Mako stood right behind him. The big-shouldered man used to be in the military and was hard as steel. His blue eyes saw everything.

Fuck.

He’d promised he would keep them till they were grown up. Maybe they shouldn’t’ve got in a fight the first time he brought them to town.

Tensing, Bull backed up until his shoulder was against Gabe’s. Caz was on Gabe’s other side, and after a second, Hawk wiped the blood from his mouth and stood next to Bull.

They’d done okay, Bull decided, against all those bigger kids. Felt kinda good.

Gabe looked Mako straight in the face. “They were picking on Hawk and Caz. That’s not right.”

“No, it’s not.” Mako eyed the street. The teens had disappeared. “Doubt they’ll try it again.”

Bull folded his arms over his chest. “Cuz we won.”

“You did.” The sarge actually grinned. “You’ll do even better when you learn to work together.”

They all looked at each other. Together?

Maybe.

“You got a fat lip, boy.” Mako slapped Hawk’s shoulder. “An ice pack’d help—but winning a fight deserves ice cream.”

They all grinned—even Hawk, although it made his lip bleed more.

A bit later, with a strawberry ice cream cone, Bull sat with the others at a patio table outside. It was a cool town. The sea gulls strutted around at their feet, begging for food and acting like clowns. Big planters had dark blue and yellow flowers matching the colors of the flag hanging overhead from a light pole.

While Bull slowly licked his ice cream, Mako told them to guess stuff about the people who walked past. What they did for a living. If they were good people. If they could fight.

Bull pointed his chin at a guy in mud-covered clothes who was leaning on a lamppost. “Homeless, no job, asshole, probably he’d fall over if he tried to fight.”

Mako snorted. “You’re seeing the dirt and the clothes. Look past that shit, boy.”

Bull scowled.

“He’s wearing fancy cowboy boots. Good ones.” Gabe tilted his head. “An’ his jeans ’n’ shirt aren’t new, but not cheap, either.”

Mako nodded. “Better. Keep going.”

“Got knife in boot,” Caz said.

Bull blinked, and yeah, there was a hilt at the top. So much for being worthless in a fight.

A big pickup pulled up to the curb. The big shell on the back had ten tiny doors in it, and dogs were whining behind them.

The guy climbed into the passenger side and leaned over to kiss a really hot woman.

Mako said, “He owns the sports store. He and his wife aren’t millionaires, but well enough off. That’s a dog truck, and he’s muddy from training his new sled-dog team, fixin’ to race them. Probably took himself a spill.”

“Crap,” Bull muttered. He couldn’t have been more wrong.