“No, and Mia’s worried to death over the little thing. I’ve gotten her wound all cleaned up, and she should rest, not go tromping in the woods at night.”
He agreed she should rest, but he also knew no one would convince her not to do it until Bandit was safe. She was a fierce protector of those she loved, and she already loved that little dog.
Since Ryan had already planned to look for Bandit if he wasn’t here, he would go along with Mia and keep an eye on her. “Where is she?”
“In the bedroom putting her boots on.” Gladys clutched his arm. “You will stop her, won’t you?”
Though he doubted he would be able to talk some sense into her for once, that wouldn’t stop him from attempting it. “I’ll try, but you know how stubborn she can be.”
“Don’t I ever,” Gladys said. “She even tossed aside the DVD I gave her. She thinks it’s a real long shot.”
Gladys pointed at the laptop sitting on the island. “I put it in her computer and loaded the file. Next time she checks her email it’ll be open and waiting. It’s for her own good, you know.”
“Whose good?” Mia asked as she strolled into the room.
“Never you mind.” Gladys toddled over to Mia. “Now why don’t you sit down, and I’ll make a cup of tea. Ryan can go find the dog.”
“I appreciate your concern, but Bandit’s my responsibility. He could be in trouble, and I need to look for him.”
Gladys jabbed Ryan in the ribs.
He rubbed the ache. “It’s not a good idea to go out there alone. What if the burglar is still hanging around?”
“Not likely with Russ, here, right?”
She had a point. One Ryan couldn’t dispute. “Still, I’ll go with you.”
“Great,” she said, her easy acquiesce catching him by surprise. “Two people searching for him is better than one.”
She went to the door and pulled a jacket down from a rack shaped like a large fish. She slipped into the lightweight jacket that was three sizes too big for her.
As Mia exited, Ryan turned back to Gladys. “Go ahead and get the water boiling for tea. This shouldn’t take long.”
At least he hoped it wouldn’t because while they were searching, he didn’t want to give the intruder a chance to return and exact his revenge.
* * *
Shining the flashlight, Mia charged down the stairs and toward a stand of pine trees lining the property. Thankfully her dizziness had subsided, and she rushed ahead to the edge of the woods and called Bandit’s name. A scurrying sound in the trees caught her attention. She checked it out, but found nothing. These woods were full of small nocturnal animals, and her tromping around had upset their nightly routine.
Ryan gently clasped a hand on her shoulder. “After that head injury, you should take things a little slower.”
“I appreciate your concern, I really do, and but I have things under control.” Never mind that she hadn’t been doing a very good job of taking care of herself lately, she’d survived for ten years without much help and could continue to do so, right?
He frowned. “When are you going to learn accepting help isn’t a sign of weakness? Even if the help comes from a guy.” He said aguyas if it were poison he was spitting out. “Look, I’m sorry. That came out wrong. I know your father did a number on you, and you have every right to be gun-shy. But not all men are like him. Some of us really want to help with no strings attached.”
His sincere tone broke through her anger, and she considered his words. He was right. Not that she wanted to admit it, but through the years, she’d honed in on any hint of controlling behavior from every man she’d dated or who’d tried to help her except Wally. One sign of it, she blew it out of proportion, and boom, she ended their relationship. No matter their good qualities. And that’s what she’d been doing with Ryan.
She had to get over it. Maybe focus on changing this year of exile and finally let it go. Move on. Be the woman she could be without all the baggage. But that didn’t mean she was ready to discuss her newfound revelation with Ryan when she was so very tired and worried about Bandit.
“So, let’s find Bandit,” she said, ending with a forced laugh to let him know she’d gotten his point without having to discuss it.
They searched for the next hour with no success. Her head pounded, and the cool, damp air settled into her body. She was growing more irritable by the minute and knew it was time to call it a night before she snapped at Ryan again. She told him as much and like the perfect gentleman he was turning out to be, he walked her home.
Wanting to end the night on a good note, she took the front steps but rested against the post on the porch to think of how to thank him for his concern without encouraging him to overreact in the future. Maybe she could start with something neutral and ease her way in.
He waited at the base of the stairs as if unsure if he should stay or go.
“Thank you for coming with me. I appreciate it.” She smiled. “Do you think Bandit will be okay?”
