Going to the Chapel Read online

  “Depends on which end I get,” Sam answered.

  Hank chuckled. “I’ll put a soft muzzle on him. I just don’t want to jar him anymore than I have to.”

  “Count me in. If his owner doesn’t show up, I’ll take him home, too.”

  Nodding, Hank went to his truck and grabbed a muzzle out of the front seat. It didn’t take long for the dog to lay his head back down with a sigh, his eyes at half-mast. Slowly, Hank eased the muzzle on. “Good boy,” he said, running a hand over the animal’s head and shoulder. “He’s been on his own for a while. Needs to put some meat on. You take his hindquarters and I’ll get this end. On the count of three.”

  Sam winced as they lifted the dog and he yelped in pain. He’d better not find out who set that trap, or they’d be sorry. How could anyone be so stupid? “One of the horses could have got hung up in that trap.”

  “Or Ethan’s little Aussie. I’ll get to the bottom of it,” Hank promised. “Soon as I have this guy fixed up, I’ll ride out and see what I find.”

  They settled the dog in the back of Hank’s truck and headed toward the house, Hank leading the way. Sam parked beside him when he stopped and helped get the dog inside the barn to a stall that had been converted to a small examining room. They gingerly laid the dog on the stainless steel table. “When did you set up an office here?” Sam asked.

  “A couple of months ago. Got tired of always having to go into town. I still don’t have much here, but I can handle this. If he needs surgery, I’ll have to take him to an office I use in Nashville.”

  Sam ran his hand over the dog’s rib cage. “You’re right. He’s pretty thin. Can’t tell it with that winter coat, but this guy definitely needs fattening up.”

  “If the x-rays show nothing’s broken, you can take him home with you later after I clean the wound and give him a shot of antibiotics.”

  “Sounds like a plan.” Grinning, Sam stroked the dog’s head, almost hoping the owners didn’t claim him. They didn’t deserve a dog if they couldn’t take better care of one than this. It had been a while since he’d had a dog, and he was more than willing to adopt this big guy and get him back up to par.

  ****

  Claire stepped onto the balcony of the room she’d been assigned for the weekend at the dude ranch, and pulled in the fresh, cold country air. From her viewpoint, she could see several horses mulling around the corral. She could also watch a small herd of horses prancing and kicking up their heels in the pasture, a sight which, for some reason, brought her a feeling of peace. She felt her shoulders relax for the first time in weeks.

  Resting her elbows on the balcony railing, she took in everything, glad to be away from the city, and surprised she felt that way. Her dad and Dottie were already here, and she’d go down in a few minutes and sit with them, but right now this seemed to be what she needed. With a contented sigh, she closed her eyes and let the peacefulness of this place soak in. Maybe later she’d go to the barn and see if there was a horse she could take on a short ride. Or at least groom. Something about animals always calmed her. Maybe she should consider getting a pet. A cat would be best since she was rarely home.

  She heard male voices and opened her eyes. Ashley’s fiancé and the man from the chapel—Sam if she remembered right—were coming out of the barn, and Sam held a huge dog. She straightened, wondering what was wrong with the animal.

  Grabbing her coat, she hurried downstairs and out the front door, then stopped halfway across the yard. This wasn’t any of her business and she barely knew either one of these men. She wished Ashley was here so she could ask her to come with her to investigate. Claire started toward them, too curious about the dog to stay away. The poor thing wasn’t moving in Sam’s arms and one of its paws was bandaged.

  “What happened to your dog?” she asked as she approached. Sam looked up and smiled, a bright welcoming smile, and her stomach fluttered.

  She pressed a hand on her tummy and stepped closer for a better look at the dog, not sure that was the smart thing to do but unable to stay away. “Not my dog,” Sam said, “but I’m taking him home.” He turned to Hank. “Thanks again.”

  Nodding, Hank smiled at Claire and headed back into the barn. The dog looked up at her and whined. “Oh, he hurts,” Claire said. “What happened to him?”

