Judy Duarte: The Cowboy's Lullaby

Maybe she planned a shopping spree for herself, rather than Brianna.

Well, if that was the case, he’d put a stop to that pretty damn quick, especially if she planned to use money from the trust. Braddock Enterprises wasn’t going to support Chloe and her spending whims.

She closed the phonebook and put it back in the drawer. Then she stood, a pair of black jeans fitting like a sleek leather glove. “Don’t worry. We’ll be back in an hour.”

Well, he was worried.

But then again, he didn’t need to be. Not if he followed her into town.

“Suit yourself,” he said.

“I always do.” She tossed his own line back at him along with a playful grin, then swept out of the office, her denim-clad hips swaying as she headed for the kitchen.

Six friggin’ weeks. She’d drive him nuts by then—if he let her.

Twenty minutes later Jake had followed Chloe and Brianna into town and now waited in front of the Granger Animal Shelter.

He had no idea what in the world they were doing inside, but he had a suspicion. She’d said she was merely window shopping, and he hoped that was her game plan. She’d better not be getting a pet, not if Jake was the one who’d be taking full custody of Brianna.

Curiosity got the better of him, and just as he reached for the door handle to let himself out of his vehicle, Chloe and Brianna walked out the front door.

Chloe carried a cardboard box with holes.

Oh, for Pete’s sake. He climbed out of the Navigator and made his way toward them.

“Jake!” Brianna said. “Guess what we have!”

Instead of guessing, he focused on Chloe, on the sunglasses that hid her eyes, on the dimples her grin created.

“What a surprise,” she said. “We didn’t expect you to follow us.”

“No, I’m sure you didn’t.” He nodded toward the box. “I suppose that’s the surprise.”

Brianna grinned from ear to ear. “Want to see him?”

The fact that the critter, whatever it was, had placed the bright-eyed smile on his sister’s face was reason enough to make him back down. And even though something like a pet adoption should have been discussed with him first, it was a relief to know their purchase was small enough to fit in that box.

“His name is Sweetie Pie,” Brianna said. “And he’s the bestest dog in the whole, wide world.”

Jake didn’t have the heart to tell her no.

Chloe unhooked the edge of the box, allowing it to open, and a mangy, wire-haired, tri-color dog poked its head out, whimpering and squirming, its tail beating against the cardboard container.

“Oops,” Chloe said, juggling the box. “Settle down, Sweetie Pie. You’ll make me drop you.”

“We have to keep him in the box until we get back to the ranch,” Brianna said. “That’s the rules. But once he’s at home, he gets to run around all he wants.”

As Chloe struggled to tuck the scraggly dog back into the cardboard carrier, Jake opened the back door of the car for his sister. She climbed into her seat, and he secured her. Then Chloe put the box on the rear floorboard.

Once the door was shut, his redheaded nemesis crossed her arms and arched an auburn brow. “So, you couldn’t help but follow us, huh?”

“I don’t like secrets.”

“Too bad. You’ve probably had some boring birthdays, then.”

“They were just fine.” Truth be told, he’d never had a surprise party, if that’s what she was getting at. And she made it sound as though he’d missed something. “So what’s the deal with the dog?”

“All kids need a pet.”

“Oh, yeah? Don’t you think they should be old enough and responsible enough to take care of them? Of course, if you’re planning to transport that dog back to California with you in six weeks, I’ll keep quiet.”

“Sweetie Pie will go wherever Brianna goes.”

“Then I’ll have to kiss up to Mrs. Davies, since she’ll be the one looking after the dog for me.”

“That’s left to be seen.”

They were heading for a face-off, which wasn’t appropriate here and now. A glance into the backseat told him Brianna was happy with her pet, so he decided not to make an issue out of it…yet.

“By the way,” Jake said, as Chloe turned to open the driver’s door of her car. “That’s the ugliest mutt I’ve ever seen. If you’re going to turn the ranch into a zoo, why not choose a better-looking critter?”

Her motions slowed, and she turned to face him again, her stance softening this time. Their gazes locked, and her eyes glistened. If he didn’t know better, he’d suspect she was tearing up. Hell, maybe she was.

The breeze sent a strand of her hair across her cheek and she brushed it aside. She cleared her throat, and her voice came out softer than he expected. “Because that little dog needed a home more than the rest of them. His number was up today.”

Jake had never been an animal person. Well, not as a grown-up, anyway. He’d found a stray shepherd-mix once, but his mom had refused to let him keep it. And he couldn’t blame her. She lived in a town house in the city.

And so did he.

“That dog—” he began.

“Sweetie Pie,” Chloe corrected. “He has a name.”

Jake crossed his arms. “Either way, my place isn’t geared for pets.”

She leaned her hip against the car door and crossed her own arms. “Whatever.”

Damn that woman. She was going to be the death of him.

“Listen,” she said, softening again, it seemed. “A pet will be good for Brianna. Especially now.”

“She already has fish.”

“She can’t cuddle with them.”

“Yeah, well, she won’t get flea bites from them, either.”

Chloe stood there for a moment, eyes glaring and rigidity returning to her stance. Then she chuckled softly. “Six weeks won’t be long enough, will it?”

It seemed too long to him. But he wasn’t entirely sure what she meant. “What are you talking about?”

“You and I are going to have a heck of a time learning how to compromise and put Brianna’s best interests ahead of our own.” Then she tossed him another smile and climbed into the car.

Jake stood silently by, as he watched her drive away.

Something told him she was right.

Even so, he realized, in spite of his objections and reservations, Brianna was sitting in Chloe’s backseat. And that ugly dog was heading back to the ranch.

So how come it felt more like a loss than a compromise?

And what was he going to do about it?

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