Chapter 22 #2
“She didn’t mean that,” I tell Daisy, patting her on the head. “Enjoying a healthy snack is nothing to be ashamed of.” As if in agreement, she sneaks another bite of her favorite treat.
At least one of the animals is cooperating.
Charlie drops the lead rope and sidles up to Peaches’s backside, giving her a light tap. When she doesn’t budge, Charlie presses both hands on her hindquarters and nudges again, but Peaches stays put.
“Oh, for crying out loud,” Charlie exclaims. “Can’t you see we’re trying to save your ass?”
I let out a mock gasp. “Stop insulting Peaches. She’s sensitive to being called names.”
Charlie stands straight, throwing her hands in the air. “You do realize she’s a literal ass, right?”
Briar chuckles from the doorway beside Daisy, shrugging when I shoot her a pointed look. “What? She’s not wrong.” She reaches her hand out for the half-eaten cucumber in my hand. “Why don’t I take Daisy and start walking over to Mr. Grady’s property while you two work on getting Peaches out?”
“That’s a good idea,” I agree, handing it over.
She pulls a flashlight from her pocket and clicks it on, slowly making her way to the back of my lot with Daisy trailing behind, her emotional support cucumber dangling in sight.
Unfortunately, when I return to the shed, Charlie hasn’t made any headway with Peaches.
At this rate, we’ll still be here when my dad rolls in tomorrow morning, and he’ll have no choice but to take them away.
All the effort that I put into saving them will have been for nothing.
But before I can spiral further, Charlie moves in front of Peaches and kneels on the ground.
I furrow my brow. “Uh, Charlie… what are you doing?”
“Peaches and I are going to have a little chat, woman to woman, so she understands the severity of her situation,” Charlie replies, cupping the sides of Peaches’s face.
“Here’s the deal, buttercup. If you don’t let us get you out of here, the sheriff will have to take you away, and who knows where you’ll end up.
You love your warm blankets, head scratches, and all the treats you could ever want, right?
” She pauses like she expects Peaches to respond.
“Okay, so the treats are subpar, but we have to cut Birdie some slack. She’s a vegetarian, so she’s not exactly a culinary connoisseur,” she adds in a conspiratorial whisper.
“Hey, I heard that,” I interject.
Charlie glances over her shoulder, grinning. “I’m just being honest. She deserves to know what she’s signing up for if she stays long-term.”
“She’s been here a year. If that’s not long-term, I don’t know what is.”
“Peaches still reserves the right to change her—”
She’s cut off by Heath’s deep voice rumbling as he enters the shed and moves past me to stand behind her. “If you were that keen to get on your knees for me, all you had to do was ask, Charlie.” His gaze is dark and unyielding.
“Of course you couldn’t cooperate before he got here,” she mutters, motioning accusingly at Peaches as she stands to brush off her tights.
I step out of Heath’s way, not wanting to be caught in the middle of whatever is going on between him and Charlie.
“Even if I was on my knees, you’d be the one begging, cowboy,” Charlie quips.
Heath draws in a sharp breath before smoothing his features with practiced control.
“Care to explain why the donkey is still in the shed when the whole point is to get her out of here?” he grunts, ignoring Charlie’s jab.
“As shocking as it is, Peaches’s stubborn streak puts yours to shame,” she retorts.
Heath drags his thumb along his mustache, eyes fixed on her. “Or maybe you just don’t have what it takes to get her to comply.”
Charlie puts her hands on her hips. “Let me guess, you’d solve that with brute force?”
Heath smirks, taking a step toward her. “Wrong. It’s all about patience, paying attention to her nonverbal cues, and drawing her in until she can’t resist following my lead.”
I swear Charlie shifts forward, a flicker of interest in her eyes—but it’s gone as quickly as it appeared. “By all means, I dare you to do better. All you’ve got to work with are these soggy things.” She tosses him the bag of cucumber slices, and Heath catches them with one hand.
He tucks the bag into his shirt pocket before side-stepping around Charlie.
“Hey there, Peaches. How are you doing tonight?” He slowly reaches out, stroking her muzzle, and Peaches closes her eyes briefly at the touch.
