Chapter 12

12

A mes Hammond finished filling the dishwasher and bent to get a pod to start it. The tension in the house couldn't be washed away, and he'd have to face it sooner or later. He'd be fifty this year, and he felt every single day of his life descend upon him as he dropped in the pod, closed the dishwasher, and started it.

He turned to find his wife standing there, a cross look on her face. "Hey," he said. "Soph, I'm sorry." He crossed the expansive kitchen to her and took her in his arms. She put hers around him too, and Ames buried his face in her neck. "Those boys can't be at the academy if they can't behave."

"I agree," she said. She just didn't like how loud Ames could bark sometimes. In truth, his loud bark kept everyone safe. Without it, Lars might've been seriously hurt. She threaded her fingers through the long hair on the back of his head and pulled back slightly. "I've talked to the twins. They feel really bad."

"As they should," he said.

She sighed and looked past him. The back of the house held huge, magnificent windows that both he and Sophia loved. They held their family councils under all that light, as well as family game night, and in the winter, they closed all the shades and watched movies together.

He adored his family, he really did. He loved his two boys and two girls, but he absolutely needed them to obey him when they came to the police dog academy with him. He'd built it and ran it single-handedly for the past twelve years, and he didn't want to see his son's blood on one of his dog's mouths.

Ever.

"They just need to know you still love them," she said quietly.

"Of course I do," he said.

"They adore you." She looked at him again, an earnestness in her face he didn't see often. "They want to be you, Ames. All Chris talks about is how he's going to be a police officer when he grows up." A fond smile touched her lips. "And Lars, well, he just wants to train dogs as well as you do."

He didn't need the added pressure or guilt, and he stepped out of his wife's embrace. "I understand that," he said. "They're nine years old, still children, all of it." He paced over to the sliding door that led into the backyard. He kept dogs here at home twenty-four-seven. The ones in intense training went everywhere with him, and he had two of those right now.

He slid open the door and yipped, and both Lucky and Lois came toward him instantly. Their obedience had to be perfect or they couldn't work in the military or on the police force, and perhaps he'd expected his children to be a little too perfect.

"I'll go talk to them," he said, swinging around as he closed the door. "I have to take Francesca over to Tex Young tonight."

"Take the boys," she said. "I'll make cookies with June, and Jillian will pick a movie for us." She smiled at him, and Ames swept his arm around her and bent his head to kiss her.

"I'm sorry," he whispered again, and Sophia was his perfect match, because she always forgave him. When he worked too much and left her with their four children, she forgave him. When he forgot to pick up one of the kids, because his focus was on a malamute, she forgave him. When he barked too loudly at the twins, she forgave him.

"I am too," she said. "I didn't mean to indicate that they don't have to obey you at the academy."

The flash of teeth Ames had seen moving toward his son's face filled his mind, and he hardened again. "He could've been seriously injured, Soph."

She studied his face, and he hoped she understood. He'd done what he'd had to do to protect his son, and that extended to getting in the boy's face about being disobedient. "He shouldn't have been in that pen, and I'd told him maybe three minutes prior. He didn't listen, and Chris was the one who unlocked the gate. They're both to blame."

She nodded, her mouth turning down. "Maybe they shouldn't get to go for a while."

"How about a week?" he suggested. "I need them to know how serious the situation was." No one seemed to get it but him, and he supposed he shouldn't expect them to. He had come home bleeding before, and Sophia had been horrified. He probably understood better than anyone else.

"A week is fine," she said. "I've got to get the storage room cleaned out, and they can help me with that."

Ames grinned at his wife, feeling his mood lift and the tension in the house lighten. "They'll love that."

"They'll learn," she said. "All of them need to clean up that playroom too. It has a funky smell in it, and I can't find it."

Ames chuckled and kissed his wife again. "Okay." He exhaled heavily, and put on his stern-Dad-face. "I'll go talk to them."

He headed down the hall and then up the stairs to the second level. He thought of his own father, who still lived in Ivory Peaks on the farm where Ames and his brothers had grown up. His dad had run their huge family company in downtown Denver, and he'd been stretched thin for time and energy almost all of the time.

Ames had four brothers—one of which was his twin—and they'd gotten into so much mischief as children. That was what boys did, and he reminded himself of that as he approached his sons' bedroom door.

