Here's the set up:
This story is about a wounded military K9 handler with PTSD who becomes attached to a service pup in training and her owner. It is a third short novel in Dani's Seaside Heat series.
He looked forward to being alone this winter on the Outer Banks of North Carolina while remodeling the beach house. The only being who understood him now, he couldn’t find. Taking the side stairs down, he then headed over the dune for the beach. He’d worked up to a slight jog in the few days he’d been there. Today, the packed sand held his weight giving him a steadier gait. He zipped up his hoodie and pulled his beanie down over his ears against the biting breeze.
****
Sky barked, chasing the dried sea grass rolling along the shore. Against the north wind, Tori increased her pace to match the lab puppy, hoping they’d make it back to the house before the rain hit. Plus she needed to be at work shortly.
Broad shoulders filled out a black hoodie as the only other person on the beach approached them at a jog. A black beanie with Hurley logo rode low at his brows. The slight limp in his gait seemed out of character for his athletic build. His piercing steel, gray eyes squinted as his gaze fell upon Sky. The puppy greeted him with a bark and broke into a run.
“Heel, Sky.” At the end of her lead, Sky tumbled head first turning into a black fur ball. Tori broke into laughter.
The man stopped. His lips curled revealing a bright grin against a day’s growth of beard. He knelt as the dog sprayed sand in all directions with a hearty shake. “Aren’t you a ball of energy?”
Until now, Sky seemed timid of strangers. Tori worried she’d made a poor choice as the pup’s destiny exceeded being a pet. “You’re the first person she’s approached since I began her training.”
He gave Sky a hand command. “Sit.” The puppy sank her rump on the sand. His eyes lit up. “Good girl.” He glanced to Tori again. “May I pet her?”
Most people never asked even if her dog wore an in training vest. “Sure.”

When the Heat Gets Started
JoAnn Mercer was on the verge of surfer stardom when her career took a nosedive thanks to a backstabbing ex. Now she’s back home in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, staying clear of men, desperately in need of a job. Joining the local firefighting squad seems like the perfect solution, until she realizes one of her coworkers is an old crush…
It Will Never Stop
Ray Andrews never runs away from a fight. He served his country in Iraq, and he’s battled more fires than he can count. But what he can’t fight is the desire burning between him and JoAnn Mercer. He’s wanted Jo for as long as he can remember, but a promise made years ago has kept them apart. Finally free of obligations, Ray is ready to prove he’s the only man for Jo. But after the trauma of her past, can he convince her to love again?
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Dani Jace lives in coastal Virginia and enjoys writing headstrong, flip-flop casual heroines and everyday heroes who work with their hands―and other body parts. Claiming the Outer Banks of North Carolina as her second home, she includes the scenic and legendary chain of barrier islands as a setting for many of her tales.
When not working on her next novel, she’s dipping her toes in the ocean, reading or checking out the newest action flick. Her husband, son and black Lab, plus her many imaginary characters make life complete.
You can find Dani on the web at www.danijace.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DaniJaceAuthor Twitter: https://twitter.com/Dani_Jace and subscribe to her newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bbxwpP