Prayer or not, he still wanted to beat Russ into the lodge. He pressed the accelerator, sending throat-clogging dust into the air. In an effort to cut Russ off, who’d climbed from his car and was heading toward the lodge, Ryan slid into a parking spot closer to the lodge. Truck still rocking from the sudden stop, Ryan hopped out and hurried toward the walkway.
“Thought I told you to stay away from here,” Russ said as he reached Ryan.
Ryan shrugged. “This is a free country. I just stopped in to see Mia.”
“Short of arresting you, I can’t stop you from going in. But not a word. Even if you think I’m picking on Mia. Got it?”
Ryan nodded, though if Russ got too difficult Ryan fully intended to step in.
Russ climbed the lodge stairs and pounded on the door. Ryan followed.
Fierce barking sounded from inside, but Mia didn’t answer.
“You think something’s wrong?” Ryan asked.
“Don’t overreact.” Russ pounded again.
Nothing but Bandit’s high yips.
Russ twisted the knob.
Unlocked. What in the world was she thinking?
Russ pushed the door open. “Mia!”
No response. Bandit’s barking turned frantic.
Russ withdrew his gun from his holster. “Stay here.”
Stay here?
No way. Ryan hadn’t reacted fast enough for Cara, and she’d ended up dead. He wouldn’t make the same mistake with Mia.
Please let her be okay.
They cleared the family room and kitchen. No sign of an intruder or violence. Russ pointed at the hallway leading to the bedrooms, and Ryan followed him. Bandit had stopped barking and was whimpering and scratching at the door of his crate.
Russ stepped into the first bedroom. Ryan moved toward the next one.
“What’s going on?” Mia appeared at the end of the hallway, folder in hand, purse slung over her shoulder.
Ryan let out a long breath, but worked hard not to let her see how worried he’d been. “We came to see you. Bandit started barking, and you didn’t answer the door. We figured something was wrong.”
“We?”
“Russ is in the first bedroom.”
Despite Ryan’s residual concern, he had enough presence of mind to enjoy the sight of Mia dressed in a green jogging suit in that soft fuzzy kind of fabric he didn’t know the name of.
Russ stepped out. “You’re here. Why didn’t you answer the door?”
“I was down at the office and just got home.” She turned to go back to the family room.
They followed her. She set her purse and folder on the counter then bent down to Bandit’s crate. He danced and whimpered until she opened the door and picked him up. She gave the dog an innocent child’s smile. A wide dazzling smile that stole Ryan’s breath. She looked downright sensational, and he had to plant his feet to keep from crossing over to her and giving her a fierce hug.
“Hey, little fella.” She reached into the cone and scratched under his chin. He ran his pink tongue over her hand. “What’s this I hear about you barking?”
Her gentle and loving tone sent a pang of jealousy coursing through Ryan. It’d been years since a woman had talked to him with such affection. He missed the companionship. Maybe he’d been too hasty when he’d sworn off dating. But could he even do it? He would have to let go of Cara’s tragic death first and that didn’t seem likely.