He pressed his eyes closed and murmured, "Dad, how would you handle this?"

His father's disappointment had been the one thing Ames had never wanted to shoulder. His dad had a way of simply looking at him, and Ames would hear the lecture without his dad having to open his mouth at all.

No matter what, after the conversation, his father had taken him into his arms and hugged him. He'd told him Ames was a good boy, and he loved him, and that stuck in his mind as he knocked and then twisted the doorknob.

Both Chris and Lars lay in their beds, and they both sat up as Ames entered the room. "Howdy, boys." He sighed as he turned slightly to close the door. He faced them and put his hands in his pockets.

Lars sniffled and launched himself from his bed. "I'm sorry, Daddy." He flew toward Ames and flung himself into his arms. Ames, almost fifty as he was, bent and caught the boy, lifting him easily off the ground and into his arms.

He held him tightly, his own emotions storming through him as Lars wrapped his legs around Ames's abdomen. Chris got out of bed too and came over, wrapping his arms around Ames's waist.

"I'm real sorry, Daddy."

Ames held Lars with one arm and put his other hand on Chris's back, pressing him into his thigh. "I love you boys," he said, his voice thick. "You cannot even imagine what I saw flashing before my eyes. I can't lose you at the academy, okay? They're working animals, boys. Okay?"

"Okay, Daddy." Lars sniffled and kept crying.

"They're not pets. We have a pet dog. You can wrestle with her. My dogs at the academy are trained to deal with bad guys, and they don't get the difference between you and them."

"We understand," Chris said.

Ames was strong, but he couldn't hold his nine-year-old with one arm anymore. He slid Lars to the floor and crouched in front of his sons. He put one hand on each of their shoulders, noting how alike they looked—and how much they mirrored him too.

"You have to obey me at the academy, and you didn't." He reached up and wiped the tears from Chris's face. "Momma and I think you can't come with me for a week. She's got chores here for you to do, and you will do them without complaining. If I hear even once that you're giving her attitude, I will not let you come with me for another week." He looked from Lars to Chris and back. "Am I clear?"

"Yes, sir," they said together.

"Daddy," Lars said. "What about Avalanche's run-through? You said I could launch ‘im."

"Well," Ace said. "I don't know, Lars. It's on Thursday, and that's this week. I'll have to think about it."

His chin and lower lip wobbled, but he nodded. "All right."

Ames's knees ached, and he straightened. "All right. Momma's making cookies with June, and we're watching a movie in a little bit. You don't have to be confined to your room."

"I'm going to read," Chris said, turning back to his bed.

"My eyes are hot," Lars said. "Can I lay down up here?"

"Sure," Ames said. He tucked his son into his bed, then bent to kiss his forehead. "Love you, Lars."

"Love you too, Daddy."

He tousled Chris's hair and kissed him too. "Love you, Chris."

"Love you too, Daddy."

He went to the door and opened it. "Oh, I'm taking Francesca over to Tex's. Did either of you want to come?"

"I do," they said together, and Ames grinned at them.

"Okay," he said. "We'll go in about a half-hour, okay? Then we can take some cookies too."

"Okay," the twins said together, and Ames was reminded of how amazing it was to have a twin. He needed to call Cy, and maybe he and Patsy and their kids could come for the movie tonight. Ames didn't want to get rid of Francesca, and he'd be in a low mood. Cy would be able to cheer him up, and he texted his brother before he left his own twins' bedroom and went back downstairs.

Sure , Cy said. I can go with you to drop her off too.

That would be great , Ames said. He hated it when his dogs failed their final tests, because it felt like he was failing. Francesca had struggled through a lot of her training, but he'd believed in her so much. In the end, she'd be happier with a family, and while Ames didn't know Tex Young very well, the man had a good air about him.

Downstairs, he approached Sophia. "Hey, baby," he said, causing her to turn. "What do you think about inviting everyone for movie night tonight? I can ask Wes to bring his screen and we'll set it up in the backyard." He raised his eyebrows, hopeful. He needed this. He needed his nieces and nephews, loud laughter, his brothers rallying around him, and his wife at his side.

Sophia knew instantly without Ames having to say anything how he'd be once he got back from dropping off Francesca. She gave him a sympathetic smile and said, "Put it on your brothers' text, and tell them I'm making cookies, but I'm only one woman."

