Mad About Plaid (The MacLaren Brothers Series 1)

Chapter 19

Terry followed Kate down the road and away from the lodge. She was glad he chose to come because if he hadn't, she might have sat right there in the dirt and gravel and cried like a baby.

What a disaster.

What the hell was wrong with her? She'd kissed a man in a full blown anxiety attack. Maybe she should just tattoo IDIOT across her forehead.

She might be good with dogs, but obviously, once again, she sucked with people. When Devin's eyes glazed over... She hadn't known how to help him, how to get him to focus and breathe. Even now, she could taste the panic, the helplessness. She'd considered slapping him, like in the movies, but he was a soldier; there was no telling how he would've reacted to that—she might have been out of her element, but she wasn't stupid.

So she kissed him, thinking gentle was the way to go. Thinking distraction was the way to go.

Truth was, she hadn't been thinking at all.

She'd been terrified and desperate to help him. The look in his eyes had scared the hell out of her. And now she wept for him. She couldn't help it.

And Hildie... Oh, she understood the dog better than ever now and her heart expanded. What an amazing dog. Smart. Loyal. Brave. Hildie had assumed a new role all on her own, sensing Devin's attacks, alerting him, and staying with him through them. Kate could still hear the scratching and barking ringing in her head. Hildie had desperately wanted to get to Devin. And when she had, Kate was in the way. Hildie had no reason to trust her. None at all. Kate wasn't sure she trusted herself.

Eventually, the woods thinned, and the sky grew purple and orange with the setting sun. As her anger cooled, her steps slowed. Terry stopped on the ridge ahead and waited. He was a good boy. One that probably had a loving home, a family who was missing him. When she got back, she'd ask Lucy to help make a flyer in hopes someone would claim him.

Too bad she couldn't keep him. He was smart boy. He might even make a great service dog. Just the touch of an animal could calm a person, lower their fear, their blood pressure... It was incredible the difference an animal could make.

Working dogs amazed her. Always had. And today they made her wonder why she never pursued that side of her canine love affair. Thanks to Holdenmort she had to start over. Maybe it was time to switch gears, to work in the training field after all, training service dogs, making her own kind of difference.

Once the idea sparked, Kate couldn't seem to think of anything else.

Until Terry barked and zipped past her going the wrong way.

Turning, Kate eyed the road behind her. There was nothing there. Then she heard another bark.

A few seconds later, she saw a broad-shouldered figure appear, cresting the hill, jogging slowly, methodically toward her. Her nerves went chaotic. She couldn't deal with him right now.

She spun and started walking away before thinking better of it. Avoiding him now would make her more of a jerk than she'd already been. With a deep breath in and reluctant breath out, she finally turned around only to find Dev standing there barely winded.

Her stomach did an elaborate flip. She swallowed. He really was a beautiful man. If only that was all there was to him, but there was so much more. So much she was filled with emotion—hurt, confusion, fear, exhilaration. Devin MacLaren disrupted everything.

And more than anything, at that moment, Kate wanted out. Wanted him gone. Wanted to breathe normally. "Look, sorry about all that—"

"Hamish stole the spark plugs from my truck," he said at the same time.