Once a Father Read Online Free PDF Page B

here.”
    â€œGood way to show your father what you’re made of.”
    â€œI know exactly what I’m made of, and that’s all that counts. I’ve learned that the hard way.”
    â€œHow many tours?”
    â€œIn the Middle East? Two.”
    He acknowledged her dedication with a raised brow. He’d spent time in the Sandbox, but it had been more than twenty years ago. It had to be tougher these days. It just went on and on, tour after tour for a lot of guys, no end in sight.
    A lot of guys?
    â€œI don’t mind,” she was saying. “I love my work.”
    â€œWhat kind of dogs do you train?”
    â€œAll kinds. Trackers, sniffers, sentries. Lately I’ve been coaching Iraqi dog handlers, helping them build their own canine units.” She angled her knees in his direction. He’d hit her sweet spot. “I couldn’t have a horse when I was growing up, but we had cattle dogs. I learned a lot from them.”
    That sounded promising. “And you rode Sally’s horses.”
    â€œAs often as I could.”
    He nodded. “It’s been a while since I had a dog. Mysons always had at least one dog around, sometimes one each.”
    â€œHow many children do you have?” She sounded a little tentative. Disappointed, maybe. She hadn’t figured on kids.
    â€œThey’re not children.” If that helps any. “Trace and Ethan are in their twenties.”
    â€œYou don’t look old enough to have kids that age. You must’ve started young.”
    â€œAs young as I could.” He flashed her a wry smile. “I married a family. The boys were half-grown, and I was half-kid. Well, maybe not half, but it was a good mix to start with. We had some good times together.” He lifted one shoulder. “We’re all on our own now. Full-grown. Divorced. Footloose and…what’s the other thing?”
    â€œFancy free,” she quipped, joining him in some irony of her own. “Where is everybody?”
    â€œNo idea where their mother is. She cut out early. Left the boys with me.”
    â€œWhat about their father?” She sounded suitably indignant on her new partner’s behalf. Logan appreciated loyalty.
    It was almost a shame he had to set her straight. Try to, anyway.
    â€œI’m their father. I adopted them, gave them my name. They both go by Wolf Track. Their mother left a picture of her, uh…one of the men. Ethan tried to look him up, but I don’t think he got anywhere. Theother one…” He glanced at her as he turned onto the gravel approach to the Double D. He’d already said more than he usually did, but the look in her eyes invited more. And, what the hell… “Who knows? She never talked about her past. One of those livin’ in-the-moment people. I liked that about her right up until she was here one moment and gone the next.”
    â€œShe just…left?”
    â€œYep. Said she’d come back for the boys and never did.”
    She didn’t look too shocked. Didn’t look pitying or superior, wasn’t taking him for a saint or a sucker. Maybe she was just taking him for the way he was.
    â€œThat must’ve been hard,” she said. “Never knowing what was going to happen if she came back.”
    â€œShe wasn’t taking those boys, no matter what. Not after…” He smiled as he parked the pickup next to a paddock holding a handful of horses. “You’re good at stealing bases, you know that? I never answer questions on the first date.”
    â€œThis is hardly a date.”
    â€œThat’s right.” He cocked his finger and gave her a wink. “I picked you up.”
    Â 
    The man winked at her. Winked.
    All right, it was kind of cute, but what was he thinking? Mary hadn’t been winked at since…never?She didn’t remember anybody winking at her. It made her feel downright giddy. Of course, she’d hidden it.
    Well,