He grinned at her and swooped toward her for another hug. "Thank you," he whispered. "There will be so many cookies here, you won't even know what hit you."

She laughed as Ames stepped away and sent the text out to his brothers. Gray normally lived in Ivory Peaks too, but he came to Coral Canyon every summer with his family. If he and his kids weren't out on the lake, they'd be at movie night.

Messages started flying in, and within a few minutes, Ames had confirmation from all of his brothers that they'd be at his house in an hour.

He looked up, tilting his head back as if stretching his neck. "Thank you, Lord," he whispered. Giving up his dog would cost him part of his heart, but coming home to family would be the perfect balm.

"I'm gonna go get Franny," he said to Sophia. "I told the twins we'd leave in a half-hour. My guess is Lars will be asleep, but he wants to go."

"Okay," she said over her shoulder. She stepped over to June and pointed to something in the recipe book. Ames took a moment to enjoy the scene, because it was so normal and yet so perfect. He loved his wife and his family, and he loved that she taught their kids how to cook, clean, and be decent human beings. He was trying to do the same, and today, he'd show his sons how to do something really, really hard—like give a dog he'd worked countless hours with to a complete stranger.

A while later, Ames pulled up to the appointed address. A couple of pick-up trucks sat in the driveway, and three men with guitars in their hands sat on the front porch. That made him smile, and his heart took courage.

"Look, fellas," he said to his boys. "They play the guitar."

"Daddy, can you ask him if he does lessons?" Chris asked, pulling on the back of Ames's seat as he sat up and leaned forward. "Please?"

"Who's gonna drive you to a lesson?" he asked his son.

"You could, Daddy," Chris said. "Or I'll ride my bike. Please?"

Chris had wanted to take guitar lessons for a while, and they'd just never worked out with his schedule. He already took an art class once a week, and played soccer in the spring and fall. Sophia had put Jane in piano lessons, and Chris, the more sensitive of his boys, wanted to learn music too.

"Come on, Franny," Ames said to the dog riding shotgun next to him. "Time to go meet your new owner."

"If he does lessons," Chris said. "I could check on Franny when I come. She'll like that, won't you, girl?"

The German shepherd, always with her tongue lolling out of her mouth, turned and looked at Chris when he said her name. Ames wondered if she knew she'd failed her test, if she was disappointed she wouldn't get to find bad guys, drugs, or bombs. He wasn't sure, but he sure did love her. Maybe Tex would let him come see the dog too.

The men had started to lean their instruments against the house, and Ames got out of the truck. "Howdy," he called.

"Howdy," they all called back, and Ames went around to the other side of the truck as his twins got out. He leashed Franny and said, "Let's go, girl."

She jumped down too, her keen eyes already scanning the area. She put her nose to the ground, probably trying to catch the scent Ames wanted her to. He patted her and said, "You're not workin' today, hon. You're meeting your new master." He sighed, his chest so, so tight. This was the absolute worst part of his job.

He'd rather turn a dog away before starting their training than go through the many months of work, hoping, praying, and then crashing when they didn't pass. The requirements were tough, and Ames had known that for years.

She's not the first dog you've given away , he told himself, and then he turned toward the farmhouse and Tex Young, yipping at the dog to stay right at his side. She did, of course, because Franny was an amazing dog.

Tex came toward him, his smile just as infectious now as it had been the first time he'd met Ames. "How are you?" he asked, extending his hand.

Ames shook it and said, "Great," he said, looking down at Franny. "This is Francesca."

Tex crouched down right in front of the dog and held out his hand. "Howdy, Francesca." He let her sniff him, but she wouldn't lick. Ames trained his dogs religiously not to lick.

Tex scrubbed her face and up behind her ears, all while he chuckled, and Ames really liked the spirit oozing from him. He seemed larger than life but down to earth at the same time. He straightened and indicated the others. "You remember my son, Bryce. And he's my brother, Mav."

"Of course," Ames said, shaking Bryce's hand. Mav didn't look like Tex—where he was square, Mav was round. "Nice to meet you."

"I was talkin' about you to someone the other day," Mav said. "Lily Whittaker? I guess they live up at Whiskey Mountain Lodge, and she said all you Hammonds had been through there a time or two."

