Page 67 of Seaside Cowboy's Second Chance

As he opened the glass front door, she glanced back, and her gaze softened. “This is where I found Breeze.”

Maybe she’d cut off his questions because she worried about her dog, after all. But apprehension rippled along his skin. A twenty-six-year-old mystery might be about to be cracked open. Skylar could be the key to it. Worry how it might affect her tightened his rib cage.

Cool air-conditioning greeted them in the store, together with the scents of coffee and an overpowering perfume of a blonde tourist who seemed to believe in bathing in it.

“I’ll have that water now,” Skylar said.

He picked up a water bottle, a peach-scented air freshener, and a bag of her favorite candies. Her lips twitched in a half smile, rewarding him amply.

He joined the four people already lined up at the counter and suppressed a grimace. But then this was a public place with no hope for privacy. He paid for his purchases, then showed Wyatt’s photo to the clerk. The result was the same as at the first gas station, and Skylar’s shoulders sagged.

“We’ll figure it out.” Dallas sent her an encouraging glance when they were outside, met by tender sun and warm fresh air tinged with a gasoline odor. He handed her the water and chewy candies.

She took an apricot-flavored one from its orange wrapper and popped the candy in her mouth. “Yes. And I hope I’ll be proven wrong.” Then she took a swig of water on her brisk walk to the car. “Thank you.”

Huh. He waved to two people he knew at the pump, then rushed after her. It didn’t look like Skylar wanted her father back in her life—on the minuscule chance Wyatt could be her father. But she clearly wanted answers, first for her grandmother’s sake and now for her own.

Once in the truck, he revved the engine, then hung the peach-scented air freshener on the mirror before pulling out of the parking lot.

“Hmm. I thought you didn’t particularly care for a peach scent.” She crumpled the wrapper from another candy.

He shrugged. “I don’t. But you do.”

“You were always a balm to my soul.” She was the one to reach for his hand this time. The gesture and her words reached deep withinhissoul. Her hand disappeared fast, and he told himself it was because she didn’t want to distract him while driving.

At Austin’s office, Dallas was in for a surprise, and Skylar probably more so.

Austin smiled, which hopefully meant Breeze was okay. “Breeze is fine. She’s expecting puppies.”

The proud future mama barked as if to confirm it.

“Puppies?” Skylar’s jaw slackened. “But when we were here the previous time, you didn’t mention that.”

“It was too early to determine it,” Austin said, somewhat defensively.

“Sorry. I understand. Right. Wow. I mean... Wow.” Skylar blinked. “I need to think about what to do with the puppies. I’ll have to place them all in good hands.”

“I can ask my brothers and Mom.” Though Dallas imagined his brothers wouldn’t exactly consider a golden retriever a ranch dog. He would have to lead by example, so he’d be getting a puppy soon. A golden retriever mix, huh?

Not so bad considering some people he knew had pet rats. Even leading by example wouldn’t help place—what did one call rat babies?—in the hands of his brothers or especially his mother. Which would mean Dallas would’ve gotten the whole bunch of rats. He swallowed hard. Yup, a golden retriever puppy sounded fantastic.

Skylar’s phone rang. She glanced at the screen. “It’s my grandma. I have to answer to make sure she’s okay. My apologies.”

A few minutes later, they had learned the news Mrs. Rafferty received from the local police over some spectacular homemade donuts. The blood recovered from weeds outside Earl’s house was human. But whoever the person was, he wasn’t related to Grant, so it couldn’t be Earl.

Skylar frowned. “We should stop by the police station. I think we asked the wrong person to volunteer a blood sample.”

Dallas’s heart sank to the green tile. He didn’t want to think about who she thought the right person was.

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