of the horses or getting bridles from the tack room, but the kid steadfastly refused to be interested in anything. She’d gotten only grunts and one-word answers.
Looking around the ring, Beth tried to spot Riley, thinking he might have broken down and gotten interested in something. He’d been a fixture on the bend for the past three hours, glaring at all the people who came close to him. She fought down the panic and rushed down the breezeway on the far side of the office that led to the parking lot. Scanning the cars, she saw no sign of the boy. Turning back to the yard, she realized she didn’t see Dogger, either.
Running back to the office, she opened the door. “Sophie, have you seen the kid that Tyler brought?”
Sophie stood and glanced out the office window. “No. Why?”
“Because he’s not over there, and I can’t find him anywhere.”
Sophie hurried out from behind the desk. “Okay, I’ll get Ollie and Zach and see if we can find him.”
“Great, I’ll check with Tyler. Maybe he took the kid home.”
The women headed in different directions. Sophie walked out into the ring where Zach worked with a rider, while Beth headed back into the stables. She found Tyler behind the stables moving sacks of feed into the storage room.
“I can’t find Riley. Is he with you?”
He stopped. “No.”
“He’s not sitting on the bench, and I’ve looked around and can’t find him. Dogger’s also missing.”
Tyler took off his leather gloves. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. I tried to get Riley to help this afternoon with some of the clients, but he refused. He was there when I started working with my last rider.”
Tyler shoved his gloves into his back pocket. The pulse in his neck throbbed, but his voice didn’t reflect any panic. “I’ll check the corral behind the stables. Have you looked through each stall in the stable?”
“No. I’ll check them.” She raced back to the stables, praying they’d find the boy.
* * *
Tyler fought back the alarm gripping his heart. Fear never led to good results, as the Army had taught him. He needed a clear head. His military training came flooding back. He surveyed the corral behind the stables sprawling out before him. He found himself whispering a prayer under his breath. He figured that God wouldn’t be offended if he prayed for the boy.
There were two horses out in the corral, but no sign of Riley or Dogger. Thinking of his dog, some of his alarm eased. Dogger would take care of the kid. The dog’s instincts had saved Tyler in the field more than once.
He walked down the path to the river beyond the riding corrals, making his way along the path. There was no sign of the boy.
He spotted Zach and Sophie through the trees. “You see anything?”
“Nothing,” Zach called back. “You know how long he’s been missing?”
“I saw him sitting on that bench less than twenty minutes ago.”
“He can’t have gone far.” Zach stepped on a rock and his artificial leg folded under him. He caught himself on a tree branch.
Sophie’s face lost all color. “Are you okay?” she asked, putting her arm around his back.
Zach nodded.
Tyler appeared by Zach’s side. He didn’t offer his help, but was there if Zach needed anything. Zach pushed away from the tree and met Tyler’s gaze. Zach nodded his thanks.
“I think my dog’s with Riley,” Tyler said getting back to the subject. “He’ll take care of the kid.”
“How did this happen?” Sophie asked. “How could he have disappeared so quickly? I looked out the office window not ten minutes ago, and he was there, his frown firmly in place.”
Sophie glanced at Tyler, her embarrassment clear in her blush. “Ugh—sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Tyler reassured her. “It’s the truth. I’d hoped…” There was no point in explaining.
They turned and walked back to the stables. Tyler heard Beth’s voice floating outside through the open doors.
“There you are, Dogger. Have you taken up with your new friend?”
Tyler hurried into the dark interior of the building, dread riding him hard. He understood Riley’s heart, understood the fear and resentment the boy held on to as if it were a talisman. Riley hadn’t verbally said how he felt, but Tyler recognized the emotions coloring the boy’s eyes. And Tyler knew if Beth rained all over the kid, he’d retreat further into himself, where no one would be able to reach him.
Tyler strode down the center aisle like an avenging angel, ready to do battle to protect the boy. He scanned the area for Beth and Riley. He heard Beth, but didn’t see her.
“I missed you guarding that doorway,” she continued. “Then you went off, wandering around with Tyler’s friend.”
Her voice came from the second to last stall before the open double doors, leading to the back corral. He made it close enough to see the floor of the stall. Beth sat beside Dogger. Riley sat on the other side of the dog.
He opened his mouth, but Beth beat him. “You’ve got to be a great guy,” she told Riley as she scratched the dog’s head.
Riley glanced at her, his mouth hanging open.
“I told you Dogger’s might-y selective about his friends, and if he’s hanging with you, I’d say you have his seal of approval. Can you tell me your secret?”
The youth’s eyes widened.
“You see, I’ve got other kids coming here to ride, and I’m hoping that Dogger can help them as much as the horses do. You seem to have charmed him, so what’s your secret?”
Her question surprised Tyler as much as it did Riley. What happened next surprised Tyler even more. The boy smiled shyly and glanced at her. He shrugged his thin shoulders. “Don’t know.”
Beth scratched Dogger’s side and he rolled onto his back to give her better access to his belly. The dog did that with Tyler or Paul, but with the other guys in Tyler’s unit the dog never showed them that level of trust.
He heard another person enter the stables. Glancing over his shoulder, he spotted Zach. When Zach opened his mouth, Tyler shook his head.
“C’mon,” Beth urged. “Think about it. You’ve got a talent, so maybe you can share it with others.”
Riley reached out and rubbed Dogger’s stomach. One rub, then he snatched his hand back. “I let Dogger come to me.”
Beth nodded her head. “That makes sense. Come to think of it, I did that, too. I didn’t try to pet him at first, but let him think about it, and when he
