Keeping Kayla: a Cowboy Fairytales spin-off (Triple H Brides Book 4) by Lacy Williams

Author:Lacy Williams [Williams, Lacy]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Publisher: Lacy Williams Books LLC
Published: 2017-02-17T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 5

Kayla was still trying to figure out a solution as they drove home.

They were on the freeway, only a mile from the Taylor Hills exit, when Miles spoke for the first time in a half hour.

"What's that?" he asked, pointing to something off the road.

Nate slowed the truck before she'd even spotted the splotch of red on the pavement off the shoulder of the road. Just beyond it lay a small golden dog lying in a pool of blood.

Nate said, "It's probably—"

"It's moving!" Miles exclaimed.

Her insides tightened into a ball of anxiety, hurt, and fear. She and Nate exchanged a quick glance as he slowed the truck and came to a stop well past the animal.

"If it was hit on the highway, there's a good chance the dog is so badly injured it won't make it," she said quietly. She knew it, but knowing the reality didn't soothe the ache that came from seeing the injured animal. Had the car that hit it even slowed or just kept going?

Miles's expression tightened, shadows chasing behind his eyes. "Can we check on it? Please?"

The plea was the most open piece of communication he'd offered since his arrival.

Nate recognized it, too, because he rested a big, gentle hand on the boy's shoulder. "It can be dangerous pulling off to the side of the road," he said. "Will you promise to stay in the truck and let me and Kayla check it out?"

Miles nodded gravely.

Kayla shoved open her door and climbed out as Nate shut off the truck and pocketed the keys on his way out the driver's side.

They hustled toward the injured dog.

"Injured animals are sensitive," she said. "It might be inclined to bite, and it's probably scared."

They drew near, and she could see one of its back legs was completely useless as it dragged itself along the ground. Blood was visible at the corners of its mouth.

She knelt just out of reach of bite, just in case. "Hey, there, baby."

She couldn't help that her eyes welled up with tears as the animal whined in pain. It panted heavily, in obvious distress.

"It's probably got internal bleeding," Nate said, concern in his voice. "Even if we can get it to the vet, it's not going to make it."

"You can't think like that." She swiped of fingers beneath her eyes. "Maybe it's not that bad."

"Honey, he can't move that leg."

She blinked hard again. "Can we get him in the truck?"

"I've got an old blanket in the cab."

He rushed away as she edged closer to the dog. He returned a moment later.

They wrapped it and put it in the truck bed, and all the while, the animal yelped and whined.

The sounds hit her right in the heart, and she had to wipe her face again as she stepped back from the vehicle. She pretended Nate couldn't see and thankfully, he did, too.

"We can't just leave it to slide around," she said, the thought just now occurring to her. There wasn't really room in the single cab for it to ride up front.

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