EPILOGUE
They heard the wolf howl as soon as they got out of the jeep.
“Thank heavens.” Eve had flung open the front door of the cabin and stared at them now in exasperation. “I never want to hear another wolf for the rest of my life. I may even cancel my subscription to National Geographic. I was tempted to give the animal a sedative just so we could get some sleep.”
“Sorry.” Sarah looked sheepish. “We’ll take over. Where are Joe and Jane?”
“Out for a run. I think they wanted to get away from Maggie.”
“That bad?”
“That bad.” Eve glanced at Logan. “That cast on your arm may come in handy.”
Maggie howled.
Monty barked joyously and disappeared into the house.
“You’d better monitor that encounter,” Eve told Sarah. “She’s very bad tempered. He may get his throat sliced.”
“I think it will be okay,” Sarah said. “She usually tolerates him. But we’ll take a look.”
“What are you going to do with her?”
“That’s a big question,” Logan said. “Do you think she’d like California?”
“No.” Sarah frowned. “You can’t take her out of the state. The authorities wouldn’t permit it.”
“I think I can guarantee that they’ll cut us some slack.”
“Even if you pull strings, what are we going to do? Let her roam among all those mansions on the seventeen-mile strip? She’s better off here.”
“And risk having your rancher friends shoot her?”
“No, of course not.” She sighed. “It’s just that Monty . . .”
“I know,” Logan said. “He’s got a problem.” He tilted his head. “What’s that?”
Sarah heard it too, a cross between a growl and a warble.
“Monty?” No, that wasn’t Monty. She strode quickly to the back porch. “What’s happen—”
Monty was on his back with his feet in the air. He gave an ecstatic woo-woo of a yodel.
Maggie growled in disgust but continued to lick Monty’s face.
“I’d say that absence definitely made the heart grow fonder,” Logan murmured. “That’s more than toleration. Unless you want to turn Monty loose to roam with her, I believe we have to find a domestic solution. I can see a second generation on the horizon.”
“Good luck,” Eve said. “You’ll need it.”
“I’m not worried about luck.” Sarah’s gaze shifted from Maggie and Monty, and she smiled into Logan’s eyes. “If we don’t have it, we’ll make it. Isn’t that right, Logan?”
“I plead the Fifth Amendment. You’ve already accused me of blatant manipulation, and I’ve had enough problems convincing you to take a chance on me. If I rouse your suspicions, you might take your dog and head for the hills.”
“What would you do then?”
“Go after you. Maggie and I would track you down. We both know what we want and we wouldn’t give up. You told me that once Maggie committed, she’d mate for life.”
“And what about you?”
He smiled. “Try me.”