Except, parked by the fence, a compact gray sedan meant the dog really was after something. Finn didn't have to be a detective to know the shoe most likely belonged to at least one person associated with that car. And if the person was willing to give up a shoe to a stray dog, things could be pretty ugly. "Damn." No longer worried about keeping his distance, Finn pointed the vehicle toward the sedan and picked up speed, fearful later might be too late.
***
From where she sat, Joanna could still hear the obnoxious rattle that had sent her scurrying to safety.
"Are you never going to move?" she called anxiously to the coiled creature. In her hurried efforts to get out of striking distance from the huge snake, she'd lost a shoe and almost had a heart attack when a lurking hound swooped in to pick it up and then took off across the road and downfield with it. Not that she cared about losing the shoe, even if it was her favorite pair of Anne Klein Flex loafers, but the animal had gotten so close to the venomous vermin that she'd expected the coiled snake to strike out and latch onto the poor thing and not let go.
Even if the damn snake slithered away, she still might not be in the clear. Because she'd only expected a short jaunt to this pasture and back in order to snap a couple of photos, she'd left the car door ajar. Which meant if by some miracle the battery still had enough juice to turn over by the time Mr. Rattler went home, she'd be terrified that Mrs. Rattler or a one of their relatives might have taken up residence inside the car. Not that she had anything against live and let live, she'd just rather do her living with something of a two legged and warm blooded variety.
The bark of a dog caught her attention. From the closeness of the sound, he'd been approaching for a bit, but she'd been too engrossed in worst-case death scenarios to hear him. Of course, this whole mess served her right for making fun of her sister. Linda had been right. People raised in suburbia aren't meant to go roaming around wild places like the barren west unsupervised. Or at least, unarmed. Unlike a few hours ago, she now feared she just might very well get bit by a snake and wouldn't be at all surprised to find a bobcat lurking in the distance or a renegade Indian raid come riding down on her last stand.
Okay, maybe she'd been in the Texas sun too long. There had to be a way out of this. If only she hadn't dropped her phone when she lurched back after spotting the snake. Then she could have simply called for help. Looking from left to right, she wasn't all too sure though where that help would have come from. Right about now would be the time in a good romantic western novel for the hero to ride up on his gallant steed. She glanced at the still coiled and rattling snake. Or maybe animal control would be better. Or better yet, a vet with anti-venom.
The dog gave off another woof and Joanna spotted a four-wheeler flying across the field in her direction. "Yay. The cavalry." Hopefully this rescuer was of the knights of the realm sort and came with his anti snake suit of armor. And a big-ass axe. "Over here," she called across the road.
The tall hero looked up from examining her car and tipped his hat back enough for her to spot the familiar chiseled features. Finn.
Shit. Not exactly the way she'd pictured running into him again after all these years. Once again, Finnegan Farraday to her rescue.
Spotting her, he blinked, shook his head and crossing the street, turned, looking from side to side, scanning the area. There was no missing the second he'd gotten close enough to recognize her through the leaves. His eyes circled round as full moons and his jaw dropped open.
"Close your mouth, you'll catch flies," she shouted at him.
"Joanna?"
"Hi there," she spoke casually, as though she'd been sipping mint juleps at an outdoor café, flashed her brightest smile and offered her version of a royal wave. "Long time no see, hubby."
Tipping up the brim of his hat he looked her dead in the eye. "What the hell are you doing in that tree?"
Chapter Three
Well if this didn't beat everything. Finn's hand on the top railing, he was about to duck and slip through to the other side of the fence when Joanna yelled, "Don't move. Don't come any closer." And then he heard it. The sound that had no doubt sent her up a tree.
Standing upright again, he looked to the sound. The rattler was coiled a good ten feet from the tree—a tree with a furry gray dog sitting at its base like the Sphinx of Giza.
