Some Kind of Wonderful (Puffin Island 2)

There had been moments in his past when he probably would have made the same sound himself.

“You’re mad and you don’t trust me. I know, and I don’t blame you. Who did this to you?” He kept his tone low and measured and his movements smooth and unhurried as he put himself between the dog and the child. “We need to get that wire off your neck because it’s digging in and making you sore. And you need to stop growling at Grace because you’re scaring her. And we both know you don’t want to scare her. You don’t want to hurt anyone, except maybe the person who did this to you. And I wouldn’t mind going a few rounds with them myself.”

He kept talking, taking it as a positive sign that the dog didn’t attack. Instead the animal backed up a few steps, growling deep in his throat. Then he shook his head angrily, sending blood and saliva flying through the air.

Zach kept talking. “You’re probably wondering if I’m another bully like the one who dumped you in the forest, but I’m telling you I’m not. I know that thing must hurt like a b—” At the last minute he remembered Grace. “A lot. It must hurt a lot. But I’m going to take it off and make you more comfortable. And you’re going to let me do that.”

He saw Travis reach Grace. Saw the boy clock the situation in an instant.

“Stay right there, Travis.” He kept his voice at the same easy pitch. “Stay near Grace for me. She’s uneasy around the dog. Grace, you stay with Travis. He’s going to take care of you. Whatever you do, don’t run.”

He saw Grace step closer to Travis and slide her hand into his. He saw Travis hesitate, shock and uncertainty on his face, more freaked out by the little girl holding his hand and trusting him than he was by the angry dog.

Anger was familiar.

Trust wasn’t.

Zach was willing to bet no one had trusted him with anything before.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Caleb Cook, the island’s police chief, arrive and park his cruiser a safe distance from the barn.

The dog’s growling intensified and Zach lifted his hand as a signal to Caleb to keep back.

Dimly aware that Brittany was approaching down the trail, he dropped to his haunches in front of the dog. “It’s turning into a circus around here. You don’t want to hurt anyone, do you? You just need someone to take this thing off.”

The dog snarled, clearly ready to argue with that analysis of the situation.

“Who put it there? Who did that to you?” Zach slowly reached out a hand to the dog. The animal bared its teeth but didn’t bite as Zach tried to gently maneuver his fingers under the wire. It proved impossible. Whoever had put it there hadn’t intended it to be taken off. They’d intended the animal to die in the forest, helpless and alone.

Anger ripped through him and the dog must have sensed the shift in his emotions because he snarled and turned his head. For a moment it looked as if he was about to bury his teeth into Zach’s arm. He snapped wildly and Caleb took a step towards them, but Zach sent him a look warning him to stay back.

“You’ve been pulling at it. That’s why it’s got so tight.” He stroked the dog’s head, gently soothing him. Then he slowly reached into his back pocket and pulled out a pair of cutters he kept with him whenever he went into the forest. “Hold still. If you move I’ll either lose a finger or cut your throat and we don’t want either of those things to happen.”

Zach knew he only had one shot at it and he didn’t hesitate. He slid the clippers under the wire and cut before the dog had a chance to protest at this apparent assault. The wire dropped to the floor and the dog yelped and shook himself, as if checking he really was free.

“It’s gone.” Zach kept talking to the dog in the same even tone, kept stroking him gently as he rose slowly to his feet. “I don’t like the look of that wound so I’m going to put you in my car and take you to the vet.”

The dog gave a whimper an

d sniffed his hand but he didn’t run off.

“Yeah, that’s right. Friend, not foe. I bet you haven’t had many friends in your life, have you?”

He knew how that felt, too.

Knew how it felt to be so scared you didn’t know who the hell you could trust.

Caleb moved closer. “If you pick him up, chances are he’ll bite you.”

“I don’t think so, but I’ll take my chances. He only snapped at me because I hurt him trying to get the wire off. He was trying to protect himself.” Zach pushed the cutters back in his pocket, his fingers slippery with the dog’s blood. “You’re not going to punish him for acting in self-defense, are you, Officer?”

Caleb gave a faint smile. “It’s your flesh. I got a call saying the dog was dangerous. If he’s a stray, we can’t leave him here. We need to trace the owner.”

“That’s your job. Trace the owner, and when you find him I hope you’ll press charges. The dog would have starved if he hadn’t broken free.” Banking down the anger, Zach stroked the dog gently. “I’m going to take him over to the animal center and get that wound checked out.”

“And then what?” Caleb frowned as his radio crackled.

“I don’t know, but I’ll work something out. You go and deal with whatever crisis is going on. I’ve got this.” Zach carried the dog to his car, put him in the backseat and closed the door firmly. The truth was he had no clue what he was going to do with the dog, but it couldn’t be left injured and angry in a camp full of children and the alternative wasn’t an option.