Reuniting With The Cowboy. Shannon Taylor Vannatter

worry about the cats.”

      “I called Lance—I mean Dr. Bridges—to help.”

      A truck turned into her drive. Lance? No, he couldn’t have gotten here from Denton so quickly. Who could it be? Please not an emergency. Pressure mounted in her chest.

      The engine died and doors slammed. “Hey, it’s Raquel. Cody called us to help.”

      Ally could have cheered. “Y’all are awesome.” The Walkers were her closest neighbors other than Cody. Ally usually handled the health needs of their four-legged menagerie.

      “How many are accounted for?” Slade, Raquel’s husband, hurried to take the three unruly dogs from Ally.

      “I’m not even sure.” Ally scanned the area with her flashlight. “These are the only ones I’ve caught. I didn’t want Cody hobbling around in the dark, so he’s in the barn waiting to put them away as I catch them.”

      “Hunter, you help Mom catch dogs.” Slade roughed up the young boy’s already tousled hair with his free hand. Although the dogs fought against the leashes, he didn’t budge. “I’ll haul this rowdy handful to Cody and then Ally can see who’s missing. I’ll be right back to help.”

      “I’m so grateful y’all came.” Ally surveyed the threesome clad in wrinkled jeans and jackets.

      “This is gonna be fun.” Seven-year-old Hunter darted around the back of the house.

      “Watch for snakes,” Raquel called.

      “Probably too cool for them and I don’t usually have any in the yard.” Ally jogged to the barn, opened the door for Slade and took a quick inventory.

      Some of the missing were boarders. She had to find them and keep this incident quiet. Strays roaming free could jeopardize her shelter. But if word got out that people’s pets had gotten loose, her clients would lose trust in her.

      As she stepped outside, another truck pulled in the drive. The door opened and shut. “How many are loose?” Lance’s flashlight bobbed his approach.

      “Thirteen dogs, nineteen cats—some strays and some boarders. Not all of them at least. I’m sorry to drag you out this time of night all the way from Denton.”

      “It’s only fifteen minutes and we’re in this together.”

      Over the next couple of hours, Hunter caught two dogs, while Slade rounded up three. Raquel manhandled a smaller breed and Lance nabbed another, while Ally wrangled an elusive wienie dog boarder who seemed intent on playing hide-and-seek.

      “I heard some barking in the woods behind the barn.” Slade headed back out. “Raquel, Hunter, y’all stay here—might be dangerous.”

      “Be careful.” Raquel shuddered.

      “I’ll go with you.” Lance followed.

      Hunter and Raquel helped soothe the dogs, and as the sun began to rise, Slade and Lance returned with the last two Lab mixes.

      “What about the cats?” Hunter helped her get the last two in their pens.

      “They won’t come out unless it’s quiet and calm.” Ally hugged Raquel. “Thanks so much for coming. I’d still be at it if y’all hadn’t.”

      “We were glad to help. Hunter had a blast.” Raquel tousled his hair. “You can tell all your friends about your dog-wrangling skills.”

      “Um...about that.” Ally bit her lip. “Would y’all mind keeping this incident quiet? I don’t want the people who board their pets here to lose confidence in my services.”

      “Good point.” Slade gripped Hunter’s shoulder. “Hear that? We’re keeping this a secret.” Hunter nodded and Slade turned to his wife. “We better go so Ally can tend to her cats.”

      The threesome waved goodbye as Ally thanked them again.

      “Go home, Lance. Get some rest. I can handle things here today.”

      “Not happening. Saturday’s always our busiest. If your mom will ply me with coffee, I’ll be good to go.”

      “Great idea.” Mom covered her yawn and the two strolled toward the house.

      Leaving only Cody. “You should get some sleep. All I have to do is call the cats.”

      “I’ll stick around.” He scanned the pens lining each side of the long barn. “I doubt any of the dogs are in the pens they’re supposed to be in. Once you retrieve the cats, I’ll help you sort it out. Besides, I need to talk to you.”

      “Okay.” About what? “Can it wait?”

      “Go call your cats. It’ll keep.”

      “I’ll be back as quick as I can.” She dug a stack of collapsed cardboard carriers from the storage closet, tucked them under her arm. “And thanks for all your help.”

      “My pleasure.”

      Ally stepped out. Cody seemed so serious. Had he talked to the owner? Would he sell her the land after all?

      * * *

      “Here, kitty, kitty, kitty.” Ally’s call was a gentle singsong as Cody watched from the barn window.

      It took several minutes, but the cats started coming. From trees, from the roof, from the loft and from the woods. Soon she had them in cardboard kennels, and she pulled her truck near to load them.

      Cody couldn’t stand watching her do all the work. It had nearly killed him to let Slade and Lance play dogcatcher while he stayed in the barn. It was daylight now—easier to watch for holes. He limped out to help.

      “What are you doing out here?”

      “At least let me load them for you, save you a little work.” He made his way to the truck bed.

      “Fine.” She picked up a kennel. “Stack them in twos and make sure they’re stable. I don’t want them tumbling around and scarring their delicate sensibilities for life.”

      “Cats have sensibilities?” He grinned.

      “They most certainly do. Very delicate ones.”

      “I guess if anybody knows about it, it would be you.” Cody loaded a kennel she handed him. “You looked like the Pied Piper out there gathering them all up.”

      “Just call me the crazy cat lady.”

      “You must be exhausted.”

      “You, too.” She adjusted a stack of kennels. “I can’t believe the Walkers came over to help so early. How do you even know them?”

      “Raquel’s first husband was a Texas Ranger and Mitch’s partner. A few years after he died, Mitch tried to fix us up, but neither of us was interested and she eventually met Slade.”

      He slid another kennel in place. “Slade used to be a chaplain on the rodeo circuit, so I’d seen him around. They’re good folk. Since Raquel’s the school nurse and it’s Saturday, and Slade’s a preacher and it isn’t Sunday, I knew they could come without messing up the rest of their day.”

      “I couldn’t even think of any of that. I was in panic mode.”

      “Speaking of panic, I don’t mean to scare you—” A cat yowled at him as he hoisted its kennel on top of another “—but you don’t have any enemies, do you?”

      “Not that I know of.” She stopped, caught his gaze. “Why?”

      “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” Cody’s heart thudded. He really didn’t want to frighten her, but she seemed so oblivious. “Somebody had to have let them out.”

      “But why would they?” She hugged herself. “I must have left a couple of the pens open.”

      “Have you ever done