“I can do that. It’s not your responsibility.”
“He and I haven’t had any bonding time this week. I think he misses spending time with me.”
One look at Jinx, who rested in his bed in the corner of the room, told Hannah otherwise. The dog had started showing signs of being jealous regarding her relationship with Cooper. It was nothing overt, but he was often petulant when Cooper ordered him to do something.
“Well, knock yourself out.” She offered up a bright smile. “If you want to bond with him, I’m never going to complain.”
“If you play your cards right, I’ll bond with you in the shower, too.”
“Oh, really?”
He nodded. “You’re going to have to be quick, though.”
“Somehow I think I can manage that.”
BOONE BROUGHT COMFORT FOOD. The box he was unpacking in the saloon as Hannah made her way downstairs included hash browns, toast, sausage, bacon, pancakes, omelets, and biscuits and gravy.
“You went all out I see.” Hannah flashed a smile that he didn’t return. “I’m so sorry about this.”
Boone kept his eyes on the food. “You’re not to blame.”
The fact that he couldn’t meet her gaze said otherwise and the anxiety Hannah had been feeling the previous evening returned with a vengeance. “I suggested the girls spend the day out here. Angel would’ve been safe at your house if I hadn’t. This is on me.”
“No, it’s not.” He shook his head and forced himself to look at her. She reminded him of Lindsey. She was older, more worldly ... and there was that whole witch thing. She tugged on every paternal instinct he had, though. He couldn’t stop himself from wanting to make her feel better.
“We don’t know that whoever took Angel wouldn’t have come to my house to get her,” Boone pointed out, using his most rational tone. “What would’ve happened under those circumstances? Would Lindsey have been expendable? She’s safe right now because of you.”
“Because of Cooper,” Hannah corrected. “He took her in the saloon with him.”
“Only because the storm came out of nowhere. You guys didn’t have a chance to shelter together. If Lindsey had been closer to you and Tyler, she would’ve been with you.”
“I guess.” Hannah recognized he was trying to let her off the hook, but that’s not what she wanted. “Speaking of Lindsey, how is she doing?”
Boone let his eyes drift to the swinging doors as Jinx came bounding in, his tongue hanging out of his mouth. He looked positively thrilled with life, which had Boone letting loose a legitimate smile. “Who’s a good boy?”
Jinx rubbed himself over Boone’s legs, his butt twitching wildly.
“He wants you to scratch his butt,” Hannah volunteered, her eyes drifting to the door as Cooper appeared. He didn’t look nearly as thrilled with life as Jinx. “How did the bonding go?”
His frown was pronounced as he slid through the doors, and it was only then that Hannah realized he wasn’t wearing shoes.
“Um ....” She wrinkled her nose, confused. “Did you get mugged on Main Street?”
“Mugged? No. I did get doggie bombed on Main Street, though.”
“I don’t understand.”
“He crapped on my boots.”
“Who? Jinx?” Hannah wanted to feign shock but she couldn’t. The dog had made his disdain of Cooper known over recent weeks and this was simply the newest instance of defiance.
“Oh, don’t be cute.” Cooper made a face as he crossed behind the table, his glare landing on Jinx as the dog happily allowed Boone to scratch his butt. “You know darned well that dog hates me.”
“Oh, Jinx wouldn’t do that,” Boone complained, his eyes lit with mirth. “He’s a good boy.”
As if to prove it, Jinx shot Boone an adoring look.
“You’re not fooling anybody, buddy,” Cooper shot back. “I know exactly what you’re doing. You’re trying to make me look like a crazy person. I’m not going to fall for it, though.”
Jinx rubbed his head against Boone’s knee, as if to say “can you believe this guy?”
“Just ignore him, Jinx,” Boone said. “He’s jealous because he’s not a good boy.”
“Ha, ha.”
“I guess it’s good for you that I like bad boys, huh?” Hannah teased her boyfriend, although she remained leery. “I’m just going to ....” She drifted toward the doors and looked out, frowning when she caught sight of the boots. There was indeed a noticeable stain on one of them. “Did you just stand there while he crapped on you or something?”
Cooper’s eyes flashed with annoyance. “He did it all stealthy-like. I thought he wanted to be petted. It wasn’t until I smelled it that I realized what he was really doing.”
“Jinx!” Hannah was horrified as she looked toward the dog, who was suddenly the picture of innocence. “I can’t believe you did that.”
The dog’s brown eyes were clear, as if to say “I love you, Momma. How can you possibly be suspicious of me?”
“Such a good boy,” Boone intoned, fondling Jinx’s silky ears. “I can’t believe anybody would think you would purposely do something so horrible.”
Hannah had no doubt it had been on purpose but there was no sense debating it. Cooper wouldn’t cool down until they changed the subject. “So, you were about to tell me how Lindsey is handling things,” Hannah prodded.
“I was?” Boone looked baffled. “I don’t remember that.”
“It was right before you got distracted by Jinx.”
“Oh, right.” Boone nodded even though he didn’t necessarily agree. “Um, as for Lindsey, she’s really down. She blames herself for getting separated from Angel — which is ridiculous — but she thinks this wouldn’t have happened if she’d stayed with her.”
Since Hannah thought the same thing, she opted not to comment. Instead she slid into her seat at the table. “Is she home alone today?”
“No. She’s volunteering at the library. I wanted her someplace public.”
“That’s probably smart.”
“I don’t know about it being smart,” he countered. “I was afraid she would crawl into her head and get lost if I left her to her own devices, though. She tends to be theatrical, in case you haven’t noticed.”
Hannah’s
