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New theory. Got time to hear it?
He didn’t want to text it or tell him over the phone. It was too risky.
She stepped closer to him, reaching up to smooth the edge of his collar. “So, what are you going to do about it, Deputy?”
He pocketed his phone to palm the side of her face, wondering what he’d ever done to deserve a woman like her in his life. His best friend and confidante. His search and rescue partner. The woman he was falling deeper in love with every day.
“We’re going to prove it, darling,” he promised huskily. And when they did, any concerns Adriel might still have about where his loyalties lay would be put to rest once and for all.
“Let’s do this!” Prim’s voice was low and fierce.
There was only one appropriate answer for that. He bent his head to touch his mouth to hers, reveling in her sweetness.
She twined her arms around his neck, drawing him closer.
It was a long time before they spoke again.
“I have something cool to show you.” He traced his thumb over her lower lip, unsure how long it would take for Adriel to respond to his text. Since the sheriff was still on duty, it could be minutes, hours, or even tomorrow.
“Ooo! I can’t wait!” Prim kissed his thumb.
He let her go. “Cover your eyes,” he instructed.
“The plot thickens,” she teased, doing as he’d asked.
He spun her around and guided her around the short side yard to the backyard. Everything was in place, just like Uncle Caleb had promised.
“Okay. Now you can look.” He gently lowered her hands from her face and waited for her reaction.
CHAPTER 8: CHANGE OF PLANS
“Oh, Shep!” Prim’s heart thudded with excitement as she gazed around the training ground he’d built for his dogs. Everywhere she looked there was something new that hadn’t been there before — dog tunnels, balance beams, logs, carefully arranged piles of rubble. There was even an overturned car missing its windows and tires.
“This is unbelievable.” It was the handiwork of a man who took search and rescue operations seriously. He’d turned his own yard into a space where he could constantly train and keep his K-9s in their best tracking shape.
“I had some help,” he admitted in a voice warm with affection.
She spun around at the sound of the back door opening. Uncle Caleb limped out to the porch and leaned on the railing. His dark hair tumbled forward over his shoulders as he propped his boot on the lowest rung. “So, what do you think?”
“It’s amazing, sir.” Her gaze landed on the dog leash clasped in his hand. It was pink, which was a little odd. “You thought of everything.”
He shrugged. “Not quite everything, but it’ll do. At least, for the kind of work you’ll be doing in this kind of terrain.” He waved a hand to take in the surrounding woodland and the mountains rising in the distance.
“What’s the leash for?” She pointed at the long strap of dyed pink leather he was holding. It looked too girlie to be one of Rook’s or Bishop’s.
For an answer, he raised his eyebrows at his nephew. Shep nodded.
Uncle Caleb walked backward a few steps to yank open the back door of the cabin.
Out bounded an enormous blur of white and reddish-brown fur. A dog with the biggest, most intelligent eyes raced down the porch steps and made a beeline for Prim. She plopped down in front of her, her head cocked expectantly. Her ears and the skin around her eyes were a little darker brown than the rest of her, making it look like she was peering from a pair of dark sunglasses.
Prim spun toward Shep, bubbling with questions.
His dark gaze burned with adoration into hers. “She’s yours.”
She caught her breath. “You got me a Saint Bernard?”
“Yep. Figured you could use your own dog to train with.”
