the background, set as usual to Jake’s favorite country station.
He’d gone out to buy parts for the pump, but he’d be back in time to handle the evening feeding. She knew he wouldn’t mind if she left him to it, and went inside for a shower of her own. But before she made it to the house, Nat Diamond’s grey truck appeared on the road and she watched as he slowed and pulled into her lane.
Mattie rubbed her hands clean on her jeans as she walked toward him. She didn’t want to analyze why her heart suddenly felt lighter. Nat was a neighbor and a friend. Why shouldn’t she be glad to see him? She waited for him to park and open his door. “You have a knack for catching me at my best.”
He stepped down from the cab, wearing jeans, boots, and a sheepskin jacket. The man was so damn handsome, all decked out like a model on the cover of Western Horseman . It wasn’t fair.
“Dirt suits you. Been out for a ride?”
“Yeah.” The sun had broken through the clouds around one o’clock and the day had actually turned quite warm. “Enjoying the last of the fall colors.”
“Good. I brought you a gift. But maybe you don’t need it.” He pulled out a shopping bag and handed it to her.
She peered inside and grinned when she saw several boxes of tissues and canisters of tea. “Seems like I’ve got myself a reputation.”
“Some women like flowers. But you’ve always been unique.” He hesitated. “I brought something else. You don’t have to keep it. Just thought it might come in handy...”
It was unusual for Nat to look unsure of himself. She watched as he reached down to the floor on the passenger side of the truck and then gasped when he pulled out a small dog carrier. Inside were two border collie puppies.
“Twelve weeks old,” Nat announced, as he freed them from the padded carrier. The two puppies looked to be all hair, with dark noses and adorable round eyes. “I ordered one of them a while ago. Asked to bring along one of her litter mates. In case you wanted one. But I can see you’re not a dog person.”
She was on the ground, scooping up the puppies, petting them and laughing. “Oh, they’re so sweet. I wish Wren and Portia could see them.”
“Take a video with your phone, then send it to them.” Nat kneeled beside her and scooped up one of the dogs. “This is Buffy. She’s mine.”
Mattie could tell they’d already bonded. “You named your dog after a vampire slayer?”
Nat looked confused. “The breeder named her. I didn’t know Buffy was a—what did you say? Vampire slayer?”
“I’ll lend you the DVDs sometime. Portia has the entire collection.” As she spoke, her eyes were on the other puppy. Almost identical to Buffy, but with a different look around her eyes. “Did the breeder name this one?”
“Tuffy,” Nat admitted, his tone somewhat apologetic. “Want to guess what the other two puppies were called?”
“Fluffy?”
He laughed. “Yup. And the last?”
“Hopefully not Huffy.”
“Nope. Muffy.”
“Buffy, Muffy, Fluffy and Tuffy,” Mattie repeated. “Wow.”
“You could always change the name. If you want to keep her, that is. Like I said before, no obligation. I just thought having a dog around the place might be a good idea.”
Mattie picked up Tuffy and buried her nose in her soft hair. She understood what Nat was thinking. A woman living on her own in the country needed protection. A dog could offer that. But by the time Tuffy was big enough to ward off strangers, would Mattie still be living here?
If not—where?
The truth was, getting a dog right now didn’t make any sense. What if she ended up living in town? Or, God forbid, back at her father’s place on the Circle C? Having a dog in tow could make things really complicated.
But then Tuffy cocked her head to one side. God, she was cute.
It was too late for logic. She was in love.
“I’ll keep her.”
CHAPTER SIX
“T he puppy was genius. Tell me again about this neighbor who
He’d gone out to buy parts for the pump, but he’d be back in time to handle the evening feeding. She knew he wouldn’t mind if she left him to it, and went inside for a shower of her own. But before she made it to the house, Nat Diamond’s grey truck appeared on the road and she watched as he slowed and pulled into her lane.
Mattie rubbed her hands clean on her jeans as she walked toward him. She didn’t want to analyze why her heart suddenly felt lighter. Nat was a neighbor and a friend. Why shouldn’t she be glad to see him? She waited for him to park and open his door. “You have a knack for catching me at my best.”
He stepped down from the cab, wearing jeans, boots, and a sheepskin jacket. The man was so damn handsome, all decked out like a model on the cover of Western Horseman . It wasn’t fair.
“Dirt suits you. Been out for a ride?”
“Yeah.” The sun had broken through the clouds around one o’clock and the day had actually turned quite warm. “Enjoying the last of the fall colors.”
“Good. I brought you a gift. But maybe you don’t need it.” He pulled out a shopping bag and handed it to her.
She peered inside and grinned when she saw several boxes of tissues and canisters of tea. “Seems like I’ve got myself a reputation.”
“Some women like flowers. But you’ve always been unique.” He hesitated. “I brought something else. You don’t have to keep it. Just thought it might come in handy...”
It was unusual for Nat to look unsure of himself. She watched as he reached down to the floor on the passenger side of the truck and then gasped when he pulled out a small dog carrier. Inside were two border collie puppies.
“Twelve weeks old,” Nat announced, as he freed them from the padded carrier. The two puppies looked to be all hair, with dark noses and adorable round eyes. “I ordered one of them a while ago. Asked to bring along one of her litter mates. In case you wanted one. But I can see you’re not a dog person.”
She was on the ground, scooping up the puppies, petting them and laughing. “Oh, they’re so sweet. I wish Wren and Portia could see them.”
“Take a video with your phone, then send it to them.” Nat kneeled beside her and scooped up one of the dogs. “This is Buffy. She’s mine.”
Mattie could tell they’d already bonded. “You named your dog after a vampire slayer?”
Nat looked confused. “The breeder named her. I didn’t know Buffy was a—what did you say? Vampire slayer?”
“I’ll lend you the DVDs sometime. Portia has the entire collection.” As she spoke, her eyes were on the other puppy. Almost identical to Buffy, but with a different look around her eyes. “Did the breeder name this one?”
“Tuffy,” Nat admitted, his tone somewhat apologetic. “Want to guess what the other two puppies were called?”
“Fluffy?”
He laughed. “Yup. And the last?”
“Hopefully not Huffy.”
“Nope. Muffy.”
“Buffy, Muffy, Fluffy and Tuffy,” Mattie repeated. “Wow.”
“You could always change the name. If you want to keep her, that is. Like I said before, no obligation. I just thought having a dog around the place might be a good idea.”
Mattie picked up Tuffy and buried her nose in her soft hair. She understood what Nat was thinking. A woman living on her own in the country needed protection. A dog could offer that. But by the time Tuffy was big enough to ward off strangers, would Mattie still be living here?
If not—where?
The truth was, getting a dog right now didn’t make any sense. What if she ended up living in town? Or, God forbid, back at her father’s place on the Circle C? Having a dog in tow could make things really complicated.
But then Tuffy cocked her head to one side. God, she was cute.
It was too late for logic. She was in love.
“I’ll keep her.”
CHAPTER SIX
“T he puppy was genius. Tell me again about this neighbor who
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