Page 22 of Killian

“Lydia can definitely help you find something like that,” Celine said. “She’s known for working miracles when it comes to finding the perfect house for her clients.”

“I’ll have to give her a call then. Thank you for the recommendation.”

“Of course,” she replied with a smile.

“Do you ride?” Killian asked as he cut into his steak.

“Do I ride… what?”

He bit his lip to keep from grinning. “Horses.”

She laughed. “I enjoy a good… ride.”

“Son of a bitch,” he muttered.

“Well, in answer to your question, I have ridden horses before. It’s been a while though. I used to love it. Horses are one of my favorite animals.”

“If I ever get my horses here, we’ll go riding. I have a few that are very gentle.”

“I think I’d like to ride with you,” she said way too innocently, but when she looked into his eyes, she licked her lips, then laughed when he shook his head. “So, how many horses do you have?”

“Seven. Five American Quarter horses and two American Paints.”

“And how many dogs?”

“Three. I have an Australian cattle dog, a Doberman, and a Rottweiler. All three are the biggest babies.”

“How did you end up with three different breeds?”

“The Australian cattle dog showed up at my house and when no one claimed him, I kept him. I adopted the Dobie and Rottie when they were young. They’d been raised together so I didn’t want to part them.”

“You’re a good man, Killian Doyle,” she softly said.

He shook his head. It didn’t matter what she said, it was driving him insane and if she licked her lips one more time, he was going to drag her under the table.

Once they finished their meals, their server appeared beside them and asked if they wanted desert, both declined and Killian asked for the check. When the server returned with his credit card, he signed the receipt, adding a tip.

As they walked outside, Killian took her hand in his and led her toward the truck.

“It’s a beautiful night,” he said.

“Yes, it is. It was so hot today. Oh, did you find the sheep?”

“No. It’s not that simple. I had to look for tracks first. There were some truck tire prints and I had to run them through the database to see what type of vehicle they’re used on.”

“I’ve never understood how a vehicle could be found by tire tracks. I mean, people can put any tire on their cars or trucks, right?”

“Yes, but it can narrow it down. When unknown shoeprints or tire tracks are found at a scene, the make and model of the shoes or tire that made those impressions could be identifiedusing various databases. The information could help generate leads. We can find out where, when, and who bought them.”

“I really never thought about what all your line of work entails.”

“There’s more to it than just looking for any stolen livestock. Once we see who bought the tires and when, we talk to those people. If the tire tread is worn down and the tracks don’t show that, we know that person couldn’t be involved.”

“Fascinating.”

“It can be.”

He opened the door for her, and she slid onto the seat. He stared at her for a few seconds, closed the door and walked to the driver’s side. He started the truck and drove from the parking lot to take her home. He hoped she’d invite him in.

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