“Daken will follow us.”
Ally loved it. “That I’ve got to see.”
Five minutes later Vic had saddled Jeremy’s pony. The other two Rangers joined them and they all went for a ride,
with Daken trailing. While they rode, Jeremy related to Ally his harrowing experience of being kidnapped from school. The story tugged on her emotions. Jeremy had no idea she’d met Luckey because he was trying to solve a horrendous kidnapping case that had ended in murder.
“Thank goodness you were found in time,” she said.
“Dad charged into the room where I was tied up and took me home with him.”
Ally’s eyes smarted. “Aren’t dads the greatest?”
“Yeah.”
“Ally’s dad is famous, Jeremy,” Luckey said.
The boy looked up at him. “He is?”
“That’s right. Years ago the president of the United States chose him to be our country’s ambassador to China. Ally lived there with her family for fifteen years.”
His eyes lit up. “Did you see panda bears?”
“Absolutely. My family used to go to Chengdu every fall with my friend’s family. They have a panda breeding and research center there where you can see newborn panda cubs. They’re so cute, just like your Daken.”
“Did you have one for a pet?”
“No. I begged my father for one, but pandas are wild and owned by the People’s Republic of China. It’s against the law to keep one. Even if you could, you’d need to own a bamboo forest, because that’s what they eat all the time.”
“Daken loves grass.”
“He makes a great lawnmower,” Vic piped up. Everyone chuckled before he said, “I think we’d better get back, son. It’s growing darker and your mom has a fun game set up for all of us out in back before we eat.”
“What kind of game?”
“It’s a surprise.”
“Okay, let’s go!”
Ally smiled at Luckey before the six of them headed back toward the ranch house. In her wildest dreams as a child, she’d never imagined riding horses with four handsome Texas Rangers.
To her delight she saw that three plastic barrels in red, white and blue had been set up in a triangle like a barrel racing event, with chairs placed around for an audience. Behind the chairs was the fire pit.
“Kellie lent Claire her practice barrels,” Luckey explained.
“What a fun idea. I’d love to see her perform again.”
“One day maybe.”
“It’s about time!” Claire called out with a smile. “We’re going to have a timed contest to see who can go around the barrels the fastest. I’ve got a stopwatch. Come over to the table and pick out your starting number from the cowboy hat. Jeremy? Bring Daken so he’ll stay by me.”
“Yay!” Jeremy dismounted and hurried over to pick out a number. Daken followed and she tied the small animal to her chair.
“Hey. I’m number three!” the boy announced excitedly.
One by one the partygoers drew their numbers. “I got five,” Ally told Jeremy.
“Who’s first?” Claire asked.