“Want me to snap a pic?” Denton said.

“Yes, please. I’d like to use the shape and colors to design a jewelry piece.” Already I envisioned a pendant wrapped in bronze wire or possibly silver. “My hobby.”

“I’d like to see them sometime.” He snapped it with his phone and handed me the device. He’d captured just the right amount of light.

“Beautiful,” I whispered and returned the phone. “Thanks.”

“Photography is one of my hobbies. Besides, you’re easy to please. Any other photos?”

“Count on it.” I laughed.

“Haven’t heard such a sweet sound in a long time. You should laugh more often.”

Was he intending to impress me? Why? I’d like to think he made the list of potential friends, but trust came at a high price.

Back at the cabin, a box sat on the front porch. Caution snaked through me.

“You have a delivery.” Denton moved toward the box. “From the size, it looks heavy. Want me to carry it inside?”

“Let me check the sender first.” I motioned for him to stay back and handed him Joy. UPS had delivered the box, and it came from Fire Mountain. Relief raced through me. “The box is from a jewelry supply company.”

Denton appeared at my side within seconds and handed me my cuddly puppy. He scooped up the box, and I unlocked the door. “Joy needs to grow fast. You were petrified at the sight of the box.”

“More paranoid than fearful.” I pointed to the kitchen counter.

He eased it down and turned to me. “I’m sure you want to check out the order, so I’m riding home. Thanks for the coffee, conversation, and walk.” He snapped his fingers. “Do you have AirDrop enabled on your phone?”

“What is that?”

He showed me the option and sent the wildflower photos he’d taken earlier. We looked at them together.

“They are incredible.” I walked him to the door.

“Hope to see you again, other than dropping by puppy food later. I won’t bother you. I had a good time this afternoon.”

I didn’t encourage him by asking to see his photography. “You promised to find out more about me.”

“I will.”

Spending too much time with a good-looking man who brought me a puppy and knew a dribble of my past might cause me to make a huge mistake. Time for me to google Denton McClure.

13

DENTON

To say I was confused after spending two hours with Shelby didn’t put a dent in my puzzled and frustrated findings. I’d enjoyed my time with her. Too much. And I despised the reluctance in my spirit to condemn her. For years, I’d thought of little else but finding the evidence to prove her guilt in an open case. I liked her, and the thought of being wrong about her rehabilitation or participation in the money theft made me furious. At myself. Tangled emotions weren’t my specialty, especially for a woman who’d wrecked my life plans.

I gave Big Red full rein on the winding path to my cabin. Had I betrayed myself? Shelby’s smile lingered in my mind, the way her lips curved upward and her soft laughter. Those blue-gray eyes haunted me, drawing me into her world. She admitted her parole status, which caught me off guard, and the crime, giving me an opportunity to back off from friendship. If prison and her statement of faith were legitimate, the penal system had done its job.