* * *

The outdoor dinner went well. Kennedy changed into dry clothes, and even though his shirt wasn’t pressed, he thought he looked okay. Tex only cussed once, when he came upon a bowl of gnocchi and asked, “What the fuck’s this?” Vickie and Slade had dressed up. Well, they were dressed up for ranchers, anyway, wearing clean Wrangler jeans, their newer riding boots, and pressed Western shirts. Erin arrived in a white blouse, a denim skirt, and the black commando boots she worked in. Wyatt fed horses at the last minute and showed up in a partially wet shirt, because he’d washed at the bunkhouse before coming over to eat. He looked nice, though, and he’d even brushed the hay out of his hair.

Mr. and Mrs. Johnson seemed to have a lot of fun, and Mrs. Johnson helped with cleanup after the meal was over, while her husband walked around the ranch common with Slade. Jen seemed sad about leaving, and Kennedy wished she didn’t have to go. But, as his mom said, all good things had to end.

Kennedy felt kind of blue as he settled in on his bunk that night to read while his coworkers watched television and Wyatt practiced his speech on the computer he’d set up in the laundry room. It wasn’t often that Kennedy got a chance to read for pleasure, and he didn’t appreciate the interruption when his cell phone rang. He got over his aggravation when he saw it was Jen calling.

“You’ll never guess what!” she said with a chortle. “I called my old boss at the bear shelter, and I found a girlfriend for Four Toes!”

Kennedy sat straight up. “For real? Are you sure?”

“They’re overloaded with bears right now and are kind of desperate to place them. This little girl is about a year old, but my boss says that’s good, because she should bond with Four Toes as if he’s her daddy or something. Then when she gets older . . .” Her voice trailed away. “Well, you know. They’ll be best friends. Her name is Ginger. I haven’t seen her yet, but I bet she’s cute.”

“How will that work? Four Toes and Ginger and the best friend part. What if they make babies?”

“Well, babies will happen,” Jen said. “The cubs should probably go to a wildlife rehabilitation center. Trained veterinarians and technicians will prepare them to be released into the wild.”

“Does that work?”

“Sure, if it’s done correctly.”

“Maybe Slade should just get Four Toes altered.”

Jen cracked up laughing, and Kennedy was glad. She’d laughed a lot that day, and she hadn’t done much of that since the attack. It meant she was feeling more positive. And he was delighted by the news about Ginger. Four Toes wouldn’t be lonesome for someone of his own kind anymore. He’d have his very own girlfriend. Maybe he’d even stop eating so much and trim down a little.

Chapter Nineteen

On Monday morning, Julie woke up and admired the sunshine coming through all the windows of her house as she walked to the kitchen. Her first order of business each day was always a cup of coffee. Thinking of Blackie, who had spent most nights at her place over the last three weeks and loved his coffee when he hit the floor, she smiled as she took the first sip.