“Go.” She nodded toward the truck. “I can handle this.”
“Right. Thanks. Remind me to give you a raise.”
She raised her brow. “I will.”
With a quick nod, he strode back to Lacey. As he drove the truck down the long dirt drive, she shook her head. Only Cole would drive slow enough to avoid kicking up dust. Then again, with the destination he was headed for, she wasn’t all that surprised he dragged his heels.
Turning back to Domino, she gave the horse a hug. “Thank you for being so dependable, sweet thing.”
Her horse leaned her head against her, perfectly happy with her, flaws and all. Hell, compared to herself, Domino was damn perfect. “Okay, enough of the gushy stuff, let’s ride.” Fitting the bridle on Domino, she gave her one more pat then mounted.
Once more she scanned the area before kicking her mount into a gallop down the dirt drive to Cole and Lacey’s house. She reined her in as they reached the path Whisper had worn across the desert with her regular trips on Spirit from her trailer to the main house. Tempted to follow it and give Domino some good exercise, she glanced back over her shoulder.
A dust cloud from an approaching truck, told her that would have to wait. Turning Domino around, she gave her her head, the horse slowing automatically as she approached the parking area in front of the main house again.
“What the hell?” Recognizing Whisper’s blue truck, she dismounted.
Trace drove, Uncle Joey in the middle of the front bench seat and Whisper on the passenger side. The truck came to a stop and Whisper jumped out. “Hey, I need you to look after this for me.”
Riley strode forward as Whisper headed for the back of the pick-up. “I thought you were on your way to Vegas?”
Whisper opened the tail gate. “We are, but this guy was on the side of the highway.” A small dog licked Whisper’s face. “Don’t worry, Riley’s gonna take care of you until I get back. I know it’s hard to believe, but you’ll be safe with me.”
Riley stared at the four-legged animal. “What are you talking about?”
Whisper stepped back from the truck. “Come on. Time to get down.”
The dog paced across the tailgate and whined.
“Come here.”
The dog sat on its haunches, refusing to leave the truck.
“Riley, come here.”
“Oh, I thought you were talking to the dog.” The woman’s tone of voice certainly made it sound that way.
Whisper rolled her eyes as if that was the stupidest assumption. “He won’t come down because he thinks I’m abandoning him. That’s what his last owners did.”
She knew that feeling, so she walked over. “Now what?”
“Now, go over to him. Let him sniff your hand.”
She’d been around dogs. They slobbered all over a person. “I’ll only do this for you.” She gave Whisper a serious look. Walking up to the tailgate, she let the dog sniff her hand. Its tail started to wag just as it licked her. “Ugh.” She pulled her hand back.
“Give me a break. You get more germs feeding your horse. Think of him like a little horse.”
Littlewas the operative word in that statement. The dog couldn’t be more than twelve pounds. He, if it was a he, was mostly white with some brown spots scattered over his body. Not really spots so much as blobs of light brown to match the desert.
“I need you to take care of him until we get back.”
“Me?” She snapped her head around to give Whisper a scowl. “Why me?”
Whisper gestured down the road toward Cole’s home. “Because he’s too busy and she’s not an animal person. You are.”
Crap. Everyone was gone. Even Dr. Jenna. “Can’t you bring him to Dr. Jenna’s office. Doesn’t she do boarding?”
Whisper took the two steps that brought them nose to nose. “Did you not hear what I just said?” She pointed to the dog. “He was abandoned. You want me to stick him in a room full of other dogs who have been abandoned for the weekend?”
