"Oh! Good morning, Mrs. Dianne!" his voice radiantly greeted her like an elated clarion call. He stood near the back door with his hand on the knob, ready to open it. "I have eaten and am going out to join my friend, Olaf… if it is all fight? I-I hope you slept well, Mrs. Ma'am?"

As always, with everything he had done since being there with her, his greeting, warmth, and smile overwhelmed the young, blonde wife. For a moment, she did little more than gape at him, then down at the almost laughing German shepherd staring upward at her with great brown eyes, his ears gallantly erect. She said: "H-Has Sergeant eaten, Kye?" all the things she had readied in her mind to discuss with him a sudden conglomeration of confusion.

"No, Ma'am! I know he is hungry, too! You can always tell by the pathetic gleam in his eyes!"

Dianne couldn't help but smile, for certainly the great dog was expressing just such a took. She said: "Well… leave him here with me, dear, and you go ahead. I'll feed him. We'll give him some of that roast from last night."

"If you do, he will be your friend for life, Mrs. Dianne!" Kye said, grinning. "I will be outside with Olaf."

"All right, darling… and… and there's a park two blocks from here if you'd like to walk there, but don't go any farther. Promise?"

"Yes, Ma'am, of course! What ever you say…!"

At the slam of the door behind him, Dianne sighed heavily. She'd said none of the things she wanted to, but she wasn't sorry. Later, once she got her bearings about her there would be plenty of time. She'd passed the most critical moment of all… she'd faced him, and he, her, as if nothing had ever happened between them the night before…!