“That, sexy reader, is brave and impressive.”
“Says the football star, author, and motivational speaker.”
“So, I’m a bit of an overachiever.”
“Just a bit.”
“And you’re still trying to keep from getting overly excited,” he said carefully. “Like pushing me away because I’m too much.”
“You’re a lot of man.”
He liked her honesty. “And you’re a lot of woman.”
She rolled her eyes. “A little more packaging, a little less flirting.”
“Where’s the fun in that?”
They talked and joked around as they made their way through the boxes. Two hours passed in the blink of an eye. When Reno came over to check Dash out, he asked if it was okay to pet him.
“Yeah, please do.”
As he petted Reno, he said, “Is he always on duty?”
“Sort of. He’s always there for me, but I don’t make him wear the vest unless we’re going someplace where people need to be aware and he needs to be hypervigilant. He knows if he has the vest on, he can’t play. But at times like this, it’s fine.”
“How long have you had him?”
“Four years.”
“He’s a sweet dog.” He scratched Reno’s neck with both hands, and Reno licked his chin.
“He’s my little love nugget. My buddy, my confidence builder and smile maker.”
“Lucky dog. Does he sense seizures?”
“I’m the lucky one.” She petted Reno. “Some people say dogs can sense seizures, and others say they can’t, or only a certain percentage of dogs can. I haven’t had any seizures since I got Reno, so I don’t really know. But he definitely senses when I’m nervous or excited, and stays closer to me.”
“And what is he trained to do if you have a seizure?”
“He’s trained to try to break my fall and keep a clear space around me so I don’t hurt myself.” She touched her necklace, a silver circle with a black button in the middle about the size of a silver dollar. He realized she’d been wearing it every time he’d seen her. “This is a seizure-alert necklace. Pepper developed it when she was in graduate school, and it’s now sold all over the country. Reno is trained to push this button if I have a seizure. It has an internal GPS, and it alerts my family and emergency services to my location.”
“That’s incredible that your sister developed it, and it says a lot about how much you must mean to her.”
Her expression turned thoughtful. “I get choked up thinking about it sometimes.”
“I understand that. From what I read, if you have a seizure, it’s best to be rolled onto your side so it’s easier to breathe. Does Reno know to do that?”
“No, but I’m impressed that you do.”
“I didn’t read up on it to impress you.” He put another book into an envelope, and as he affixed the label, he said, “I’m hoping to get to know you better and wanted to be prepared. I also read that there are different types of seizures. What kind do you have?”
“The big ones. Grand mal seizures.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. I read that with most grand mal seizures, it’s not necessary to call emergency services unless the seizure lasts longer than five minutes, or if the person hurts themselves, of course. Is that right?”
“Yes, but since Reno can’t tell time, he’s trained to push the button right away,” she said with a twinkle of a tease.
“Touché. That’s a lot of responsibility for a dog. How long did it take to train him?”
“Two years. A lot of the dogs don’t make it through the program because they don’t have the right temperament, but Reno is my perfect partner.”
“Do you take him everywhere?”
“Mostly. He’s like a security blanket. I feel a little naked without him. It’s the same with the necklace. I always wear it, even if I’m just hanging out with my family.” She tucked a note into a book and reached for a bookmark. “But I don’t bring Reno every time I go out with my friends, because they’ll watch out for me, and I don’t always make him wear his service vest. Like when I’m working here, he doesn’t wear it, and he doesn’t follow me around the store every minute. But if I’m going to a big gathering with people from neighboring towns who may not know he’s my service dog, like the jam session, then he wears his vest.”
“I see. Do you have to keep up with his training? Or will he know those tasks forever?”
“Training is a lifelong process. Like with people, he can forget things.”
“Did you have a dog before him?”
“No. My mom has trained service dogs since the year I was diagnosed, but I didn’t want anything else to signify that I was different in public.”
“So why take on Reno?”
“You sure ask a lot of questions.”
“I’m sorry.” Damn, he didn’t want to screw this up.
“No, it’s okay. I don’t mind answering. Most people don’t want to know all the details. I got Reno because even though I had friends and I’d had short-term boyfriends, I was missing real companionship. I didn’t think falling in love and making future plans was in the cards for me at that point. I was helping my mom train the dogs during Reno’s last summer with her, and we became inseparable.” She ran her hand down Reno’s cheek and lifted his face to kiss his snout. He licked her cheek. “Like I said, he’s my love nugget.”
“And like I said, lucky dog.”
As they finished packaging the books, he asked about the basket of greeting cards, and she explained that she sends cards to her customers on their birthdays and anniversaries. She was thoughtful, sweet, and smart. He wondered how the men in Oak Falls had let her slip through their fingers. Were they truly intimidated by her medical condition, or wasn’t she interested in any of them?
It was nearly eleven o’clock by the time they finished and cleaned up. Amber went to put the supply cart in the back room with Reno in tow, and Dash checked out the rest of the store, noticing all of her personal touches, like the suggestion box, vases of dried flowers, and tiny elf and monkey figurines reading books, which were tucked into nooks and crannies throughout the store. Handwritten plaques called attention to certain books with comments like AN EDGE-OF-YOUR-SEAT THRILLER, A PERFECT BEACH READ, and FOR KIDS WHO LIKE TO LAUGH. Displays by the register boasted literary socks, candles, bookmarks, and other trinkets. This wasn’t just a bookstore. It was the kind of place that made him want to kick off his shoes and stretch out on the couch beside Amber with a good book.
She came out of the back wearing her jacket, and he knew from the wariness in her eyes that the easygoing girl he’d gotten to know while they were busily packaging books and talking had become guarded once again.
He picked up the romance novel he’d purchased, and she said, “You’re not really going to read that.”
“I absolutely am, and I’m looking forward to it. I’ve got to see what kind of romance ideas you’ve been putting in your head.”
She picked up the vase of flowers. “Maybe you can pick up some pointers.”