Chapter Seven
Rising gently from the easy chair, Josh checked on Raider before leaving the room.
Stretched out on his side the shepherd breathed steady and easy, sleeping peacefully.
Able to leave the animal alone for longer periods of time, Josh padded softly across the room.
The moment he opened the door, the tantalizing aroma of coffee and something sweet struck him.
Alice. That woman was always baking something, making it very difficult to think about someday leaving the ranch and returning to army food.
Carefully pulling the door shut, eager to find out what had his stomach rumbling, he spun around a bit faster than he probably should have.
The floor gave a little wobble under his feet.
Not a bad one. Not enough to knock him sideways.
Just enough to remind him life wasn’t quite done messing with his balance.
Just to be sure, he walked the short distance, one hand brushing the wall.
At the counter, Alice stood slicing a loaf of fresh bread.
Cassie sprang from her seat and opening the fridge door, emerged with not one but two sticks of butter in her hand and a grin that shouted heaven was before them.
Sleeves rolled up his forearms and jeans already dusty from early morning chores, Kade leaned against the doorway with a mug of coffee in his hands, smiling appreciatively at his wife for reasons that most likely had nothing to do with his mother’s bread or the butter in Cassie’s hands.
A warm chuckle escaped Alice as she slid another loaf onto the cutting board. “You’d think I never feed that girl.”
“Fresh bread makes everything better.” Cassie shrugged, her smile intact. “Broken hearts, flat tires, government shutdowns.”
“Inner ear trouble?” Josh offered, stepping fully into the kitchen.
Cassie pointed a butter knife at him. “Especially inner ear trouble.”
Stealing a slice of freshly sliced bread, Kade kissed his mother on the cheek. “If you ever stop baking, half this family will collapse.”
“Half?” Alice sniffed. “Try all of you.”
Josh eased into a chair, doing his best to look like getting there was effortless and not the careful, deliberate process that had become his new normal. “If bread counts as medicine, I’m willing to double my dosage.”
“Sit.” Alice slid a plate in front of him. “You need it. You’re looking peaky.”
Shaking his head at his mother, Kade rolled his eyes and walked to the table, taking a seat beside his wife.
Josh loved the way the Sweets interacted, how there was no telling who was kin and who was married-in.
Or for that matter, that they had all started out as a marriage plot to save the ranch and found themselves truly happily married.
Taking his first bite, the bread melted on his tongue, warm and soft and just the right amount of sweet.
If he weren’t in mixed company, he might have moaned.
Across the table, Katie breezed in with her hair pulled up in a way that made Josh momentarily forget how breathing worked. She paused, then inhaled dramatically. “Besides smelling absolutely heavenly, all this delicious baking is enough to make a girl rethink living in a big city.”
That brought a good chuckle from Alice. “If only I could solve our political troubles with a few loaves of fresh bread or a good blueberry pie.”
Familiar with the kitchen and fitting in as if she’d always been part of the Sweet family morning routine, Katie poured a cup of coffee and to his surprise, instead of taking a seat herself, she slid the warm mug in front of him. “Black, right?”
He nodded. Oddly content that she’d noticed how he drank his coffee.
Settling into the chair across from him, Katie blew into her mug before leveling her gaze with his. “How is Raider doing today?”
“So far so good. He’s sleeping better than he’s slept since we brought him home.
” His mind wandered back to earlier in the morning, when he’d taken Raider out for a potty break.
Even though the dog was improving, watching him struggle to stand had been hard.
The way his back legs trembled, the effort it took just to push himself up from the mattress.
There had to be a better way. He needed to call the base hospital and check on his men.
By his calculations, Boglioli should be getting his walking papers soon. Assuming his rehab was going well.
Alice settled into her chair at the head of the table, coffee in hand. “You’re frowning. Something hurting? Is the dog too much for you?”
“No.” Josh shook his head. “I’m fine.” If he didn’t consider feeling like the ground was undulating beneath his feet. “Thinking about my men and how Raider’s having a hard time getting up and down. The mattress is low, and every time he tries to stand, he’s straining those back legs.”
Everyone at the table nodded. Narrowing his eyes in thought, Kade pressed his lips together before bobbing his head. “How about an elevated bed?”
Josh waved a finger at his buddy. “Yes. So he can just step on and off instead of pushing himself up from the floor.”
“Elevated?” Katie frowned seconds before her eyes opened wide. “Oh, you mean like a hammock or trampoline.”
“Exactly.” Josh grinned at her. “It would be easier on his back than a mattress as well.”
“Makes sense.” Alice sipped her coffee. “We don’t have anything like that here. I’m sure Clint or Benny could build something but I bet the feed store in town might have something like you want in stock. They carry more than just feed and tack nowadays.”
Katie set down her mug. “What about his food and water bowls?”
All eyes turned to her.
“I noticed when I was setting them down,” Katie continued, “Raider has to bend pretty far to reach them. He sort of braces himself every time, like it pulls at something.”
She was right. The woman was pretty and smart. Another reason she seemed to be making herself at home in his thoughts. Josh had been so focused on the standing problem that he’d missed it completely. “An elevated feeder. Or a dispenser that sits higher.”
“Might make eating and drinking easier on him.” Katie took a sip of her coffee, eyeing him over the mug’s rim.
“Sounds like a trip into town is in order.” Josh turned to Alice. “Would you mind if I borrowed a vehicle?”
“Of course not.”
“We could all go.” Kade suggested. “A little change of scenery.”
“Great idea.” Alice nodded. “I can keep an eye on Raider. He doesn’t love me like the two of you, but he doesn’t snarl at me like he does at my son.”
“Thanks,” Kade huffed.