  “Looks like he got caught in a trap. A trap that shouldn’t be there,” Sam added with a scowl. Hank fixed him up. I’m taking him home, at least until we can find his owner, which I hope doesn’t happen. Whoever his owner is doesn’t deserve to get him back. He’s skin and bones. I’m guessing he was dumped. One of the problems with living in the country is that people dump their dogs out here.”

  “How could anyone do that?” Claire reached out and stroked the dog and he licked her hand.

  “Well, I’ll be damned. He didn’t want either Hank or me petting him.”

  “Maybe his owner is a woman,” Claire suggested, stroking the soft coat some more. “I love dogs. Had several growing up, but never one this big. I haven’t had a pet in a while.” She frowned. “I live in a condo and work all the time, so I really couldn’t give a dog much of a home. I hadn’t realized until now how much I miss having one.”

  “That’s how I felt when I saw this guy. My old cattle dog passed about six months ago.” Sam carried the dog over to his truck. “Mind pulling the tailgate down for me? He may be skinny, but he’s still a good seventy plus pounds. Bet he’ll be at least ninety pounds when he’s at a healthy weight.”

  Claire did as he asked, and watched him gently lay the dog on a folded blanket.

  “I didn’t expect to see you again, much less here at the ranch. What brought you here?” Sam asked, as soon as he’d raised the tailgate.

  She rolled her eyes. “Dottie and my dad persuaded me to take off work and come here to relax. I must admit, it seems to be working.”

  “It’s the country air. Clears your head.”

  “It must have done the opposite with me. I’m actually contemplating helping Ashley with her fundraiser—a ‘man auction’ she called it.”

  Sam chuckled. “Ethan asked me if I’d volunteer to be one of the suckers.”

  “And?” she asked, not quite able to keep a straight face.

  “Lord no. Sounds like torture.” He clasped a hand over his heart. “What if no one bids on me?” He gave an exaggerated shudder.

  “I seriously doubt that would happen.” No way in the world would it happen. The man was gorgeous.

  He cocked an eyebrow at her. “Promise me you’ll bid, and I might get up the guts to do it.”

  “Hmmm.” She pretended to think, but the fact was her brain truly wasn’t working very well. “How exactly does someone make a bid? I don’t want to look totally ridiculous.”

  He laughed, a full rich sound that had her grinning. “I’d be the one standing up there feeling like a slab of meat. All you’d have to do is raise a hand.”

  “I could do that.”

  “And maybe fend off other women,” he added with a twinkle in his eyes.

  She remembered those eyes only too well. Warm, compassionate eyes. “Tell you what, if I buy you at the auction, can I take your dog for walks when I come out to the dude ranch?”

  “You don’t want to take me for a walk? Remember, you will have paid big bucks for my company.”

  She smiled. The man was downright charming. And hot. Jillian would be proud of her for even thinking that. But it was absolutely true. “Is that blood on your shirt,” she asked, pointing to a spot on his chest.

  “Probably,” he answered, never taking his eyes off of her. “The dog was bleeding.”

  Claire sighed. Sam was obviously a kind man, and it might perk her up to bid on him. “I’ll come to the auction. How pricey do you think you’ll be?” He laughed again. She couldn’t remember the last time Chris had laughed at her silly jokes. Then again, she couldn’t remember the last time Chris had made her laugh either. Or feel as if her breath was so shallow she needed to gulp i
n air.

  “I’m pretty sure I’ll be cheap, Claire.”

  “You remember my name,” she said, her heart racing.

  He arched his brows. “Of course I remember your name. So, can I count on you to rescue me?”

  God, yes, he could count on her for that. “Only if I get to walk your dog.”

  He held out a hand. “Deal.”

  She placed her hand in his and enjoyed the way his big warm palm felt against hers, then immediately felt guilty. It was way too soon for her to be attracted to this man. Or any man. “Deal,” she said, pulling her hand free.

  “Good. I have a feeling this dog’s going to need a lot of attention.”

  Smiling, she gave the dog one last pat and headed back toward the ranch house before she did something else totally out of character and scared herself so bad she hid out the rest of the weekend.

