Page 43 of The Cowboy Comes Home

He finally paused when she held up a hand. “Take a breath,” she suggested.

The boy just grinned at her and started again. “Mrs. Baylor’s over there—she let me try out her wheelchair while she’s riding, isn’t that cool?—I got to meet Chief Shane’s brother, the detective—he thinks funny, but in a neat way—Mr. Logan’s here, he’s over talking to Chief Shane about some metal thing—and now you’re here so it really is the best day ever.”

Emily felt a rush of warmth over and above the heat of the day. “Thank you, Mr. Jeremy Thorpe. It’s an honor to know you.” She bent to pat the golden retriever, who was greeting Lobo enthusiastically. “And you, Sir Maverick.”

Jeremy laughed delightedly.

That deep, famous voice came from behind her. “I’m thinking we need to add therapy dogs to this operation.”

She straightened and turned to look at Jeremy’s father. “I think that’s a great idea. And there’s somebody local who could help you with that.”

Jackson smiled that famous smile. “Your boss already introduced me to Chance Rafferty.”

She laughed. “I should have known. The chief doesn’t miss a thing.”

“I already knew that, from the way he rode out in that storm to help search for this guy.” He looked at his son. “And I’ll bet Maverick could help make our visitors feel better.”

“’Course he could, Dad. He makes everybody feel better.” He reached out to pat Lobo, as if he was afraid the dog would feel left out. “Lobo too. He makes me feel safe.”

“Me, too,” Emily said with a wide smile for the boy.

Jeremy looked up at his father. “I wanna take Officer Emily and Lobo up to the chute, where Maverick found me.”

She remembered that night well, having been on call for a possible full-bore search. But the dog and Chance—and her boss for that matter—had come through and found the boy in that huge thunderstorm back in February.

“That’s a long hike,” Jackson said, looking doubtful. “Unless you ride?” he asked her.

“Not since I was a teenager,” she said. And for the first time in quite a while she felt regretful she’d let that lapse.

He looked back at his son. “I’d drive you out there, but I’ve got to stay here and play host—”

“That’s okay, Dad. Uncle T can drive us. He won’t mind.”

The famous face changed then, Jackson’s expression becoming close enough to amused it made her a little nervous. “Well, now, there’s a good idea. I’ll go round him up.”

He spun on his heel and was gone before she could say a word. And what would she have said? No? To the chance to spend some time away from the crowd with Tucker? With Jeremy and two dogs as…a buffer? In case things got awkward, because she couldn’t seem to control her reaction to him?

She remembered her tossing and turning, the other night, and the conclusion she’d finally reached. And as if it was a reward for that decision, here she had an opportunity practically thrown at her after the thwarted one at the rodeo.

She’d be crazy to pass it up.

Chapter Twenty-One

Roped.

Tucker’s mouth twisted. Roped and tied. If Jackson had been a champion calf roper he couldn’t have done a better job of it. Asking a favor he would never refuse, taking Jeremy somewhere he really wanted to go, and only after he had—of course—agreed, tossing in that there would be someone else coming along for the ride.

The woman he wanted to be with so much life kept tossing reminders at him about why it would be stupid to let that happen.

And so now here he sat, paying a lot more attention to the rough track he’d already driven a couple of times than he needed to, so he wouldn’t pay any—okay, some, maybe—to the woman in the passenger seat.

He was thankful Jeremy was in a chattering sort of mood as he sat with an arm around each dog. Normally he’d put them in the way back, but Jeremy had wanted them both with him in the back seat, and they weren’t going to be out on a road in traffic, so he’d given in. The boy was clearly delighted with Lobo’s presence, and the fact that the rather intimidating German shepherd obviously liked Jeremy’s laidback but occasionally mischievous golden, who also obviously liked his new friend.

And Jeremy was still in an excited, chattering mood.

“—thought maybe they wouldn’t want me to go there anymore, but Dad said since it was one of my favorite places I should not be scared and still go and just be really, really careful. And take Maverick, which is good, ’cuz he loves to swim. Does Lobo like to swim?”

He saw Emily turn her head to look at the boy and the two dogs in the back seat. “Honestly, I don’t know,” she said. “I know he can, because that’s part of Chance’s training, but whether he likes it or not, I’m not sure.”

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