Ultimate Courage (True Heroes #2)(12)
Alex walked a few yards into the training field and grinned at her as she closed the gate behind her. “Any of these dogs could jump a normal fence.”
Wow. “So you’re keeping them from running?”
He shrugged. “None of the dogs would run from a trainer so much as decide to go after something. They’ve got really strong prey drives. Spotting a squirrel or rabbit on the other side of the fence is a big temptation, especially early in their training when they’re still working on discipline.”
“So having a fence that tall will stop them from going after whatever caught their attention?” There was something else she was missing. Alex was grinning too wide for it to be that simple.
“You’re close, but it’s easier to show you than tell you. Besides, Souze could use the easy exertion after being in the kennel all morning.” He bent and whispered something to the dog. One big ear swiveled to listen. Alex reached into his pocket with his free hand and pulled out a tennis ball. The dog’s gaze locked onto the tennis ball, and a fine tremor passed through the dog’s entire body. Suddenly, the dog was eager and ready. “Just stay where you are and watch.”
Then Alex removed the leash. Souze stood still, his complete attention on the trainer. Alex drew back his arm and tossed the tennis ball over the fence then uttered a single word. “Brrring.”
Souze exploded forward. He was a black-and-tan blur, covering the ground to the fence in seconds. When he reached the fence, he gathered his hind legs under him and launched upward, catching the chain link in his paws. Perched high up on the fence, the dog proceeded to climb the rest of the way to the top. Once he got there, he dove from the top of the fence to the ground on the other side and snatched up the tennis ball. He looked back at Alex and returned the same way he’d come.
Once Souze was back at Alex’s side, Elisa let out a breath she hadn’t been aware of holding.
Alex looked at her. “Climbing the fence takes them longer than jumping straight over. We’ve got a little more time to react if one of them gets over excited and decides to go up and over.”
“Does that happen a lot?” It’d been exciting to see, actually. She wondered if all of their training was as interesting.
“Not once they’ve completed obedience training.” Alex cocked his head to one side. “Mostly it’s the puppies and their attention span. They all learn quickly, though, so as early as six months, they’re solid with obedience and already have a decent foundation in some of the more advanced training.”
“How old is…Souze?” Remembering the dog’s name wasn’t hard, but her tongue tripped over it as she tried to say it. Besides, she wasn’t sure how the dog would react to her saying his name.
The dog in question remained unconcerned. His attention was on Alex, or possibly on the pocket in which Alex had stowed the tennis ball. She tried not to follow the dog’s gaze since staring at her potentially new boss’s groin didn’t seem like the best of ideas.
“Good question.” Alex motioned for her to approach. “He’s about a year old, closer to thirteen months.”
Elisa took a few steps closer, standing where Alex pointed. “Is he full grown, then?”
“I’ll answer in a second. Hold your hand out in a loose fist first and keep talking to me,” Alex instructed. “Let him make the choice to close the space between you and sniff. Don’t lean in on him.”
Okay, then. She gazed up into brown eyes the color of caramel and realized her mouth was hanging open. Suddenly, her brain blanked, and she had no idea what line of conversation she’d been following with her previous questions or how to continue. “Wh-what were we talking about again?”
Great. Fantastic.
Her cheeks burned as she snapped her mouth shut on her own inane question. Belatedly, she remembered she’d been the one asking questions.
Thankfully, Alex didn’t laugh…out loud. Humor shone in the crinkles around his eyes and at the corner of his mouth. He was fighting not to grin. Of course, if he had one of those lopsided grins maybe his amusement at her expense would be worth it. She was a sucker for a hot guy with a lopsided grin.
Which was not anything she should be considering right now. The last thing she needed was to get tangled up with a man, and why, oh why was she constantly wandering back to considering bad ideas?
When a cool, slightly wet nose touched the back of her hand, she almost jumped out of her skin. As it was, she managed not to jerk her hand back, but she did gasp and look down, locking gazes with Souze. The big dog had jerked back a few inches and was looking up at her with a wary expression.
She gulped and really hoped she hadn’t blown it. This was probably the first job interview where her ability to make friends was part of the job description.
“I’m sorry.” She directed her apology at Souze. “I messed up, didn’t I? I didn’t mean to flinch. My brain wandered, and I completely forgot you’d be deciding whether to say ‘Hi.’”
Souze’s ears didn’t relax from their alert, upright position, but he rose up out of the subtle crouch he’d been in and his nostrils flared. She left her hand out for him.
“He’s not quick to make friends,” Alex mentioned offhandedly.
Great. “You could’ve mentioned that earlier.”
“You chose him, and I wanted you to be comfortable meeting any dog you chose. He’s safe.”