Page 43 of Puppy Kisses

“And he’s really done this more than once? Chased you down? Tried to run you off the road?”

“I mean, he’s never gotten close enough to do more than alarm me, but yes. I’m not sure what his endgame is. Does he think I have Gigi in the car with me at all times? Or that I’d let him come within five feet of her after what he did?”

“That miserable rat bastard.”

Dawn blinked at her sister’s vehemence. “Thanks, Soph. I’m glad you’re on my side.”

“How dare he try to scare you?”

“I know, right?”

“Who does he think he is, coming aftermybig sister like that?”

Dawn chuckled and laid a restraining hand on Sophie’s leg. She doubted No-Pants would look at the five-foot-two woman and feel a qualm of fear, but he should. No one was more terrifying once she put her mind to something—Sophie was the fiercest, most tenacious person Dawn knew.

“Easy there, tiger. He’s not worth the energy. There are much worse bad guys out there.”

As before, the adrenaline of the chase had given way to a shakier, less exciting sensation that left Dawn feeling drained. Drainedandguilty. It was one thing to embroil Zeke in the theft of Gigi, since he’d known what he was getting into ahead of time and had the kind of physique that would cause a man like No-Pants to think twice before confronting him. Sophie, however, hadn’t asked for any of this.

“Look, Soph,” Dawn began, choosing her words carefully. “I never would have invited you to come with me if I’d have known No-Pants might show up. I mean, Ishouldhave considered the possibility, obviously, but, well…”

There was no good way to put it. She hadn’t been thinking. In true Dawn Vasquez style, she’d barreled into action without considering all the repercussions first.

“Don’t worry. I won’t tell Lila.” Sophie made the motion of a zipper over her lips. “It’ll be our little secret. Just you and me and this stuffed crust with double pepperoni. Andthisguy will soon be in our bellies, so he barely counts.”

“That’s not what I was going to say! I don’t care if Lila knows about that part.” She considered her older sister’s displeasure and winced. “To be fair, it’s probably better if we downplay the danger factor an eensy-weensy bit, but that’s not what I’m worried about.”

“Oh?”

Dawn struggled to find a way to put her feelings into words. She’d never been the sort of woman to regret her mistakes or even to worry too much about making them in the first place. Part of being alive was just that—being alive. Puppies needed to be saved sometimes. So did lonely old women who lived alone in ramshackle farmhouses.Not to mention tall, gorgeous cowboy types with the most magical hands known to mankind.

It was just that for once, it would have been nice to not have to defend herself—not to Lila or to Sophie, not to Bea or to Adam. For once, she wanted someone to take in all the parts of her—the good and the bad, the recklessness and the honorable intentions behind it—and say, “You know what? This is exactly what I want.”

She must have taken too long to answer because a sympathetic smile crossed Sophie’s face. “Poor Dawn.”

“Poor Dawn?” she echoed. “What are you talking about? I’m the one leadingyouon a dangerous car chase, not the other way around.”

“It’s making you crazy, isn’t it, being cooped up in that house all day?”

It was on the tip of Dawn’s tongue to tell her sister that she wasn’t cooped up in the Dearborn house all day—that life on a working ranch was turning out to be exactly the constant whirl of activity and adventure she craved—but Sophie’s voice softened. “It wasn’t very nice of us to abandon you to the sole care of the kennel, was it? Of all of us, you’re the last one anyone expected to stick around holding the mop bucket.”

Dawn turned off on the road that would lead them back to Spokane, her attention on the asphalt leading off in the distance. It had to be. Otherwise, she’d be forced to give Sophie her full focus, and there was nothing she wanted less right now.

“You know I don’t mind being in charge of the kennel,” Dawn said. “Ilikethe puppies. Ilikethat they need me.”

“Yes, but you also like being able to come and go at your leisure—and don’t sit all stiff like that. It’s not a judgment. Anyone would.” Sophie paused in a considering way. “Mom was saying something along those lines just the other day. Do you know, this is the longest you’ve ever lived in one place?”

“Oh, great. Mom is keeping track of me now?”

Sophie laughed. “I’m pretty sure she has records of everything you’ve ever said or done. She has one for each of us. It makes her happy. It’s the longest you’ve gone without one of your emergency dating texts, too, in case you’re wondering.”

Dawn glanced over at her sister so quickly that the car gave a lurch.

That just made Sophie laugh more. “Oh, don’t worry. Mom doesn’t keep track of those.”

“But you do?”

“Not officially, no,” Sophie said. “But I used to get one of those texts at least once a month, if not once aweek. You haven’t been going out.”