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“Yes.”
She grinned. “So do I. We’ve got bird feeders everywhere. I like birds.”
“Me, too.”
She stopped at the intersection and waited for the light to change. They didn’t speak again, but then, it was a comfortable silence, as if they were old friends. How very odd to feel that way, she thought.
Cody was thinking the same thing. Abby was a nurturing woman. He’d never known one, not since his mother had died. He wasn’t sure he liked it. He’d been alone so long that he was used to it. But she was right about tonight. He couldn’t bear the thought of sitting in his living room on the sofa that Anyu had shared when he’d just buried her.
“How’s the bank robbery investigation going?” she asked when they were almost to the ranch.
“Slowly,” he said. “We can’t find any local connections at all. But it’s early days. We’ll solve it.”
She laughed. “I know you will. Your cousin says you’re the most dogged investigator he’s ever known.”
“Bart’s a good guy.”
“Yes, he is.” She glanced at him. “So is our Don Blalock. I don’t know how I’d manage without him. I don’t know the first thing about running a ranch.”
“You’re very honest, aren’t you?” he asked suddenly, his bloodshot dark eyes on her profile.
“Lies are a waste of time and effort,” she said simply.
He laughed. “Well, yes, I guess they are.”
“I suppose you hear a lot of them, in your profession.”
“I do. Nobody’s ever guilty of a crime, you see. It was persecution by the police, or they were only looking at something they were accused of stealing.” He shook his head. “This one guy was in a car dealership’s parking lot trying to hotwire one of those new Broncos to steal it.” He sighed. “Now, if that’s just looking, I’m a grizzly bear.”
She glanced at him amusedly. “You don’t look like a grizzly bear. Well, not so much,” she conceded.
“Thanks. I think.”
She grinned. “You’re welcome. And we’re home!”
THEYGOTOUTand went in through the kitchen, as Abby usually did. “We’re home,” she called out, not catching the sudden glimmer in the eyes of the man beside her.
Lucy came running, with the puppy in her arms, cuddled tight. “Hi, Sheriff Banks! You going to spend the night with us?”
He couldn’t help but smile at that excited little face. “Yes, I am.”
“Hannah made up the bed,” she said. “And we’re having stroganoff for supper!”
“That sounds good,” Cody said. But his eyes were on the puppy. She really didn’t look anything like Anyu, who was black-and-white. This little thing was pure white with just a little black on the tips of its ears.
“This is Snow,” Lucy told him. “Mr. Blalock found her all alone in the snow and brought her to us. So she’s called Snow.”
“She’s very pretty,” Cody said, smiling down at the child.
Lucy moved a little closer, hesitant. “Would you like to hold her?” she asked shyly.
“I’d like that very much, Lucy,” he replied quietly.
She handed him the puppy. It looked up at him with bright blue eyes and when he drew it closer, it licked his face. He laughed, some of the anguish gone out of him as he cuddled the tiny thing.
Lucy smiled with relief. She wanted to comfort the sheriff, who still looked sad. But the puppy made him smile, so it was all right.
Abby watched the man with the puppy and thought suddenly what a wonderful father he’d make. He was so tender with the little animal.
