"We might be chasing the wrong rabbit."
"Maybe. But I'd like to be sure. It's starting to worry me--Darren's announcement that he's looking to start a business like yours out of the blue, this new offer on a piece of property no one else has been interested in up until now, and the unlocked door."
"All of that could well be coincidence."
"Maybe. My military senses are standing on edge, though. I don't want to step on your toes, Heather. Do you mind if we dig?"
"Can I stop you?"
His gaze met hers. Serious. "I don't want to go behind your back. I want you to trust me."
She took a breath. "Okay. Have Joe dig as deep as he wants."
He nodded and accepted his change from Cooter, left a tip on the table, then held out a hand for Charlotte, who was busy stuffing Pudge back under her shirt. He wanted to smile, but hid it. He'd seen the moment that Cooter had noticed the cat. He, too, hadn't outed the little girl.
The evening air was still warm as they stepped out onto the sidewalk. Heather couldn’t shake the prickle of nerves over the events of the day, but having Lyle in her corner felt good. At least she wasn't battling this on her own.
She turned to open her car door and froze. From the corner of her eye, she saw a red crew cab truck. Her ex-husband, Bret, had a truck just like that one. Nerves winged out of nowhere, anxiety shooting a wash of adrenaline through her system. Her hands shook and she felt frozen.
Lyle was at her side in an instant. "What's wrong?" He turned her toward him, searched her features. "Heather, what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."
She gave a nervous laugh, lectured herself to get a grip. "It's nothing. I'm fine."
"You're not one to tell lies, Heather."
"No, I'm not. I'm just jumpy. It's been a trying day. I had a weird moment where I felt like we were being watched. It's silly. I'm just tired."
They both glanced around, looking for anyone or anything out of place. It had been more than a year since she’d seen Bret. Why did the sight of a red truck trigger her like that?
"Do you want to ride home with me? I can get one of the guys to come back and get your Jeep."
"No. I'm fine to drive, Lyle."
"Well, if you're sure. I'll be right behind you."
She nodded. "Thank you for dinner."
He placed his hand on the side of her face, brushed his lips softly against hers. "You're welcome. Thank you for coming with me. And for showing me the house you want."
She was so shocked at the feel of his lips brushing hers, right here on Main Street in front of Cooters, that she hardly comprehended his words. Feeling totally flustered and out of sorts, she snatched open the door of the Jeep and hopped in.
He smiled, waited until she locked the door, then went around and started his truck, pulling out right behind her and keeping no more than a car length between them all the way home.
When Lyle got to the ranch, he followed Heather all the way to her cabin and waited for her to get inside before driving back to the main house. Together with Charlotte, they brought the puppies outside for a bathroom break, then changed the potty pads in the crate and added food and water to their bowls. The family who’d filled out an application for Coco had come to pick her up, so they just had Pepper and Sherry left from the litter.
Charlotte had conned him into moving the puppies to her room and Lyle was realizing what a pushover he’d become where this little girl was concerned.
It took a while, but he finally got her settled in bed along with the cat and the dogs.
“Ready for prayers?” He pulled the quilt up, careful not to displace Pudge.
She nodded, folded her small hands over her chest and closed her eyes. “God bless Uncle Lyle, Uncle Mike, Uncle Joe, Uncle Kenny, Miss Heather and Pudge and all my puppies and the horses and chickens and Tiny the goat. She didn’t really mean to eat all of Uncle Mike’s lettuce patch, so please don’t be mad at her.” Charlotte opened her eyes and peeked at Lyle.
He nodded, although he imagined that silly goat had intended just that. And the goat’s biggest problem was Mike’s wrath rather than the Almighty’s.
“And God bless Mommy and Daddy in heaven,” Charlotte finished.
Lyle’s heart skipped a beat and he swallowed against the sting at the back of his throat. Every time he heard these prayers, which was nightly, he felt a deep punch of sadness for what they had all lost. He wanted to howl with the pain. With Charlotte’s pain. But, of course he couldn’t. He had to be the strong one.
