“I just hope he doesn’t try to go with you when you leave,” she said with a laugh. Rifle had never shown much interest in another human. She’d always come first. But he seemed to be quite taken with Levi. Although she understood the attraction, Callie couldn’t avoid feeling a twinge of jealousy. Levi possessed some indefinable quality that made him even more appealing than his handsome face and well-toned body would warrant on their own.
Levi straightened. “Doubt he’d fit on the back of my bike.”
“It looks like he’d follow you anywhere.”
Rifle seemed able to tell that he was the subject of their conversation. The tags on his collar jingled as he trotted over to lick her hand. But then he returned to Levi’s side.
“Traitor,” she grumbled.
Levi didn’t comment further on the dog’s behavior. His mind was clearly on something else. “So...you’re okay?”
She’d tried to wait long enough that the evidence of her tears would be gone, and she’d thought she’d done that, so this surprised her. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“You left hours ago. I was beginning to worry.”
“That you might have to cook your own dinner?” she teased.
His hands rested on his hips, above the tool belt he’d put on. “That you might’ve run into trouble.”
“What kind of trouble?” She hoped he wasn’t going to mention her pale face or her noticeable fatigue. Now that she was home, she wanted to forget about her condition, at least for a few hours. Why ruin whatever time she had left by constantly fretting? Facing reality as she’d faced it this morning had been emotionally exhausting. She couldn’t continue to carry such a heavy load. She had to rely on hope, which was what she’d been doing so far. Surely her doctor would call with good news at some point—some point soon.
“Denny and Powell came by.”
She’d just turned to get the chambray shirt she’d purchased at the Western clothing store in town. She was eager to show it to him. But at this, she froze. “They spoke to you?”
“Briefly. I think they were startled to find me here. It was obvious they expected me to be gone.”
A trickle of unease ran through her. “What’d they want?”
“They were looking for you, had something for you to sign.”
“Did they try to start anything?”
“No. They kept their distance.”
Apparently, they weren’t as dumb as they looked. But she feared they might be as mean. “What was it they had for me to sign?”
“I didn’t see it and I didn’t ask. I think it’s safe to assume it’s something that’ll save their dogs.”
“Why didn’t they have you sign it?”
“They probably knew better than to ask.”
“I can’t sign it, either.”
His biceps bulged as he folded his arms. “Maybe you should.”
Grabbing the sack she’d been reaching for earlier, she climbed out. “Why?”
“I don’t want them bothering you after I’m gone.”
“But those dogs are dangerous.” She pointed at his right arm, which had more stitches than his left. “I’m not likely to forget that, not after spending all night helping Godfrey stitch you up.”
“Maybe it was a freak incident. Maybe a noise or a smell evoked an old memory that set them off and it’ll never happen again. Dogs don’t usually attack like that unless they come from some irresponsible backyard breeder or they’ve got owners who train them to be vicious.”
“Both of those things are probably true in this case. And even if they’re not, it doesn’t change the fact that they did attack you. Did it happen on the street, without provocation, like you said?”
“Yes.”
She hugged her bags to her chest, dropping her keys in her purse as she did. “Then how can we take the risk?”
With a sigh, he squinted into the distance before returning his attention to her face. “I’m uncomfortable where Denny and Powell are concerned. They have no respect for women. They won’t let you be the only obstacle standing between them and what they want. They feel they should be able to overcome something as...inconsequential as a small-town girl who’s stuck her nose in their business.”
Outraged, she stared at him. “That’s what they said?”
“Basically they said that the night I hit Powell. If you don’t give them what they want, I’m afraid they might...retaliate. And if I’m not here to—”
She waved his words away before he could finish. “They wouldn’t be so stupid as to make a bad situation worse.”
“Prisons are full of people who are just that stupid,” he pointed out.
Her day had been bad enough. She didn’t want to think about this. “You’re worried for nothing. If they were that concerned about their dogs, they should’ve been more careful with them.”
“They don’t see that they have any responsibility in this.”
“Doesn’t change the fact that they do.” She jerked her head toward the house, indicating that he should follow her. “Come on in and get showered.”
“I can shower in the barn.”
“It’s okay. You can use my bathroom.” She smiled, somehow happy in spite of everything. “I bought you another shirt, by the way.”
“You...what?”
Because she’d expected this kind of reaction, she kept walking. “It was on sale. You won’t be able to wear it much until later in the year, since it has long sleeves, but it’s going to look great on you.”
“Callie, I’m not some stray animal you’ve found that you need to take care of....”
She raised a hand. “You’re reading too much into it. I had fun picking it out, that’s all.”
The shirt really didn’t hold any significance, she told herself. Buying it for him was a pleasant diversion, her way of helping him.
But what about the condoms?
* * *
Dinner wasn’t difficult to throw together. Callie already had her mother’s lasagna, which she couldn’t eat, so that meant there’d be plenty for Levi. She couldn’t have the garlic bread she served, either, but planned to fill up on the salad she’d made to go with everything else.
Levi, hair damp from his shower, appeared in the kitchen smelling like her beauty soap.