The Cowboy and His Baby

by Jessica Clare

  Obviously, he was depressed. Annie’s heart ached for him even as she worried that he might not be the right dog for her. Dogs that did well on set tended to be adaptable. They loved new people and new situations. A dog that struggled in strange atmospheres wouldn’t perform when she needed him to. With the right affection and patience, she was sure that he’d be a wonderful dog, but she didn’t have the time or the situation. But because she couldn’t leave without trying, she waited while Cara went into the kennel, coaxed him up, and then guided him to the visitor’s room. “I’ll leave you two here for a bit and you can see what you think.” Her eyes were full of sympathy. “Some dogs don’t do well in shelters and that doesn’t mean he’s not the right boy for you.”

  “Thank you,” Annie said softly, sitting down in the only plastic chair in the sparse room. No dog toys, no treats, just her and a small, antiseptic room. There was nothing she could use to distract or entice the sad, defeated Moose in the hopes of seeing a spark of his personality. Hmm. She clapped her hands on her knees, trying to call him over, and when that didn’t elicit a response, she sank down on the floor next to him and petted his big, fuzzy head. His hair was matted and underneath all that fur he felt thin and bony. Poor thing probably wasn’t eating. With time, she could fix him. She knew it.

  But that was the one thing she seemed to be running short on lately.

  He was a beautiful dog, though, and purebred, unless she missed her guess. Hopefully he’d been loved by someone. She wondered if he knew a few tricks. “Can you give me your paw, Moose?”

  No response.

  “Sit? Stand? Heel? Roll over?”

  Annie went through basic commands, and he didn’t act as if he’d heard any of them, even when she pulled out treats. So she petted Moose’s head and she fretted. She couldn’t take a chance on him, not if he wouldn’t be right for the movie. She wouldn’t be doing either one of them any favors if he couldn’t learn what she needed, and he’d be miserable on a busy movie set if he needed quiet.

  But how could she leave him here when it was clearly killing his spirit?

  There was a gentle knock at the door, and she looked up to see Dustin there, a muddy Spidey in his arms. She gestured for him to come inside, her heart heavy.

  “How’s it going?” Dustin asked, closing the door behind him.

  She wanted to tell him that it was going terrible, that this poor dog was depressed, but his tail started to wag. He stared up at Dustin and some of the hope returned to his expressive eyes.

  “I’m not getting anything from him,” Annie admitted. “This is the first sign of life he’s shown.”

  “Maybe he needs a friend. Is it okay if I put this meatball down?” He gestured at Spidey. When she nodded, he gently set the Boston down on the ground.

  To her surprise, Moose kept staring up at Dustin and wagging his tail slowly, hopefully.

  “I think he likes you,” she told him, surprised. “Maybe he responds to men instead of women.”

  “Is that true?” Dustin knelt and spread his hands, trying to draw the dog to him. Immediately, Moose got up and went over to Dustin, who began to rub the fuzzy head. “Huh. Maybe so.” He looked up at Annie. “You going to get him for your movie?”

  “I don’t think I can. The moment we wrap this one, I would need to start him on a training regimen. Even if I did take him, I don’t know how he’d react with crowds or if he can learn tricks. I think I could eventually get him to trust me, but he’d be better off with a guy, clearly.” As she watched, his tail slowly wagged and he looked up at Dustin adoringly. “But I hate the thought of walking away. He’s a beautiful dog but it’s obvious he’s depressed. I feel like if I leave him, it’s a death sentence.”

  “This is a no-kill shelter,” Dustin pointed out. “But I know what you mean. He probably needs to run around and be out in the open, don’t you, buddy?” He rubbed the dog’s big head. “A movie’d probably be all wrong for you.”

  “I really can’t take him with me,” Annie said, and it hurt to say it aloud. “I want to, but mostly because I think it’d be cruel to leave him here.” She hesitated, torn.

  “I’ll take him, then.”

  She blinked at Dustin in shock. “You what?”

