If she had had to catch the dog, they’d have both ended up toppling over.īentley's leash trailed beside him and Captain Monahan stooped to swipe up the leather. He must have changed his mind midway through the action because he then placed Bentley on the floor. The man pressed his face against his pet, breathed deeply then thrust the dog at her. Nausea clawed as she thought of the sacrifice the Marine was making. Swallowing to relieve the tightness in her throat and blinking back tears, Melly groped for a reassuring comment. She had to lean forward to hear his next comment. Another deep breath whooshed out and then back into his lungs. All my friends have been deployed and I don't have family. Surely you have someone who can keep him while you're away, Captain. His whisper cut her heart into tiny fragments. I leave tonight, ma'am and I can't take him with me. His muscles tightened around Bentley, but he didn’t look away. He fought for control again, and won again. Hoping she wasn't right about the Marine’s reason for visiting, with his dog. Melly offered a hand for the dog to sniff. Melly watched the mutt's wet nose press against the Captain's neck and a pink tongue whip out as though to comfort him. The Marine's entire body trembled, an action that caused his pet to nestle closer. He heaved in another breath and continued. Captain Monahan spoke in a calm, firm voice. I'm Captain Mitchel Monahan of the United States Marine Corps, ma'am and I ship out tonight for Kuwait. He sucked in a deep breath, let it out in a whoosh and looked her in the eyes. Reining in his emotions took very little time. The Marine looked away, blinked, and she watched him fight to gain control. Melly’s stomach sank, because she could think of few reasons why a Marine would be here with his dog. He wore military fatigues and had the look of a Marine. The man's magnificent frame caused the dog to appear much smaller than he actually was. At first Melly thought the mutt was medium sized, but once the man came abreast of her, she realized her mistake. The dog whimpered, its furry head resting on an equally immense shoulder. He held a dog of golden retriever ancestry but with strong mastiff characteristics tightly against his massive chest. This time he straightened his shoulders, took a deep breath, and shoved the door open. Melly Lytle watched the man approach the doors, stop, and turn around for the third time.
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