Page 14 of Wandering Souls

Ray almost laughed. “Mate, I only came around to see if she was here. I didn’t even catch her name when she dropped off Bruce this morning.”

Mysterioussure did seem an apt description, but Ray doubted she’d open up to him if she hadn’t already talked with Hollywood. The man had a personable nature and knew how to charm anyone.

“How’s Mia?”

A huge grin owned the blond man’s face and his eyes sparkled. “Positively radiant. She’s practically glowing.”

Excitement flashed in Hollywood’s eyes. His impending fatherhood stirred envy in the pit of Ray’s stomach. He was happy for the returned veteran and his fiancé, no doubt, but he hadn’t quite figured out how to deal with his own missed chances.

“That’s great to hear. And you? Looking forward to the baby’s arrival?”

“Can’t wait. The Shadow Soldier family just keeps getting bigger. You know Stevie’s pregnant as well, don’t you?”

He had heard that along the grapevine. “The whole family is over the moon, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.”

Hollywood clapped him on the shoulder. “Too true, mate. Too true.”

“Miracles do happen, Hollywood.”

He thought about the family in question and marveled at their incredible story. It was a saga straight out of a Danielle Steele novel, with twists and turns no one saw coming. From illegitimate heirs, mobster’s threats and bounty hunters, to fake deaths and remarkable returns, Stevie McQueen and her family could easily sell the movie rights and make a fortune.

The most amazing thing, was that they were all fallible human beings whose choices and errors somehow made them more likable. What Ray loved most about their tale was how they found their way back to each other. After everything they’d been through, they were whole again. He reminded himself to stop by and see how they were faring.

“Trust me, I know. I’m living proof, Ray. Now tell me, are you going to go and thank her for bringing Bruce back to you?”

He planned on doing better than that. With a nod, he left Hollywood and made his way along the gravel drive. Bruce had knocked the woman on to her butt with his excitement, but she seemed unperturbed. As Ray closed the distance, he heard her talking to the pup and watched her hands stroke the dog’s coat. Her arms were wrapped almost entirely around Bruce but the dog couldn’t get enough of the attention. His tail wagged high in the air and his nose nudged her cheek, making her laugh. The joyous sound carried across the estate and made Ray smile.

“I see he found you.”

Her head bobbed up. Those blue-gray eyes twinkled. “So it seems.”

Ray reached the pair and held out a hand toward her. She eyed it warily before accepting it. Ray tugged and pulled her up off the ground. The suddenness of the move unbalanced her and she began to topple. He caught her by the arms to steady her. A grimace briefly crossed her face and he noted she took most of her weight on her right leg.

He squeezed her arms, feeling strong muscles beneath her sweater. He guessed her to be around six feet, and the small height difference between them pleased him. “I think I caught you off guard.”

“A little,” she conceded.

“Bruce tells me you took great care of him.”

A shy smile touched her lips. “It was all my pleasure, Detective.”

“Please, call me Ray.”

She tried to step out of his hold but he held fast. She glanced at his hand on her arm before narrowing her eyes at him. “Okay, Ray.”

She was going to make him work for it, wasn’t she? “Sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”

She tried again to dislodge him. Once more, he held on. There was a hint of challenge in her eyes before she gave a small nod of acceptance. “Abigail Winter.”

Finally, he let go, ruing the loss of contact. “Nice to officially meet you, Abigail.”

“What brings you out this way, Ray?”

Bruce circled her legs. Ray watched him for a moment, intrigued by the way the pup seemed so taken with her. Eventually the dog sat on his haunches by her side, his eyes firmly glued to her, filled with adoration as he watched her. Dogs were a good judge of character, weren’t they?

“You, actually. You took off so fast this morning, I didn’t get a chance to really thank you for finding Bruce. The vet says he’s fine, by the way.”

Her expression lightened and she smiled, taking his breath away. “I’m glad he’s okay, but you already thanked me earlier. There was no need to make a special trip out here.”

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