The petite blonde quickly left the room.
“No, ma’am. I mean, yes, ma’am,” Jason said. His jaws puffed and he blew out a breath. “Look, here’s an idea. Why don’t you and Mr. Conway here share the dog and let it decide where it wants to live?”
Nick didn’t want to share Buster with Sandi Walker or anybody else. He glared at the deputy. The expression on Sandi’s face could be explained only as a look of horror. She was as stunned as he was.
The blonde returned with a dog leash and handed it to Sandi.
She snapped it onto Buster’s collar and held a solid grip on it. Though poor Buster looked up at her with pleading eyes, she said, “That’s the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard. Dogs don’t get to decide where they want to live. Only cats do that.”
Jason pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped his brow. Now Nick felt guilty, not only for badgering Sandi, but for putting a friend in an awkward spot.
“I wouldn’t know, ma’am. Don’t have any experience with cats. All I’m saying is if you both like the dog and want him to be around you, I don’t see why Nick here can’t keep him a while, then bring him back to you and you keep him a while. Kind of a back and forth situation”—he made a rocking gesture with his hand— “know what I mean?”
Now Nick was as confused as Jason. His head shook involuntarily. “I’m not sure that solves the problem, Jason. Buster’s a trained working dog. I need him with me at the ranch to—”
Sandi’s mouth dropped open and she huffed. “Oh? Nick and Jason, is it?” She looked up at Jason, her eyes snapping with anger. “You two are on a first-name basis? What is this? Are you using your job as a law enforcement officer to harass me on your friend’s behalf? I guess that explains why a county cop is in my store inside the city limits throwing his weight around.”
Inside, Nick winced. He hadn’t intended for her to know he and Jason were even acquainted, much less friends. And it hadn’t occurred to him that Jason, as a county employee, might not have jurisdiction in the city or that she might know that.
Jason’s eyes rolled toward the ceiling. Nick could tell he hadn’t intended for Sandi to know that fact either. “That’s not what’s happening here. Mr. Conway, er, Nick and I knowing each other doesn’t keep me from trying to be an honest broker in this deal.”
Sandi planted her fists on her slim hips and gave Jason the squint-eye. Uh-oh. Nick hadn’t anticipated this.
“Sharing definitely doesn’t do it for me, Deputy. Didn’t you hear what he just said? He’s a dog enslaver and an abuser. Since you know him, you must know that about him.”
Dog enslaver? Abuser? Nick grunted a loud gasp.
“Ma’am, using a dog to help with cattle isn’t enslaving the animal and it isn’t abuse either,” Jason said. “The dog probably likes it.”
Sandi crossed her arms over her breasts. “Hah. That’s what you say. Are you a dog mind-reader, too?”
“Wait just a minute.” Enough was enough. Nick cocked his head and raised his palms. “I’ve had just about enough here. I’ve never abused an animal in my life.”
He turned to Jason. “You know that, Jason. I love animals. I’ve always loved animals. Don’t I take care of a broken-down horse that’s not good for much except eating up feed? Don’t I feed every stray cat that comes along and let them sleep in my barn? Didn’t I take those llamas to keep them from being put down? I damn sure didn’t do it because I needed two glorified goats in my life.”
“Oh, really,” Sandi said, fire in her eye and her arms crossed under her very attractive breasts. She turned to Jason. “Mr. Conway takes care of cattle that are set to be slaughtered because he loves animals? Y’all must think I just fell off a turnip truck.”
“That’s different,” Nick said firmly.
“How is it different?”
Nick growled and threw up his hands. “What are you, nuts? You wanna go through your life without beef to eat?”
“Of course not. And I’m not —”
“Just hold on.” Jason plopped his cap back on his head and stabbed the air with his finger. “Listen, you two. Y’all aren’t trying.”
Sandi flipped a palm in the air. “There’s no point. You’re already prejudiced against me. Even if that weren’t true, Mr. Conway”—Sandy pointed a finger at Nick—“lives down in Salt Lick and I live here. Sharing will not work.”
Jason pushed the bill of his cap back. “Sure, it will, ma’am. Look, Nick’s place is just out of town a short distance from here.” He leaned forward and opened his palms, his eyes holding hers. “I’m sure he’d let you go out there and look around. You can see for yourself it’s a good place for a dog to live.” Jason turned toward Nick. “You’d do that, wouldn’t you, Nick?”
Sandi didn’t relent, maintaining her pinched-mouth expression. She wasn’t buying Jason’s conciliatory tone or gestures. Mental eyeroll. Nick wished he had never called the deputy. “Uh, sure. I guess so.”
Jason’s’s face broke into a toothy grin. “See? A little talk always solves problems. Look, I need to get home, so I’m going to leave you two to work this out.”
With that, the deputy readjusted his cap. “See ya, Nick.” He walked out of the store, leaving Nick speechless.
Buster whined, but Sandi hung onto his leash.
Seconds of silence crept by. As much as he hated to do it, Nick caved. “Did you want to go out to my place now?”
“I thought you worked in Salt Lick. Why are you in Midland on a weekday?”
Nick’s mind flew back to the supper at Hogg’s and how he had prompted her several times to place an order for food. “Ma’am, you’ve got
