Love To The Rescue by Brenda Sinclair

nose.
    Finally, the dog maneuvered his entire body out from under the bed.
    Amy tossed the treat in the air. Rover caught it in his mouth and she reached out and snagged his collar. “Good boy. Now don’t do that again. There is nothing to be afraid of.”
    Amy led him into the hallway. The second he spotted Kevin an almost imperceptible growl rumbled from him and then he attempted to sneak back into the bedroom.
    “Friend, Rover, friend.” Amy led the dog toward the stairs with Kevin standing at the far end of the hall.
    The dog silenced as he met his new owner’s eyes, still gripping his treat in his teeth. Rover turned back toward Kevin, watching the man with wary and suspicious eyes.
    “Friend, Rover,” repeated Amy. “Rover spent considerable time at the Humane Society being rehabilitated before I adopted him a few days ago. He’ll become accustomed to you in time.” Still holding onto his collar, Amy led the dog downstairs and into the kitchen.
    “Rover, crate,” she ordered.
    The dog’s ears lowered, but he obeyed and walked into the large wire kennel. Amy closed the door. “Good boy. I’ll be back in a couple of hours. Behave while I’m gone, and there’ll be a tasty doggie bone for you to chew on when I return.”
    The dog circled in his crate, lay down, and spit out his treat. He then settled his head on his paws, and peeked out at her.
    “Good dog, Rover.” Amy straightened, took a step back, and landed on Kevin’s foot. Thankfully, she hadn’t slipped into her pumps yet.
    “Sorry, I didn’t realize you’d followed me into the kitchen.” Amy met Kevin’s eyes. “I think that went rather well.”
    Kevin smiled. “Except for your toe.”
    “And my makeup,” she smiled, recalling how it had met its fate. “You should come in for coffee after dinner so Rover will become accustomed to you. He needs to learn to trust men again, realize there are good men in the world.”
    Kevin smiled and that cute dimple appeared again. “The things I’ll do for a good cause and a beautiful woman.”
    Amy gaped, hearing his ‘beautiful woman’ comment again. The last man who’d complimented her on her looks was her husband the day before he died.
    Kevin bent down in front of Rover’s crate. The dog raised his head and emitted a low growl. “Take it easy, boy. It was a pleasure meeting you, Rover. I’m sure you’ll come to trust me.”
    Amy grabbed the purse she’d left on the table and snuck into the bathroom off the kitchen to fix her makeup. She heard the soothing tone of voice Kevin used while talking to her dog. Calm, reassuring words were exactly what the dog needed to hear while learning to trust Kevin.
    “Now, I’m taking Amy out to dinner. We’ll be back soon, and you and I will get better acquainted then.” Kevin stood and faced Amy as she exited the bathroom, makeup all fixed. She handed Kevin a wet washcloth and he dabbed at the lipstick on his mouth.
    He turned to face her. “Did I get it all?”
    “Yep.”
    Kevin handed her the cloth and returned his attention to Rover. The dog still hadn’t touched his treat. “You know something’s up, don’t you? I’ll bring you the last couple bites of my steak if you’ve been a good dog while we’re away.”
    “Bribery, Constable?” Amy tossed the washcloth into the kitchen sink.
    “It’s not illegal if we’re talking sirloin. Besides, Rover won’t tell my superiors.”
    “I don’t know. Unless he’s sworn to secrecy...” Amy chuckled and followed him toward the front door. She slipped into her black pumps, grabbed her sweater, set the alarm, and followed her date out the door.
    Kevin led her toward an older model dark blue Crown Victoria parked on her driveway. Made sense, she thought. A guy as tall as he was, she’d guess six foot four, would require a large sized automobile to accommodate his height. She smiled, imagining the Cirque du Soleil maneuvers necessary to fit his long-legged self into a foreign compact.
    Her