Chapter 14
14
Rachel
P ets had been off-limits in Rachel’s home growing up. Her father was deathly allergic to animal dander—that was one reason he hadn’t come to Copper Creek to visit. There were too many animals hanging around, and Rachel wanted to spend time with all of them.
Granted, most of the four-legged friends had been horses, but that didn’t mean her father would be able to come without some serious discomfort.
A puppy ?
She’d always wanted a puppy. When Hudson had mentioned getting a dog to help alert them to intruders, she hadn’t thought much of it. She’d figured he’d get one of those stereotypical guard dogs—the mean kind that required signage on the outside of the property.
She swiveled her head around and gaped at Hudson. “You’re joking,” she said without inflection, even though inside she was doing a happy dance. “You want to get me a puppy.”
Hudson didn’t even look in her direction. He stared at the house in front of them, but she didn’t miss the way his eye twitched and his jaw tightened. “I think it would help… you sleep better.”
Emotion surged within her. She didn’t know what to say to that. She wouldn’t have been able to come up with the words to express how it made her feel to know he was thinking about her. This man, who was a master of keeping his feelings hidden—who didn’t want to get close to anyone—was trying to take care of her beyond what was necessary.
She looked out her window before she gave herself away. A quick brush of her hand over her cheek cleared any tears that had escaped, and a smile pulled at her lips. Before she could express her gratitude, he’d opened his door and slipped outside. He strode in front of the truck and came to her door to open it for her.
Rachel stared at the hand he offered for a brief moment, then took it and let him help her down. Their touch was short but electrifying. The warmth from his hand crawled up her arm and sent goosebumps over her body. This was a man she could actually see herself with.
No, he wasn’t just the representation of a man she wanted to be with. Hudson was the man she wanted to be with. The realization caused a slew of shockwaves to rocket through her body. She wanted him to want her. She wanted these thoughtful gestures to be coming from a place in his heart fueled by love.
They reached the front door of the house, and Hudson knocked. He tossed her a sideways glance and smiled. “What?”
She blinked. “I didn’t say anything.”
His eyes narrowed. “But you’re looking at me like?—”
“Hudson! Hey, man! I thought it would be a few days before you could come.”
Rachel took a step back as Hudson dragged his gaze to the intrusion. A tall cowboy with dark hair and dark eyes. His skin was a warm, golden-brown color, and he looked like he belonged in an LA audition room rather than a small town in Colorado.
His gaze swept from Hudson to Rachel, and his smile widened. “You brought a friend.” He held out his hand and took a step toward her. “I’m Mateo.”
Rachel tentatively accepted his offering, then gasped when he brought her hand to his lips.
“And you are?” Mateo murmured.
Hudson scooted closer to Rachel, almost pushing himself between the two of them. “I know I said we’d come by later in the week, but I wanted to talk to you about borrowing a few more dogs.”
Mateo’s brows lifted. “Borrowing?”
“In a matter of speaking. I… wanted to ask you a favor.”
He chuckled. “I’m already giving you a steal on the two you wanted. There were some city folk poking around that puppy the other day. I could have gotten top dollar for it.”
Hudson’s stiff nature seemed to relax. “You know as well as I do that those dogs aren’t bred to be city pups. They’re meant to have room to roam. Those idiots wouldn’t know what to do with a dog that has that kind of energy.”
Rachel had never heard Hudson banter with someone before. Whoever this Mateo was, he appeared to be closer to Hudson than even some of his own brothers.
“Okay, I’ll bite.” Mateo laughed. “What’s the favor?”
Hudson’s eyes met Rachel’s. “I told you about the vandalism, but I didn’t tell you the whole story.”
Mateo’s easy-going expression shifted almost immediately as Hudson’s own voice dropped to a more serious level. The hairs on the back of Rachel’s neck stood on end. It might have been a change in the air, or it could have been reliving what had happened. She shivered and took a step back, but it did nothing to ease how unsettled she felt. Mateo’s sharp gaze locked on her, appraising her. “Are you okay?”
She forced a smile. “I’m fine. They didn’t get to me.”
“That’s a load of—” Mateo stopped himself after getting a look from Hudson. He set his firm stare on Rachel again. “You don’t have to pretend around me, sweetheart. You went through something traumatic, and you didn’t deserve it.” He returned his attention to Hudson. “So what? You want a pack or something? I’ve got some good sheepdogs that just graduated. They can pick up the sound of intruders like no other.”
“It’s not just that,” Hudson hedged. “Wade thinks we need to enlist some help from others. We’re going to need help with people keeping an eye on the property until we can figure out who’s doing this.”
Mateo nodded. “Whatever you need. I can ask Roman if he’s up for it, too.”
“Thanks,” Hudson said, relief written across his features.
Then, just like that, Mateo grinned. “Now, let’s go take a look at the newest members of your family, shall we?” He pulled Rachel into him, his arm around her shoulder as he led her from the porch into the house. “I think you’re really going to like her. She’s the sweetest little thing. Sorta like you.”
