Page 118 of Cautious Love

“That dog is smarter than I thought.”

Shiloh opens her eyes and stares at me. “Maybe he is.”

I lay back and hold my arm open, hoping she’ll take the invitation. My heart settles when she snuggles up to me and rests her head on my chest.

Right where she’s meant to be.

Chapter 29

Ledger

LeavingShilohtosleep,I get ready for work.

She's usually rushing around in the morning, and I leave before she does.

Her curly blonde hair is all over the pillow and her lips parted slightly.

What I wouldn’t give to see that every morning.

I took Dozer out again, gave him a little something to eat, since he has to eat small portions right now. And put him back in his kennel.

Hopefully he doesn’t start whining again when I leave.

Running out, I stop at the grocery store and grab a bouquet of flowers. I smile at the label. Mae worked out a deal with them to supply their flowers. So they’re from her.

Heading back to the house, I hope she’s not awake yet. Quietly opening the door, I grit my teeth, hoping Dozer doesn’t bark, and luckily, he doesn’t. We’ll work on guard dog skills later.

I grab a vase and put the flowers in water, write Shiloh a note and head out for the day.

While I lay there last night with her curled up next to me. I made a plan to give her more reassurance. Based on what she told me about her past, that’s not something Grey did. In fact, it seems like he took advantage of her more than anything. I won’t be that man, that kind of husband. I will show her that she’s safe with me, and she doesn’t have to worry about repercussions. But my gut tells me there’s more to the story. We’ve talked, but not enough. There’s a reason for all of this, and I’m going to get to the bottom of it.

After my workout, I walk into the station and find Luke sitting at his desk, half-asleep, with his head in his hands.

I kick his chair, and he startles awake, blinking a couple of times.

“My office,” I tell him.

He nods and grabs his cup of coffee, downing it.

Luke drops into a chair and sighs.

“Any word from Will?” I ask him.

He puffs out his cheeks and sighs. “No, and I’m not sure what to do with it.”

“Have you seen him in town? Check on him at home? I’d do it myself, but if someone is watching or with him, I’m afraid they’ll call our bluff,” I say.

Luke rubs his face. “I saw him briefly, but wasn’t able to talk to him.”

“Do you think he’ll drop in at Perry’s or something?”

“He might. I’ll check it out tonight.”

“I’ll do the Wooden Cowboy. Where are we at with everything else?”

Luke sighs. “Surveillance is still challenging. Sam has been trying to get pictures, really anything, but they’re hardly leaving the ranch.”

“We got the warrant for the wiretap, but there’s no one to monitor the phone taps. We’re stretched thin as it is. Grey is nowhere to be found, which is a problem. I will try to keep up, but it will be recordings, and we’ll have to backtrack.”