Kade’s pouty face almost had Josh chuckling out loud. It had to be hard on his friend, with all his training, not being able to win Raider over. Of course, if the dog had chosen Josh over Kade, maybe all that proved was that the animal was a lousy judge of who was the better man.
The drive into Honeysuckle didn’t take long.
Main Street appeared like something out of a postcard—tidy storefronts, flower pots overflowing with color, and hand-painted signs advertising everything from candles to corn hole supplies.
Katie had driven through on her way to the ranch, but she hadn’t really seen it.
Not like this. She leaned forward between the front seats. “Is it always this busy?”
Cassie laughed. “Oh no. We forgot.”
“Forgot what?” Josh asked.
“Sidewalk sale.” Kade pulled into a parking spot near the feed store. “First Saturday of the month during warm weather seasons. The whole county comes around.”
“Jackie is going to be really mad we let her sleep in.” Cassie sighed. “She loves the Saturday sales.”
Sure enough, the sidewalks were lined with tables and racks. Shop owners stood in doorways waving at passersby. A group of small children chased each other around a row of display tables while their mothers shopped. Fun for all ages, she thought.
“This is amazing.” Katie stepped out of the Suburban, taking it all in. A woman in a bedazzled denim jacket caught her eye—she sparkled so much in the sunlight that Katie had to squint.
“Mildred McEntire,” Cassie whispered, appearing at her side. “Bling queen of West Texas.”
“Unofficially,” Kade added.
“Is there an official one?” Katie asked.
“Lord, I hope not.” Cassie linked her arm through Katie’s. “Come on. Let’s get the dog stuff first, then we can browse.”
The bell over the feed-store door gave a cheerful jingle the moment Katie stepped inside.
The place was much larger than the modest storefront implied.
Shelves stacked with feed bags, rows of colorful halters, giant tubs of horse treats, and a whole wall of tools she couldn’t name, ran front to back and occasionally side to side.
If they didn’t have a dog bed it might very well be the only thing they didn’t have in stock.
“Okay,” she glanced around, this time less awed and more focused, “if I were a dog bed, elevated bowls, something soft for his head, and maybe a toy, where would I be?”
Josh muffled a laugh. “Most of the home pet supplies seem to be down that aisle, but Raider’s not himself yet. He may not be ready for toys.”
A voice carrying a hint of amusement, called from behind them. “Every dog’s interested in toys. And the dog beds are in aisle four, the toys in five.”
Thanking the clerk, they walked deeper into the store, stopping in front of a whole display of raised dog beds—mesh hammocks stretched over sturdy frames.
Josh ran a hand along one. “Yeah. This looks right.”
“It’s firm but springy,” Katie said, pressing the center. “Like orthopedic…but cooler.”
Josh gave her a look. A hint of surprise that seemed to shift to… was that admiration? Either way, being the focus of his attention had heat climbing her neck and probably turning the tips of her ears red. Instinctively, she reached behind her neck and tugged her hair loose over her ears.
They picked one with reinforced corners and an extra-soft removable pad.
The kind that whispered: injured military hero dog deserves luxury.
Next stop was bowls. Elevated, stainless steel, adjustable height.
That done, they grabbed a tug toy—thick rope with knots on either end, “for gentle play only,” per the tag.
Katie imagined Raider slowly reclaiming his dog joy, step by step.
She liked the idea. With the supplies secured, the four of them wandered onto Main Street.
The sidewalk sale was in full swing—tables piled with marked-down merchandise, racks of clothing, bins of odds and ends.
Katie found herself drawn to a display of handmade jewelry outside a shop she didn’t recognize.
“See something you like?” Josh appeared beside her, moving carefully through the crowd.
She held up a bracelet—simple leather cord with a small silver charm. “It’s silly.”
“What’s the charm?”
“A star.” She set it back down. “I’ve always had a thing for stars. Used to drive my parents crazy, begging to stay up late to watch meteor showers.”
Josh picked up the bracelet and turned it over in his hand. Before she could protest, he’d caught the attention of the woman behind the table and handed over a few bills.
“You didn’t have to do that.”
“I know.” He held out the bracelet. “I wanted to.”
She let him fasten it around her wrist, his fingers warm and steady against her skin. Every time she looked at this she knew it would remind her of that night on the porch. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
A few storefronts down, Cassie waved them over to a table piled with kitchen gadgets. “Look at this! A pickle picker!”
“A what?” Kade squinted at the contraption in her hand.
“It picks pickles out of the jar. No more fishing around with a fork.”
“Who needs that?”
“Everyone needs that.” Cassie added it to the small pile she’d already accumulated.
Strolling along, looking at all the items rather than where she was walking, Katie drifted a little too close to a display table and Josh instinctively reached for her elbow to steer her around it.
She shouldn’t have enjoyed that as much as she did.
Then she spotted a booth selling custom leather dog collars with names burned into the strap. “Josh. Look.”
His gaze followed hers, nodding, he smiled. “Perfect.”
Raider’s new collar in hand, she fell into step beside Josh, continuing down the sidewalk.
A corn hole demonstration had drawn a crowd near the park.
The unofficial bling queen was moving about as if she were a contestant in a world pageant.
A few feet away, a lemonade stand covered in bright yellow and pink streamers drew a good crowd.
“Want some?” Josh nodded toward the stand.
“Absolutely.”
They stood in the shade, sipping cold lemonade and watching the chaos unfold around them.
Katie had never felt so content. Whether it was the town, the sunny day, the collar for Raider, or the man sipping lemonade beside her, she didn’t know, but she was sure of one thing.
She’d known plenty of nice guys through the years, but none had made a simple day of shopping feel so…
special. Not for all the tea in China would she trade today, here, with Josh.