“Miss Bronco, our Maggie ran away.” The little girl sniffled and rubbed at her wet eyes with a soggy-looking tissue.
“Don’t worry. The search party has already mobilized.” Did Evan and Jameson qualify as a search party? Well, there were two of them and they were searching, so why not?
The little boy mumbled, “Wh-what’smobilizemean?”
“It means the search party is out looking for Maggie. I’m sure they’ll be back with her before you know it.”
“I miss her already!” cried the little boy.
“Me, too,” the girl chimed in. “I miss her so much!”
Distraction seemed the best option at this point. Van suggested, “While we wait, why don’t we visit the kitten barn?”
Both kids stopped sobbing. They blinked up at her through wide, wet eyes. The little girl sniffled. “Are there alotof kittens?”
“Yes, I believe that there are.”
Van led the kids and their parents to the cat barn. After a half hour in the kitten enclosure, the parents decided to adopt a sweet twelve-week-old gray tabby. By then, the children had stopped sobbing, at least. They were still worried about Maggie but smiling through their tears at the idea of bringing a new kitten home.
One of Daphne’s helpers provided a cardboard cat carrier, and the family set off for the adoption table once again. Van stood watching just outside the cat barn as Jameson and Evan met them halfway. Maggie the dog was nowhere to be seen. Both men shook their heads sadly as they spoke to the young family. Even from several feet away, Van could hear the regret in their voices.
The little boy opened the top of the carrier so that the men could admire the kitten.
When the family set out again toward the adoption table, Jameson and Evan came toward her.
“No Maggie, huh?” she asked them.
“Sorry,” said Jameson.
Evan gestured toward the stand of trees where Maggie had disappeared from sight. “We thought we might catch up with her in those cottonwoods.”
“But she was long gone when we got there.” Jameson took off his hat and slid it back on again.
“That dog can run.” Evan put his arm around Van and gave her shoulders a squeeze. “But the parents are talking about getting flyers out around town. I doubt Daphne can scare up a picture of Maggie, but a description on the flyer might work.”
Van couldn’t stop looking at Jameson. The warmth in his eyes tempted her. She wanted to go to him, feel his strong arms gather her close in a hug.
But that couldn’t happen. She needed to watch herself, not give herself away.
Fun, she reminded herself.We’re just having fun.
“Where’s my girl?” asked Evan.
Van explained about the injury at the horse pasture, and Evan left to find Daphne.
“You okay?” Jameson asked. He took off his hat again and hit it on his thigh.
“Yeah, just... I hope that dog is all right.”
“I’m sure she is. She’ll either wander back here to Happy Hearts or someone will find her. A lot of people will remember her after today. One way or another, those kids will get their dog back.” He put his hat on again.
They stared at each other. She wondered if he wanted to touch her as much as she wanted to throw herself into his arms.
Finally, he seemed to shake himself. “I need to head back to the Double J. I’ll say goodbye to Daphne and get a move on. See you at six?”
Her heart lifted a little. Tonight it would be just the two of them. She could touch him at will. “I’ll be there.”
Once he disappeared behind the next barn over, Van straightened her shoulders and went looking for Charity, but one of the helpers said Jameson’s sister had left with a couple of her girlfriends as soon as the contest ended.
