Cooper swallowed a laugh and tugged on Honey’s bridle. “I’ll keep that in mind.” When he got to the paddock, which was a slog because Main Street had turned into a mud pit, he was relieved to find Tyler leading another horse into the barn. The look of relief on the other man’s face was profound.
“You found her. I was so worried when she wasn’t with the others.”
“She showed up in the saloon,” Cooper replied, leading Honey into her stall. “Do you want me to dry her off?”
“Yes, but we need to collect the other animals first. That can wait.”
“Boone and Lindsey are wrangling goats on Main Street right now. I was about to go back and help them.”
“That’s good. There are two cows behind the storage building to the east. I’m grabbing them next. I’m not sure where the other two went. How many goats are on Main Street?”
“All of them as far as I can tell.”
“Maybe the cows went with them.”
“Maybe, although I wouldn’t count on it. They would be hard to miss.”
“Maybe Hannah has the cows.” Tyler’s comment was absent, but it set Cooper’s teeth on edge.
“Hannah is looking for Jinx.”
Tyler jerked up his head. “Jinx? What happened to Jinx?”
“That thunder was so loud he freaked out and ran out the door. It woke him out of a dead sleep. I think he was discombobulated when he ran.”
“And he didn’t come back when Hannah called him?”
Cooper shook his head. “She’s really upset, although she didn’t say as much. I can tell, though.”
“Of course she’s upset. That dog is like a child to her.”
Cooper hadn’t thought of it that way, but he knew the animal wrangler was right. “I’m going to help with the goats and then find her.”
“Don’t worry about the goats. I’ll help with the goats. Find Hannah. She shouldn’t be out in this.”
It was exactly what Cooper wanted to hear and yet he couldn’t abandon his friend. “I’ll help you and then you can help me look.”
“Or you can find Hannah, which is what you really want to do, and by the time you return all the animals will be safely back where they belong. I still don’t know which one of them managed to open the gate to let the others out.”
“That’s a mystery for another time.” Cooper started for the door, hesitant. “Are you really okay with me going after Hannah?”
“Absolutely. That’s the way it should be.”
Cooper didn’t need any more prodding. “I’ll call you if I have a signal ... so you don’t worry.”
Tyler grinned. “I appreciate it. Just find Hannah. I’ll handle everything here.”
And, because he knew it was true, Cooper took off in the rain. He had a blonde to find, and he wouldn’t stop until he had her and her pain-in-the-butt dog.
HANNAH HADN’T CAUGHT AS MUCH AS a glimpse of Jinx since fleeing from the saloon. The dog had taken off, destination unknown. Where he’d gone was anybody’s guess, and since he wasn’t barking, she had to go with her gut.
Jinx’s favorite place in Casper Creek was the creek, a place where he could cut loose and splash around, so that’s where she headed. It might make sense for him to hide in the shelter of the town, but she’d seen the look of terror on his face and knew that he wasn’t thinking when he took off. He was running on instinct, which meant he was likely long gone from Casper Creek.
Away from the buildings, which served as shelter, the rain smacked her in the face so hard it stung. It reminded her of cold fall days in Michigan when rain gave way to sleet and the roads turned terrible. The precipitation here wasn’t as cold, but it was definitely as hard.
Hannah kept her head down so she could monitor the path in front of her. The trail was normally clear, but the rain had turned the hard-packed earth to mud so quickly that what was once firm was now treacherous.
Every thirty seconds, Hannah would bellow out Jinx’s name. All she wanted, more than anything really, was to hear a responding bark. If she could just get some tangible proof that she was on the right path some of the fear that was threatening to take her over would dissipate. For all she knew, Jinx was already back in the saloon. Knowing Boone, he’d likely given the dog Hannah’s dinner — which she had no appetite for — and they were all wondering what happened to her.
She couldn’t think about that, though. Her instincts told her Jinx was still out here and needed his mother. She wouldn’t leave him. She wouldn’t stop. The search would continue until she found him.
She crested the hill that led to the magical wall and slowed her pace to give it a once-over. Despite the storm, it remained as it had been. There was a low hum of energy stemming from whatever magic had erected the barrier, but nothing happened when she popped to the other side. Her first thought was to call to Abigail — if anyone could find Jinx it would be her — but the thought died before coming to fruition when a dark figure standing on the downward slope, looking up, came into view.
Her heart skipped a beat. Somebody was here. Somebody had come for her. Almost as fast as the original thought had come, Hannah discarded it. It was a ridiculous assumption to jump to. It was far more likely somebody had been out hiking and simply got caught in the storm. Perhaps he or she needed help.
Hannah wiped at the rain dripping from her brow and narrowed her eyes in an attempt to make out the interloper’s features. The weather made it difficult, though, and the fact that the figure hadn’t yet moved caused nervous energy to flutter in the pit of her stomach.
“Hello?” She was thankful to find her voice was solid as she called out to the individual. “Are you lost?
