I paused before walking out the door, hoping for some kind of response, but I got nothing. Mama Mae always said that actions speak louder than words. Hoping the plan held and that I’d be able to come through for Destiny and she could see how much she meant to me, I climbed into the truck and wound my way through the lines of cars trying to find a parking spot for the big concert.
I wished I had some of my team with me on this mission. Bridger would have had something to say about the way I’d handled things with Destiny. He’d probably call me a variety of names and tell me I should have known a woman like Destiny wouldn’t tolerate a man getting caught up lies.
He was the one who’d wanted to be a family man. Always talked about going home after that last deployment and finding a girl to settle down with and make babies. I thought he was a sucker, but now that I’d met Destiny, I saw the appeal. Waking up with her in my arms the past two days had proven to me I didn’t have to be alone. Destiny had shown me there was another way. That’s what I wanted… to build a life with someone… to put down the kind of roots I’d never had… to be loved.
But first… I needed to save a dog.
I passed the Oliver ranch and left my truck on the side of the road, then backtracked on foot. The only light on in the house appeared to be coming from a back bedroom. I moved closer, trying to catch a glimpse through the window. An older man sat in a recliner, his chin resting on his chest. From what I could tell, he looked to be asleep and there was no sign of Gonzo.
When I’d scoped out the place the other night, I’d noticed several outbuildings. Hoping they might have penned the dog up in one of the barns or storage sheds, I started with the one closest to the house. A small padlock didn’t stand a chance against the bolt cutters I’d brought. Too bad it was filled with lawn equipment.
Moving on to the next building, I glanced at my watch. Dartman was probably just arriving for the meeting with Destiny right now. No doubt she’d be able to handle herself. Still, I wished I’d been able to stay with her. I had no luck in either of the next two buildings. I was running out of places to check.
The small barn was empty except for a rundown tractor and a bunch of ancient equipment. That left the big barn. I crept toward it, hoping I wouldn’t startle any of the animals inside. Soft light filtered through the huge door. I stepped inside and breathed in the familiar scent of hay and manure. I hadn’t been back to Mama Mae’s in forever, but I felt like I was back in high school, mucking out stalls with one of my foster brothers.
A big chestnut mare stuck her head over the side of her stall. I took off my glove to run my hand over her velvety soft nose. Destiny had a couple of horses, though she’d told me she didn’t get to ride nearly as much as she liked. Maybe when all of this was over and I’d groveled my way back into her heart, we’d be able to indulge in a few long trail rides together.
I pulled my hand back. No use getting too far ahead of myself. If Gonzo wasn’t here, I’d be starting from square one again. There was no sign of him in any of the stalls. I was losing hope. I thoroughly searched the rest of the barn. Even crawled up in the loft and found a protective mama cat and a litter of newborn kittens. But no Gonzo.
I’d been so sure he was here. Usually, my instincts were right on. I must have missed something. Maybe they had him locked in a bedroom in the house. I circled back and peered through the window again. The older man hadn’t moved. I walked around the house, using my flashlight to look in the windows of each room. Unless they had the dog in a closet, he wasn’t there.
Fuck. I’d promised Destiny I’d find her dog. Even though she was pissed as hell at me, she still trusted me to come through for her. I wanted to punch something or let my frustration out by yelling at the moon. Then I noticed the door to a storm cellar, half buried in overgrown weeds next to the foundation.
I pulled on the handle. The hinges creaked, but the door opened. Someone had been down there recently. I fired up my flashlight and slowly moved down the steps. The TV must have sat just overhead. I could hear the monster truck rally the guy had been watching like I was in the same room.
The narrow beam from the flashlight danced over shelves full of forgotten jars of canned green beans and tomatoes. An old wash basin sat in the corner and cobwebs stretched across the beams overhead.
A soft whimper came from behind me. I swung the light around and caught the edge of a metal cage. Gonzo pawed at the door. His tail wagged a mile a minute as he recognized I’d come to save him.
“Hey, boy. Damn, am I glad to see you.” I pulled out the leash I’d brought with me and opened the front door to the kennel.
He jumped up and covered my face with sloppy kisses. I ran my hands over his sides, doing a quick check to make sure he wasn’t injured. He winced when I touched his back leg. With no visible external injuries, he must have tweaked it or hurt it when that bastard brought him over.
“I’ve got you, bud. Let’s get you out of here and take you home. What do you say?” He limped toward the steps and turned to wait for me.
I snapped a few photos of the kennel and Gonzo in case we needed proof of where I’d found him. Then I fired off a text to let Destiny and Henry know I had her dog. I wanted to wait until I got back to the truck to call the sheriff. Old man Oliver might be passed out above, but there was no sense risking waking him by talking on the phone right under his nose.
Gonzo yelped when he tested his leg on the stairs, so I picked him up and carried him out of the storage cellar. We were halfway down the drive when a vehicle turned in. I ran as fast as I could for the scrubby coverage of some mesquite trees. It wouldn’t be long before they realized the dog was gone. I needed to call the sheriff and get to the place where Henry, Destiny, and I were supposed to meet as quickly as possible.
We reached the truck, and I secured Gonzo in the front seat. “Hang on. We’re going to get you back to your family soon.”
I swear he smiled at me. Hoping returning her dog would earn me the right to properly apologize, I turned the truck around and headed to town, ready to put this nightmare behind all of us.
10
DESTINY
“Why aren’t they here yet? He texted over a half hour ago. You don’t think he ran into any trouble, do you?” I paced the parking lot of the abandoned dairy on the edge of town. The sheriff had gone tearing past, lights flashing, about ten minutes ago. No doubt he was headed to my place to arrest Dartman and rip up that contract I signed.
“He’ll be here,” Henry promised. “Thorne always comes through.”
“Hmmpf.” I wasn’t too sure I agreed with that. Thorne, or Gonzo as my brother had referred to him since the day they met, might be an excellent frogman, but he had a lot to learn about interpersonal relationships.
Headlights came closer and the big black truck turned into the parking lot. I rushed over, pulling open the passenger side door before the vehicle came to a stop.
Gonzo sat in the front seat, the doggy harness I’d sent with Thorne holding him in place. I buried my face in his fur. “Oh, baby. I’m so glad to see you. You have no idea how worried I was about you.”
“He appears to be in pretty good shape, though he’s not putting weight on his left back leg. I think he might have hurt it either when they caught him or when they put him in the cage.”
