Colton's Secret Bodyguard

Nearby, there was a stable block, paddock and a number of outbuildings. Rylan halted the car and turned to face her. “Home.”

“It’s...” There didn’t seem to be a suitable word. “Incredible.”

She sensed him relax slightly at her reaction. “I think so.”

As they exited the car, there was a flurry of noise. It was a scrabbling of claws with an accompaniment of yelping, barking and whining. There was also another noise that she couldn’t quite place. “I should have warned you—”

They were the only words Rylan managed to get out before an assorted pack of dogs came hurtling into view. Bree counted to six before they were too close, and she became confused. Big, small, hairy, smooth...and woolly. They threw themselves on Rylan as if they were being pursued by demons and he was their only hope of salvation.

“Get down, you lunatics.” Laughing, he managed to restore something close to sanity. “We have company.”

It was a mistake. Sensing fresh blood, the dogs hurled themselves on Bree and attempted to kiss her into submission. Staying upright with difficulty, she tried to fend them off with pats.

“Sorry.” Rylan came to her rescue. With a dog under each arm, he pushed some of the others out of the way. “You may not believe this now, but they will calm down once they get used to you. And some of this is because they haven’t seen me for a few days.”

A deep bark drew their attention to the car. Papadum clawed at the window, demanding his freedom. Once he was released, the focus of the dogs’ energy changed. The pack became a whirling mass of tails and limbs as they greeted their friend. After a few seconds, the whole group darted off across the grass.

Bree watched them as they disappeared out of sight. “I know you said you have a unique collection, but one of those dogs is not a dog.”

“That’s Merry. We do have other sheep here, but for some reason, she prefers to hang out with the dogs. She even eats dog biscuits and sleeps in the kennels.” Rylan opened the trunk and lifted out her bags. “Did I mention that I rescue animals?”

“No, but I figured from some of the things you said that you had an unusual setup here.”

He grinned. “Let me show you the house, then I’ll introduce you to some of the other residents.”

* * *

The interior of the house was as natural and beautiful as the outside. Light wood, neutral walls and local stone complemented the warm hues of the furnishings. Bree’s artistic eye approved of the open fireplace, the scrubbed kitchen table, the patchwork throws and the windows with their sweeping views. If the pristine walls might benefit from one or two carefully placed landscape paintings... Well, she could always make that suggestion in a day or two.

“This is wonderful, Rylan.”

He seemed relieved by her approval. “Let me show you the bedrooms.”

“I really don’t mind which room you give me,” Bree said. “Although that view over the creek is stunning.”

“That means you need this room.” Rylan carried her bags along the hall and pushed open a door with his knee. Their entrance into the room was greeted with an outraged wail.

“Oh, goodness.” Bree took a step back. “I didn’t mean to disturb anyone.”

“It’s Cindy from Finance.”

Confused, Bree peeped around the broad expanse of his shoulders, only to discover there was just one occupant of the room. A black-and-white feline, who was curled up on a large floor cushion giving her a measured stare.

She turned to face Rylan. “You have a cat called Cindy from Finance?”

“I was at the veterinarian’s office one day and a woman brought her in. She said someone she worked with had suffered a stroke. The cat was in a bad way. Malnourished and frightened. She’d brought it in to be euthanized because the owner couldn’t look after it anymore. Cindy from Finance...that was the name of the cat’s owner,” Rylan said.

The only thing to do with this sort of conversation was go along with it. “Do you call her Cindy for short?”

His expression remained neutral, but laughter danced in his eyes. “No. I call her Nance.”