A Cowboy Under the Mistletoe by Jessica Clare

Author:Jessica Clare
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2019-10-14T16:00:00+00:00

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Eli and Dustin were out on two of the horses, running down one of the cattle that had gone missing. That meant Jason was—as usual—waiting at the barn and cleaning up after the sick cows that had been pulled from the herd temporarily. He gave them fresh water and added straw to their stalls, and made notes on the wellness chart for each animal to see if symptoms were better or worse. If they were better, and the animal responded to antibiotics, it could rejoin the herd soon. If not, they’d probably have to call the vet. So he judged the amount of snot running from cow noses and made notes and tried not to look at the dog at his side. It was a calm dog, at least. Other than the tail that wagged a mile a minute, he was quiet. He didn’t bark, didn’t chase the horses or the sick cattle. He just stayed at Jason’s side as if he was happiest right there.

In a way, it reminded him of Truck’s constant presence and made his heart ache. He finished mucking one stall, washed his hands, and then sat down on a bale of hay to try and compose his thoughts.

Achilles immediately put his head on Jason’s knee and gazed up at him with sad eyes.

“Stop it,” he told the dog. “We’re not going to be friends, you and me. This is just temporary.”

The tail wagged harder, but his chin didn’t move from Jason’s knee. He looked as if he was dying for a head scratch, and with a sigh, Jason complied. He scratched behind the ears and along the muzzle, and Achilles closed his eyes and groaned as if in pleasure. “Don’t get too comfortable,” he muttered.

He smiled when he lifted his hand and the dog immediately put a paw on Jason’s arm, demanding more pets. With one hand rubbing the dog’s thick fur, he scratched at his new “friend” and texted Sage with his other hand.

JASON: Guess what?

SAGE: You changed your mind about us?

JASON: God no. Don’t even think that.

SAGE: Then what?

JASON: I got stuck with a dog.

SAGE: You what?

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