Page 23 of The Best Kind of Bad

It’s just an innocent touch.

Nothing wrong with that.

I settle in and Dusty starts down the road. I’m a baker, so I’m usually up before the sun. That also means I usually miss the sunrise.

Out here, where there are no buildings to break the landscape, the sunrise is stunning. The colors seem almost electric. Clouds gather on the horizon in splashes of vivid pink, orange, and purple.

Ed plops his head on my thigh, and I find myself scratching his ear.

Dusty turns down a dirt road. “That dog growing on you yet?”

“Maybe a little.”

“Why don’t you like dogs?”

“I like dogs. Just usually not the big ones.”

He glances at me. “Why?”

I rest my hand on Ed’s head, reassured by the fact that he’s holding still. “My friend and I got attacked by one when we were kids.”

“A lab?”

“A German Shepard.” I squeeze my eyes shut, easing my fingers through Ed’s soft fur. “She lost her finger.”

“And the dog?”

“They put him down.” I run my hand over Ed’s shoulder, scratching at his belly. “Funny thing was, that dog was pretty nice most of the time. He just got spooked, and we were in the wrong place at the wrong time.” I shrug. “I guess I just learned to give big dogs a wide berth.”

He nods. “That’s how I got this.” He points at a fishhook shaped scar by his brow.

“A German Shepard did that?”

He grins at me. “Cocker Spaniel.”

A laugh slips off my lips. I cover my mouth.

He bites back a smile. “Are you laughing at my misfortune?”

“Absolutely not.” I grin. “Everybody knows cocker spaniels are the most bad ass dogs on the street.”

16.

Dusty

I pull over at the first field. Marnie opens the door and Ed comes tumbling out. His breeding kicks in and he trots off, searching for latent ducks.

Marnie scoots out of the truck, circling around to stand next to me.

I scan the freshly planted field. “We call this one the West Eighty.”

“Why?”

“It’s eighty acres. West of town.”

“Ah.”

“It’s good ground.” I say, leading her by the elbow. “Flat as a pancake except for the draw over there. And it’s got a well and a pivot on it.”

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