Understanding dawned, and Cat felt a warmth steal into her. She smiled. “They can, huh?”

Dylan returned the smile, her eyes warm and affectionate. “Guaranteed.”

Cat took a long look at the dogs again, smiling at their inquisitive expressions. “I bet raising and training these beauties costs a lot of money,” she said as casually as she could. “How much would one of them go for?”

Tamara grinned. “Oh, usually about twelve to fifteen hundred.”

“Dollars?!” Cat half-choked.

Tam?s grin broadened. “That?d be it, yes.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “However, as trainer and owner of the sire, I?m authorized to give you a very?deeply discounted?price.”

“How deep.”

“How?s ?free? sound?”

Dylan chuckled at Cat?s speechlessness. “I didn?t bring you up here to sell you a dog, Cat. I brought you up here to give you one.”

“But?I couldn?t?.”

“Sure you can. Just say ?yes?. Unless you?re not a dog person.”

“I am, but?.”

“Or just don?t want one.”

“I do, but?.”

“Good. It?s a deal, then. Pick your poison.”

“You?re serious, aren?t you.”

“As a heart attack.”

“Wow.” She looked over the dogs, then back at Dylan. “You?re sure?”

Dylan grinned. “I?m sure.”

“Ok. So?how does one go about picking their poison?” Cat grinned, wrinkling her nose. “I mean, my dad always picked out our dogs from the pound. With ten kids all shouting different preferences to him, he always decided to just go it alone. I couldn?t tell a good dog from a bad one if you paid me.”

“Ah, but that?s where you?re lucky,” Tamara replied. “I can tell, and these are all ?good ones?. And I?m not just saying that because my male is their sire. I?ve had them since birth, and I?ll guarantee that there?s not a bad one in the bunch.”

“So how do I choose?”

“Hut.” At the soft command, the dogs rose to their haunches in unison. At a nod from Tamara, they stood and walked over to Cat, greeting her with wagging tails and playful nudges.

Cat laughed and pet the mass of fur wiggling around her until she heard a soft growl. She pulled her hand away quickly, and straightened, looking over at Dylan.

Tamara laughed. “Well, well, well, that makes it easier, doesn?t it.”

Cat turned her questioning gaze to Tam.

“Looks like instead of choosing, you got chosen.” Following Tam?s gaze, Cat noticed one dog sitting proudly at her side. The rest of the pack had moved off in response to the growl. “Cat, meet Hamlet. He?s decided you?re going to be his human and it doesn?t look like he?s going to take ?no? for an answer.”

As Cat looked down into the golden brown eyes of her new dog, she instantly fell head over heels in love. “Hello, Hamlet,” she said softly, scratching him behind the ears. Hamlet gave a soft “wuf!” and licked her hand. “It?s nice to meet you too,” she replied, laughing.

Cat walked into the pet store, not really knowing what she wanted for her new best buddy, but knowing that it had to be something special. She had already loaded him up on the ?right? food and treats. And since he was sleeping at the foot of her bed, she wasn?t particularly concerned with finding him a bed. She liked him right were he was.

“Toys.” She nodded and headed down the isle. “That?s what my boy needs, toys.” She didn?t like the way he had been eyeing her sneakers. Even though he was older and a fully trained guard dog, he still got that mischievous puppy glint in his eyes, especially when she rubbed his belly at night when they watched TV.

She was looking at a large rawhide bone when a very familiar voice got her attention. “Don?t buy him rawhide.”

She looked up to find the coach standing on the other side of the isle. “No?”

“No.” Dylan shook her head. “It?s bad for them.” The woman walked around and handed Cat a large black object looked like a cross between hard rubber snowman and something vaguely obscene. “It?s called a Kong. It?s nearly indestructible against those teeth.”

Cat smiled and took the toy. “Ugly thing.”

“No uglier than the shredded remains of your lucky playing shoes.”

“Mm. You?ve got a point there.” She tossed the toy in her basket. “Thanks.”

“Not a problem. I was getting food for my beasts and saw your truck in the lot. Nice one, by the way.”

Cat grinned. “Thanks. It?s the first new car I?ve owned. Of course, it?s nothing like yours, but?”

“You?ll get there.”

“Someday.” She looked down to her shoes as a blush crept up her cheeks. “Thanks by the way.”

“For?”

“Everything. The talk. Taking me to get Hamlet. Being my friend.”

Dylan sighed and handed her yet another toy for what she knew was going to be a rambunctious Doberman. “It?s easy being your friend Cat. I hate it that you got hurt, the least I can do it try to help a little.”

“You?ve helped a lot.”