  He pulled the dog against him, manhandling him in an affectionate way. Moose let him—in fact, he seemed to love it, eyes closing in delight as Dustin roughly rubbed him. “We’ve got a half dozen ranch dogs already. He’ll fit right in with the crew. Even if he doesn’t work out for you, he’d be a good buddy for me as long as he doesn’t try to eat the cattle.”

  “I don’t think his breed is aggressive,” she said faintly, still shocked at his generous heart. “A-are you sure? A dog’s a big commitment.”

  “I like him. I like you.” He glanced over at her. “He’d be great on a ranch. It makes all of us happy. I don’t see the problem here. I didn’t show up today to get a dog, but I like this fella.” Dustin patted Moose’s hip and the dog looked as if he’d fall over in bliss.

  “He does seem to like you.” Heck, she was almost jealous. Then again, could she blame Moose? Dustin was beyond charming—of course he was half in love with the cowboy. She was, too. “Dustin, I don’t know what to say.”

  “Well, you could tell me your last name and let me treat you to dinner.”

  She could feel herself blushing. Again. Seemed like all she did around him was blush. “You’re not doing this for me, I hope? It’s too big a commitment—”

  “I’m doing this for him. I can’t let this sad little guy stay here, either.” He gave the dog a head rub that told her that no matter what, he’d be good with Moose.

  Annie was so relieved and happy she wanted to cry. Or fling her arms around him. She wasn’t entirely sure which one yet. “Grissom. And I could cheerfully kiss you right about now.”

  “Annie Grissom. That’s a pretty name. And I might take you up on that kiss later.”

  Even though her cheeks were hot with embarrassment, she was smiling.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Turned out that Annie wouldn’t let him take her to dinner, but she was happy to have burgers with him while sitting in the truck at a fast food drive-in. They had milkshakes and fries with their burgers, and she fed tiny bits of burger to Moose, who was content to eat as long as Dustin kept touching him.

  “Attachment issues,” was all Annie would say.

  He felt bad for the little guy, and when Moose put his chin on Dustin’s knee, constantly nudging forward, he figured it was the right call. He could use a buddy at the ranch, after all. And maybe when it was time to pack up, he’d see if Moose was a sailing dog, too. He suspected Moose would be okay with anything as long as he got to stay at his side.

  Even though the dinner was just in his truck, it was nice. Annie didn’t want much, it seemed. She was happy and full of life and didn’t care about anything except the dogs and his company. She wasn’t out to impress the town with the fact that she’d gotten a date with him. She wasn’t looking to “land” him. She just wanted to rescue a dog. She liked simplicity, and he liked that, too. Most of the women he flirted with—he hesitated to use “dating” since he never stuck around—wanted something from him. They wanted a trophy boyfriend, or a dirty hookup, or to prove something. He ended up disappointing all of ’em.

  But Annie was different, and he didn’t want to disappoint her. He wanted to make her smile. He wanted to hear her laugh.

  If he was a teenage boy, he’d say he had a crush. Did grown men get crushes? Because every time she flashed a smile or he caught a glimpse of a new freckle, his heart pounded. He liked her bright red hair and her pale lashes and her small stature. He liked the way she looked in her plain sweater and didn’t mind the dog hair covering her or sitting in his truck instead of going to a real restaurant.

  “I enjoyed today,” he told her, fishing a fry out of his bag. Moose gazed
up at him with such sad, woeful eyes that he offered it to the dog, instead. To think that he’d been annoyed at Cass for constantly giving the ranch dogs treats, and here he was, stuffing his meal down a dog’s throat himself. Pot, kettle and all that.

  She beamed at him. “Me too. I think he likes you, by the way.”

  Dustin just chuckled, offering another fry to the dog, who took it with delicate care. “He just likes fast food.”

  “Who doesn’t? It’s been forever since I’ve had junk. Painted Barrel’s low on drive-thrus. And this boy’s eating for what’s probably the first time in days.” Her smile was radiant, and it took his breath away. “I’m having a wonderful afternoon and I can’t thank you enough for taking the time out of your day to humor me.”

