Kansas City Confessions by Julie Miller

Author:Julie Miller [Miller, Julie]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2015-11-09T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

“Come on, Padre.” Trent downed the last of the tepid coffee and set the thermal mug in the console between him and the dog curled up in the passenger seat of his pickup. “Are your muscles getting as stiff as mine?”

Well, curled up was a relative term. The moment Trent pulled his attention from the sun rising dimly on the horizon behind Katie’s apartment building and spoke to the dog, the former Stinky McPooch leaped to his feet and straddled the center console to rest his neatly trimmed front paws on Trent’s thigh. The dog’s excited posture and wagging tail diffused the weariness permeating every bone in Trent’s body. “You’re hungry for some action, aren’t you, pal?”

An eager slurp across the scruff of Trent’s jaw indicated an affirmative answer. With a laugh, he reached over to attach the new leash to Padre’s harness, which peeked through the bright red Kansas City Chiefs sweater he’d gotten to keep the dog warm and to make him an easy target to spot when the mutt dug into the snow he seemed to love so much. “All right, all right, I’m moving.”

Padre was in his lap, ready to leap outside into the street, before Trent could turn off the engine he’d been running for the heater and pocket the keys. A slap of cold air and a brisk walk would do him some good, too, after sitting outside Katie’s building for most of the night. Olivia Watson and her fiancé, Gabe Knight, had voluntarily ended their date early the evening before to stand watch while Trent went home to shower and try to get some shut-eye. But he’d only lasted a couple hours before coming back to send Liv and Gabe on their way and watch over the Rinaldis himself. There was already more distance than he wanted between him and Katie, and though she was leery of taking any emotional risks and doubtful of her ability to make a relationship work, he had no doubt about what was in his heart. He wasn’t going to let any harm come to the woman and child he loved. They were his to protect, even if they never got the chance to become the family he wanted them to be.

“All right, boy.” He scratched Padre around the ears and looked into the dog’s dark brown eyes, imagining he could talk more sense into him than he’d been able to with Katie last night. “Now mind your manners on the leash. Let’s go.”

Leading the dog to the sidewalk while he locked up the truck, Trent scanned up and down the block. Although it had been a relatively quiet night, there was plenty of activity this morning, with folks in the neighborhood out shoveling snow or sweeping the blowing flakes off their vehicles and warming up cars as they got ready to head to work or school. He wasn’t the only brave soul out walking a pet, either, and there was even one diehard out

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