“No, that’s different.” He speared his fingers through his hair.
“Different? Really?” She shook her head. “So, you trust him in a life and death situation, but just not when it’s a training run? How exactly does that work?”
“Because one is a necessity, and the other is frivolity.” He pushed from the car and paced toward the trunk and back.
“So, improving my business and training dogs to handle intense situations is frivolous?” Sadie’s neck heated as her anger and frustration rose.
“That’s not what I meant.” Dad turned to her, determination in his eyes.
“Just what exactly did Bjørn do that has you so concerned?” She crossed her arms over her chest to control her hands.
“He didn’t land where he was supposed to, and it cost men their lives.” He exploded, his loud voice jolting her head back.
Her chest heaved as his words set in. Could it be true? She knew little about special ops and military missions, but it didn’t seem like something Bjørn would do. Since she’d met him, he’d done everything he could to help others. Her own father had exclaimed about how he’d never seen as proficient flying as what Bjørn did to rescue the stranded couple.
Then again, Dad’s cousin John was a lieutenant colonel in the SOAR division. Wouldn’t he know if Bjørn disobeyed an order on a mission or not? She took a step back as the heaviness that had left her earlier settled on her shoulders again. Maybe John was wrong. That was a possibility, wasn’t it?
“Wouldn’t Bjørn have been dishonorably discharged if he did something like that?” Sadie grasped for any thought that might prove solid.
“I guess there was some confusion.” Dad leaned against his open door. “Bjørn didn’t reenlist when his tour ended a few months later.”
“Then John doesn’t know for sure what happened?”
“No, but I still don’t want you taking the chance.” Worry creased the corners of Dad’s eyes.
Sadie stared at her dad over the top of the car. He’d always been overprotective of her and Violet, even though he let them go on his adventures with him. She loved that he cherished them, but sometimes his concern felt more stifling than caring. But what if Bjørn had done what John said? Did it matter?
Sadie swallowed the lump in her throat and stepped back. “I’m sorry, Dad. I can’t turn down this opportunity.” She bent to pick up her keys. “I gotta go.”
“Sadie.” Dad’s exasperation needled her with guilt.
She shut the door with a snap and a wave. Pulling out of the parking lot, she avoided eye contact. She pressed her lips together and rubbed her temple at the headache forming. She couldn’t just stop training because Bjørn might have done something wrong in the past, especially since he’d gone out of his way to help them. Her dad had always sworn she could tell the heart of a person by the actions they did, and Bjørn Rebel’s actions screamed he was trustworthy.