  “You can thank me by going out on another date with me,” he told her, and when she looked surprised, he wondered if he’d pushed it too far, if she was going to get skittish on him. He had to try, though. He hadn’t been this fascinated with a woman in what felt like forever.

  “Was this a date?” Her tone was light and teasing, but she glanced down at her lap before looking over at him, and he realized she was shy.

  “Parts of it count.”

  “Which parts?”

  “The parts where I want to lean over and kiss you.”

  “Oh,” Annie said softly. Her lips parted and she grew silent, then said, “Are there a lot of those parts?”

  “Happens about once every two minutes,” he admitted with a smile. “Hope you don’t think less of me for being a little single-minded.”

  “Not at all. I appreciate honesty.” There was a hint of color rising under those freckles. “Do you think we should kiss?”

  Dustin kept his expression carefully neutral, because reaching across the cab of the truck and pulling her against him would probably be frowned on. Probably. “I’d reckon that’s your call.”

  She thought for a moment, her gaze flicking to his mouth as if considering her options. “If we kiss, I don’t want you to think I want a boyfriend.”

  He laughed. “If it helps, I don’t think I’m boyfriend material.”

  “But you still want to kiss me.” It was a statement, not a question.

  “You look pretty kissable to me. And I like kissing. And I like you, so I figure I’ll like kissing you.”

  “Can’t argue with that logic.” Annie licked her lips. “All right. Fine. Let’s do it.”

  Such enthusiasm. He bit back a laugh. “As long as we’re sure it doesn’t mean anything to either of us,” he said gravely.

  “Oh, just shut up and kiss me so I can quit wondering about it.”

  Was she wondering about it? He liked that he wasn’t the only one. “Lean in, then.”

  Obediently, Annie leaned forward, and as she did, he noticed she was breathing rapidly, her hands fluttering slightly in her lap. Nerves? That seemed ridiculous, given that she was so damn appealing. He loved the freckles on her eyelids, the pale lashes, the curve of her cheek, the way she responded with sarcasm. He loved her big heart and the fact that she stoutly told him she did not want a boyfriend.

  Annie Grissom had him fascinated, all right.

  So he touched her chin and met her halfway.

  Her mouth parted under his, soft and sweet. She tasted like strawberry milkshake and Dustin had to bite back a groan when she pulled his hat off and tossed it aside, as if she made out with cowboys every day. They shared a light, teasing caress, more of a flirtation of lips than anything else, and he was content to keep it light. Gentle. Playful.

  But then she made this lovely, deep noise of pleasure in her throat, and he was lost.

  Screw playful.

  Dustin’s hand went to the back of her neck and he cupped it even as he slicked his tongue against the seam of her mouth. She moaned, opening up to allow him in. With a plunge of his tongue, he claimed her mouth with a hard, possessive stroke, loving how she responded. Her tongue played against his, her hands sliding to his shirt to hold him in place—as if he’d leave—and the kiss grew deeper, more urgent. He was lost in the moment, lost to everything but the feel of her mouth against his.

  It was a fantastic kiss. He wanted to keep going forever, to pull her into his lap and strip that sweater off of her and discover if she was freckled everywhere. As his tongue slicked against hers again, Annie gave another sultry little moan.

  One of the dogs howled in response.

  They broke apart, and Annie giggled, looking over at the back seat. “Naughty Spidey!”

  Dustin just laughed. Thwarted by a dog. It figured. But . . . it was probably a good time to stop, because if he touched her for much longer, he was going to forget all about stopping.

  * * *

  • • •

  By the time they got back to Painted Barrel, the rain had disappeared and Annie was exhausted. She could only imagine how tired Dustin was, but he didn’t show it. He pulled up to her hotel, hopped out of the truck to get her door, and they leashed both dogs to give them a walk. Moose clearly had some training, as he didn’t pull on the leash, utterly content to be at Dustin’s side. The dog was half in love with him.

  She didn’t blame him.

  “Will Moose and I get to see you again?” he asked after a few minutes of quiet.

