And now for something completely different. Gone to the Dogs is a faith-based, small town sweet romance, serialized here in approximately 12 parts. I asked if you would like to read it, and the votes were unanimously in favor, so here it is. If you didn’t vote and you’re not interested, you can update your subscription settings here to keep it out of your inbox.
And if you’d rather read it in print or ebook form, you can get the book right here.
Coming in at the middle? Click here for a list of all the chapters.
Reagan Dunn’s life has gone to the dogs -- literally. Still recovering from a broken marriage that turned her life upside down, she searches for a new life on the road as a travelling pet sitter. When she takes a job in the little Oklahoma town of Redbud, the best she hopes for is a hot shower and a couple of nights sleeping in a real bed -- until she meets Josh, who is not only incredibly handsome, but also everything her ex-husband turned out not to be: kind, hard-working and loyal. Trouble is, he’s also taken.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Reagan!”
She moved so fast, she left Josh stunned, frozen in place. Spencer moved as if to go after her, but Josh found his bearings enough to grab his arm. “Leave her alone! You’ve hurt her enough.”
Spencer whirled around and took a swing at Josh, whose reflexes took over. He dodged the blow, barely, and reacted in kind, his fist swinging out and slamming into Spencer’s jaw. He wasn’t even fully aware of what he’d done until pain exploded across his knuckles, radiating through his fingers and up his wrist all the way to the elbow, momentarily disabling his right hand.
To make matters worse, while Spencer reeled from the blow and Josh shook out his hand, Zeke went into full-on protection mode. He lunged at Spencer, who screamed as the German shepherd latched onto his arm. “Get him off! Get him off!”
“Zeke! Down! Drop it! Let go!”
Insensate to the commands, Zeke kept shaking and pulling on Spencer’s arm while the guy kicked and punched him, to no effect. Josh got a hold of Zeke’s leash and pulled. “Zeke! Stop!”
Behind him, he heard footsteps pounding on the pavement. His brother Sam and his cousin Marcus appeared and helped him pull Zeke off Spencer. “Lie down!” he commanded, and this time, the dog obeyed. Josh secured his leash to the bridge railing and then turned toward Spencer, who cradled his arm. “Are you okay?”
“No, I’m not okay.”
Josh stepped toward him and reached for his arm. “Here, let me see.”
Spencer jumped back. “Don’t touch me!” He turned to Sam and Marcus. “I saw you two hanging out back there. You witnessed everything. He hit me.”
“I saw you swing at him first,” said Sam.
Josh grew impatient. He wanted to be done with this loser so he could find Reagan. But he had a feeling this guy was about to make things really difficult for him. “Look, let’s go get you some medical attention, and then we can sort this whole thing out.”
He assessed the damage as well as he could without Spencer allowing him close. He’d bruised his jaw, and Zeke had torn his sleeve. And Josh couldn’t help noticing the dark spot that had spread across the front of Spencer’s jeans when Zeke attacked him. Not that he could blame the guy. Otherwise, the damage appeared minimal. Zeke had drawn no blood that he could see, though he’d likely left some serious bruises.
But Spencer shook his head and backed away, a wickedly smug grin on his face. “You’re done, Baker. You and your dog.” With that, he headed back toward the carnival, and for all Josh knew, a phone to call a lawyer. Or worse, the sheriff. Who happened to be another cousin, but that only meant he’d go even harder on Josh to avoid accusations of favoritism. He might not have much time.
“Sorry, bro,” said Sam. “We saw that guy trailing you and Reagan, so we followed. We should have stepped in sooner, but it looked like you had things under control.”
“Right up until you didn’t,” added Marcus.
“Don’t worry about it. I’m just glad you guys were here to help.”
“Is there anything else we can do?” asked Sam.
“Yeah. Help me find Reagan.”