  “See you soon, Claire Coleman,” he called after her.

  And just like that, her heart did a triple beat against her ribs, and her lips turned up with the first genuine smile she’d had in way too long.

  CHAPTER THREE

  “Claire, are you listening to us? Pay attention,” Jillian said, snapping her fingers in front of Claire’s face.

  Claire shook herself back to the present. “Sorry. What did you say?” She picked up her cup of hot tea and took a sip, then set the mug back down on the big pine table that took up a large portion of the dude ranch’s dining area. She snatched a chocolate chip cookie off the platter in front of her and took a bite. “Yum. Who made these?”

  “I did,” Dottie said, taking one for herself.

  “As I was saying,” Jillian chimed in, grabbing her own cookie. “Justin wants us to come to his pub next weekend, Claire. I told him we’d be there. Hubby will be out of town, and I’m sick of sitting around by myself and watching my stomach grow.”

  “I’ll try and make it.”

  “Try?” Jillian asked, rolling her eyes. “Have you suddenly become a social butterfly?”

  “Very funny.” For the first time ever, Claire almost wished that were true. She should be enjoying this time with her sister and Dottie. At the very least, she should be trying to get to know Dottie better, but she was restless and edgy and wanted to get out of here.

  Her mind drifted to Sam, and she wondered if he was working on the chapel today. Maybe she’d take a ride that way later this afternoon when it wasn’t so cold. She wanted to see how the dog he’d rescued was. Oh, who was she kidding? She might want to check on the dog, but who she truly wanted to see was Sam. She didn’t like that she wanted to see him, but it was true so why deny it?

  She’d worried most of last night about her promise to bid for him at the auction. What if she actually won? Then what would she do? Fear and excitement warred within her. She shook her head, feeling like a socially inept teenager, and angry with herself for being like this. She was an adult woman. An adult woman with virtually no dating experience. She closed her eyes and sighed. She shouldn’t even think about Sam. She certainly had no intention of dating this soon after her broken engagement. Just the thought gave her hives.

  If she were going to test the waters, though, Sam would be the perfect guy to do that with. He made her body yearn for something she’d never experienced. Thus her agreement to bid on him at the auction. She was determined to use the bidding experience to stretch her wings—see if she could get a date with Sam and, for once, feel those yearnings Chris said were missing in their relationship. Having a date with Sam McGinnis was exactly what she needed. Goodness knows it would, at the very least, pull her out of her funk. Besides, if Jillian was right, she was missing out on something pretty incredible. She wondered if Sam was a good kisser, and just thinking about that made her insides flutter. She pressed her hand against her stomach. There was definitely chemistry there, at least for her, but did she have the guts to explore her blatantly sexual feelings?

  “What is wrong with you?” Jillian asked, nudging her with her shoulder. “We’re trying to have a conversation here.”

  “Sorry. My mind wandered.”

  “It’s okay,” Dottie assured her. “You’ve had a lot to deal with lately.”

  Claire smiled apologetically. Dottie thought she was pining for Chris. Everyone did. And she was. Or at least had been. If her family knew who she was really daydreaming about right now, they would all think she was terrible.

  The front door opened and Ashley breezed in carrying a stack of folders. “Sorry I’m late. I’ve been beating down doors to find men for this auction. You’d think I’d asked them to build a barn. Speaking of building, Sam McGinnis called earlier and succumbed to my harassing. Yes! Now I only need four more guys.”

  Claire’s heart skipped a beat. Looks like she would for sure be bidding on Sam.

  “That man should bring in some mega money for your fundraiser. If I were a young woman, I’d bid for him,” Dottie said with a wink.

  “Who wouldn’t?” Ashley said, fanning her face. “Good thing I’ve got Hank or I’d bid on Sam, too. He will definitely help us raise money.”

  “By how much?” Claire asked in a small voice.

  “Hundreds would be my guess.”

  “Hundreds?” Claire echoed, her voice high. “No one is worth that.” Please don’t let him be worth hundreds. If the bidding for Sam went like Ashley thought it would, everyone would be crowded around watching. Watching and wondering about the woman no one knew who kept bidding on their local man. She shuddered at the thought, then stiffened her spine. She could do this. She would do it.

