sent Gail to the main house and someone named Clarissa.”

      “That would be the Crabtrees’ housekeeper.”

      “Crabtree?”

      “Gail’s parents, her maiden name.”

      “They have a live-in housekeeper?”

      Aunt Bianca nodded. “And a full-time groundskeeper.”

      “So, they get special consideration from the cops?” Gary didn’t think his brother Oscar, who was also a part of the Sarasota Falls police department, would go for such behavior, but maybe Leann was different? Yet that hadn’t been the sense of her he had last night. He’d been impressed with the police woman and how she’d handled the scene with her sister.

      Bianca deftly set bread on the cutting board—lunch meat to the left of it; cheese and tomato—and started making their lunch. “What I should have said just now was that Crabtree happens to be both Gail’s and Leann’s maiden name.”

      “Sisters?” Gary sucked in his breath and relaxed a little. “That explains a lot.”

      “I wonder why Leann called here instead of asking Oscar about you.”

      “She was so busy with her sister, I think she forgot to ask my name so doesn’t know Oscar’s my brother. Not very cop-like.” Gary had been military police among other things.

      “She’s a good cop, dedicated and—”

      The bell over the front door rang. Bianca set down her knife, glanced out the window checking the dog’s whereabouts, quickly washed her hands and headed up front. Yesterday, she’d done the same thing and Wilma had snatched the bread.

      Gary recognized the voice that said, “Hey, Bianca, good to see you.”

      Leann Bailey in the flesh. Gary grinned. So, the lady had decided to follow up her phone call with a visit. He sometimes had an effect on women. Usually, though, it was when he was in uniform.

      He followed his aunt to the foyer and studied the cop in question. He’d liked her better standing with the moon to her back. She was equal in height to his aunt, but where Bianca was soft and dark, Leann was toned and fair. He noted how well she wore her blue uniform.

      “You looking for me?” he asked.

      Bianca, a half frown on her face, told him. “I guess I didn’t take their complaint seriously enough. Officer Bailey’s here, something about a noise ordinance.”

      Leann nodded. “Right now, I’m just issuing a warning, but—”

      “I’m Gary Guzman. You met me last night.”

      “Guzman,” Leann muttered before turning to Bianca. “I can’t believe I missed it. Oscar’s brother?”

      “And my nephew. Younger than Oscar by two years,” Bianca supplied.

      “Better-looking, too,” Gary put in.

      He watched as a myriad of expressions crossed Leann’s face. There was surprise—probably a result of last night’s meeting or maybe his relationship to Oscar and Bianca. Annoyance—no doubt she didn’t like surprises. And detachment—she probably didn’t want to warm up to him while on duty.

      “About Wilma,” Leann said. “You’re going to need to do something about her barking.”

      “I’m working with her. Now that I know she understands German, I’ll be able to ratchet up the training.” He pulled the piece of paper from his back pocket and showed her.

      Leann didn’t look impressed.

      “It will just take a few days,” he promised. “She’s a good dog,” Gary inserted, “but I’ve only had her for a week.”

      “Ah,” Leann said.

      This time Gary could read her face. The smile reached her pretty green eyes, which suddenly registered a positive impression even as she said, “A rescue?”

      “No,” Aunt Bianca said.

      “More or less,” Gary put in.

      Leann looked from one to the other.

      “My friend Max has been in Germany the last three years, came stateside for a few months and was just deployed six days ago to a place he couldn’t take Wilma. It’s temporary.” Gary didn’t mention the arm-twisting from Max, or the adamant “No” consistently given by Gary, followed by Max finally showing up at the tiny apartment Gary was crashing at.

      “Good of you to take in Wilma,” Leann said.

      “No, good of me to take in Wilma.” Aunt Bianca shot Gary a look.

      “I’ll let the neighbors know this is only temporary and that you’re working on the problem,” Leann said, suddenly back to being a cop. Gary liked the impressed lady better. He wanted that look back.

      “We’ll think of something,” Aunt Bianca said.

      Footsteps sounded on the porch. The bell over the door tinkled as a short man, definitely military, leading a midsize border collie, pushed his way in. Aunt Bianca immediately smiled and asked, “Do you need a room?”

      “No, I’m looking for Gary Guzman.”

      “That’s me,” Gary said, looking from the man to the dog. He didn’t recognize either and had the feeling he didn’t want to.

      “I’m William Benedict, and I’m desperate,” the man began. “I got called up a week ago. I’m leaving in the morning and my sister just found out that she’s pregnant with triplets. She already has two kids not even in school. She can’t handle Goober now. I heard you took in Max Juergens’s dog.”

      Aunt Bianca’s, Leann’s and Gary’s eyes all went to Goober, a beautiful black-and-white dog who didn’t look at all like a Goober.

      “I’m staying with my aunt temporarily...” Gary said, noting the way Officer Leann Bailey watched him.

      “Look,” William said, “my mother died six months ago. Goober was hers. I promised I’d take care of the mutt. I went online, and there’s places—families even—where I can board the dog, but, well—” his voice softened “—she was my mom’s, and Goober’s sensitive if not a little high-strung. She needs someone who will pay attention to her. I hear you have time.”

      Time. Gary’s