Page 46 of Daddy's Little Cowgirl

A huge smile grew on her face, and she clapped. “Really. I get to keep him?”

“Yes, unless his owner shows up or he attacks people, and then we’ll have to give him back.”

“If he even has one, the person is bad. Thor is skin and bones, and he has no collar or anything.”

“Let’s figure it out. Get him into the truck.”

Ellie turned to the dog. “Thor up,” and pointed to the truck.

The dog jumped in and sat against the far door but kept his eyes on him. Ridge could see several scars and wondered if his owner was responsible or if the dog got them since he’d been lost.

Ridge lifted her into the cab and slid in after her. He pushed back the seat to fit his legs and then started it.

Ellie pressed against his side when he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“I’m so glad you found me,” she said and smiled up at him.

“Baby, I wouldn’t have stopped until I found you.”

She tucked her head down and relaxed against him. He put the truck in “drive” and started home.

“Do you know how far you drove?”

“I don’t know. It was a long time, but I went really slow.”

“I didn’t know you could drive?”

“I can’t,” she said. “This was my first time.”

Hell. His heart had just started to settle when she said that. There were so many things that could have happened to her. He tried his best to keep his fear from showing.

She looked up at him. “Daddy?”

Ridge squeezed her. “What, Sweetheart?”

“I don’t like driving.”

He exhaled and relaxed. “That’s okay. I don’t want you to.”

She smiled and lowered her head.

He knew she had fallen asleep when her breathing deepened. He let her sleep. He let the peace, besides the truck engine, soothe his frazzled nerves until he finally quit shaking inside.

He glanced at Thor to see him lying next to Ellie with his head in her lap. They looked so sweet together, and after he thought about it, he liked the idea of Thor being with her when she was outside. He knew no one would get close enough to hurt her, and it would let him rest a little easier.

He’d have Layton make a bed for him in the barn because he couldn’t come into the house. Maggie was deathly allergic to animals.

At the moment, he concentrated on getting them home safely. That’s all that mattered.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Several weeks later, everything calmed down and went back to normal. He finally had enough time to get in touch with an architect and have him draw some plans for the new wing he wanted built.

He had some of his friends and their littles here for a long weekend, and he knew having a pool and a game table would help entertain them all. He also planned on putting several bedrooms in the same wing. With those and the ones upstairs, he could have a good-sized group stay for a visit. He knew Ellie would like it.

The agencies working on the stolen cattle had actually gotten a few hundred of his back, and he knew his neighbor did, too. It helped that the thieves hadn’t had time to change the brands on them. They were trying to find the other ranchers the group had stolen from to try to get some of their cattle back, too.

There were a few thousand cows left, and it would take time.

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