He untied Zeke and hurried off in the direction she had run. When he reached the parking lot, his heart sank to find her RV gone. Handing the leash to Sam, he took out his phone and called her number. It went to voice mail. Groaning in frustration, he waited for the beep. “Reagan, it’s me. Are you okay? Where are you? Please call me when you get this.”
“What now?” Sam asked when he hung up.
“I need a ride home. Maybe she went back to the house.” He glanced at Marcus. “Could you do me a favor and check the town, maybe canvas some roads leading out of town? You saw her RV when you were out last weekend, right?”
“Yeah.” Marcus gave him a pat on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, cuz. We’ll find her.”
But worrying was all he could do. The drive home seemed longer than usual, despite Sam defying the speed limit and rolling through stop signs. Reagan had been so upset. Surely she didn’t think Josh believed any of her ex-husband’s baloney. Sure, Reagan had displayed some anxiety since he’d known her, but that was understandable. Living with a guy like Spencer had probably given her post-traumatic stress disorder. And now the jerk had triggered it big time. Josh prayed she wasn’t in such an awful state that she might get into an accident.
The more he thought about how much Spencer had hurt her, the more he wished he’d done more than just punch him in self-defense. He’d never met a bigger slimeball.
Except maybe for the one you were going to marry. Anger threatened to burn a hole through him as he remembered Deirdre’s part in all of this. Would she feel bad at all if she knew how much hurt and confusion she’d caused by luring Spencer here? Josh doubted it. She’d probably pat herself on the back for a job well done. He almost hoped she and Spencer would somehow end up together, seeing as how they were both cut from the same cloth. They deserved one another.
Once again, and more than before, he felt disgusted with himself for being so blind to the person she was. But then, Reagan had been just as fooled by Spencer. Of course, Reagan had been young and naïve. What was his excuse? Too blinded by a pretty smile and a pretty voice to see the ugliness they concealed.
Fear clenched his heart. What if the one person who could understand how it felt to be so deceived lay bleeding in a ditch somewhere? Or what if she had taken off for good in her panic, thinking Spencer’s manipulating lies had worked on him?
Not knowing what else to do, he backed up his voice message with a text. “Are you okay? Please call me.”
He stared at the screen for a long moment, hoping for a reply. When none came, he leaned his head against the headrest and closed his eyes. Father God, he prayed silently, please be with her and watch over her. Keep her safe and comfort her with your love and your perfect peace. Remind her of your goodness and mercy. And please bring her back to me.
Sam’s car rocked as they turned off the main road on to their long driveway. Josh opened his eyes and leaned forward as though that might get him there faster. Part of him wanted to get out and run the rest of the way, but he couldn’t outpace Sam’s driving. In other circumstances, he’d admonish his little brother to slow down, but now he had to bite his tongue from telling him to go even faster.
The house came into view, and then the barn. His truck sat in the driveway. No sign of the Winnebago. The air he’d been holding in rushed out of him. He jumped out the moment the car stopped and paced in front it, raking a hand through his hair. Sam got out behind him, along with Zeke. “Where in the world would she go?” Josh asked nobody in particular. His biggest worry, besides her wrecking the RV, was that she had headed straight for the interstate and kept driving. That she would keep on driving until she reached Texas, leaving him and everything he’d imagined they were building together.
His phone still in hand, he dialed her number again. When it went to voice mail, he clicked it off and had to resist the urge to throw it in frustration.
A hand on his shoulder helped to calm him a little. “She’ll most likely come back here after she’s calmed down,” said Sam. “We should sit tight and wait. Let’s go inside and tell mom what happened, and then we can all pray together. I don’t know a better prayer warrior to have on your team than mom.”
Not knowing what else to do, Josh let Sam guide him toward the house. He spun around, his heart rising and pounding with hope at the sound of tires crunching on the gravel behind him.
All hope drained out of him at the sight of the big white sheriff’s SUV. The lights on top weren’t flashing, but that didn’t mean his cousin was there for a social call.
