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“Julieeeeee.”
I’m wasting my breath. She’s following her nose, tracking something new and interesting.
Even bacon frying in the pan doesn’t make that dog move so fast. I should have stopped working on the tire to walk her and let her sniff stuff so she’d take a nap while I finished fixing the flat. But it didn’t feel safe, leaving the car unattended by the side of the road. Then, when they guys joined me, I’d let Ash distract me.
His proximity had been making my blood buzz with awareness ever since he stepped out of the back of his car and into my line of sight. Even Julie had recognized the quiet strength in the man, sought his touch, and whined when he withdrew it. Between his Cinderella backstory and his tan, veiny forearms when he took off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves to help with the rim, I’d been dazzled.
And while I was busy falling for his James-Dean-meets-Captain-America allure, my traveling companion—Granddad’s beloved dog—escaped.
I have to find her and get her back. “Julie, come!” I shout again.
Taylor looks stricken. “I’m sorry, Charlie. If I hadn’t been playing so hard with her—”
“No, Taylor, this is on me. I should have been paying better attention to her.”
“She can’t have gone far yet,” Ash says. “We’ll track her.”
“Easier said than done.”
“What’s her favorite food?” Ash asks. “Maybe we can lure her back.”
Not a terrible idea. “She practically gets high on bacon cheeseburgers. But remember, no onions for dogs.”
“Good. Taylor, take the Maybach, find the nearest place and bring back a bushel.”
“Will do.” He takes off for the car, but soon returns to bring Ash his phone.
“Thanks.”
“We should exchange numbers,” I say, pulling out my phone and swiping to my contacts screen.
Ash glances over at me. “Is that going to be fine with you?”
I swallow and nod. “Absolutely.” I rattle off my number, and they both send me a text so we’re all coordinated.
“Charlie, I think you should stay here,” Ash says.
“But Drooly’s my dog.”
“Somebody needs to stay in case she comes back on her own.”
“Plus,” Taylor says, “somebody should stay with the cars.”
“And you two think it should be me.”
“We can stand here and debate the merits, if that’s what you really want,” Ash drawls.
Yeah, he’s right. Just because I’m feeling like a failure, what am I wasting even more time for? “Go. I’ll find the nearest Animal Control and ask for their help.”
“Good idea,” Ash says. His eyes flare with warmth and approval. “Okay, everybody know what they’re doing? Let’s go.”
He takes off through the prairie grass after Julie’s last sighting.
“I’ll be right back with the stinkiest burgers I can find,” Taylor assures me. “You’ll be okay?”
“I’ll be fine as soon as we get Drooly back.”
He hangs his head and climbs into the Maybach, pulling a big U-turn to head back to the last town we passed through. I faintly remember some sort of drive-thru there.
