After a pit stop for a late-afternoon snack of fries and chocolate shakes, they made good time. Before Olivia knew it, they’d reached the service station where she’d towed her car.

Avoiding the lusty-eyed mechanic who had his head just as turned by Ava as it had been by her, Olivia paid for her car and was happy to find that it was driving smoothly.

Rather than drive around in a second car, she left it parked in a nearby commuter lot and would pick it up on the way home tonight.

It was just after six thirty when Ava pulled into the entrance of the feed store. Olivia’s pulse burst into a sprint. It made no sense to hope for sight of Gabe’s truck around the corner in front of the shed where the rescue efforts were taking place. Certainly, he was somewhere in St. Louis wrapping up a day of work. Even knowing this, her heart sank in disappointment at not spotting his truck. What would she give to see him here with Samson trotting along at his side? An awful lot, that was certain.

Being here, her lips tingled fresh from the memory of his mouth against hers. It seemed like only seconds rather than days since she’d experienced the striking and unexpected pleasure of his strong torso pressing against her. He was sexy, yes. It radiated from his persona and was so clearly visible in his heroics. But he was so damn sweet too.

Please, phone, be here.

After a quick scan of the area, she headed inside. She’d give the area a closer look once she checked in.

Rhonda was alone in the big shed, resting on a folding chair over at the side. “Boy, am I glad to see you two!” She stood up, pressing both hands into the small of her back. “A couple of the pups we’ve got in here are about as wound up as they can get, and that pointer of yours is one of them. He was a bit punky Sunday, but as of yesterday afternoon, he’s been acting more like a racehorse at the starting gate than an underweight dog.”

“Is he? That’s a good sign, right? I’ve been counting the minutes till he was cleared.” Olivia scanned the crates. “And you never heard anything from his owner?”

“Didn’t Karen tell you when you called?”

“Tell us what?” Olivia and Ava chimed in at once.

“You were right about them kids knowing more than they were letting on. They tagged us in a post that they’d taped of that rescue of your friend’s. Karen sent a friend request, and not ten minutes later the girl’s mom called. Turns out she was a cousin of the homeowner. Says she had next to no contact with him. No one in her family did. He passed away a little over three weeks ago.”