Free Christine Dorsey - [MacQuaid 02] by My Heavenly Heart Page B

hadn’t come out and said it, but Logan knew what she meant. And he didn’t give a damn. He was more than tired of having her around... would be well rid of her. Unfortunately that glorious day didn’t seem close now.
    “I still want to know what you said to make him invite you. Whites are rarely included in the cementation ceremony.”
    “You’ve been before.” Rachel bent down as the dog bounded into the clearing.
    “How did ye know that?”
    “Well...” Rachel started to say that Lone Dove told her, but he hadn’t. At least she didn’t remember him saying it. But how else could she know? Rachel patted the dog absently on top his furry head. “The Adawehis told me, of course. Your dog caught a rabbit,” she added as much to change the subject as to explain the excited way the animal was prancing about.
    “How do ye know that?” Logan assumed the dog had tried, but was also fairly sure he hadn’t succeeded. After all, he very seldom did. And there wasn’t a scrap of rabbit hair to prove otherwise.
    He told me, didn’t seem an acceptable response, yet Rachel knew the dog had. But Mr. MacQuaid already thought her mad. Imagine what he’d make of a revelation that she could communicate with a dog.
    The dog already was sprawled in one of his favorite poses, on his back, his legs in the air, tongue lolling from his open mouth. If he did have anything to say to her, Rachel was certain she’d rather not hear it.
    With a shake of her head, which sent golden curls spilling over her bare shoulders, Rachel dismissed the entire thing. Yet she couldn’t help asking, “What is his name? I’ve never heard you call him anything but Dog.”
    Logan paused before stepping into his cabin. When he glanced back he was again struck by how beautiful she was... and how annoying. “There be nothing else.”
    “Nothing but ‘dog’?” Without realizing what she was about, Rachel stepped closer to the sleeping spaniel. “But that’s unheard of. One always gives pets a name.”
    Logan turned to face her, his jaw clenched. “He is not my pet. And he has no name.”
    There was more to his words than what he said. Rachel realized that on some plane she couldn’t comprehend, and at the moment didn’t wish to try, He was such an exasperating man. Certainly the animal sprawled at her feet was no prize. He was lazy and hardly a watchdog. But he deserved a name.
    Rachel met his obstinate stare with one of her own. “Then I shall name him.” His dark scowl nearly brought a smile to her lips. “Henry, I think.” Rachel sank down to tickle the ruff under his chin. “What think you of that, brave hunter of rabbits? Do you like the name Henry? ’Tis the moniker of several great kings.”
    “And no damn dog of mine shall wear it.”
    “Oh, really?” Rachel tilted her head to look up at him. “Well, it appears to be too late. He’s already named.”
    His jaw hurt from clenching it, Logan realized, and immediately tried to make himself relax. What in the hell did he care what she called the scruffy mutt? She was a temporary nuisance, a temporary annoyance he had to suffer. He almost laughed at that thought. Perhaps she had been sent... sent to punish him further. Well, if that was the case, she was damn good at her task.
    Logan turned on his heel and slammed into the cabin with a mumbled, “Call him whatere you like.” Logan knew it would make no difference. The animal did as he chose.
    Except that in the days that followed that didn’t seem to be the case.
    She was still weak from the fever. Logan couldn’t help but notice. And though he wanted nothing more than to let her fend for herself—to put a stop to the infernal waiting upon her he seemed to do—he couldn’t. At least not yet.
    So she sat in his chair, what he’d come to think of as her throne, and accepted a cup of tea, or bowl of stew. For the most part she was gracious, so damn gracious Logan felt like a servant in his own home.
    And she continued to call