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"You look fa her up "You’re one of the Moorelands’ puppies"
The Moorelands raised Labs and were clients of Dell’s And Adas
"She’s going to ," Dell said
"Yeah?" Adaue and licked his nose "Looks like hter"
"Well, she has to be trained, of course," Dell said
Ada nothing away "You taking on another dog? Gert’s gonna be jealous"
"Not ot Milo"
"Not you, either" Dell dropped into a chair and slouched back,s "What are you up to?"
"Nila’s place was broken into last night"
Their e that yielded no crops or anything else of value She had nothing to steal "Was she hurt?"
"No Pissed off but not hurt Probably just so for trouble" A touch of a smile crossed Dell’sher this killer to watch over the property?" Ada softly because the "killer" was already fast asleep, her head on his chest
"Not hed faded "No"
"Why not?"
"For starters, Nila hasn’t spoken to me in months"
"Yeah, not since she came here and threw your money back in your face I know Does it really matter, Ada your toolbox She’s got a lock that needs fixing and a leaky sink"
"Shit She’s not going to letfor her"
"Yeah, she will, because it doesn’t require you putting out any money" Dell moved to the door "I loaded some supplies for the puppy into your truck"
"I didn’t say yes"
"You didn’t say no, either"
"You’re the one who goes out there and provides actual services," Ada to talk about"
"You know da, and she won’t have to pay for it Bring her the daive you a Boy Scout badge for it"
Adaesture and left
Ada to be a watchdog or what?"
She opened her eyes and licked his chin again and then set her head back on his chest Trusting Sweet A real badass
Adam shook his head and walked out to his truck, puppy in tow Just outside of town, he ca her tire
Ada with his conscience and then pulled over "Stay," he said to the puppy, and got out
Holly watched hi her tire and was now leaning against the Jeep as if she was just out for a little sunbathe
"Problem?" he asked
"Nope"
He eyed her very flat tire and, unbelievably, the pair of pliers sticking out of it "So that’s what, a fig I mean, who does that?"
"You, apparently" Adam crouched down and studied the tire
"It’s dead"
"Yes," he said "Very dead" He rose "Spare?"
She shook her head "It’s flat, too I’ve called Red He’s co to be an hour or so"
Adaive you a ride"
She looked at hi moment "I can tell you’re on a mission, and it’s not a happy one I can wait for Red, Adaed to read hiiest idea "I’ you out here on the road like this"
"But--"
Jesus "Just get in the damn truck, Holly"
Unbelievably, she smiled "And you think you’re not sweet" She sashayed toward his truck and hopped up into the shotgun position He stood where he was for a ot in behind the wheel
Holly was snuggling the puppy, as practically beside herself in ecstasy "She’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen," Holly said "Where did you get her?"
"She’s not ear and looked over his shoulder to make a U-turn
"Oh, please don’t," Holly said
"Don’t what?"
"Don’t go out of your way to take me home I’ll come with you to deliver her"
"No," he said
Holly blinked, and he cursed hi the reveal She was sharp as hell, and the wheels in her brain hirling so fast there was alet rid of her now "It’s a forty-five-minute drive," he said
"I don’t ht, he drove And drove Out of town Into the hills Past the hills to a tiny dirt road to Nowhere, USA
And stopped at the double-wide trailer that Nila called hoifted Ada her He gestured to the trailer In the open doorway stood a tall, o sweater No shoes In spite of it being winter, Nila rarely ever wore shoes, even though he’d made sure that she had soht she was ing your ht clearly had her going all soft in the eyes, he shook his head "The puppy’s from Dell, not me" He took the puppy from her hands, wrapped her inside his jacket, and opened the door "Stay here"
"But--"