A Cowboy for the CEO

Chapter 38: Puppy Love

"Yes. I'll take him," she said. One way or another, she'd make it work. "I'll have my assistant contact a pet travel service—"

"Are you flying back through Denver anytime soon?" Hank chimed in before she could finish.

Her heart was pounding in her throat again. As a matter-of-fact, her return flight to New York did take her back through there. "In a couple of days, why?"

"If you give me your flight details, I'll arrange to add a pet to your ticket and have Liz drop him off at the airport." He seemed to have everything already figured out.

"All right." Her mind buzzed again, but this time, it had nothing to do with the dog. "I'll text you the info, but can you do something for me?"

"Of course." Hank didn't hesitate, and Ali could hear him breathing while he waited for her to speak.

She bit her lip, gathering her courage to say it out loud. "Can you be the one who brings Marv to the airport?"

The silence on the other end seemed to go on forever.

"All right," he finally answered. "See you then."

* * *

Ali scanned the departures hall, looking for her airline's check-in desk. She'd made it off the flight from Seattle in record time and backtracked from the arrivals lounge, but the hard part was only now about to begin. Although she'd asked Hank to personally bring Harriet's dog, she still wasn't sure why or what she intended to accomplish with the spontaneous request.

When he'd called unexpectedly, she'd been happy to hear his voice again. Maybe seeing him now would tell her why. Or better yet, perhaps he'd tell her himself. After all, he'd believed he knew what she wanted just a few days earlier. She'd foolishly dismissed him then, but now she was at least open to listening. Hopefully, it wasn't too late.

Her palms were sweaty from anticipation, and when a group of travelers wearing matching T-shirts moved out of her way, she finally caught a glimpse of him. Holding a spot in the first-class line, he had a duffel bag slung over one shoulder and a pet crate by his feet.

Ali smiled at the pup's need for so much luggage. When bittersweet thoughts of Harriet entered her mind, she had to fight off the urge to cry and instead quickened her steps.

Hank adjusted the brim of his baseball cap as he watched her push through the crowd. "We were starting to think you stood us up," he greeted her coolly.

She tightened her grip on the handle of her wheeled carry-on. So much for hope.

"My flight was delayed." When he continued to stare at her silently, she realized the statement's frivolity. "But you already knew that."

"No worries," he replied automatically, looking past her at a newly available gate agent. Picking up Marv's carrier, he nudged Ali's elbow. "Come on."

Following along, she rummaged through her purse for her ticket and slid it across the counter. After indicating she was traveling the rest of the way with an on-board pet, she left the woman to tap away at her computer and turned back to Hank.

"I see you took my advice." She pointed to the Air Force logo on his hat.

He leaned in until their noses were almost touching. "About being myself?" he whispered, waiting a beat while staring into her eyes. "Sure, but don't you think it reinforces my living in the past?"

Ali could barely hear the words above the echoes of her own heartbeat in her ears and didn't notice she'd been holding her breath until he pulled away. Why was he acting this way? Why continue that earlier conversation—nay, argument? Was he punishing her for rejecting him? Or did he just want to make sure that he had the final word? Clearing her throat, she managed a weak, monosyllabic rebuttal: "No."