7 #2
“It’s what I always suspected.” I smile. “You are a big softie.”
He crosses his arms over his chest. “Dogs are born to do more than serve.”
“Sounds like you should take your own advice, Hotshot.” I laugh at the dogs bounding around the fenced-in area. “They’re so happy.”
“They’re safe here,” he says with a proud grunt. “And they know it.”
This, I realize, is why I’ve come home. Davis Montgomery keeps those he cares about safe. And that safety is everything to me.
A loud woof has me looking over. A brown and black German Shepherd rushes toward me. In his excitement, he trips over his paws and nearly takes out another dog.
Davis grins. “That’s Arlo. He hasn’t figured out how his legs work yet.”
“I know the feeling,” I murmur, drifting around the kennel.
As if it weighs nothing, Davis hefts a large bag of dog food and begins filling bowls. Out of nowhere, a dog with dark fur materializes to stand beside him.
Davis tosses the dog a treat and says, “This is Keena.”
This is Keena?
A disgusting feeling of relief sweeps over me. “She’s yours?” I ask nonchalantly.
“She comes and goes between houses. Currently, she’s at Ford’s right now. But she’s mine, attitude and all.” He runs a massive hand gently through her fur. Keena leans into his touch and I flush.
Unbelievable. I’ve never been jealous of a dog before, but there’s a first time for everything.
“German Shepherd?”
“Belgian Malinois,” Davis says, giving Keena an ear rub. I fight a smile. Watching the stern handler from earlier melt over a dog does something warm and fluttery to my insides. “I got her the winter…you, uh, left.”
“Oh.” An awkward silence falls between us. I sweep a lock of hair from my eyes and study his handsome face. “You did a lot while I was gone.”
“Had to,” he grunts stiffly. With no further explanation, he returns to his tasks, rinsing off his massive hands in the farmhouse sink.
I shake my head. Forever mute, the man.
While he checks the dogs over, I sink into a squat and look Keena in the eyes. “You take good care of him, girl?”
I stick my hand out and wiggle my fingers in a bid to draw her closer.
If it’s possible for a dog to turn up her nose at me, Keena does. She sits there. Her hard gaze as no-bullshit as Davis’s.
I don’t blame you. I wouldn’t want to share him either.
“She doesn’t like strangers,” Davis says, coming back to us. I stand. “Don’t take it personally.”
“I won’t,” I say, ignoring the doubtful glance Keena gives me.
A series of barks erupt from the yard, and I flinch, stumbling into Davis. He wraps an arm around my back and holds me close to his chest. I close my eyes, inhaling his steadying scent of man and leather and coffee.
“Sorry,” I whisper into his tense muscles. “I’m jumpy.”
“Let’s go outside.” He steps back and guides me toward the door with firm hands.
We step back out into the chilly morning, and Davis turns, surveying me with a scrutinizing gaze. “You warm enough?”
Before I can answer, he’s adjusting my jacket. Butterflies escape in my stomach from our closeness, the heat of his massive frame in my space. The way his big hand slides over my throat as he adjusts my collar.
An image of Davis’s hands roaming up my body in the cabin from the last night we were together flashes through my mind, and my heart rate spikes.
“Good?” Davis looks down at me. For a brief second, he winces as his hand grazes my stomach. Pain in his eyes.
“Good,” I breathe.
Across the field, I see Charlie stomping down the front porch of his cabin. A small woman appears at Charlie’s shoulder, dancing around him as they walk toward us.
“Davis.” I grab his arm and he goes rigid at the physical contact. “Who’s that?”
“That’s Charlie.”
Scoffing, I sock him in the stomach. “Stop it. Who is that ?”
“Ruby,” he gruffs, a strange tenderness in his tone. “That’s Ruby.”
“Oh my god.” I stare at their adorable contrast. The tall, broody cowboy with the tiny slip of a girl beside him.
“Yeah.” A smile stains his voice. “They got married last year.”
“Oh my god .”
A pleased grunt.
And I know why. Because Charlie Montgomery’s a different man than the one I knew six years ago. Gone is the scowl. The darkness. The drink.