The SUV rolled up next to Sam’s car and stopped. Cole Baker climbed out, decked out in his uniform. At least he’d come himself instead of delegating this unpleasant task to a deputy. He tipped his hat and nodded. “Josh. Sam. I think you know why I’m here.”
Josh sighed and slid his phone back in his pocket. “Let me guess. Spencer Dunn is pressing charges.”
“You can’t just go around hitting people and siccing your dog on them.”
“That’s bull, Cole,” said Sam. “You know Josh isn’t like that. He hit that guy in self-defense, and Zeke was just protecting him. I saw the whole thing. So did Marcus.”
Cole nodded. “That’s good to hear. You can both tell that to the judge. But in the meantime, Josh, you’re going to have to come with me.” He nodded toward Zeke. “Him, too, I’m afraid.”
Josh squeezed his eyes shut. Could this night get any worse? “Come on, Cole. Zeke didn’t hurt that guy. He just put the fear of God in him.”
“Are you denying that your dog attacked him?”
Josh sighed. “No. But he was protecting me.”
“That may be, but the law’s the law. Tell you what. I’ll let him stay at the local shelter with your sister instead of taking him to the pound, at least until a judge decides what’s to be done with him. That’s the best I can do.”
The thought that Zeke had to suffer, that he could lose his freedom and potentially his life over Josh’s stupid scuffle with that hateful jerk, made Josh sick to his stomach. But he knew his cousin was being generous. Swallowing a hard lump in his throat, he nodded. “Thank you.”
He turned toward Zeke and squatted low. “Come here, boy.” Zeke came to him, and he took his face in both hands. “We’re going to have to go for another ride, and you’re going to have to spend the night in a strange place. But it’s going to be okay.” He ruffled the dog’s neck and kissed the top of his head. “I won’t let them do anything to you. Not if I can help it.”
Cole put a firm hand on his shoulder. “Let’s go.”
As Josh stood up, the front door of the house opened. His mother stormed out. “What are you boys all doing out here?” She met them and took in their troubled faces, and then looked the sheriff up and down, placing her hands on her hips. “Cole, what’s going on?”
“Aunt Ellie,” he said, removing his hat. “I—”
Josh didn’t give him a chance to finish. “Mom, I did something stupid. Cole’s just doing his job.”
She looked at him, her face the picture of long-practiced parental patience. “Where’s Reagan?”
“I wish I knew.” He nodded to his brother. “Sam can fill you in.” He gripped Zeke’s leash and gave it a tug. “Come on, boy.”
“Where are you taking him?” she asked Cole as they started toward his truck.
“He’s going to have to stay in town tonight.”
“But... is there something I can do? Should I get bail money together?”
The helpless frustration in her voice twisted Josh’s heart and made him feel ashamed for putting her through this. “I’m sorry, Mom.”
“He won’t go before a judge until morning. Then we’ll know if he needs bail.”
“It’s okay, Mom,” said Josh. “I’ll be fine.”
“What can I do?”
“Pray,” he said. “Pray for Reagan and pray that God will sort out this mess.”
“Because only you can, Lord,” he added under his breath as he and Zeke climbed into the back of the SUV.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Reagan felt a wet tongue painting her face and opened her eyes to a cloud of white. She reached out and buried her fingers in the mass of fluff. Pushing herself up to sitting, she gathered Bibi into her lap, grateful not to be waking up alone.
She felt terrible. Hung over and disoriented, with a dull ache at the base of her skull, and stiff from sleeping on the hard floor. She vaguely remembered pulling off the road, climbing out of the cab and sinking to the floor in a sobbing heap, where she must have cried herself to sleep. The pale light of early dawn filled the RV. She’d spent the entire night in that spot.
Her head full of fog, she felt gutted and wrung out. Shame and embarrassment tried to slither into her consciousness, but she pushed them aside. She wasn’t ready yet to deal with it.
Forcing herself to her feet, she could see where she’d parked for the night. She’d pulled the RV into a turnoff before a fenced and gated pasture, currently full of grazing cattle. She couldn’t linger there much longer. The last thing she wanted was to confront an angry rancher who needed her out of the way.