“I?m glad to hear it.”

“Hey,” Cat fingered the toys in her hands. “Can I buy you lunch?”

“Do you promise not to eat something that looks like it?s going to crawl off the plate?”

The blonde chuckled. “I promise. No rare steaks.”

“Thank you.”

Sitting across from each other, Cat?s thoughts were in a whirl, and spent the first twenty minutes at the table running her finger over the rim of the glass. Dylan sipped her tea and finally broke the silence.

“Are the bad dreams easing up?”

Yeah,” she nodded. “I still have them but I wake myself up before it gets too bad.” She smiled. “And Hamlet?s a big help. Just knowing he?s there?well?it helps a lot.”

“Told ya.”

“Yeah, you did.” She took in a breath and blew it out slowly. “So, have you been having problems with the head office over this?”

“Nothing I can?t handle Cat. Don?t worry about it. Mac and I have it under total control.”

“If there is anything I can do, let me know.”

“You just keep on your game and I?m happy.”

“I?m doing my best.”

“I know.” Dylan picked at her salad and finally sighed. “Look. Johnson is a bigoted, small minded son of a bitch, it?s true. But he?s also a slave to the almighty dollar. As long as we keep pulling money in, he?ll back off.” Her tone softened. “I just don?t want to see you get hurt again.”

Cat smiled. “Thanks, Coach.”

Dylan looked vaguely embarrassed, and she took a moment to sip her tea. “Have you always been ?out??”

Cat blinked at the unexpected question. “Um?yeah. Pretty much. I mean I always knew, there was just something different. It took me years to figure it out, but once I did there was no hiding.”

“And your folks have always been supportive?”

“Well my Dad was a little wigged at first, but he came around pretty quickly. My mom gave me the, ?it?s not what I would choose for you, but if you?re happy? lecture and we just went from there. My oldest brother told me I wasn?t allowed to scope out his girl friends.”

Dylan nearly choked on her tea at the mental picture that went through her mind. She grabbed her napkin, managing to keep it in and swallow, with some effort. “That?s priceless.”

“That?s my brother.” Cat sighed. “I?ve had small run ins with a few small minded people before, but nothing like this. For me it?s just never been an issue. I didn?t make it an issue, so it wasn?t. Any particular reason why you asked?”

Dylan shrugged. “Just curious, I guess. If I stepped over the line, I apologize.”

“Hey.,” Cat reached over and patted Dylan?s hand. “It?s okay, you didn?t pry. It?s always better to ask rather than carrying around a lot of misconceived notions.”

“Oh I don?t think you have to worry about that. I?m pretty worldly you know. Been around the block a few times,” Dylan teased, smirking.

Cat returned the smirk. “I?m sure you have.”

The two locked glances for a long moment, and the air between them grew almost palpable. Cat finally cleared her throat and took a sip of water. “So?.my turn. Answer a question?”

“Sure. Turn about is fair play.”

Caught out, Cat asked the first question that came into her mind. “Why are you alone?”

Oh, dear god, I can?t believe I said that!!!

Dylan?s eyebrow crawled slowly up her forehead and stayed there. “What makes you think I?m alone?”

Oh well, in for a penny? “Well, Hunter just doesn?t seem to be your type.”

“And why not? He?s a good guy.”

Because he?s a good guy, you stinker. “I?m sure he is. But he?s so, so?”

“Tall?” Dylan smirked.

“Yeah, tall. Come on.”

“Tan?”

Cat just bit her lip and shook her head. “Now you?re just being mean. He?s just not your type.”

Dylan licked her lips and smiled. “And what, exactly, is my ?type??”

Aww shit. Hoist by my own petard. Par for the course around her, actually. “Um?not him?”

Dylan laughed, deciding to let her young friend off the hook. “He?s not really, and to answer your first question, I guess I don?t really see myself as being ?alone?. I mean, I have my team, and my work. It takes up a great deal of my time and energy. I?m not really social by nature so?.” She shrugged. “It works out for the best.” Then she smiled. “Besides, I haven?t found anyone who can put up with me yet.”

“I find that very hard to believe.”

“I?m hard to live with. I have a certain way I like everything.”

“You fold your socks don?t you?” Cat teased and leaned forward. “Go on, you can admit it. You?re a sock folder.”

“I also squeeze toothpaste from the bottom of the tube.”

“Oh you?re one of those.” She giggled when Dylan nodded.

“Guilty.” The coach looked up from her glass. “I guess I just haven?t found the right,” she paused and decided that it wasn?t worth hiding from Cat anymore. The young woman had been totally honest with her she owed her the same. “Woman.”