Six years ago, Davis and I had taken charge of trying to coax Charlie out of a drunken stupor. I brought a pot of chicken noodle soup; we made him eat and then put him to bed. Davis and I sat in the hallway outside Charlie’s bedroom on opposite walls.
“Thank you,” Davis said raggedly.
“Food fixes everything.” I wiggled my bare toes at him. “Your brother will be okay, Hotshot.”
“I mean it, Dakota.” He looked across the hallway, wrapped a huge hand around my ankle, and gave it a squeeze. His very touch seared. “I couldn’t do this without you.”
Warmth in my stomach unfurled. I waited for him to stop touching me, but he didn’t. Instead, Davis traced coarse fingertips over my bare leg. Then he gripped my ankle and pulled me toward him like a slow lasso of want. And then I was there. In his arms. And he kissed me.
That night, we went from friends to lovers.
There was no stopping us. I thought he was the most handsome man I ever saw.
Still do.
My jaw drops even further when Charlie picks Ruby up to carry her over a puddle of melted snow. She’s glowing and laughing and Charlie can’t stop touching her.
“He’s obsessed.”
Davis snorts. “Doesn’t come close.”
He’s right.
Charlie Montgomery is a man long gone.
There’s barely enough time for me to close my mouth before Charlie’s stepping up to me. Snow and gravel crunch beneath his boots. “Hey, Dakota,” he says, wrapping me in a stranglehold of a hug.
“Careful of the arm,” Davis orders.
“Charlie, hi.” I squeeze him back, fully aware Davis is watching us with a guard-dog gaze. But I relish the hug. These cowboys are like brothers to me. They never have and never will scare me.
When I pull back, I take a second to study him. Dark hair mussed, beard trimmed and neat, expression tranquil instead of moody. I squeeze his shoulder. “You look good.”
“You too.” Charlie grins, but I don’t miss the way his gaze dips to my cast. The pity in his eyes.
The pretty girl steps up to me. A hat with a fuzzy pom covers her strawberry-blond hair. “Hi,” she chirps and pops out her hand. Her light blue eyes sparkle, a striking contrast to Charlie’s deeper blue. “I’m Ruby!”
“Hi, Ruby. Nice to meet you.” I shake her hand, already sucked in by her vivacious energy. Her infectious smile does something twisty to my insides.
The wave of sadness hits suddenly. Suffocating. I try to keep a smile on my face, but it feels wobbly.
I wish I looked like that. I used to look like that.
Charlie, Davis—everyone’s got their lives together. Everyone but me.
I’m a mess.
Charlie tugs Ruby’s hat lower over her ears. “We’re headed for a ride, but we wanted to come say hi.” His eyes land knowingly on Davis, then flit back to me. A gesture that tells me Davis told his brother everything. “We’ll see you around, Dakota.”
“Bye.” Ruby waves at us, and then Charlie’s taking her small hand and leading her across the gravel drive to the barn.
“Bye,” I echo.
Seeing them go has the crushing weight of my situation bearing down on my shoulders.
So much of my life feels like it’s gone forever.
Joy. Security. Love.
Not that I can afford to think like that. There will be no more following my heart. I have to make wise choices for me and my baby.
“Dakota?” Davis peers down at me, a frown marring his brow. “You okay?”
“I have to go into town,” I say abruptly, ignoring his question. “I have a doctor’s appointment.”
Tensing, his gaze bounces to my belly. Once again, that same pained expression crosses his face. “Everything okay?”
“I don’t know, Davis,” I grit out. Weary, tired, vibrating with bitterness. “I’ve never done this before.”
His nod is firm. “I’ll take you.”
Heat consumes my face. “Davis, I can—”
He holds up his hand—all rippling muscles and a perpetual scowl—ending my argument. “Let’s get one thing straight, Dakota.” The deepness of his voice intensifies. “Here and now. I go where you go.”
“Fine.”
Turning away from him, I stare into the rising sun until my eyes go blind. My heart pulses angrily against my chest.
One more day. You can make it through one more day.