She trudged the few feet to her tiny kitchen, where her foot slipped in something cold and wet. She looked down at the puddle, and then at Bibi, who lay down and tucked her nose between her paws. Reagan sighed. “It’s okay. You couldn’t help it.” She tore some paper towels off the roll beside the sink and mopped up the mess before washing her hands and putting the kettle on for coffee.
As she scooped grounds into the French press, it occurred to her she had nothing to feed Bibi. Peering into her fridge, she found a few eggs. She scrambled them in the microwave and then set them aside to cool while she went to clean herself up.
The mirror revealed a hot mess. Red and puffy eyes, face streaked with tears and caked with snot, hair a tangled mass that looked like it was ready for a bird to come and lay some eggs.
Her outside perfectly matched her insides.
Slowly and methodically, she washed her face, brushed her teeth, and brushed out her hair. She felt slightly better as she began to look better.
At last, she changed into fresh clothes and pulled her hair into a low ponytail. By the time she poured water over her coffee, set the eggs down for Bibi, and sat down with a mug and the French press, she felt well enough to crack open the memory door to last night and peek inside.
Or at least, she thought she did. She quickly discovered that it hurt too much. She slammed the door shut and poured coffee into the mug, giving it time to do its magic before she tried again.
But the memories already had a foot in the door. They shoved it open and poured through, heedless of whether she was ready to face them. Her face grew hot with shame as she realized how she must have looked to Josh, freaking out and running away without a word, leaving him to deal with Spencer.
Anger burned hot at the thought of her ex. Not only at him but also at herself. Her fight-or-flight instinct had been so easily triggered, and like a coward, she’d chosen flight. Not that she’d really been capable of making a rational choice. Still, she was disappointed with herself. Even worse, her behavior had only reinforced Spencer’s insinuations about her mental state. If Josh didn’t have a reason to believe Spencer before, she’d certainly handed him one by taking off like she did.
She didn’t know how she could face Josh after that. The worst thing was, he’d been about to say that he loved her before Spencer cut in. She was certain of it. But what if his feelings had changed? She didn’t think she could take learning that they had. She’d never been this head-over-heels for a guy. Or his family, for that matter. If their feelings toward her had cooled... how could she face them?
Her breath hitched at the thought. A lump formed in her throat and her eyes burned with a need to shed tears, but none came. She’d already cried them all out.
She couldn’t face it. Not yet, anyway. She needed to get out of Redbud, put some distance between herself and the Bakers. Give her own feelings time to cool, so maybe their rejection wouldn’t hurt so much.
She didn’t have any appetite left for her coffee. The little she’d sipped left an acidic pool in her stomach that only made her feel worse. She got up and poured it all down the drain, then stowed the mug and French press in the sink. She just wanted to go, while she had her resolve, before she could second-guess herself.
Bibi followed her to the driver’s seat. She settled the dog in her lap and found her phone where she’d left it, lying on the dashboard. She picked it up, intending to use the GPS to find her way to the interstate.
The battery had died at some point. She had to plug it into the car charger and wait for it to boot up. Once it did, she discovered two voice messages waiting for her, along with unread texts. Spencer gloating, most likely. She went to delete the text messages unread, but paused when she saw Josh’s name.
She swallowed, afraid to open and read it, afraid of what he might say. That he might break her heart. But the reality couldn’t be worse than her imagination. She made herself open the message thread, and relief flooded through her as she read. He was looking for her. He was worried about her.
Relief quickly turned to guilt and shame for making him worry. And not just him. There were other texts, from Lydia and from Ellie. “Please come home,” the last one read. “We’re here praying for you.”
Apparently Reagan hadn’t spent all her tears after all. They streamed down her face and dripped off her chin, soaking into Bibi’s fur. They still cared about her. All of them. Not only that, they were still offering her a home.