  Ashley plopped into a chair and dropped her notebook on the table. “Either of you women know another man I might be able to browbeat into this?”

  Jillian laughed. “Claire and I will talk Justin into it. He’s such a party boy he’d love all that attention.” She held her growing stomach as she laughed. “But he’s so cheap, he’ll probably take his date to dinner at his own restaurant.”

  “You say that in jest, but it might be true,” Claire added with a chuckle.

  Jillian practically growled. “I know. I can’t seem to get through to my little brother when it comes to the etiquette of dating.”

  “He tunes you out, and I can’t say I blame him.” Claire turned away from her sister’s evil look and smiled at Dottie and gave her a warm smile back. No wonder her dad had fallen for this lady. She was funny and warm and giving.

  “Ashley,” Dottie said. “Did you see the German shepherd Hank rescued yesterday? That’s one beautiful animal. Do you remember the one we had when you were little?”

  “Yeah. I especially remember him herding me around the yard.”

  “I gave him treats for that,” Dottie said with a grin, then sighed. “I sure hope they find this hurt dog’s owner.”

  Claire didn’t. Then she wouldn’t have an excuse to see Sam again. And, darn it, she wasn’t supposed to be thinking—let alone daydreaming—about a man she barely knew. She scooted back from the table. “I’m going for a horseback ride. After all, I didn’t come to the ranch to sit inside for most of the weekend. Ashley, do you think it would be okay to saddle the palomino mare for a ride if she’s in the corral?”

  “Sure. Majesty needs to be ridden anyway. No one’s been riding much with the snow.” Ashley turned her attention to Dottie, and Claire was glad. “So where’s Jim this afternoon?”

  “Fishing,” Dottie responded. “I’m so glad that’s a hobby you can do solo. I’ve never been big on it—especially in cold weather—and I’m certainly not big on cleaning the nasty things.”

  “I’m with you on that,” Claire said with a shudder. She scooted back from the table. “See you ladies later.” She hurried upstairs for her cowboy boots, coat and fur-lined gloves. It might be cold out there, but the sun shone bright today, and it should be a beautiful ride.

  A few minutes later, she had Majesty groomed and saddled. Mounting, she reined her out to the south pasture, quickly wishing she had sunglasses on with the brightnes
s of the ice-crusted snow.

  Majesty seemed to enjoy being out as much as Claire. “Okay, so Dottie was right about it being relaxing on the ranch,” Claire admitted out loud a few minutes later, patting Majesty’s neck, which was still covered with her thick dappled, winter coat instead of her smooth golden summer one.

  After about fifteen minutes, Claire turned Majesty west, her yearning to see Sam again too strong to ignore. She’d ride close enough to check if his truck was at the chapel and decide what to do from there. She hadn’t ridden long before the steeple of the chapel came into view over the treetops. She rode closer and Majesty’s ears pricked. Claire pulled her to a stop and that’s when she heard it—whistling floating through the crisp air. Nudging Majesty farther up the hill, she spotted his truck. It was the only vehicle there, so it must be him whistling. She listened for a few minutes but had no idea what song it was. She shifted in the saddle just as he came outside with the shepherd, who raced toward her barking. The minute the dog saw it was her, he stopped barking and wagged his tail, and Claire let out a sigh of relief.

  She shifted in the saddle, her courage evaporating, but when Sam grinned and waved her over, she didn’t hesitate to nudge Majesty forward. In fact, she couldn’t have stopped herself if she’d wanted to. Sam looked flat out sexy in a red checkered flannel shirt, jeans and boots and a tool belt hung on his lean waist, all of which disappeared when he slipped on a coat and zipped it up.

  “Don’t you know you can’t sneak up on someone with a dog, especially a shepherd?” he teased as she approached.

  She wanted to say she wasn’t sneaking, but that’s pretty much what she’d been doing. “Do you know if he likes horses?” Claire asked as they approached and the dog began barking again.