Guard dog

Wyatt opens his mouth to say something else, but stops, just watching Dalton walk away. Well, that had been...a little awkward. He lifts his eyebrows at the reason for Dalton's leaving. What was it with tech guys anyway?

He gives a little sigh. Well...maybe inviting Dalton to hang out at supper hadn't been the greatest idea, but he hadn't been able to come up with anything else. If Dalton wasn't a people person, Wyatt didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable... It was different though... such a contrast to Scott...

He shakes his head and turns to leave the office. He needed to quit comparing Dalton to Scott. Walking down the hall, he hollers over his shoulder. "If the machine doesn't work, just give it a whack - usually does the trick."

A low bark from Jason's office interrupts his train of thought. Oh yeah...he'd forgotten. Con had told him Trooper was here and needed to be looked after.

Sighing, Wyatt goes to Jason's door and is sure to speak before opening it. "Hey, buddy, it's just me...coming in now..." He opens the door cautiously, seeing the massive dog look at him with distrust before sniffing the air, then deciding Wyatt was a friend not foe.

Wyatt lets out a breath of relief. He'd taken care of Trooper at his own house, he'd watched him for quite the length of time, and often whenever Jason was gone... But he and the dog never could seem to get along all that well. And whenever Jason had been around, once it was just Wyatt and Trooper again, the dog seemed to have to get to know him all over again, starting with distrust, and working his way up to plain disobedient. He wasn't mean, and didn't threaten Wyatt, but if caught off guard, especially by anyone going into Jason's office, Trooper was unpredictable.

"Alright, big guy. Where's your leash? Con said it was..."

Trooper has no intention of waiting and bolts.

"Trooper! Heel!"

No use. The dog paid no mind to Wyatt. But instead of going for the exit, he lumbered down the hall toward the breakroom, and the sound of someone he considered to be an intruder. Stopping in the doorway, the fur on the back of his neck bristles, and his lips raise to show his teeth as a low growl comes out. He eyes Dalton with suspicion, and takes a protective stance.

"Trooper, no! Back off!" Wyatt jogs up to him, just to be snapped at when getting too close. Jerking back, Wyatt scowls. "Mutt, this is the last time, or so help me, I'll shoot you myself. Back off!"

Trooper licks his chops and backs up a step, but continues to growl with no intention of stopping.

Wyatt reaches for his collar, but the dog snaps as him again, warning him not to touch him. Wyatt was irritated and just a little scared. His words are spoken in annoyance through his teeth. "Jason, you are dead." He tries again. "Trooper. Heel."

Instead, Trooper takes several steps into the breakroom, his head lowered as he continues to growl and make his way toward Dalton.


Carson can tell Herb isn't a hundred percent satisfied with his response, but is grateful for the change in topics. He grins at the mention of the sauce for the chicken and shrugs. "Maybe I added a little something extra."

Hearing Herb mention not being afraid of Mable, Carson's eyebrows raise. "I thought..." He jumps as Mable interrupts them, and offers her a little wave of innocence. "Pumpkin pie... got it." He gives a thumbs up.

At knowing Jess was there, he nods, and rises from his seat. "I'll be right back," he informs Herb. Heading through the double doors, he comes out to greet Jess with a kiss. "Hey, babe. Only got a minute. I got a late start this morning. How ya doing?"


Bret sighs as he zips up his duffel bag and scans the hotel bedroom one last time. "Looks like I got everything... though I could stay here another week."

He turns to throw Charlotte a grin. "I guess going home is inevitable though isn't it." His eyes widen slightly. "And I suppose we need to come up with some smooth plan of telling your sister just what we've, um, been up to." His grin turns sheepish, though his eyes dance, signaling that he thought it was downright fun to have eloped, leaving Angelica in the dark.