“We really need to get you out of here, but I promise I have a nice cozy spot waiting for you at the ranch.”
Peaches stays put despite Heath’s persuasive pep talk, but that doesn’t deter him. This time, he rubs behind her ears, and her nostrils twitch.
“Oh, you like that, sweet girl, don’t you?” Heath croons as he gives her a good scratch.
Charlie and I both stare at him in shock, and I’m convinced we’re witnessing a glitch in the Matrix. This isn’t the broody cowboy I’m familiar with. Apparently, all it takes is a stubborn donkey in trouble to bring out the soft side hiding beneath his grumpy exterior.
He withdraws his hands from Peaches and steps back toward the door. Her ears perk forward, tail swishing, and she trots after him, nudging his arm with her nose in search of more attention.
“Unbelievable,” Charlie mutters.
Heath smirks. “See? All she needed was some gentle persuasion and a firm hand.”
“I’ll show you a firm hand,” Charlie says under her breath as she follows Heath.
She may be irritated by the turn of events, but I’m just relieved that backup is here. Maybe we’ll actually manage to clear the shed without getting caught.
Butterflies take flight in my stomach the second Walker steps across the threshold, all rugged charm in his charcoal-gray deputy’s button-up tucked into his dark-wash Wranglers, and a rope slung over his shoulder.
How I wish he’d toss me over his shoulder, carry me to my bedroom, and fuck me until I’m screaming his name.
I only lost my virginity a week ago, and I’m already addicted to sex… More specifically, sex with Walker.
When he spots me, his face breaks into a wide grin. “Howdy, sweetheart.”
“Hi,” I breathe.
He crosses the distance between us, pulling me into a hug that nearly turns me into a melted puddle at his feet. I loop my hands around his neck, fingers clutching the hair at the nape of his neck, basking in the safety of being in his arms.
Walker leans back, tipping my chin. “Are you okay?”
“I am now,” I murmur, meeting his gaze.
In the past, I’ve handled most rescue missions alone or with the girls, and Charlie’s right—we’ve always managed without incident.
Yet having Walker here brings a sense of peace I’ve never experienced before.
It’s a silent promise that I don’t have to carry this burden alone, and the reassurance that he won’t let anything go wrong.
When I step back, I notice Charlie, Heath, and Peaches are no longer in the shed, which means they finally got her out—thank goodness.
I’m about to follow, stopping when I glance back at Walker, my eyes landing on the rope draped over his shoulder.
“How come you brought that?” I ask, pointing at it.
“Figured it might come in handy with the animals, but since you and the girls have that handled, I’ll save it for another night.” He smirks with a glint in his eye. “I do recall I owe you a lesson involving rope.”
I inhale sharply, tugging my bottom lip between my teeth. “That you do, Deputy.”
I’ve fantasized about him tying me up countless times, and the promise that it could happen soon has my heart pounding in my chest.
“Birdie, Walker, are you coming?” Charlie calls from outside, her voice raised just enough to carry.
“Yes,” we answer in unison, both stepping toward the exit.
As we head into the dark yard, I grab the lantern from the door, holding it ahead so everyone can see where we’re going. Briar’s flashlight is bobbing far ahead, already in the middle of Mr. Grady’s property, so Jensen must have found her and helped move Daisy along despite her limp.
Walker closes the shed behind us and takes my hand in his. We make for the back of my lot where there’s a large gap in the fence. Charlie and Heath stay ahead of us, bickering in hushed tones the whole way about who gets to pet Peaches and where she likes it best.
Walker leans in and whispers, “Those two argue like it’s foreplay.”
I chuckle softly. “Don’t tell Briar that.
She might have come to terms with us dating, but I can’t imagine she’d react well if those two got together.
” I nod toward Charlie and Heath, who are now locked in a tense stare off ahead of us.
“I know our relationship isn’t exactly permanent, so maybe she’d be fine with them seeing each other. ”
Walker’s hand stiffens in mine, and when I look over, his jaw is clenched.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
“I’m fine,” he says a bit too quickly.
