Page 88 of Echoes of You

“What kinda puppy do you have, Miss Maddie?” Cady asked.

I swallowed against the burn in my throat as I glanced at Cady. “I don’t have one right now.” I hadn’t since before moving to Atlanta. I’d thought that once I got settled with Adam, I’d get a dog, but he had convinced me it would be a bad idea with how much we would be traveling. I should’ve seen that as red flag number one.

Sadness swept across Cady’s face. “You need a dog.”

The seriousness of her expression had a smile pulling at my lips. “I think you’re right, Miss Cady. Maybe you can help me pick one out.”

Cady bounced even higher in her seat. “Yes! Yes! Yes! I’m a real good picker. Right, Mama?”

Aspen grinned at her daughter through the rearview mirror. “The very best.” She turned to me. “She does seem to have a way of knowing which ones need a home the most.”

“I love that.”

Aspen glanced at my empty cabin. “Why don’t we come in with you until Nash gets back?”

I smiled at my new friend. “He said he’s five minutes away, and that was three minutes ago. I’ll be fine. Promise.”

She didn’t look convinced. “How about you go inside, check things out, and then wave to let me know everything’s okay?”

“Checking keeps us safe!” Cady said cheerily from the back seat.

I glanced at Aspen in question. It sounded as if checking their surroundings was routine for these two, and I couldn’t help but wonder what they were on the lookout for.

Aspen gave me a wavering smile. “Can’t be too careful when you live alone.”

Especially when you were taking care of a young daughter.

I pulled Aspen into a quick hug. “Thanks for looking out for me.”

She returned the embrace. “Anytime. You’re good people, Maddie.”

“And we like good people,” Cady chimed in.

I laughed. “Me, too, Cady.”

I grabbed my purse and hopped out of the station wagon. Crossing to the front door, I pulled out my keys and unlocked it. As I stepped inside, I surveyed my surroundings. Nothing was out of place. I made my way from room to room, even checking the closets. Everything was just as it should’ve been.

Making my way back to the porch, I waved. “Everything’s good. Thanks, Aspen.”

“Call me if you need anything.”

“Same to you.”

As friendly as Aspen was, it didn’t seem like she had many people in her corner, and she deserved an army.

She executed a three-point turn and headed back down the drive. Just as I was about to go back inside, I heard tires on gravel again. Nash’s SUV appeared over the crest of the gravel road.

I grinned, a low-level hum taking root in my body at just the thought of him. It was embarrassing how much control this man had over my body. But I wasn’t sorry about it at all.

Nash parked next to my SUV and climbed out. “Hey.”

The grin on his face was one I knew well. And it told me he was up to something. “What did you do, Nash?”

The grin only widened. “Who, me?”

A muted bark sounded from the SUV, and I stilled.

Nash shuffled his feet. “I went out on a call today—report of a dog trying to get in the McKenzies’ chicken coop. He was looking pretty rough and was clearly half-starved.”

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