She very much doubted that the gerbils she had when she was little had chosen her since they’d escaped into the walls of the house, but she wasn’t about to argue with the woman. “Then I guess he chose you when you spotted him on the side of the road.”
Whisper shook her head. “I don’t think so. Come here, Copper.”
The dog looked at Whisper and then up at her. “Go ahead. You remember her, right?”
Copper looked back at Whisper and walked over. Whisper sat on the ground getting eye to eye with the dog. “Good dog.” She rubbed him behind the ear, and he sat.
Now why didn’t he lick Whisper’s face? Whisper was gorgeous. Her skin was always tan and she had straight, thick black hair that Riley envied. What did her mom say? We always want what we don’t have? Wow, she hadn’t thought of something her mom taught her in years.
She waited patiently for Whisper to finish with Copper. She had no idea what the two were doing, but she knew better than to disturb whatever was going on.
Whisper spoke to Copper. “I understand.” Slowly, she rose. “I can’t take him.”
“What?” Her heart started jumping up and down, but she kept her brain functioning. “What do you mean you can’t take him? You found him.”
Whisper shook her head. “No. He needs you. I can’t take him away from you. There was a bond developed during your trauma. It’s not something that can ever be broken.”
“But I don’t know anything about dogs except they don’t like mints.”
“You’ll learn. Garrett will help you.”
Okay, Whisper understanding animals was crazy enough, but she had no idea what she was talking about when it came to people. “Garrett can’t help. I’m leaving for Yuma, right now.”
“You can’t go.”
Oh, for shit’s sake. “Why?”
“Copper needs Garrett, too. So do you. And Garrett needs you and Copper. This bond that was forged in the mine will never break no matter where you go.”
“You’ve got to be kidding. Are you trying to tell me that if Copper and I go to Yuma, we’ll be miserable for the rest of our lives and Garrett will be miserable for the rest of his life?”
“Yes.” Whisper’s gray eyes didn’t even blink as she made that pronouncement, and it scared the shit at of Riley.
Still, she shook her head. “I can’t stay. I have a job in Yuma.”
Whisper grinned. “But you have a life here. Don’t be an ass. What happened in that mine is a part of you all now.”
Great, after three days of avoiding thinking about her time in the mine, Whisper had to bring it up twice. She scowled.
Whisper jerked her head in the direction of the road leading away from Last Chance. “Take Copper and go to Garrett. He needs you both and you both need him.”
Again, her heart wanted to listen to Whisper. Fuck, did the woman have some kind of magic? “I already closed that door.”
“Then open it.”
“And if he slams it in my face? Then what?”
Whisper shrugged. “Then you go to Yuma. Now I have to get back to my husband. We’re supposed to pick up a birthday cake for Old Billie.”
“Wait, what? Your husband?”
Whisper opened the door of her truck. “Yes, Trace and I married in Las Vegas.” Her face softened. “Uncle Joey was his best man. We’re all legal now.”
Riley strode up to the truck. “But you didn’t say anything last night.”
“It doesn’t change anything except now I get to call him husband.” Whisper closed her door and started the engine. Then the window came down. “Take Copper to Garrett. Don’t break the bond.” With those final words, she drove out of the yard.
Riley watched the truck until it disappeared. Whisper was crazy. She knew animals but not people.