"That we have," Ames said. "My wife used to work up there."

"That's what she said." Mav smiled at him. "I think she said all of your wives used to work up there."

"Yeah, most of us," Ames said, thinking through his brother's wives. "Yep, all of us."

"So you and your brothers all live here?" Tex asked, sliding a look at Mav.

"In the summer," Ames said. "Gray lives part-time on our family farm in Colorado. He brings his family here for the summer."

"See?" Tex asked Mav. "That's what we should do."

Mav simply nodded, and Ames wondered what the story was there. "This is our dad's ranch," Tex said. "I just bought it, and we're fixing it up. I keep tellin' Mav we gotta get all our brothers back here."

"There's more than a few of us," Mav said.

"How many?" Ames asked, thinking his family was big.

"Nine total," Mav said.

So his wasn't so big. "Oh." He looked from Tex to Mav. "Tex must be the oldest."

"Tex is," Tex said with a laugh. He took the leash from Ames without any problem at all, but Ames's heart tore a little as Franny went with him. She just went, without looking back at Ames at all.

Panic moved through him, and thankfully, his twins distracted him by galloping around the front yard. "Those are my boys," he said. "Twins. Lars and Chris. They're nine."

"Daddy," Chris said, plenty of pleading in his tone.

Ames sighed and looked at Tex, who'd gone to Mav's side. Franny sat at his feet, looking at Ames too. "They want to know if you do guitar lessons. They saw the three of you playing."

Mav looked at Tex, his eyebrows up. Bryce did too, so the answer was clearly up to him. He looked at his son. "I don't," he said. "But Bryce might."

"Dad," Bryce said. He rolled his eyes and looked at Ames. "He taught me to play. He's amazing. He's the lead singer for Country Quad."

Ames's eyebrows rose. "That's how you know the Everett Sisters."

"They sang at my wedding," Mav said with a shrug.

Ames really needed to clue into the country music circuit. "Please?" Chris asked. "I will practice so much, I swear. My uncle even has a guitar I can use." He looked at Ames with pure pleading. "Uncle Colt does, Daddy. I've seen it."

"That doesn't mean you can use it, son," he said, gesturing for the twins to come back to him.

"Might be a good way for you to earn some money," Tex said to Bryce, who did perk up at that. "I'm sure between the two of us, we could do some decent lessons."

"Really?" Chris asked at the same time Ames did.

Tex chuckled again and looked down at his new dog. "Yeah, I think we could do it." He met Ames's eyes. "What do I owe you for Francesca?"

"Nothing," Ames said. "Just the best home for her."

Tex blinked, his eyes going wide. "That can't be true. These animals are worth thousands of dollars."

"He can pay," Mav said.

Ames shook his head. "I don't need the money. Just take real good care of her." He crouched down too and clapped his hands once. He told Franny to come in Dutch, and she trotted right over to him. He bent his head so it touched hers, his hands moving up and down along her throat. "I have to leave you here, girl," he whispered. "You're going to like it so much. Tex and Bryce are nice, and they'll take good care of you." He pulled back and stroked her ears flat, because she liked that. "Okay?"

She seemed to know what was happening, because she stuck her nose out and licked his face, just once. He grinned at her, his heart so full of love for her. "All right, then. Go on." He stood, and Franny sat in front of him, looking up at him with such high expectations in her eyes.

"You just tell her to komen ," Ames said. "And she will. It means come in Dutch."

Tex looked at him, sympathy and compassion in his eyes. Bryce said, " Komen ," and Franny turned toward him. She jogged over to him and sat, and Bryce looked like he'd won the lottery. In many ways, he had, and Ames didn't want to dwell here for much longer.

"We'll take real good care of her," Tex said, approaching Ames again. He shook his hand and then pulled him into a hug. "You come see her any time you want. Or I'll bring her to you." He stepped back, his hand still gripping Ames's tightly. "Okay?"

"Yeah," Ames said, his voice catching on itself.

"I've got your number, and I'll text you about guitar lessons." Tex released his hand and patted Chris on the shoulder. "You remind your Daddy, okay?"

"Okay," Chris said like he was Tex's personal soldier.

"Come on, guys," Ames said, turning back to the truck. "Let's get home to Momma. Everyone's coming for movie night, and she'll need our help."