Page 24 of Seaside Cowboy's Marriage of Convenience

The beagle lifted his head, sniffed the air, and then barked as if in warning. The schnauzer-Yorkie near Austin joined in the duet, and Austin tensed. “I’ll go check. There could be someone outside.”

He got up from the floor and walked to exit the kennel, and the schnauzer-Yorkie whined and trudged after him. He patted the dog’s back, the fur much softer after the bath. “I’ll be right back.”

The dog whined louder as if to say he’d heardthatbefore.

“Don’t go. It’s okay.” Kennedy’s voice was cautious, and Austin nearly went to pat her back, too.

Instead, he pulled his shoulders back. “I’ll check the cameras.”

After a break-in, his family and several others donated to get the shelter a decent security system. Before, the intruders had broken in not to get the abandoned pets but to get dangerous medicines.

Inner alarm ringing in his ears, he checked the laptop screen that gave a better view than the phone. It was dark outside, but nobody seemed to be lingering in the shadows. The pressure on his lungs eased up as he returned to the kennel. “It looks okay.”

The beagle in the neighboring kennel met him with a bark, but the schnauzer-Yorkie wouldn’t look in Austin’s direction, clearly upset he’d left even for a minute.

“Sorry, buddy. I needed to make sure we’re all safe.” He sat on the floor again and placed his hand on the dog. Earning this one’s trust would take a while.

How long would it take to earn Kennedy’s trust? Whatever she was willing to share about her life, he was honored by it.

“I used to have a cousin,” she said again. “Zoey was awesome. So very pretty and vivacious. Sometimes I thought my parents wished they had her instead of me.”

“That can’t be true,” he hurried to correct her.

“Anyway, everyone loved her....”

“Wait a moment,” he blurted out after the story. “So she might be alive?”

He must’ve hugged the schnauzer-Yorkie too tight because the dog barked a protest. Austin relaxed his grip.

“I don’t know. My uncle could be mistaken. It could just be someone who looked like her. She was a little girl when she disappeared. She’d be my age now. For years, I’d see people I thought might be her, only to find out I was wrong. Again and again and again.” Kennedy didn’t mention it, but Zoey would be another person to inherit everything. Of course, that would be if both Kennedy and her uncle died.

“On the slim chance she’s alive, why didn’t she contact you? Why didn’t she come home?” His mind whirled. He’d thought little could top what had happened with Skylar’s parents and Kai’s brother, but this one was a story for the books.

“If she was kidnapped, she might not know who she is.” Kennedy’s whispered words hung between them.

An hour later, he walked her to the car in the dim lantern light, staying close, his gaze darting around. Every cell in him on high alert, he wasn’t sure what he was looking for, just that he had to keep her safe.

Halfway through the parking lot, her phone rang.

She took it out of her purse and sent him an apologetic gaze. “It’s my uncle. Might be something urgent. And...” Her voice broke a little. “His health isn’t what it used to be.”

He sent up a prayer for the only family she had. “Of course, feel free to answer.” Though he wished she was in the relative safety of her car when she answered. Surely, her car was bulletproof, right?

With the way Kennedy’s gray eyes went huge, whatever she heard wasn’t good news. His gut tightened.

“Is she alive? Is she okay?” Deep concern rang in her voice. “Okay. I’ll be careful. We’ll talk in the morning. I’ll be fine.”

“What happened?” He couldn’t help asking after she’d disconnected and they were covering the remaining distance to the car, him shielding her.

She walked slower now as if overwhelmed, and as much as he loved her company, he wished she didn’t slow down because that made her an easier target.

“One of our employees, Emma, was hit on the head from behind in my hotel. She was in a room I use sometimes when I work late there. She lost consciousness, but when she recovered, she called the police, then called my uncle, who’s helping take care of things while I’m on vacation. He took her to the hospital after she gave the police her statement.” Kennedy clicked the fob to open her car. “I’m going there now to make sure she’s okay.”

“I’ll follow you.” He opened the car door for her. “Was it a robbery? Was anything stolen?”

“Nothing is missing.” Kennedy’s face crumpled as she slipped inside her sleek silver sports car with its repaired brakes and newly installed camera. “It’s all my fault!”

“How can it be your fault? It’s unfortunate that things keep happening to the people around you, but—”

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