"Hang on," he called up, then spun about and trotted back to the four-wheeler, grabbed the rifle and hurried back. He'd used this sucker more today than he had in months. Once again setting his sites on the rattler, he aimed and fired. The rattling stopped, but the snake continued to wiggle around as his cousin had done earlier this afternoon in the summer pasture. "Okay." Finn lowered the gun and looked up to her. "You can come down now."
"Yeah." She looked over to the snake then down at the dog.
"He won't hurt you."
The dog lifted his head, panting and tail wagging, and she smiled down at him. "Good boy. You brought help."
Finn wondered if she'd feel the same way once his aunt found out about the role Gray played in the little rescue. If she found out. "Come on down," he called.
"About that." She lifted her gaze to meet his and flashed another toothy smile.
He was surprised she didn't try using that grin to charm the snake. Heaven knows back in school she could charm her way into anywhere or out of anything with the bat of an eye and that sweet smile.
"Apparently running for your life makes it way easier to get up a tree than down."
It took him a few seconds to take in the lone oak and determine the way down. "Okay, you're going to have to scoot back a bit, turn around, then swing your right leg over and you should be able to reach the that limb underneath. From there it's just a short drop to the ground."
Her brows shot up and she looked down at the lower limb. "Couldn't you just go get a ladder?"
City girls. "Didn't you ever climb a tree as a kid?"
"Yes, and I always got down by jumping into Daddy's arms."
"Well that's not happening now." Finn leaned the rifle along the fence post and moved up beside the dog. His tail began swishing in earnest and Finn squatted down to scratch his ears. "You've certainly done your good deed for the day." The strangest thing. The dog seemed to nod before extending his paw. And from what Finn could tell, he didn't seem matted and tangled the way any animal out on his own this long would be. "Who do you belong to, fella?"
The dog barked and backed up.
"Excuse me," Joanna called from the tree. "I really would like to get down before the tree bark pattern is permanently etched on my derriere."
Patting the top of the dog's head, Finn shoved upright and parked himself directly below where Joanna was perched. "You're going to have to help a little. Go ahead and swing that leg over."
With a harrumph and muttering something that sounded like “stupid snake,” she did as she was told, her legs dangling to one side of the large limb. "Are you sure there's a branch down there?"
He had to chuckle. "Why would I make something like that up? You saw it. Just swing your legs a bit." It took a couple of awkward movements but she got one foot then the other solidly on the lower branch—and stopped. "You're going to have to let go of that first limb. Crouch a bit to balance," he said.
"Crouch?" She turned to look over her shoulder at him. "There is no way I am letting go of this—"
That was all he heard. The next thing he knew a well-rounded 'derriere' as she'd called it, was careening toward him. Wrapping his arms around her as best he could, he bent at the knees and stumbled back until he was flat on his back with all one hundred pounds or so of Joanna Gaines sprawled across him.
Blowing a lock of hair away from her forehead, she looked down at Finn. "Not quite the way Daddy used to do it."
***
"You okay?" Finn shifted and pulled a flat rock from underneath him and tossed it aside.
"Yes, I think so." She'd leaned upright so she was sort of sitting on his thighs. Again, not the w
ay she'd expected to run into Finn Farraday.
The wolf-like dog came hurrying over, sniffed at Finn a second and then licked his face.
"Oh isn't that cute." And to think she'd been afraid when she'd first seen the animal rushing toward her. “I like your dog."
"He's not mine." Finn scratched at the animal's neck and then patted him and firmly said "away." As if used to following instructions, the dog scurried backward and Finn looked up at her. "Think you can stand?"
"Oh. Yes. Sorry." Pushing up onto her feet, she climbed off him. "I don't suppose the dog that isn't yours left my shoe somewhere near by?"
"In my four-wheeler." Finn stood and leaned over, his hands holding his knees, he took in a few deep breaths.
"Maybe I should be the one asking if you're all right?" She reached out and splayed her hand across his back. "I guess I'm a little heavier than I was at six."
"A little?" Still bending over he lifted his face to look at her, his eyes twinkling. "So what brings you to this part of the world?"