What had she done? What was she doing? She grew angry with herself again as she realized she was still in fight-or-flight mode, and once again, she was choosing to flee. Except this time it was a conscious decision, not a reflexive response to past trauma.
The voicemails were from Josh. She listened to them with trepidation. He might still care—of course he did. He was a kind man, which was why she was so in love with him. But that didn’t mean he still wanted a relationship. Not the kind she wasn’t sure how she could go on living without.
The first message was brief, but she could hear the worry in his voice, and the frustration. She sniffed and wiped her nose, then played the second message, which was longer. His voice sounded weary this time, and sad.
“Hey,” he said, “it’s me. I don’t know how to tell you this, but... well, I kind of decked Spencer, and he’s pressing charges. So I’m gonna be held up from looking for you for a while. I just pray that you’re okay. When you get this, if you get this, Reagan, please go home. Everyone’s there, and they’re all praying for you. I’ll be praying for you, too. We all love you. I...” He blew out an audible sigh. “This would’ve been romantic if I’d gotten to say it earlier tonight like I’d planned. I’m sorry it’s happening like this. But I love you. I love you, Reagan Dunn. I need you to know that, and I hope you can love an idiot like me. Please come back.”
By the time the message ended, she was bent over from sobbing, her forehead resting against the steering wheel. A crazy mix of emotions poured out of her. Relief and happiness, love and gratitude, guilt and shame.
Josh had called himself an idiot. How could he think that? She was clearly the idiot, on the verge of running away like a scared rabbit from the people who genuinely loved her.
Josh loved her. Still.
Reagan made herself sit up. Looking out through the windshield and up at the sky, she could only breathe out, “Thank you.”
What made her feel even more foolish was that in all the craziness, the one thing she had forgotten to do was pray. Not that she’d really been capable of coherent prayer. But she knew God counted all her tears, collecting them in his bottle, and that every groaning, every sigh also called out to him. And she had people praying for her, a whole family standing in the gap and contending for her while she was too weak to pray herself.
“Thank you,” she said again, louder this time.
As if in answer, Bibi hopped up and put her paws on Reagan’s chest, licking her snotty, tear-streaked face. Reagan buried her fingers in the soft mass of fur and returned Bibi’s kisses. A thought went through her mind, and she wasn’t sure whether she’d heard it from Lydia or somewhere else. Dogs are like a hug from God. Despite everything, Reagan laughed. That was exactly what this felt like right now.
She had no trouble praying as she found her way back to the Baker farm. The entire way there, she talked to God about this whole mess, casting all her fear and shame on her Heavenly Father. By the time Big Winnie rolled down the driveway and pulled up to the house, she had her peace back, and she felt more loved and seen than ever before.
Ellie and Sam rushed out to meet her as she climbed out and set Bibi on the ground. She straightened up just in time to get pulled into Ellie’s embrace. “Thank God you’re okay.” The relief in Ellie’s voice couldn’t have sounded more heartfelt if it had come from Reagan’s own mother.
“I’m so sorry,” Reagan cried. “I didn’t mean to worry you.”
“Hush, now.” Ellie released her, but not completely. She held onto Reagan as she leaned back to look at her. “We’re just so glad you’re safe.”
Reagan battled against more tears. Wiping her nose, she turned to the most urgent matter at hand. “Josh left a message. He said he’d been arrested for hitting Spencer. What happened?”
Ellie released Reagan and threw her hands up in the air. She dropped them to her side with a shake of her head. Sam stepped in to supply the explanation. “Spencer took a swing at him, and Josh hit him in self-defense.”
“And they arrested him for that?” Reagan squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed the bridge of her nose. “Of course they did. Because Spencer’s biggest talent is causing trouble and then convincing people he’s the victim.”
“My cousin and I both saw the whole thing,” said Sam. “There’s no way they’ll make the charges stick.”
Ellie blew out a sigh. “Not if that’s all it was.”
