Heart leaping into his throat, James jumped off the porch to go break up what could so easily turn dangerous for a dog trained to catch and hold a suspect. But before he covered more than six feet he again heard her laughter. It came in gurgles and spurts as she covered her face to keep her companion from licking every inch of it.
James paused to watch them with more than a little surprise. Never in a million years would Jaylynn have gotten down and dirty in the grass with a dog, especially not one who had a mouth full of teeth that could tear flesh. Or one that drooled in her hair as he playfully tugged Shay’s ponytail. It struck him that this was not something spontaneous between the two but a game they must have played often during the time they’d been together.
An alien feeling not unlike jealousy whipped through him.
At that moment Shay looked back at the cabin and noticed him watching her. She sat up, her smiles dissolving into a mask of dislike as she wrapped her arms protectively about Bogart’s neck.
Annoyed, James turned away. He didn’t like the feelings she’d stirred up in him. Even less did he like the fact he had noticed how her breasts jiggled beneath her hoodie, reminding him how he knew that she wasn’t wearing a bra.
How long since I’ve gotten laid?
James rubbed a hand down his face. He was exhausted. Not thinking right. Whatever was running through his mind and body was nothing more than the result of fatigue and casual lust. He needed lots of hot coffee. His stomach growled, reminding him that some eggs and pancakes and maybe a thick slice of ham wouldn’t be unwelcome, either.
Surprisingly, Shay came in right behind him with Bogart at her side, ears alert with interest and his tongue lolling from his mouth in satisfied fatigue. He came up to James and bumped his leg with his big head, which James immediately patted.
A little winded and even more disheveled than before, Shay ignored James as she walked over to the deputy who had just finished his radio conversation. “So what happens now?”
The deputy’s gaze shifted between the parties before him. “I suppose you can produce some paperwork with proof of ownership, Officer Cannon?”
James nodded. “I have it in my truck. It’s parked at a gas station about two miles from here. I can bring it by your office.”
Shay swung around on him. “He wasn’t chipped. We checked at the shelter. If this is your dog, and a service animal, why isn’t he chipped?”
Rather than answer directly, James made a gesture with his hand. Instantly Bogart went prone and then rolled over.
James knelt and reached for one of Bogart’s hind legs and pulled it wide as his fingers delved into the fine fringe of golden pelt at the base of his partner’s belly. There, just inside the hairline, were a series of tattooed numbers.
Shay glanced away. She knew about the tattoo but—dammit!
James looked up at the lawman bending over his shoulder. “Bogart was chipped in Germany. U.S. scanners can’t read them. That’s why I had my driver’s license number tattooed backward here. You can compare them if you want.”
The deputy straightened up. “I’m satisfied, Mr. Cannon. But there are formalities. So let’s go get your paperwork.”
“Wait just a minute.” Shay stepped forward. “I don’t care what kind of proof he has. He can’t just come in here and take my dog.”
The deputy sighed like a man who was accustomed to dealing with the public at its most illogical. “Now, Shay, you understand what happened and know what’s right. He’s got proof of ownership.”
“But Prince was abandoned!” Shay heard the rising anxiety in her voice but she couldn’t stop it. She turned to James. “I own him by right of—of salvage.”
James looked up at her. Doesn’t she know when a fight is over?
Forcing himself to remain detached, he rose to his feet. Yet he couldn’t block the effect her golden gaze had on him. Though he doubted he’d ever see her again, he knew he’d be a long time forgetting the righteous fury in her oh-so-expressive gaze.
“You’re right, Ms. Appleton. I owe you my thanks. You saved Bogart’s life.”
“You’re damn right I did.” Shay blinked back the very idea of tears, horrified that he might notice the telltale gleam. “And his name is Prince.”
Deputy Ward laid a hand on her shoulder. “The fact is, this man can prove the dog’s his. I’m sorry but that’s the way it is.”
James watched Shay chew the inside of her lip. He knew she was trying hard not to defend her position again. Despite the fact that he was sympathetic to her point of view, it wouldn’t alter the outcome. Bogart was his partner. They belonged together.
Still, that chewing got to him, on several levels, not the least of which was the feeling stirring in his pants. Standing there with her skewed ponytail and tousled bangs, she looked like an abandoned creature herself.