"Work."
He straightened. "What kind of work?"
"I'm doing an article on West Texas ghost towns."
"Hasn't that been done already?"
"I'll do it better." Speaking of work, she hoped her camera survived the drop when she took off for the tree. "I need to find my phone and my camera."
As if on cue, her phone beeped low battery and she trotted one-shoed in the direction of the sound, spotted it easily in the golden grass, and snatched it up. A couple of feet further lay her camera.
"Does it work?"
Joanna lifted the camera and snapped a photograph of Finn standing with the sunlight behind him. His blue shirt rolled up at the arms, a buckle big as the state of Texas holding up not quite tight jeans and the required rancher boots completed the picture perfect cowboy snapshot. "Yep. Still works."
"So were you planning on passing through and not giving me a call?"
"Nope." She stuck her phone in her pocket and slung her camera over her shoulder. "Was on my way to your ranch. At least I think I am." She snorted a chuckle. "Don't have much faith in GPS out here and of course without a house number."
Shaking his head, Finn laughed outright. "No one needs numbers or GPS out here."
"I'll remember that." She moved closer to where he stood. "So am I going to get a chance to see this ranch of yours and get a taste of West Texas hospitality?"
"You bet." He leaned over and picked up his hat. "I'm pretty sure I heard Aunt Eileen say she was baking blueberry pies today."
"Oh, my. I remember the time she left a care package after a Parents Weekend. Best damn pies ever."
Finn grinned and nodded. "Absolutely. So, you want to follow me back?"
"Sounds like a plan. If the car starts."
He raised a brow at her.
"I may have left the door open."
"Okay." He shrugged and smiled. The guy knew her too well. "If it doesn't start right away you can ride with me and we'll come back later for it."
She was about to say she'd have to at least bring her laptop because she didn't want someone stealing it when she realized she hadn't seen a car on the road for hours, and smiled instead. "Don't have to worry about thieves, do I?"
"Nope." Finn looked around, frowned then looked around again. "He did it again."
"Who, did what?" She followed his gaze.
"The dog."
She didn't see the friendly animal either. "Where is he?"
"That's what he does." Finn blew out a sigh. "You wait here and I'll go get your other shoe."
"Nah," she waved him off. "I made it up a tree with one shoe, I can make across the road."
Finn's head tipped, his smile broadened. "It's nice to see you. You're looking good, JoJo."
"You're not looking so bad yourself." She couldn't help grinning back. "Not bad at all, hubby."
Chapter Four
"Just park anywhere," Finn called out and climbed off the four-wheeler in front of the house, waving Joanna over. He wasn't sure what was the biggest surprise of the day, the dog showing up, finding a woman in a tree, or discovering the woman was Joanna.
How many years had it been? Five? Six? He'd lost track of time since graduating, but it didn't matter, Joanna looked exactly the same. Sassy, spirited, with a penchant for getting herself into trouble. And somehow after all these years she'd still pulled him smack dab into the middle of her most recent shenanigans.
He trotted around the hood in time to open her door.
"Always the gentleman." She turned and looked at the house. "Wow."
Finn slammed the car door behind her.
Staring slack jaw, Joanna didn't move. "Exactly the way you'd described it."
"It is what it is."
"No." She smiled wide. "This is more than a hundred years of Farradays."
He had to nod. She was right. For a city girl she got what this place meant to him. The large ranch house was more than a home, more than brick and mortar. It was in many ways the lifeline between once upon a time and now. Both things he was very proud of. "Come on inside. And remember, do not say a word about the dog to my aunt."
"I still don't understand why not, but—"
"Think of this as payback for all the times I had to play along with you."
"You didn't have to." She scrunched her face at him. "Deep down you're just a big ham."
Finn stepped onto the front porch first. "And don't forget talented. We were never called out on it."
"Well," Joanna came to a stop beside him as he pushed the front door open, "there was that one time that we sort of almost started a teeny," she held up her hand and pinched her fingers, "little brawl."