Reagan blinked at her. “There’s something else?” She looked at Sam.
He grimaced back at her, like it pained him to tell her the rest. “Zeke jumped your ex. He didn’t hurt him too badly, but they took him into custody, too.”
Reagan’s hand flew to her mouth. “No!”
“He’s okay for now,” Ellie assured her. “They’re letting him stay at the rescue shelter with Lydia.”
Reagan shook her head. “This is all my fault.”
“How do you figure that?”
“If I hadn’t panicked and taken off—”
Ellie gently gripped her arm. “Honey, you listen to me. I’ve been in your shoes. I know how ex-husbands have a way of pushing all the wrong buttons and making you do and say crazy, stupid things that you end up regretting. Especially fools like Spencer, and like Josh’s father. Your emotions got the better of you for a little while, but that’s not something to beat yourself up about. You’re here now, thinking clearly and ready to take charge, and that’s what matters.” She released Reagan with a pat on the arm, then folded her arms and looked at her with a mix of motherly sternness and compassion. “So, what are you going to do?”
Reagan didn’t even have to think about it. She knew what she had to do. Pulling her phone from her back pocket, she turned and took a few steps away. She’d bought a new phone with a new number after leaving California, and never bothered adding Spencer as a contact. But she didn’t need to. Unless he’d changed his as well, she knew his number by heart.
He picked up on the second ring. “It’s me,” Reagan said, and then pressed on, not pausing long enough to let him speak. “You said you wanted to talk. Fine. Let’s talk. Meet me at the park by the picnic tables in one hour.” She hung up without waiting for an answer. She didn’t need to. He’d show up. He wouldn’t be able to resist an opportunity to twist the knife in deeper.
Blowing out a long breath, she turned back to Sam and Ellie. “I’ll talk to Spencer and see if I can get him to drop the charges.”
“Would you like me to come with you?” Ellie offered.
Reagan smiled, a little shakily. She wanted to say yes. That would be such a comfort, and such a source of strength. But she shook her head. “I have to show him I’m strong enough to face him on my own.”
Ellie nodded. “And by the grace of God, you will be. But you know he’ll try to use this against you. Don’t let him convince you this is your fault. And don’t agree to anything you don’t want to do.”
Reagan nodded. “I know. Believe me, I know.”
Ellie offered her a reassuring smile. “I know you do. You’ve got this. And we’ll be here praying for you the whole time.”
Reagan offered her another watery smile, batting away an errant tear. “Thank you.”
After another fierce, mama-bear hug to see Reagan on her way, she tracked down Bibi and got back in the RV. She got to the park with plenty of time to spare. She used it to clean herself up and make herself presentable and then had another go at some coffee along with a granola bar to settle her stomach and give her a little added fortification.
And to pray. She prayed for help to keep her peace, standing on Exodus 14:14 and asking God to fight this battle for her. She asked for big helpings of wisdom, courage and strength, and that the Lord would give her the right words to say in the moment.
Spencer arrived to find her seated at a picnic table with Bibi in her lap. He wore a cast on his right arm, which Reagan highly doubted was necessary and not just for show. He’d shaved off the close beard he normally wore, the better to see the dark purple spread across his jaw where Josh must have hit him.
“All ready for your court appearance, I see,” she said as he seated himself across from her.
“You picked a real winner,” he retorted. “After you took off, your boyfriend and his dog both attacked me.”
“That’s not what his brother said.”
He let out a derisive laugh. “Of course not. You know how these rednecks stick with their own kin.”
Redneck. As if their little hometown wasn’t way out in the sticks, just as tiny and rural as any small town in the South. Even more so than Redbud. Reagan couldn’t help an amused smile at his ironic and unfounded sense of superiority. She let it linger on her lips long enough for him to see, then sobered up and got down to business.
“What do you want, Spencer?”
“I already told you. I want you to come home.”
“I am home.” A sense of warmth and peace flooded through her, knowing it to be true. Regardless of whatever happened between her and Josh, she’d found a home in Redbud, and she had no intention of giving it up.
