That Dating Thing Read Online Free Page B

tightening of his stomach muscles made him smile. “But checking her out might not be a bad idea. Dad may not be loaded by Manhattan standards, especially since buying the condo, but he’s not exactly broke.”
    “What do you know about her?”
    “Not much, other than her name. I assume she lives in the area, but you couldn’t tell by listening to her. Deep south I’d say, from her Scarlett O’Hara accent.”
    “A southern belle?”
    Coop chuckled, seeing again his father’s bride in his mind’s eye. He tipped back in his chair. “She’s a little hard to describe. Her mode of dress is straight out of the sixties, but I’d put her at closer to forty-five or fifty.”
    “What about the niece? If I run into trouble, I may have to cross-reference to get a hit.”
    “Rylee Pierce, mid-to-late twenties. She owns the dog training service. The Canine Academy. You can start there.”
    “Silvia Burke,” Tim repeated. “I’ve heard that name somewhere.” His eyes grew unfocused as he stared into inner space. He snapped his fingers. “Isn’t Silvia Burke the administrator of The Adam’s House Foundation?”
    “The military charity?”
    “That’s the one. They’ve been advertising their big Fourth of July fundraiser over on Roosevelt Island.”
    Coop tapped the pen against the edge of the desk, considering his impression of his father’s gypsy wife before sitting forward. “Dad’s Silvia runs the dog service with her niece. That must be a different Silvia Burke.”
    “I’ll see what I can find.” Tim pushed to his feet. “The colonel married,” he repeated, shaking his head.
    ****
    Rylee let herself inside Elliot’s condo, waggling her pointed finger in front of Pippin’s nose in the sign for quiet. Beside him, Belle was the picture of patience. The Boxer’s serene temperament tended to calm the ten-month-old Great Dane, and for this exercise, Rylee needed all the help she could get. In her opinion, a good portion of Pippin’s behavioral problems stemmed from a hypersensitivity to the emotions of his handler. Tension, whether positive or negative, flipped Pippin’s switch.
    The coming conversation should have him bouncing off the walls.
    What were Elliott and Sil up to, and why didn’t Elliott want his son to know they were married? The song and dance they performed earlier didn’t bode well for Sil’s future happiness, especially considering Coop’s comments before he left.
    Rylee liked Elliott. What’s more, she owed him for resurrecting the spark missing in Sil since Adam’s death, three days after he’d arrived in Afghanistan, eight years ago. While her cousin’s death left a hole in Rylee, losing her son had flattened Sil. Since meeting Elliott, Sil’s natural buoyancy had returned. If Elliot hurt her by being less than they believed him to be…
    The colonel had some explaining to do.
    Which would have to wait. A commercial blared on TV, not quite drowning out the snuffling snores from the man on the couch. Spotting Elliott, Pippin lost focus and started in his direction, but returned to heel at the snap of Rylee’s fingers. She was anxious enough to consider stomping over to Elliott herself, to poke him awake and demand some answers. She ignored the urge, continuing into the kitchen where Sil’s flour-coated hands wrestled a large ball of dough on the table.
    For Pippin, Elliott’s presence was a curiosity. Sil’s was a temptation he couldn’t resist. He paid no attention to Rylee’s signal to halt, his large paws scrabbling for purchase on the hardwood floor as he leapt for Sil. Rylee popped his leash. Startled by the unexpected pressure at his neck, he halted then stood quivering. To her satisfaction, he followed Belle’s example and dropped to his haunches at her command. She extended her hand, palm down, and both dogs dropped to the floor.
    “Good dogs,” she praised, showing her palm. “Stay.”
    “Impressive.” Sil eyed Pippin. “He would have been jumping and