Door open, Finn ushered her inside. Many nights of collegiate partying long forgotten flooded back to mind, but nothing about a brawl. "You may have to refresh my memory, I seem to have forgotten."
"Forgotten what?" Aunt Eileen looked up from the living room and springing to her feet, hurried to meet them. "Oh, hello." His aunt squinted slightly at her guest before smiling with recognition.
"You remember Joanna?" Finn figured he'd better help out with the name just in case. "Joanna, this is my Aunt Eileen."
"Yes, I remember well," Joanna said.
"It's been too long, dear." She stepped sideways and motioned for Joanna to move forward. "What brings you to these parts?"
"I'm working on a travel article about the surrounding ghost towns."
"You were serious?" He'd known Joanna for three of his four years in college. She'd studied Psychology with a minor in Biology. Smart as she was social. With scientific credentials like that, how did she wind up writing? And about ghost towns? In West Texas.
"Well, we're not going to gab about it standing here. Make yourselves comfortable and I'll get a little refreshment."
"No need to put yourself out," Joanne said.
"She won't rest until you ask for something. You might as well give in now." Finn loved his aunt very much, but the woman was bound and determined to make everyone happy. Whether that meant with a cool beverage, or a warm pie, or a ghostly matchmaking dog didn't matter. Whatever the dilemma, his aunt was willing to provide the solution.
"Tea? Lemonade?" Aunt Eileen offered.
"Lemonade?" Joanna's eyes had widened with interest.
Aunt Eileen smiled. "Fresh squeezed."
"Oh my." Joanna rubbed her hands at her sides. "I don't know that I've ever had lemonade that wasn't powdered or frozen first."
"Then lemonade coming up." Aunt Eileen took a step toward the kitchen. " Finn, you too?"
Finn looked around. "Where's Ethan and the baby?"
"Taking a nap."
"Ethan?" Since when did his Marine brother take naps?
Aunt Eileen shrugged. "The baby went down and I made him go to his room as well and put his foot up."
Now that made sense. "Good. I know he was on that leg too long today."
"I, for one, will be happy when Allison returns from t
hat East Coast conference. It's getting so that she's the only one who can keep him in line."
Finn couldn't help but chuckle. His aunt had a point. They'd all noticed how in a few short weeks Ethan had gone from macho man to domestic don. "Don't worry. A few more years and Brittany will be riding roughshod over him too."
Shaking her head, his aunt laughed. "I don't doubt you're right one little bit." Then she turned to the kitchen.
"I forgot how much I liked your aunt."
"Everyone loves Aunt Eileen." Finn couldn't help but smile.
Joanna curled her feet under her and took in the high ceilings in the large family room. "There's so much space."
"You know what they say, everything is big in Texas. Well, even more so here in West Texas. Bigger hats, bigger belts—"
"Bigger egos?" she teased.
"Nah," he smiled. "Our good looks and cunning wit speak for themselves."
"Oh, yeah," she laughed. "Still humble."
Finn joined her laughing. He'd forgotten how easily she made him relax and just enjoy the moment. "So how long you planning on being in the area?"
"Not sure. What I'd really like is to write something that's got a little personal story to it besides the facts. Dig into some of the folklore and bring them to life along with the pictures."
"Which explains the camera?"
"It's not a major article so all I need is one or two good shots. If it were something more prestigious like the cover, then I'd get a pro."
Aunt Eileen walked into the room and set a tray with three lemonades on the coffee table.
"And when is all this set to happen?" Finn asked, reaching for his drink. Funny, she'd just sat down in his living room and already he was missing his old friend about to take off on another adventure.
"Oh, thank you." Joanna took a sip and sighed. "Totally delish."
"Glad you like it." Aunt Eileen took a seat and her own drink.
Joanna set her glass on the table. "Like I said, I'm not really sure. I don't want the stories I can read at the library. I want a story that hasn't been in print before. Something that only descendants of former residents of the old towns would know."
Finn Page 2