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steadying her breathing.
    Whether or not the dog was wild, she came back to where Dixie crouched, nestling her head against Dixie’s chest with a soothing whine. She had one blue eye and one brown, but Dixie didn’t care, for they were friendly, gentle eyes, and she needed a friend right now.
    She buried her head in the dog’s fur, thanking God and the dog for interceding.
    She wondered why the dog hadn’t chased away the raccoon before Dixie had left the tent. It was almost as if she was there to protect Dixie herself. However it had happened, she knew God had sent this dog here with a purpose; it was an angel in disguise.
    The collie had literally saved her life, she realized as fear turned to tears.
    She sniffled against the dog, which whined again and moved deeper into Dixie’s arms, consoling her with the warmth of her fur.
    As Dixie’s heartbeat slowed and relief released the tension in her muscles, weariness overtook her. Still ultra aware of possible lurking animals, she checked over her supplies, trying, hoping and praying to find something salvageable.
    But it was gone. All of it.
    There went the dream of buying her own horse, floating up and away from her like smoke. She’d have to use her savings to feed herself.
    It was too much to bear thinking about, so she stacked up the torn boxes in a haphazard pile and decided to go back to bed. Nothing more could be done in the dark of night. She’d have to get groceries in the morning.
    She considered starting a fire, but decided against it. She wasn’t positive she could have used a torch to fend off an attacking animal, in any case.
    The lure of her toasty-warm sleeping bag called to her, reminding her how little sleep she’d had in the past week, what with her anticipation of moving and the millions of little details she’d had to attend to.
    She let out a long sigh that turned into a yawn, and shuffled wearily back to her tent.
    “Here, puppy,” she called when she got to the edge of the tent, but the Border collie hung back.
    She sighed again and shook her head, feeling vaguely disappointed the dog wouldn’t follow her into the tent. She had the silly notion to keep the dog. She wasn’t wearing any tags, and it only seemed right to reward the scruffy pup for saving her life.
    The collie obviously had other plans. Besides, she was obviously tame and used to people. She probably belonged to someone around here. One of her neighbors, perhaps. A rancher, most likely.
    She rolled back into her sleeping bag, ignoring the impulse to pull it over her head and hide. When the Border collie left, she’d be alone. Again.
    Nothing new there.
    Why should she be surprised? And why should it still hurt so much?
    Her whole life had been one abandonment after another. First her mother, abandoning Dixie to her father so she could “live her own life,” unburdened by an infant daughter.
    Then Abel, deciding Pakistan was more important than marrying her. The ring on her finger had meant nothing—less than nothing.
    She’d think she’d be used to it by now, but the sting of rejection still haunted her, even when she was rejected by nothing more than a stray dog she’d never seen before in her life.
    To her surprise and delight, she saw a brief movement at the front of the tent and heard a low, now-familiar growl. The dog settled down just outside the front door, continuing to act as her guardian.
    It was more than enough security for Dixie, wild animals or no wild animals. She had a guardian angel watching over her.
    With the Border collie as her sentry, it wasn’t as difficult as she’d imagined to fall into a deep, if troubled, sleep.

Chapter Six

    D ixie was coming at him like a red-eyed bull, leaving a trail of dust behind her. Erik folded his arms over his chest and dug his booted heels in, refusing to give in to the impulse flooding over him to bolt like a young calf.
    She’d told him to meet her in front of the future lodge at 8:00 a.m. sharp.
    And here he