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was down on one knee, fitting a collar around a puppy’s neck, and Fiona, holding the leash attached to the collar, was looking as if she wanted to be anywhere but where she was.
    Trace shut off his truck with a muttered curse.
    And so it had begun. Little miss scared of her own shadow had finally worked up the nerve to come into town, and judging by the paleness of her complexion, hell would have to freeze over before she ever left the house again. As for Gabriella … well, from what his fishing partner, Rick—who also happened to be Trace’s cousin and WilliamKillkenny’s new brother-in-law—had told him, the medieval teenager was too excited to be living in this century to be frightened of anything.
    Trace got out of his truck and headed toward them, already having figured out what was taking place. Word down at the docks was that Dempster had unsuccessfully been trying to sell the runt of his litter for the last three weeks, and it was obvious the logger had decided that marketing the perfect companion to a single woman had proven easier than trying to convince anyone the dog would ever make a decent hunter. And although he couldn’t exactly say why, Trace felt himself walking a little taller when he noticed that Fiona actually looked relieved to see him.
    Or at least she did until the puppy made a lunge for him. Her face turning quite pale again, Fiona immediately pulled the puppy back and then actually attempted to hide it behind her long coat. “Misneach, no!” she softly hissed when it continued all the way around her, nearly toppling her when the leash wrapped around her legs.
    Trace dropped to one knee to catch the pup when it leapt at him again. “Hey there, squirt,” he said, taking hold of its head to keep its slobbering tongue away from his face. “Aren’t you a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed monster.”
    Fiona tried pulling it off him again, and Trace realized that the pup might be a runt, but it was a damn strong little beast, when, instead of being dragged away, it pulled Fiona off balance again.
    She would have fallen if Johnnie hadn’t caught hold of her shoulders. “Let go of the leash!” Johnnie growled, pulling her upright.
    Fiona let the leash go as if it had burned her.
    Trace grabbed hold of it and slowly stood up, then just as slowly handed it back to her. “Here, why don’t you start heading home with him?”
    But it was Gabriella who finally got her to move. The young girl looped her arm through Fiona’s with a laugh. “Come on, it’s probably going to take us forever, as Misneach will to have to stop and smell every tree on the way.” She shot Trace a smile as they walked past him. “Could you bring his dog food home with you?”
    Trace nodded.
    “And I’ll bring his papers over this evening,” Johnnie called after them.
    Trace stepped to block Johnnie’s view of the women and folded his arms over his chest. “The lady is off limits, Dempster.”
    “Funny, I didn’t see your name on her.”
    “Then I suggest you get glasses—though if you do come sniffing around her, you might have to trade them in for a white cane.”
    Though it was subtle, Trace saw his old school buddy tense. “What are you gonna do, beat me up like you did that guy in Afghanistan? You think I can’t hold my own against a soldier who got sent home with his tail tucked between his legs?”
    “I think you wouldn’t even hear me coming.” Trace took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “Look, I’ve got no quarrel with you, Johnnie; I’m just trying to give you a friendly warning. The lady is Kenzie Gregor’s sister. And trust me, he’s not somebody you want to piss off.” He looked over at Jason. “And I suggest that if you’re interested in Gabriella, you speak to William Killkenny first.” He gave the boy atight grin. “Though when you do, you might want to bring a change of underwear.”
    He took the bag of dog food from Jason and headed toward his truck, but then he stopped and