I check that Heath and Charlie are far enough ahead of us before I reply. “You sure? I just figured eventually you’ll get tired of teaching me. Plus, I’ll be ready to date without accidentally elbowing a guy in the nose—hopefully.” The last part comes out in a whisper.
Honestly, the idea of going out with anyone else has my stomach in knots.
Walker doesn’t laugh like I thought he might. In fact, he doesn’t even blink. He just stares at me, his expression unreadable.
I can’t help wishing he’d shown even a flicker of jealousy when I mentioned dating other men, but instead, I’m left guessing what he’s thinking.
There’s no denying that I’m falling for him, and I can only hope he feels the same—but sneaking across a pasture in the middle of the night with a donkey isn’t exactly the right time to ask.
We’re halfway across Mr. Grady’s property when Mrs. Bixby’s backyard floodlights turn on.
“Fuck,” Walker mutters under his breath.
I drop his hand, fumbling to turn off the lantern to avoid being seen from her second-story windows, which overlook Mr. Grady’s property.
“We’d better make a run for it,” Heath hisses, and we all bolt forward. Peaches is now fully on board, trotting behind him as he steers her with the lead rope.
It’s not like Mrs. Bixby could catch us even if she tried, but she could certainly call the sheriff’s office again, and with Mason on duty, he’d drop everything to investigate reports of movement on Mr. Grady’s supposedly vacant property.
So it’s critical that we get out of here as quickly as possible.
We don’t stop until we reach the abandoned barn at the front of the property.
Its paint is chipped and faded, and the doors hang crooked on their hinges.
Still, it has a certain charm, and with some work, it could make an amazing space for my animals.
I push down the longing that rises as I imagine transforming the place, accepting that I’ll likely never be able to afford it and that eventually I’ll have to watch someone else turn it into their own vision.
Heath’s truck and trailer are parked by the barn, and Briar is pressed against the trailer, her hair tousled, Jensen stands in front of her with his hands caging her in, and it’s obvious they’d been making out while waiting for us to catch up.
When they notice us, Jensen turns around. “What took you guys so long?”
“Someone kept trying to take over guiding Peaches, and it slowed us down,” Heath says, glaring at Charlie.
“Excuse me?” she pants, trying to catch her breath. “You’re the one with a hero complex and wouldn’t let me help even when your hand was cramping from petting her at an awkward angle.”
Jensen smirks, his gaze darting between them. “Why don’t we get her inside the trailer with Daisy so we can get the hell out of here?”
“Great idea,” Briar adds, coming up to give Peaches a good scratch behind the ear so she’ll follow her.
“It’s a good thing this place is vacant, or we’d have been spotted by now,” Walker says in a hushed tone. “I’ve always found it strange that old man Grady never sold it after moving across town.”
“It’s not for a lack of offers,” Charlie chimes. “Even Birdie has made several, but he’ll only accept cash. Too bad—it would have been the perfect animal sanctuary.” She hops into the front of the truck, scooting to the middle seat, no doubt planning to antagonize Heath on the drive to the ranch.
I start to follow, but Walker gently grips my wrist, stopping me.
“Is that true?” he asks.
“Yeah. Having the extra space would have been amazing. I could’ve torn down the rest of the fence and turned it into one big property, finally making my sanctuary official and running a full-fledged operation without having to turn animals away,” I explain wistfully.
It’s exhausting having to find homes for every creature I encounter that I can’t take in myself, knowing that if I fail, their lives could be at stake.
Walker studies me for a moment. “You’ve put a lot of thought into this, haven’t you?”
“Sure, but I came to terms a long time ago that it was just a silly pipe dream, and that’s all right. I’ll manage with the space I have, like always,” I add with a smile.
Walker frowns, clearly not satisfied with my answer, but before he can push further, Briar calls out to us.
“Walker, Birdie, let’s go,” she whisper-shouts from the truck.
That’s when I look around and see that everyone else is already inside, waiting for us.
The rest of my life might be imploding, but at least I have the best friends a girl could ask for, the kind who don’t think twice about showing up, no matter the risk.