Then, J.P. freed Trooper from his leash, and tail thumping even harder, he darted over to Jennifer, reaching her in seconds, resting his head on her knee. She slid her arms around him, hugging him, murmuring the same endearments Carly always did. “Oh, my handsome boy! How are you? Jen’s missed you.” She glanced up at J.P. “He’s doing okay?”

“As you can see. And so am I—thanks to him. And, by extension, you.”

She turned to Carly. “He’s retired, you know. Trooper, I mean,” she said with a giggle.

“I do know. But in some ways he’s still on the job.”

“Sure is,” J.P. agreed. “It’s just that now he has the time and leisure to make friends.”

“And he’s got lots,” Carly put in.

Jennifer nodded. “I’ll bet he does.” Her colleagues smiled and nodded, too.

“Would you mind talking to Carly about the kind of work you do?”

“We’d be happy to!”

Thrilled, Carly took the opportunity to ask questions and wrote the answers in her songwriting notebook. Answers that had to do with the various kinds of training. One point the women made repeatedly—and it reminded her so much of the comments Cord made about working with horses—had to do with the love and connection between trainer and dog.

Jennifer told them, with neither pride nor embarrassment, that she was getting out soon and hoped to pursue a career in the “dog world.”

Carly and J.P. thanked her and the other women, who all hugged Trooper, and wished them the best. They strolled back to the car after the exit procedures.

“I’m so glad we did that!” Carly said eagerly. “Thank you, thank you!”

“Now, what about lunch? There’s a nice place with a patio not far from here and we can bring Trooper. Sound all right?”

“Oh, yes.”

The restaurant, called La Fiesta, was attractive and no doubt got plenty of business from friends and relatives of women in the prison.

They chose a table with a giant umbrella that provided some necessary shade. Trooper and J.P. were obviously known there and the dog was immediately served a bowlful of water. Carly studied the mostly Tex-Mex menu. They chose that day’s special, enchiladas with a bean, cheese and vegetable sauce, plus chicken tacos.

Once they’d finished their meal, Carly decided it was time. Without prelude she told J.P. the whole story—which she was quite used to telling now.

He didn’t interrupt or ask any questions, merely said he was prepared to undergo a DNA test and would be overjoyed if he was her dad.

And he told her he was grateful to her for returning Reba to him.

On the way home he dropped her off at Meg’s, prepared to wait in the car, but Carly invited him inside, saying, “We should probably leave Trooper here, okay?”