“Mmm.” No words from Sophie either.
After enjoying their first bites—because good food deserved proper attention—Lyn pulled her brain back to the last question. “It seems like psychology, but getting where a dog comes from and how he or she is thinking makes training exponentially more effective. Besides, dogs are some of the most honest creatures you can work with anywhere.”
Sophie nodded, more knowledge in her eyes than Lyn had anticipated. Lyn shifted in her seat.
“The boys work with dogs for a lot of the same reasons, you know.” Sophie’s tone had become softer, more somber.
“Not sure I get what you mean.” And Lyn wasn’t sure she wanted to.
Sophie popped a French fry in her mouth. “Brandon grew up in this area. Did any of them mention it to you? He left for the military right out of high school and didn’t come home to stay until he was ready to retire from active duty. He started Hope’s Crossing Kennels as soon as he got back.”
“Okay. Guessing you grew up with him?” Lyn leaned her chin on her hand, interested. The kennels looked fairly new, with all up-to-date equipment, so she’d guessed they’d been established recently.
“Yup. I was his next-door neighbor growing up. Once he bought the land for the kennels, I made sure his finances were all in line to keep him in the black.” Sophie’s expression grew distant and maybe a hint obstinate as she continued, “He wanted to make a place for himself because no place felt right when he got back. It’s hard to find a comfort zone when they return from overseas. The contrast, the change from deliberately stepping into danger every single day to being surrounded by people running from place to place completely unaware of what could happen…there aren’t words for it.”
Lyn nodded. Her stepfather hadn’t ever stayed for long. And it’d made her bitter. But this was the first time someone had given her this perspective.
“Alex and David arrived as soon as the main building and kennels were built. They all had experience as handlers. They put together their business model to provide basic and obedience training for the community and to train working dogs for military and police units.” Sophie seemed to have forgotten the rest of her sandwich, working her way through the French fries instead. “It didn’t take long. Brandon was a hometown hero and they’re all gorgeous.”
Lyn chuckled. “I hadn’t noticed.”
“The basic and obedience classes are packed with single women who’ve suddenly decided having the protection of a dog at home is a good idea.” Disgust colored her words but Sophie waved it away. “They eventually settled into business and now people come from hours away to work with them. And their dogs are the best. They provide working dogs to police units all over the country and to the military, too.”
“David’s training techniques are incredibly effective.” Lyn admired him for his work with any of the dogs on site, especially Atlas. It took a rare person to put pride aside to work in the situation they had. Lyn was lucky Atlas was responding to her and thankful David was coordinating with her in Atlas’s best interest.
“To hear some of the ladies talk, David is incredibly effective in a lot of ways.” Sophie studied her.
Lyn hoped her face was completely blank, fighting the heat rushing up to her cheeks. “I wouldn’t know and I don’t think it’d be appropriate if I did.”
Sophie raised a single, perfectly groomed eyebrow in a high arch. “No?”
“It’s not professional.” Saying so had sounded perfectly logical when she’d had the conversation with David at the beginning of the week. Here, with Sophie, not so much. Lyn didn’t want to be so short—not when Sophie had been so nice all morning—but Lyn wasn’t sure how to turn this into an easier-going chat.
“Weak.” Sophie shook her head. “I like you. And I’m straightforward with people I like. So I’m going to say this: this isn’t a corporate environment. Plenty of people can work together plus engage in extracurricular activities.”
Oh, and Lyn had been imagining them. Working with David every day was an exercise in self-control and mental focus. Every time he bent over to pick up a tennis ball, she was presented with the most grope-able ass she’d ever seen. And the other day he’d taken off his shirt in the afternoon for a few minutes to switch out to a clean one. The sight of all those wonderful muscles rippling underneath his skin had left her drooling, just a little. Luckily he hadn’t noticed.
“We’re both focused on Atlas as a priority.” Might be the truth, but also another dodge.