waited for him to reiterate that he didn’t need the program, but he merely nodded toward the white-rail-fenced paddock as they approached it. “More trained animals, or just color?”
She leaned on the top rail, clicking her fingers. The gray donkey ambled over to have his floppy ears scratched. “This is Toby. The humane society took him from an abusive owner and asked me to give him a home. As you say, he adds a little color. The children like him, and he’s certified as a therapeutic pet.”
Gabe reached across the railing to rub Toby’s muzzle. Toby stared back with mournful brown eyes. “A therapeutic pet,” he repeated.
“Sorry.” She smiled. “You don’t know the lingo yet. A therapeutic pet is an animal that’s trained to go into places like nursing homes to relate to the patients.”
“You take a donkey into a nursing home?” He clearly didn’t believe that was possible.
“Hey, he’s a big hit, especially with the ladies.”
Gabe stared at the next animal that wandered up to the fence for her share of attention. “What on earth is that?”
Nolie patted Dixie. “Dixie’s a miniature horse. Haven’t you ever seen one before?”
He shook his head, his gaze moving between Dixie and the German shepherd. They were about the same size. “Just part of the menagerie?”
“Dixie’s training as a service animal. She’s going to be a guide animal for a client who is blind.”
“You’ve got to be kidding.”
At least she’d captured his interest, even if the gaze he turned on her continued to be disbelieving.
“Miniature horses are good at that. They’re intelligent, loyal and they have a longer working lifespan than a dog. It’s devastating to a blind person to lose a service dog.”
His shoulders moved, as if he didn’t want to think about that. “I guess it would be. I can’t imagine depending on an animal that way.”
“That’s what we’re all about here. Animals and clients learn to depend on each other.”
She couldn’t miss his response to that. He didn’t say a word, but his whole body rejected it. Gabe clearly didn’t plan to depend on anyone or anything.
“Shall we get on with the grand tour?” His voice had cooled even more.
“All that’s left is the barn.” Lady pressed against her leg, whining a little. “Go on, girl. You’ve earned a play time.” Lady ducked under the rail, and danced toward the donkey.
Nolie moved quickly toward the open doors of the red barn. She ought to press the subject that burned in her mind, but she wasn’t sure how to go about it.
Should she just introduce him to the dog she’d chosen for him? Assume he intended to go through with the program and risk his walking away?
Gabe paused as she waded through a cluster of hens fighting over a kernel of corn. His eyebrow quirked. “Guide chickens?”
“I keep them for the eggs.” Was he laughing at her? Probably. Well, she didn’t care what he thought of her, as long as he didn’t keep her from getting her grant.
She stepped into the barn, inhaling its mingled scents of animals, straw and hay. Sunlight, filtering through a few gaps in the siding she’d have to fix before next winter, set dust motes dancing.
Peace. That was what she always felt here. It was more peaceful to her than any church could possibly be. It had been her sanctuary more than once, both in the sense of a place to worship and also of a place to hide.
“Looks as if no one is in residence.” Gabe’s voice, echoing closer behind her than she’d thought, seemed to make the dust motes shimmer.
“There’s someone here.” She clicked her fingers, and the yellow Lab rose from the mound of straw that was his favorite napping spot. “You missed him because he’s the same color as his bed.”
Max came toward them with the natural dignity that was the first thing she’d noticed about the dog when she’d seen him in the shelter. She stroked the warm, golden fur.
“This is Max. He’s the dog I’ve picked out for you.”
Gabe’s tension level shot up so high that she could feel it prick her skin through the inches that separated them. Max’s ears went up, and he moved protectively closer to Nolie’s side.
“I’ve already told you—”
“You’ve told me you don’t need a dog. But obviously your chief thinks you do.”
“He doesn’t think any such thing. He’s just trying to stay on the good side of the Henley Foundation.”
“Either way, he said you’d cooperate. You said you’d cooperate.” She couldn’t let him off the hook. The future of her program depended on him.
“You’d be wasting your time with me. Spend it on someone like Danny.”
“Your cooperation means the money that will let me help a lot of Dannys.” It could mean the survival of the program, but she didn’t think she wanted to trust him with that information.
His harassed look said he didn’t know how to respond to that. “All you have to do is go to Henley and tell him I’m not a good candidate for your program. You’ll get us both out.”
“I’ve already tried that.” She was ashamed to admit it. “I saw Henley again this morning.”
“What did he say?” He looked like a man who saw his last hope disappearing.
“That I should prove I could work with a difficult case. Like you.”
She held her breath. She’d laid it all on the line with Gabe. If he walked away—
For a long moment he stared at her, his eyes bleak. “So we’re both stuck.” He bit off the words.
Relief flooded through her, but she didn’t dare let him see it. “Yes, I guess we are.”
A tiny muscle twitched in his jaw. “All right.” He spat out the words. “It’s going to be a disaster. But I’ll try.”
Chapter Three
Gabe couldn’t believe he was agreeing to this crazy idea. He also couldn’t believe he was responding to the happiness he saw shimmering in Nolie’s blue eyes. Or that he wanted to go on seeing it there.
He found himself leaning toward her, as if compelled to be closer. She smelled like soap and sunshine. “Nolie—”
“Am I interrupting something?” The clear, high voice from the barn entrance brought him abruptly to his senses.
A good thing.
“Claire. What are you doing here today?”