Hudson followed from behind, shutting the door after they’d entered. When Rachel glanced back toward him, she was surprised to find a scowl on his face. His hands were shoved into his pockets, and the second he caught her looking at him, he turned his focus to the ground.
The soft sound of barks and mews was the only thing that could have drawn her attention from Hudson to what she’d just walked into. They’d entered a large living space that had a playpen set up, with six puppies darting back and forth. The second they saw Rachel, their little yips grew louder.
Mateo pulled Rachel around in front of him and pointed down at the most adorable little Border Collies. Five of them were the traditional white with black ears and spots on their eyes. But there was one that looked blonder than the others. While the others practically bounced off each other, this one sat front and center, her eyes trained on Rachel.
“What do you think?” Mateo murmured as he pointed to her. “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”
At that moment, another pup pushed her over and she resumed playing with her siblings.
Mateo laughed and scooped her up from the group. Her eyes were blue, and she had the softest fur. When Mateo plopped her into Rachel’s arms, that’s when Rachel melted. Tears sprang to her eyes, and she turned to Hudson. “Really?” she whispered.
Hudson’s expression softened and he nodded. “Do you like her?”
Rachel pulled the puppy closer to her chest. “I love her.”
“She’s got all her shots, and she’s already been socialized with the horses and the cattle we have here. She’ll need training, of course, if you plan on working her. We offer that here as well. Collies are an extremely active breed. You’re gonna want to give her plenty of exercise or she’s going to destroy your house.”
Rachel snuggled with the puppy, feeling her heart mend in real time. “She’s perfect.”
Mateo grinned. “Good. Now, let’s meet the dog I have picked out for you.” He jerked a thumb toward the door that led them outside from the kitchen area. “He just graduated training. I was going to keep him for myself, but Sophia keeps telling me I can’t keep the merchandise.”
“Is Sophia your girlfriend?” Rachel asked. She’d thought, with his blatant flirting, he couldn’t possibly be married. It would take a strong woman to know her boyfriend was talking to other girls the way Mateo had been treating her.
Mateo laughed. “Don’t tell her you asked that. She’d wrestle me to the ground. No, Sophia is my sister. She helps me run the training side of things. Come on. Let’s get Odin.”
“Odin?” Hudson asked. “You mean like the God?”
“That’s the one. Odin is a beast. And he’s fiercely protective. As soon as he realizes you’re the one taking care of him, he’s going to take care of you.”
“Is he a border collie too?” Rachel buried her face in her puppy’s fur.
“Ha! No. Odin is a Great Pyrenees.”
After they completed their paperwork and Hudson gave Mateo a little more information on the security game plan, they were off toward home with Odin in the back of the truck.
Rachel had her pup on her lap as they drove, amazed at how calming it could be to snuggle with the small creature. The rollercoaster of emotions she’d been dealing with since the beginning of all of this was making her dizzy. It wasn’t just the break-in. It was finding her sister. Moving to Colorado. Buying the property. But most of all, it was discovering more about the man seated next to her.
“What are you going to name her?” Hudson’s voice dragged her out of her own head, and she jumped. It was impossible for him to read her thoughts. He wouldn’t know that she’d developed a full-blown crush on him. Even still, her face heated uncontrollably.
“I’m not sure,” she said softly. “Do you have any ideas?”
Hudson shrugged. “How about Cookie.”
“Cookie?” Rachel laughed. “You want to name her Cookie ? She’s not a food.”
“You got any better ideas?” He scoffed. “Because you can’t just go around calling her Dog. That’s overused.”
She laughed again. “I’ve never heard anyone name their puppy Dog. That’s ridiculous.”
“You’d be surprised. Some people don’t have any imagination.” A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he continued to drive. It was nice to see that side of him shine through. There was a lot about him that she didn’t know about. Like the fact that he had a friend.
“How long have you known Mateo?”
Hudson glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. “Since grade school. He was a troublemaker like most of my family. I think we gravitated toward each other because the town didn’t exactly approve of our antics. The ironic thing was that they weren’t all that bad. Just normal occasional shoplifting and such.”
She coughed out another surprised laugh. “You shoplifted ?”
“Who didn’t as a teenager?”
“I never did.”
He glanced at her then, and she was reminded just how different they were. While they had similar baggage, they were formed by two very different lifestyles.
Rachel brought her pup closer and rubbed her face against her fur once more. “Well, I’m glad you had a friend. He seems like a real nice guy.”
Hudson’s smile fell. “He’s not that great.”
She snickered. “I find it hard to believe that you feel that way about him. He’s one of the only people you’ll smile at. It might not be much of a friendship, but you two certainly have one. I think it’s nice, though it’s a little strange.”
“Why’s that?” Hudson muttered gruffly.
“He’s nothing like you. He’s outgoing and talkative. And boy is he a charmer.”
Hudson put his foot on the brake a little harder than was necessary, drawing her attention to the fact that they’d arrived back at her home. He didn’t look at her at all before yanking his key from the ignition and tearing out of the vehicle. She watched through the rearview mirror as he opened the tailgate and let Odin jump down.
The enormous white dog loped beside Hudson as they headed for the barn.
What had just happened?