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She looked into his eyes. There was truth there. She glanced away, toward the place where she’d found the pup, and sadness drizzled over her heart. She hadn’t realized she’d gotten so attached to the little critter.
“Did you get some rest?”
She pulled her attention back onto Michael and the concern in his voice. “Sure did. I slept like a bear in hibernation. Much obliged to you for lettin’ me sleep. I’ll hurry back home now and get cleaned up so I can come back and help with the chores.”
“The chores are all finished. Why don’t you go home and rest, sew or do something that isn’t too tiring for you?”
“I’m fine. But I think I’ll go check on Sadie. See iffen she needs any more help.”
“Mother and Leah went to help her today.”
“Well, that was right nice of them. What are you fixin’ to do now?”
“Head back to the barn to get ready to start harvesting the wheat tomorrow.”
“Oh. Anything I can do to help?”
“No. But, I’ll tell you what. Why don’t we head over to Jake Lure’s first? He had a litter of pups he’s trying to get rid of.”
Her eyes shot up toward him. “You mean it, Michael? You don’t mind? I thought you didn’t want animals in the house.”
He held his hand up. “Wait a minute. Wait a minute. I didn’t say anything about it coming into the house. The dog will have to say outside.”
The instant the words left his mouth, Michael knew that pup wasn’t going to live outside. What had he done? Why had he offered to get her a puppy? Who was he kidding? He knew the answer to that question. When he’d told her about the runaway wolf pup, the heartbreak that had dashed across her face crushed him. To ease her hurt, he was willing to go over to Jake’s house. Jake. The man who jeered people by insulting them and had heckled Michael about Selina’s trousers. Maybe going over there wasn’t such a good idea.
Then he made the mistake of looking at Selina again. Seeing the joy on her face, he knew he would have to follow through with the puppy idea. “Before we go and look at the puppies, you have to promise me it will stay outside.”
She weaved her head back and forth. “Sorry. Can’t do that. ’Cause once I give my word, I keep it, and I can’t promise I won’t feel sorry for the little critter whenever it looks up at me outside the door all sadlike.”
The woman was honest if nothing else. And she really did love animals.
Now what should he do?
He hated the idea of animals in the house he had spent months building and furnishing—with expensive, quality furniture—so everything would be perfect for his new wife. Whether he liked it or not, Selina was that wife, and it was her home now, too.
All he could do was hope and pray the puppy didn’t tear up the place the same way Jesse’s puppy had chewed up Michael’s favorite toy when he was younger. Or soil anything like when Abby had let one of the barn cats loose in the house and it had a litter of kittens on his father’s shirt folded on a shelf in the closet. As a young boy, whenever Michael wore that shirt it was like having his father with him wherever he went, and made him less lonely for him. An animal in the house had ruined that for Michael. But, he wasn’t a boy anymore. It was time to let that go. “Okay. You win. Let’s go see if Jake has any more pups left.”
Selina threw her arms around his waist and pressed her head against his chest. “Thank you, Michael. I’m so happy I could kiss you.” She yanked from his arms and looked up at him like a frightened fawn. “I didn’t mean I would up and kiss you or nothin’. I just meant that I was so happy I could. But no need to fret, I won’t,” she prattled on.
Michael placed his fingertips gently over her mouth. “I know what you meant, Selina.”
She nodded. “Can we go get that puppy now?”
He moved his hand away and laughed. “Yes. Let’s go.”
Standing next to Selina’s horse, Michael bent one knee, intertwined his fingers and laid them on top of his knee. Selina placed her foot in his hands and, using it like a stirrup, swung herself onto Macy’s back. A breeze of soap stirred in the air as Selina moved.
“You must be excited. You actually let me help you up this time.”
She laughed and it sounded like soft thunder and a misty rainfall combined. He mounted his horse and they headed toward Jake’s.
When they rode through the bunchgrass, a rabbit skittered out of its hiding place, startling not only them but also their horses. Their mounts snorted and sidestepped.
Selina hung on and calmed Macy down.
