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“Oh, that’s Brody, my wonderful cowboy. He must be ready to leave. Sorry, but I have to go. I’ll try to come and visit you again. I’m going to get up now. Don’t be afraid.”

Holding his gaze, she slowly rose to her feet, and as she turned to walk away, from the corner of her eye she saw him trot back into the trees. As she strode forward, she saw Brody and Hank standing by the truck obviously waiting for her, and there was no sign of her car.

“Sorry, I was just enjoying being here,” she exclaimed. “It’s just so wonderful. I didn’t realize how much I missed it.”

“I can understand how that could happen,” Brody remarked. “You were caught up in the excitement of your success.”

“And probably didn’t have a minute to spare,” Hank added. “I bet you were busy every second.”

“I was. I’m beginning to wonder how I did it all. But it was following orders more than anything. I was told where I needed to go and when, and there was always someone waiting to take me. Half the time I’d forget where we were going and they’d have to remind me on the way.”

“Well now you have nowhere to be and all the time in the world to get there,” Brody said, placing his arm around here. “Like I said earlier, it’s time to unwind.”

“And get on a horse,” she exclaimed with a wide smile.

“And definitely get on a horse,” he repeated. “You can plan on doin’ that tomorrow mornin’ after a good night’s sleep.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Shortly after Brody and Annie arrived home she fell victim to another wave of fatigue. As she stretched out on the bed, Bella jumped up and laid next to her.

“You’re such a sweet girl,” Annie mumbled, and letting out a heavy yawn, she closed her eyes and drifted off.

“Sleep well, you two,” Brody murmured.

Leaving the bedroom, he stopped in the kitchen for a last swallow of coffee before heading out to continue his preparations for the clinic, and was marching across to the barn when his phone rang. Seeing the sheriff’s name on the screen he quickly accepted the call.

“Hi, sheriff, I’m guessin’ you have news,” he said anxiously.

“Yep, and it’s good. I just finished speaking with Geoffrey Palmer and I’m pleased to report he’s leaving.”

“Already? I thought he’d stick around a while.”

“I did too, but he called and went on and on about how he could sue Annie if she decided to take off for a break without telling anyone, and if she showed up I was to tell her so. He sounded more angry than concerned about her welfare.”

“Figures. He’s such a jerk. He’s just worried about how many dollars he’s losin’ because she’s not cuttin’ a new record or performin’ some place. But are you sure he’s gone?”

“I just got through talkin’ to Becky at the hotel. He paid his bill and said he was headin’ out to the airfield. I’ll call over there in a little bit and see if his plane took off. But I’m pretty sure he’s outta here.”

“This is great news. I’ll tell Annie as soon as she wakes up. The poor girl is wiped out.”

“I’ll just bet she is. Now she can relax and take it easy. But she does need to let the world know she’s alive and well. There are a whole lotta resources bein’ used lookin’ for her, not to mention the public.”

“How do we handle that?”

“I’ll give it some thought, but with Geoff Palmer gone it’s probably safe to tell her folks. Just make sure they keep it under wraps for the moment.”

“I will, I’ll get in touch with them now. Thanks, sheriff.”

“You’re welcome, Brody.”

Reaching the barn, he settled on a bale of hay and placed the call. When her mother answered he started to outline the story, but her father hastily picked up the second phone in their bedroom so he could listen as well.

“I knew it, I just knew it,” he exclaimed with a crack in his voice. “I kept sayin’, she’s a smart girl and she’s okay.”

“I’m truly sorry we couldn’t tell you sooner,” Brody said earnestly. “I think she was worried about your safety. When Geoff Palmer showed up here it wasn’t with a smile.”

“That’s okay, we understand,” her mother replied with a sniffle. “All that matters is our little girl is safe. When will you be here?”