Dev Singh’s teeth flashed in a bright smile. “I will miss you all, too, but the dogs most of all.” He unwound the puppies’ leashes. “Let’s go, Trooper and Chance. Time to get to work.”
Trooper didn’t respond to the word, but Chance’s ears perked up and he looked raring to go. Trooper looked around as if he didn’t care where they were going.
Autumn grimaced and hoped Trooper would find his way. She turned toward Bear. “Let’s go, buddy.”
River and Frankie fell into step beside her. “Are you okay?” he asked.
“Fine.” She glanced at him. “It’s just been a long couple of days.”
“How’s Jordan holding up?”
“He’s still recovering from his concussion.” She quickly filled River in on the recent events, ending with the shoot-out at her home.
River whistled. “Wow, you have been busy. You should have called me for backup.”
“Everything happened pretty fast, but at least it’s over now.” Despite knowing Meredith would never hurt anyone again, she couldn’t help feeling dejected.
“Hey, don’t stress.” River gave her a gentle nudge. “I’ve seen how you and Jordan are together. I’m sure things will work out.”
“I don’t know.” She forced a smile. “You know how it is being a cop. A lot of people romanticize what we do. But the reality is often much harder to accept. There’s a reason the divorce rate is high among cops.”
“True,” River agreed. “But don’t let that stop you from trying to be one of the success stories.”
She nodded as they reached the cars. Was it possible she and Jordan could become a success story? Maybe.
There was only one way to find out. And as she drove the thirty miles back to Canyon Creek and the Clarke Cattle Ranch, she silently prayed God would guide her on the right path.
* * *
Jordan stretched out on the sofa with Cutie nestled in the crook of his arm. There was no denying that sleeping eased his headache. He’d felt great that morning, but after being up and about the headache had returned with a vengeance. He understood now why the doctor had ordered him to stay on bed rest.
Not practical for a man who was the sole proprietor of a cattle ranch, but closing his eyes and resting between bouts of chores helped.
He wondered if Autumn and Bear had found anything during their search. The sharp edge of his grief over Jenny had faded a bit, although he was sure the guilt over his failures to save her would haunt him for a long time. Maybe praying would help, and he was determined to give God and faith a try.
He believed Autumn and the rest of the task force would find the answers to what had happened to Jenny and the missing babies. Including his niece.
Unfortunately, patience wasn’t his strong suit. He’d need to give them the time they needed to uncover the truth. Hopefully, sooner than later.
A thudding sound startled him awake. He blinked and sat up, nearly sending Cutie tumbling to the floor. He caught the puppy in time, then realized what he’d heard was the sound of a car door slamming shut.
Autumn was back.
He sat up, waited a minute for his headache to subside, then set Cutie on the floor and rose to his feet. He opened the front door as she was about to knock. Cutie squeezed through his legs to greet Bear, and the two dogs ran outside to get busy.
“I’m glad you’re back,” he said.
“Me, too.” Autumn lowered her hand. “I thought you might be sleeping.”
“I was.” He grinned and opened the door wider. “I promised to follow doctor’s orders.”
She rolled her eyes as she stepped inside. The dogs followed her. “Only after you did the chores.”
Since that was true, he didn’t argue. “I thought we’d have tacos for lunch, if that’s okay.”
“I love tacos.” She shrugged out of her jacket. “Detective Peters called while I was on the road home. He’s going to release my house as a crime scene. I’ll have to make some calls to get the damage repaired. Meredith Delbert had surgery and is in the ICU at the medical center. She’s not able to be interviewed, but the slugs imbedded in my house match those of her weapon. And the paint transfer on my car was a match to her black car, which was found a few blocks away from my place. Can you believe she had my mother’s personal items that she stole from me in the trunk?”
“That wasn’t smart,” he said.
