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Turning off the main road, Kade steered the truck down a packed dirt road. The trees closed in on the sides of the track, and Mya searched through the brush for signs of a business.
“Where are we? This is a part of town I’m not familiar with.” If it had been anyone other than Kade, she’d have been seriously afraid right about now, and even knowing him as well as she did, there was a tiny frisson of fear dancing up her spine. “You didn’t say where we were going.”
“Best place around for grilled steaks and baked potatoes.” Easy and relaxed, Kade swung his head to glance at her. “I’d planned on taking you to a fancy restaurant, but then we got to talking, and muscle memory took over. Good thing I’ve got a stocked fridge.”
Startled, Mya looked out the windows again, still seeing nothing more than forest crowding each side of the narrow track. “We’re going to your house?”
“Seems fair, seeing as I know where you live.” He nodded at her lap. “Makes it so you can add the map pin to my contact too. You’re welcome here anytime, Mya. Mi casa es su casa.”
Picking up her phone, she did as he suggested, struggling a bit to do it one-handed, but she found herself unwilling to release her hold on his hand. That connection made every breath easier and quieted her mind.
Of course he’s important. He was a big part of younger me and helped forge me into who I am today.
“Okay. Got it.” She laughed softly, then fell silent when his home came into view.
A large log cabin sat in a huge clearing, trees and underbrush cut back well away from the structure. More than ample lighting came from two tall security lights that snapped to brightness as the truck crawled closer to the building. The dirt drive turned to pavement as it widened, filling the space in front of an attached garage. Faintly, she could make out the sound of barking, seeming to come from inside the house. That grew in volume suddenly, and three canines swept around the far corner of the building, arrowing straight for the driver door of the now-parked truck.
“Promise my dogs won’t hurt you. The big one is Bo, smaller is Daisy, and the middle furry thang is Luke.” He opened his door. “Sit tight. I’ll come around and introduce you.”
Mya was bemused as she tried to think of why the names sounded familiar, and just before Kade opened her door, the memory came into focus. She was laughing when he swung the door wide, fumbling to unfasten her seat belt as she patted the air.
“Give—” Mya pulled in a hard breath, throwing her head back as the laughter came back in full force. “Give me a minute.” Twisting in the seat, she angled her body out of the vehicle, conscious he reached for her waist to steady her, but more focused on the source of her amusement. “Oh God, Kade. That’s priceless.”
“What?” He looked entirely bemused, his gaze flicking across her face as he took in her laughter. “What’s so funny? Share?”
“You named your dogs Bo, Luke, and Daisy. Do you have a Rosco, too?” When his brows knit in a frown, she burst into renewed amusement. “Oh my God. You do! The Hazzard gang rides again.”
Realization spread across his face, features softening into a smile. “Yeah, that’s where they came from.” He patted the top of the truck, wrapping his other hand around hers to pull her away from the vehicle. “And yes, this is the General.”
“That was your favorite show. You’d catch it on the oldies channel and watch every episode you could.”
“Simpler times.” Attention on the dogs at his feet, Kade dropped his other hand to rest on the head of the largest one. “Bo, this is Mya. She’s ours, got it? Ours. Guard.”
The dog immediately grew attentive and rose to his feet to circle Mya, sniffing as he went.
“What kind of dog is he?” She gestured towards the other ones. “They’re all the same breed, right?”
“Yeah, they’re from the same litter. Vet thinks they’re mostly King Shepherds mixed with a little of this and that. They’re great loyal companions and unfalteringly fierce.” Bo completed his circuit and returned to sit with the others. He stared up at Mya, eyes dialed in on her face. “He’ll keep you safe now.”
“What? Just from you telling him that?”
“Yeah. Not only is it in his blood, but I’ve been rigorous with their training. Daisy, Luke, this is Mya. She’s ours.” The other two dogs immediately rose to their feet and followed the same behavior Bo had. “Now you’re triple safe.”
“I don’t know what I need to be safe from out here.” She gestured around the clearing. “But thanks. It’s been a while since someone wanted to ensure my safety.” Glancing up at Kade, she asked, “Can I pet them, or is it like a service dog, and they’re working now?”
“Nah, you can pet them all you want. Just be firm with an ‘off’ command if they happen to try and jump up. Luke gets all amped up sometimes. Bo will ride with me in the truck and be all kinds of chill, but when I try to take Luke, he’s a different beast.”
Movement at the corner of the house caught Mya’s attention, and she looked over to see a large bloodhound waddling his way through the yard. His ears nearly dragged the ground, and as he came closer, she could make out the mass of wrinkles on his face. His nose was up and sweeping side to side slightly, and the dog didn’t stop his forward momentum until he was only inches away from Mya’s legs.
“And this is Rosco, of course.” She smiled down at the dog, who’d perked up at the sound of his name. She squatted and stroked down his ears, rubbing the tips lightly. Roscoe let out a loud groan and took a step closer so he could rest his chin on her bent leg. “Oh, you’re a treasure.”
Mya looked up to find Kade smiling down at her, an expression flitting over his face that she thought was longing. Gazes locked, she reached out a hand, and he caught at her fingers, dropping to a knee next to her.
“Bo.” His voice croaked. “Come get some lovin’, boy.”
Instantly, Mya’s other side was enveloped in furry heat as the dog plastered himself to her ribs, his head sneaking underneath her arm and lifting her hand away from Rosco’s ears.
With a grin at Kade, she detached from his hold and proceeded to make all four dogs as happy as she could, fingers finding itchy spots that drew groans and whines from them in turn. Mya wasn’t sure how long they stayed that way, but it wasn’t until her head gave a ragged pound that she realized it had been a while.
