Page 31 of The Cowboy's Ultimatum

“Doin’ better. I’m callin’ because I need to take off for about an hour. I hate to ask, but I don’t want to leave the horses, especially since six of them belong to clients. By any chance can you—?”

“Pop over and babysit your ranch? Sure, no problem, I’ll bring my laptop and get some work done. It’s a bit hectic around here. Annie has brought her band in for the weekend.”

“Ah. Gotcha.”

“I’ll see you shortly.”

“Thanks, Brody,” Andy said gratefully, then ended the call and turned to Helen. “Maybe you should dab some makeup over your red face so it doesn’t look so bad.”

“You still haven’t told me where we’re going?”

“I’ll tell you once we’re on our way, but if anyone asks, a horse swung its head around and your face was in the way.”

“Good plan, and that actually happened once. But what’s the big mystery? Why won’t you tell me?”

“I will, but I need to do something first. I’ll meet you at the truck.”

As Helen headed from the kitchen, Andy stepped outside and walked around to the back of the barn. Under the shade of anold tree , set in the ground, was a wooden heart with the name Wilbur across the front.

“I’m not replacin’ you, fella,” he murmured, crouching down and running his fingers across the name he’d carved himself. “There’ll never be another you. I just need to have a bit of canine company, and someone to raise the alarm when they hear things we humans can’t. I hope that’s okay with you.”

Fighting back the heat in his throat, he slowly stood up, but as he was about to walk away a small branch fell on the ground next to him. Feeling his pulse tick up, he paused his step. Wilbur was always bringing him branches to throw for him.

“You betcha,” he replied, fighting a swell of emotion as he bent down to pick it up. “There you go!”

Tossing it into the trees, he imagined his amazing dog chasing after it, then shaking off the heaviness in his heart, he marched back to his truck.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

As Andy jogged to the front of the barn he saw Brody had arrived and was talking to Helen already waiting in the truck.

“Hey, Brody,” Andy called as he approached. “Thanks again! I have to hit the road or the place I’m goin’ to might close before I get there.”

“No problem. I’m headin’ over to the paddocks to visit with the horses.”

“Feel free to take Maverick or Luna for a ride in the ring if you want,” Andy continued, climbing in and settling behind the wheel.

“Thanks, I just might do that.”

As Brody waved them off and started walking away, Andy turned his truck around, rolled down the driveway and drove out onto the road.

“You did a good job with that makeup,” he remarked, glancing across at Helen. “How are you feelin’?”

“It still hurts a bit, but will you tell me where we’re going?”

“The animal shelter over in Fairview. But I have to make it quick. They close at five-thirty and it’s a twenty-minute drive.”

“The animal shelter? Oh, my gosh. Are you adopting a dog?”

“You suggested a tripwire with a clangin’ bell. A dog’s bark is a whole lot better.”

“That’s great, but isn’t it a bit sudden?”

“Not really. The thing is, I lost my buddy Wilbur a few months ago. It was just before you and your parents moved here.”

“Andy…I’m so sorry,” she said, lowering her voice and touching his arm. “I’ve wondered why you didn’t have a dog. It seemed…I don’t know…odd.”

“He was the best and I miss him like crazy. But I’m ready to bring another friend into the fold. And right now, with all this crap goin’ on, the ranch needs a dog around. He’ll sound the alarm and make people think twice.”

---