Spencer laughed. He leaned forward, placing his elbows on the picnic table, and leveled a look at her. “You don’t get it, Babe. I’ve got an excellent lawyer, and he’s coming here to plead my case before the judge. You won’t have much of a home here with your boyfriend in the county lockup, and his dog put down for good. So here’s what’s going to happen.” He reached across the table and jabbed a finger down in front of her. “You’re going to get in your RV and head west. I’m going to follow you in my truck, and we’re both going back to California. Once we cross the state line into New Mexico, I’ll call my attorney and tell him I want to drop all the charges.”
Reagan stared at Spencer in silence. Not because she was stunned. She’d expected nothing else. She prayed again, silently, for the right words and the courage to say them. Her fingers tangled nervously in Bibi’s hair. She was grateful for the dog’s presence, giving her something to do with her hands so she didn’t wring them anxiously, betraying her nerves.
Fueled by righteous anger and enabled by the Holy Spirit, Reagan leaned forward, matching his demeanor and looking him straight in the eye. “You know California’s a community property state, right?”
His smug smile faltered. “Yeah, so?”
“So, I didn’t contest the divorce, and other than my half of the proceeds for selling the house, I left everything with you. But I don’t have to. I’m glad to hear that you’ve got an excellent attorney. I hope he’s a good divorce lawyer. Because this is what’s actually going to happen, babe. You’re going to go to the sheriff’s station immediately and drop all charges, and then you’re going to get in your truck and leave Redbud and never contact me again. Because if you don’t? I’m going to sue you for every single penny that’s rightfully mine. Plus alimony. And I assure you I will have an excellent divorce attorney on my side.”
She took just a moment to relish the look of stunned horror on his face, probably one of the few uncalculated expressions she’d ever seen there. Not allowing him any time to formulate a response, she got to her feet, hoisting Bibi into her arms. “Come on, Beebs. Let’s go spring your best friend from the pokey.”
She headed into the park and up the walking path, leaving Spencer to stew behind her. She walked away with confidence. He could be unpredictable sometimes, but she knew him well enough to be certain he wanted to protect his bottom line more than he wanted her. Or to punish her, which she was sure was what all of this was really about. Either way, as she cut through the park and made her way toward main street, she had peace in her spirit and a sense of certainty that everything was going to work out.
The shelter wasn’t open yet, but Lydia stood behind the counter, going over paperwork. She looked up when Reagan tapped on the glass and then ran to open the door. “Oh, thank God,” she cried, pulling Reagan into a hug that was almost as fierce as Ellie’s. “We were so worried!”
Reagan returned her hug. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to scare everyone. My ex just made me so crazy.”
“I shouldn’t wonder.” Lydia let her go and stood back. “Not after everything Sam told us. Did you hear what happened to Josh?”
Reagan nodded. “That’s why I’m here. I came to get Zeke.” A rustle behind the counter had the distinct sound of a large dog getting to his feet at the sound of his name. He popped up from behind, placing his paws on the countertop and giving Reagan a hopeful look. Bibi let out an excited yip at the sight of him. Reagan set her down, and she ran behind the counter to greet her friend, who got down to meet her.
Lydia smiled as she watched them, but her smile turned to a look of anguish as she turned back to Reagan. “I’m sorry. He’s impounded. Your ex is claiming Zeke attacked him, and I can’t let anyone take him. Believe me, I hate this as much as you do.”
Reagan nodded. “It’s okay. Spencer’s dropping the charges.”
Lydia’s eyes widened. “Really?”
“He should be at the sheriff’s station right now, calling everything off.”
“How did you manage that?”
Reagan couldn’t help but smirk a little. “He knows how to push all my buttons. But I know how to push a few of his back.”
A grin spread across Lydia’s face, and she nodded in appreciation. “Nice work, sis.” She held up a hand, and Reagan happily gave her a high five. But then she sobered up. “Still, I can’t let you take Zeke until I get the go-ahead from the sheriff. Hang on while I call them.”
