A Cowboy Under the Mistletoe Read Free Page A

into Hank, and screaming loudly enough to alert the entire county. An action that caused their unexpected intruder to lunge forward and frantically defend its temporary refuge.
    In the resulting cacophony, Hank half expected Ally to scream again. Instead, like a combat soldier in the midst of a panic attack, she went pale as a ghost. Pulse leaping in her throat, she seemed frozen in place, and so overcome with fear she was unable to breathe.
    Afraid she might faint on him—if she didn’t have a heart attack, that was—Hank gave up on trying to soothe the startled stray. He vaulted to his feet and grabbed hold of Ally. “It’s all right. I’ve got it under control.”
    Although she barely moved, her frantic expression indicated she disagreed.
    â€œJust stay here and don’t move,” he told her, as the frantic leaping, snarling and snapping continued.
    He started to move away, but Ally clutched his sleeve in her fist and gave him a beseeching look.
    Unfortunately, Hank knew what he had to do or the situation would only get worse.
    â€œStay here and don’t move,” he repeated, in the same commanding voice he had used on green recruits.
    He pried her fingers from his arm and stepped closer to the other hysterical female in the room. He approached confidently but cautiously, hand outstretched.
    â€œCome on, now. Let’s just simmer down.” He regarded the mud-soaked coat studded with thorns, looked into dark, liquid eyes. “I can see you tangled with a mesquite thicket and lost,” he remarked in a low, soothing voice.
    He stopped just short of the cornered animal and hunkered down so they were on an equal level.
    As he had hoped, the aggressive growling slowed and finally stopped.
    Another second passed and then his fat-bellied opponent collapsed in weary submission on the cold, hard cement.
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    A LLY WATCHED AS H ANK slowly stood and, talking gently all the while, closed the distance between himself and the intruder. Confidently, he knelt in front of the beast.
    The muddy animal lifted its big square head off the concrete and ever so gingerly leaned over to sniff Hank’s palm. While Ally stood frozen in place, still paralyzed with fear, Hank calmly murmured words of comfort to the wild animal.
    The beast answered his kind welcome with a thump of its straggly tail, then dropped its big nose and licked Hank’s palm. A broad smiled creased the cowboy’s handsome face. Chuckling, he lifted his other hand to the back of the filthy animal’s head and began to scratch it consolingly behindthe ears, his touch so obviously gentle and tender Ally wished she could experience it.
    Apparently their trespasser felt the same, because it thumped its tail even harder.
    Ally stared at the long creature with the drenched and filthy coat and unusually round middle. As she calmed down, she could see that the “savage beast” was actually a big, scraggly dog that had just been looking for shelter from the approaching winter storm. She knew she had just made a pretty big fool of herself in front of the ex-marine. Unfortunately, her fear, irrational as it might have been, was not entirely gone yet, despite the fact that their barn crasher was now putty in Hank’s large, capable hands.
    Telling herself she would not give Hank McCabe reason to think less of her than he probably already did, Ally willed herself to take several deep breaths. Suddenly he turned his head to look at her. Although he didn’t speak, he seemed to be wondering why she hadn’t budged from where he had left her.
    Good question.
    â€œHow did you know that dog wasn’t going to bite you?” she asked eventually, hoping to turn McCabe’s attention to something other than her embarrassing display of cowardice.
    â€œFirst, it was scared and upset, not rabid. Second, it’s a golden retriever.”
    Her heart still pounding erratically, Ally discreetly wiped her damp