Arden pulled back and then stood up. “It’s almost six o’clock. I need to give Ripple his apple.” She went to the counter to grab an apple out of the fruit bowl.
“For Danny?”
Arden looked back at Kyle. So he had been listening. “Yeah. He’s having a hard time with the storm and not being able to come up here. He’ll get very upset if I’m late.”
Kyle stood. “I’ll come with you.”
“No,” Arden said as she grabbed her coat. “That might upset him. You’re an unknown variable. It’ll throw him off.”Not unlike how you’re the unknown variable that’s thrownmeoff. “But, you can watch from the laptop.” She put her computer on the table. “You can see the number of viewers in the corner of the window. Looks like he hasn’t logged on yet, but I’d better hurry. Everyone else probably watched earlier while we were in the barn. They all like the cat show.” Arden laughed.
Arden headed for the door when Kyle said, “Where are the security cameras?”
“Huh?”
He frowned. “You need to have cameras on your front door, the entrance to your driveway, the back door at the very least. The yard in general.”
Her heart went warm and soft. He was concerned about her safety. “I probably should, but my priority was getting the cameras up for the clients and horse owners to watch.” She held up a hand when he looked like he was about to follow her out. “Seriously, I’m fine.”
“Take Camo.” The dog’s ears lifted at the sound of his name. “Go with Arden,” he said and pointed. Camo obeyed. Then to Arden he said, “You remember the command for heel?”
Oh, wow. He actually trusts me. “I do.” She raised her arm and then rotated it the way Kyle had done earlier. Camo wagged his tail and stayed with her as she walked to the door. “Cool. Look at me, I’m driving a dog.”
Kyle laughed like he did when Camo licked his face. And damn, it was still a good laugh—open and free, unselfconscious. Her heart did a little victory lap.
“Be right back.” She scooted out the door before she had time to turn around and go straight into his arms.Dogfight, remember?Her heart steadfastly ignored her. The damn thing wanted what it wanted.Stupid heart, got no brain.
She was so distracted by her feelings that she was practically to the barn before she realized something was not right. She was approaching from the side. Light pooled onto the snow around the corner, which meant the barn door was open. “Shit. Did I not pull it closed tight enough?” she murmured to herself. The wind must have grabbed it and blown it open. Dammit, she couldn’t afford to be this distracted. What if one of the horses bolted? They were in their stalls, but all she needed to do was leave one stall open by accident. She picked up her pace, dread like a bowling ball rolling in her stomach. She looked for tell-tale hoofprints; none were coming her direction, which meant that if any had escaped, they’d gone toward the trees and would be that much harder to find. Worse, one could stumble in the dark and snow, and then what?
“Shit, shit,shit.” How could she let herself become so damn careless? And over a guy she just met. What the hell? She was doing her best to run through the snow, Camo keeping up with her easily.
She heard a high-pitched whinny just as the dog sped ahead and abruptly stopped, hackles raised.
“No, Camo, it’s a horse. Be cool.” But the dog growled and then barked. More horses joined the first in a panicked chorus. The alpacas, too. Great, now Camo was scaring them. They’d bolt for sure. “Camo, stop!”
The dog only grew tenser. He glanced back as if to sayStay behind me, lady!
He was doing his job. Her heart froze.No, this couldn’t be. Not like this. Not happening. She felt lightheaded and stopped in her tracks.
Behind her, she heard the door slam open and Kyle bellow, “Arden, stop!” Then, “Camo!”
The dog hunkered down, still growling, hackles raised.
And then she saw it—the big, dark, slinking shape. A mountain lion crept out of the barn, turned, and started toward them.
“No!” She fumbled through the snow to Camo, yelling and waving her arms, crazily thinking she could somehow scare off the massive predator. She’d be damned if she didn’t protect the dog.Damned!She threw herself onto Camo, who whined and barked and stood his ground, the lion now no more than fifteen feet from them.
“Arden! Fuck!” She looked back in time to see Kyle raise the sawed-off shotgun. But instead of aiming at the lion, he shot into the air off to the side.
The mountain lion slid to a stop, crouched, and snarled. Then he turned tail and sprinted off past the barn and into the trees.
Arden thought her heart would explode as she cradled the dog, who was licking her face while he whined. She felt shaky and light as air as she said his name over and over. “Camo, Camo, I’ve got you. Camo boy, good boy.” Her heart broke into sharp and jagged fragments as she thought of the dog’s last mission.Shut that thought down right now, her heart told her brain as dark spots swam before her eyes.
And then there were strong arms around her, pulling her back into a solid torso.
“I’ve got you,” Kyle growled next to her ear. “You’re safe, Arden. I’ve got you.” He stroked her hair back from her face, his fingers rough but gentle against her temple. He cupped her cheek and pressed the side of her face against his. That seven o’clock shadow should have been scratchy and she braced for it, but it was soft, so soft, like velvet. And he was warm, the warmest thing she’d ever felt. As he rocked her and growled her name, she sank into the entirety of Kyle’s presence—solid, warm, soft, hard, rough, and gentle.
Arden let herself be enveloped in the salty-clean smell of his skin, the heat of his body. She used it as a shield against her fear, shock, and the heartbreak threatening to overcome her. She sank her fingers into Camo’s fur as he nuzzled both of them. Her fingers brushed against Kyle’s as he did the same. Then his hand closed over hers and their fingers entangled as he pulled her in tighter around her waist. At some point, he’d stopped saying her name. He pulled his cheek away from hers. His eyes were closed, his lashes dark against his skin. Then he nuzzled into her hair until his lips rested against her ear.Oh, sweet heaven. If he speaks, if that damn sexy growl vibrates against my earlobe, I’m done for.
“Arden,” he whispered, and her body was one big shiver. He felt it and sighed. His lips brushed her earlobe, his heart pounded against her back.