A few minutes later, Lydia hung up the phone and stared at Reagan in wonder. “You’re right. He dropped the charges. Zeke’s free to go. So is Josh. I’m sure he’ll come straight here to get Zeke. Do you want to wait for him?”
Reagan shook her head. “I’ll take the dogs to the park. Tell Josh I’ll be waiting to pick up where we left off, if that’s what he wants.”
“I guess he’ll know what that means.”
Reagan smiled, but not without trepidation. “I sure hope so.”
The foot bridge looked different in the morning light, but no less romantic. Reagan held the leashes loosely and let the dogs sniff around while she watched the water bounce and trickle over the rocks below. Her stomach mimicked the water’s movement. Josh had said he loved her, but that was before he’d spent all night in the town jail, with plenty of time to think. What if his feelings had cooled?
“Lord,” she murmured, “whatever happens here, give me the strength to face it.”
She heard footsteps on the sidewalk and turned just as Zeke darted away, yanking his leash out of her hand. “Hey, buddy!” Josh dropped to one knee just in time to get deluged with big, slobbery kisses. “I’m glad to see you, too.” His gaze found Regan, and he stood up. “But not as glad as I am to see you.”
All the nervous knots in Reagan’s stomach exploded into a thousand tiny butterflies, all taking flight at once and threatening to lift her right off the ground. Still, she stood rooted to her spot. “I’m sorry I ran.”
Shaking his head, Josh came to her and gathered her against him. “I’m just grateful you’re safe.”
She clung to him, pressing her face into his chest and breathing him in. He smelled amazing for a guy who’d spent the night in jail. “I’m grateful, too.” She twisted her neck to look up at him. “I can’t believe you hit Spencer.”
“I can’t believe I only hit him once. He seriously had it coming.” His brows drew together in a look of concern. “What did you have to agree to so he’d drop the charges?”
She quirked an eyebrow at him. “More like, what did I do to him?”
Josh tilted his head and looked at her sideways, clearly wanting to hear more. But she smiled and shrugged. “It’s true, you know. Sometimes, standing up to a bully really does make them back down.”
Josh matched her smile, his gaze going from curious to admiring. “I love you.”
Her heart danced at the sound of those words on his lips. “I love you, too.”
He kissed her then, and in some ways, it felt like their first kiss all over again. He did what the butterflies had failed to do, lifting her off the ground, her feet dangling until she lifted them behind her and crossed her ankles. She held on, returning kiss for kiss.
Beside them, the dogs barked happily. Josh set her back on the ground, but held onto her as they looked at their companions. “Looks like we’ve got our cheering section,” he said, making her laugh.
Turning serious, he placed a finger under her chin and tipped her face up toward his. “Look, I know that guy put you through a lot, and you’ve still got a lot of healing to do. We both do. It’ll be a long road, and it won’t always be smooth. But it’s a road I want to walk beside you, if you’ll let me.”
Reagan had really thought she was done crying. But more tears found their way from the outer corners of her eyes and into her hairline. She blinked away still more that tried to follow, and nodded. “There’s nobody else I’d rather have with me.”
Josh smiled, his eyes sparkling with their own unshed tears. “I’m happy to hear it.” He kissed her forehead, then pulled back and looked at her. “Know what I’d be even happier to hear?”
“What?”
“You saying those words again.”
Reagan’s smile grew so wide it almost hurt. “I love you.”
Josh grinned back at her. “Yeah, those are the ones.” He dipped his head and caught her lips with his own, and they stayed like that for a small, heavenly eternity while the dogs barked their approval.
Thank you for reading Gone to the Dogs! I know it’s not the usual sort of thing you find here at TAGD, but if you stuck with it to the end, I hope you enjoyed it. Stay tuned next week for a special surprise — Reagan and Josh’s story isn’t quite finished yet.
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