It was a whisper but not the quietest, and Olivia hoped it didn’t travel far. Head angled away from Gabe, she gave her sister her most ferocious glare, which only produced the slightest of eye rolls. “He didn’t hear,” she added an octave lower.

Gabe headed over, stretching out his hand in Ava’s direction. “Gabe Wentworth. Nice to meet you.”

“Pleasure’s all mine.” Olivia couldn’t remember ever shaking her sister’s hand, but she was willing to bet Ava’s handshake was a confident one. “Ava Graham.”

It was Olivia’s turn to roll her eyes. Pleasure’s all mine. Did anyone honestly say that anymore? At least one person did, it seemed. Thankfully small talk was kept short since there was a dog needing their attention.

Olivia helped Gabe haul the bulky crate inside, and Ava trailed along after them. “Oh, he’s a pointer, isn’t he?” As much as her sister worked hard not to acknowledge her rural upbringing, Ava still knew a thing or two about hunting dogs.

They headed through the open sliding doors of the big shed, and Olivia spotted Rhonda and Karen in back feeding the crated dogs.

“Well, I’ll be… You two did it!” Rhonda dropped the scoop back into a giant bag of off-brand kibble, and they walked over together for a look inside the crate. “When you didn’t come back right away, I wasn’t sure what to think.”

“You wouldn’t believe what a close call it was,” Olivia said, giving them a shortened version of Gabe’s heroics and sharing how the dog had run off after making it out of the water. “There were two kids with us, watching as well,” she added. “The ones who reported it. I’m hoping they resurface because the guy was filming the rescue, and Gabe and I both kind of feel like they may have more information on the dog than they shared.”

Rhonda looked at Gabe appreciatively. “I’d never recommend anyone walk into a flood, but it sounds like you saved a life, for sure.”

“He absolutely did.” A new rush of admiration swept over Olivia as she made eye contact with Gabe. He was confident, heart-stoppingly cute, and kind. How crazy was it that she’d kissed him with no reservation like that?

With a blush heating her cheeks, she found it safer to focus on the dog who was standing with his back pressed against the top of the crate, balancing on all four legs as if he were on a ship sailing through stormy seas. His head hung low, and he looked from her to Gabe with warm-brown eyes that seemed both cautious and gentle. “I’m pretty sure this poor guy’s strength was closer to giving out than I care to think about.”