Page 32 of Wyoming Homecoming


Font Size:  

In fact, snowflakes were coming down again, in little swirls. “More snow incoming, I’ll bet,” she mused.

“Probably a lot,” he replied. “I hope my crew can handle the wrecks without me. I’m not on call tonight, but if they get overwhelmed, they’ll be in touch.”

“You’re in no shape to drive, or work wrecks,” she pointed out softly.

He grimaced. “I know.”

She stopped walking and looked up at him through the tiny swirls of snow. “You can have a twenty-four-hour stomach virus. We’re nursing you over here because somebody told us you were sick.”

“Why, you little liar,” he teased. “And that’s so creative.”

She grinned. “I practice by telling Lucy lies about Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny being real,” she whispered.

He hugged her close. “Thanks,” he said huskily.

She smiled up at him, her face radiant, her eyes sparkling. “What are friends for?”

He searched her face, fighting a really strong impulse to bend down and kiss the breath out of her. He caught himself just in time, and then Lucy was running toward them.

“Myra’s nursing her kittens!” she exclaimed. “And she doesn’t mind Snow!”

“Myra’s very laid-back,” Abby laughed.

He didn’t reply. He was deep in thought. So quickly, Abby had made a place for herself in his life, she and Lucy. He didn’t understand it, but he accepted it with gratitude. It was nice, not to be totally alone anymore.

THEYSATANDwatched Myra with the kittens while Snow ran around on her little fat legs and curled up in Lucy’s lap.

“Snow’s going to be a big girl,” Cody remarked, studying her.

“How can you tell?” Lucy asked.

“She’s got big paws and a blocky chest,” he said. He smiled. “I’m not sure what she’s mixed with, but she’s certainly got malamute or husky in her bloodlines somewhere.”

“One of our cowboys has a female malamute,” Abby remarked. “She had a litter of puppies, and Don told us that one had gone missing. I called him and told him about Snow, he said she was ours with his blessing. He also said that they’re not sure what the father is.” She pursed her lips. “They think it might be a wolf.”

“A wolf?!” Lucy was all eyes. “I love wolves!”

“Yeah, me, too,” Cody confessed. “They get a lot of bad press, but we’ve got at least two packs of them out here in the country. They’re tagged and monitored, and none of them have ever been caught bringing down cattle.”

“That’s nice to know,” Abby said. “Not that I’d want one killed even for doing that. We’d just ask to have it relocated.”

“You’ll need a trainer for Snow, if she’s got wolf in her,” Cody said. “Wolves are big, too.”

“Maisie’s brother trains K-9 dogs. Don’s going to give me his phone number.”

“That’s a very good idea,” he replied. “Not that I think Snow will be dangerous. But a little training never hurts.”

“They had a Russian wolf on YouTube,” Lucy said. “He was soooo big! He was white, too.”

“Snow may grow very large. The biggest issue you’ll have with her is trying to make sure she doesn’t escape.” He laughed softly. “Huskies are escape artists. It’s hard to confine them. Anyu got away from me one time and I found her five miles away, playing with some other dogs.” He stopped, because the memory hurt.

Abby slid her hand into his unobtrusively and gave it a squeeze. “It gets easier,” she said under her breath.

He looked down at her and drew in a long breath. “So they say.”

“Did Debby like dogs?” Abby asked.

He scowled. “Well, no. In fact, she didn’t like animals at all. The dog was a huge surprise. Just after she...passed,” he almost choked on the word, “I was directed to a nurse who lived nearby. Debby had left a note that said she had a present for the most precious man in her life at that nurse’s apartment. I went over to pick it up, and it turned out to be a puppy. The nurse seemed uneasy about giving me the dog, even after I showed her the note,” he added on a laugh. “Funny that I only just remembered that.”

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
Articles you may like