Page 44 of The Cowboy's Magic Touch

“Magic?” she repeated with a giggle. “I almost believe you. I think these woods are full of magic. But seriously!”

“I know how to track, and your prints were easy to follow after that rain.”

“Ohh, of course.”

“So, why did you come this way in search of your mysterious wolf, or dog, or whatever he is.”

“Because I’ve seen him from this direction.”

“That’s not surprising. There are caves around here.”

“Really?”

“That’s another reason I think he could be a wolf. They usually live in dens and small caves.”

“Oh, I see. I’d love to explore them. Though I suppose it’s not the best idea in the world.”

“Not really. Generally speaking it’s a good idea to stay away from them, and before you ask, yes, because of the possibility of wolves and other wildlife.”

“Well, there’s no sign of wolves—or Merlin,” she said pointedly, “so I suppose this was a waste of time.”

“You know, Annie, you’re still a bad girl for leaving like that.”

“Like what?”

“Don’t play innocent with me! You know exactly what I mean. You took off without tellin’ me where you were goin’. I worry about you, and not just because of the critters around here. That creep Geoff is still on the loose.”

“I can’t imagine he’d be anywhere near here. In this forest I mean. He’s too slick. He wouldn’t want to get his Gucci loafers muddy. Besides, when I left you were on the phone and I didn’t want to interrupt.”

“Uh-huh,” he said skeptically. “Are you ready to go back, or do you want to stick around and see if your four-legged friend shows up.”

“There’s no sign of him and it’s cold and so, yes, I think this is a waste of time. Where’s Bella?”

“Good question. She was right behind me. Bella!”

Barely seconds passed before she bounded through the trees towards them, but ran past them and stopped in front of some boulders a short distance away and began barking.

“There’ll be a critter back there,” Brody remarked. “Come on, girl, it’s time to head back.” Though Bella turned and looked at him she didn’t move. “Bella, we need to go.”

She paused a moment, then trotted towards him and barked again.

“Okay, I promise we’ll come back and explore those rocks, but right now we need to get back. The mist is gettin’ thicker and there’s a chill in the air.”

But as Bella ran towards them, Annie leaned against Brody and shuddered.

“Gettin’ cold?” he asked, moving his arms around her.

“Well, yes, but I also feel…”

“What, darlin’?”

“I’m not sure, but I feel jittery. I think you’re right, we need to go.”

* * *

Barely a moment before Brody had appeared on the scene, Geoff had been ready to creep out from behind the rocks to grab Annie and make her listen to reason. But Bella had arrived and started barking. For the second time he’d cursed under his breath, terrified he’d be exposed by the damn dog. Now seething as he watched them all leave, he once again found himself at a loss. His clothes were covered in dirt and he had nowhere to clean up, let alone sleep. The only thing he could do was return to the car and change, then come back and try again. He’d worry about a place to lay his head later.

Moving out from his hiding place and tramping through the trees, he reached the track and was about to start up the gentle slope when an idea flashed through his head. Turning around and hurrying towards the edge of the forest, he stared at the ranch.

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