  “I like how you threw the dog in there.”

  “Well, sure. I need to make sure you say yes.”

  Even though she didn’t want to laugh, she did. He was such a flirt. Why was it so much fun? She should be irritated at his constant teasing but all she did was blush and giggle and enjoy it. “I’m not sure it’s such a good idea. I’m not in town for much longer.”

  Dustin shrugged, as if the idea didn’t bother him at all. “We’ll make the best of the time you are here, then, if you want to get together. If not, just tell me to buzz off. You won’t hurt my feelings none. Moose, however . . .” He gave a gusty sigh and shook his head, indicating the leashed dog with the sad eyes. “He’s sensitive.”

  She snorted.

  “Come on, look at those sad eyes.”

  “Yours or his?” she teased.

  “Both.” He pulled his hat off and held it to his chest. “Miss Grissom, we’d love to have the honor of taking you out for burgers again. Or just watching Netflix.”

  Annie could feel the smile tugging at her mouth. Even though it was a bad idea, she couldn’t refuse. What was a little flirty fun for one week, after all? It wasn’t as if it’d change her life. A brief fling with no strings attached would be utterly harmless. “You can call me tomorrow and see if our schedules match.”

  He just grinned as if he’d won the lottery.

  They stayed outside talking for a while longer, standing close together while the dogs sniffed the nearby greenery and then each other. When fat droplets started to sprinkle down once more, she shielded her face with her hand and glanced over at him. “I think I should go inside now.”

  Dustin held his hat over her head, leaned in, and gave her a quick, gentle kiss on the mouth. “That’s so you won’t change your mind on me.”

  And what did she do? She giggled like an idiot, babbled something about seeing him tomorrow, and then wandered onto the tiny hotel porch just as the rain began to pour down once more. She watched as he and Moose raced back to his truck, the dog already devoted and following at his heels. If nothing else, she was so, so happy that they’d rescued him and given him a new start. He deserved that. Everyone did.

  “Come on, Spidey,” she murmured to her round little butterball of a dog as they went inside. She was so busy yawning that she didn’t see Katherine until the other woman put her magazine down and got off of the ugly floral couch in the foyer of the old-fashioned hotel.

  “Well, well,” Katherine called out. “Look who the cat dragged in.” She wiggled her eyebrows at Annie to take the sting out of her words. “You have
a fun day? I saw you sucking face with that cowboy.”

  Annie picked Spidey up before he could eat a chunk of mud on the floor, a sure sign that he was hungry. He tended to hoover up anything in reach if he missed a meal. “We were just checking on a rescue dog in Casper. He wasn’t for me, though.”

  “So you kissed the cowboy until the pain in your heart went away?” Katherine teased. “You sly dog. Here you told me you never hook up on set.”

  “I don’t,” Annie protested. “Really, I don’t. This was . . . just a little harmless fun. That’s all. It doesn’t mean anything.”

  “Girl, I know it doesn’t. If it was me sucking face with a cowboy, we both know it would mean nothing.” She had on-set hookups all the time, and they both knew it. “But this is you we’re talking about. You’re like a sister to me. I don’t want you getting your heart broken by some guy in a pair of tight Wranglers.”

  “We both know we’re not going to be in town long enough for that,” Annie told her, holding a wriggling, muddy Spidey against her chest. “It’s just a little fun with a cute guy, that’s all.”

  “You know Steve and I went to dinner tonight and heard plenty about your cute guy,” Katherine said, a knowing look on her face. “This town’s small enough that everyone knows everyone. They also apparently know everything about each other, because your boyfriend? Dustin? He’s the town player. He flirts with all the girls and his dance card’s always full. If it seems like it’s too good to be true, it probably is.” She reached out and squeezed Annie’s shoulder. “I know you don’t want to hear it, but I also don’t want you ending up as just another notch on some guy’s bedpost.”

  “I’ll be careful,” she promised Katherine. And she would.

  It was just a harmless flirtation. That was all. He was fun to talk to and fun to make out with.