Kickin' Up Dust: Operation Cowboy, Book 1 by Em Petrova

whimper.
    “He’s alive!” His heart surged. Tossing away all caution, he walked the length of the board he was standing on like a tightrope walker. When he reached the end, it tipped precariously and he barely jumped to another before he got his leg broken.
    One of the guys whooped. Another called for him to watch himself. The rope around his chest and upper thighs tightened as he reached the dog.
    Crow lay pinned beneath a rafter and another board, but his chest was definitely moving up and down. Too fast, though. He had to get him out of there—now.
    “I got ya, boy.” A knot put in his chest by Matt and Danica pulled hard. He had to save the dog for her sake—and her parents’. Another blow would likely cripple Mrs. Pope.
    When he unclipped a short length of rope from his belt loop, he eased into a kneeling position. Beneath the dog and the wreckage was black space. They were suspended on boards fallen and twisted, but the barn floor was a good six feet down.
    Not a lot of distance to fall, but God knew what was down there to fall on.
    Using all his strength and caution, he shifted the beam off the animal. As soon as the weight was free, the dog’s chest heaved.
    Crow whimpered, and Brodie made a soothing noise as he slipped the rope around Crow’s body. When he was trussed like a calf in a ravine, Brodie glanced over his shoulder at his friends.
    “Grab this!” He tossed. All his practice roping Danica paid off now. Garrett caught the end. They began to pull out Crow, and Brodie very carefully turned to navigate his was across the sea of wreckage to the safety of land.
    “Let’s pick up Danica and get the dog to the vet.”

Chapter Five
    When Danica spotted the blue Ford rambling up the driveway, she swiped a hand down her face. Damn, she wasn’t in the mood for Matt’s friends right now. She was running on little sleep and the slightest talk of her brother would spark tears.
    Better that she greet the guys than her parents, though. They weren’t up to it.
    The car stopped in a cloud of dust. Danica pulled off her work gloves and started toward the vehicle, when the back door opened and Brodie unfolded himself.
    “Danica.”
    Crap. She wasn’t in the state of mind to discuss what had happened last night—which was nothing. They’d danced and she’d returned to her date. End of story.
    Except…
    “You look like shit,” she said. His clothes were grubby and looked as if he’d slept in them. Dirt smudged his sharp cheekbone. In the shadows of his hat, his eyes were bloodshot. “How much did you drink?”
    “Too much. Or maybe not enough since I’m not still drunk. I need you to get in the car.”
    “What?” She looked at Wydell’s grave gaze through the window. “What’s going on?”
    Brodie moved a few inches so she could see inside the car. On the seat was a familiar lump of black, typically seen on the front porch directly in the way of where she wanted to step.
    “Crow! Oh God, what’s happened to him?”
    “Get in and I’ll explain. We’re taking him to town. Wydell’s already phoned the vet.”
    She dropped her gloves and rushed toward the car. As she took the seat Brodie had vacated, Garrett climbed out the other door. “I’ll take over your chores. Not enough room for all of us anyway.”
    Tears clogged her throat as she settled a hand on her dog’s side. Crow whimpered, and she snatched her fingers back.
    “Thanks, Garrett.” Brodie’s deep voice flickered on the edge of her hearing, along with a car door closing. Her mind was too stunned to process the words. Wydell drove back down the driveway and to the main road.
    Danica searched out Brodie’s gaze. It almost pained her to look at him for too long. “What happened to Crow?”
    “Found him in Garrett’s barn, trapped. He could have internal injuries.” He reached across the dog and took Danica’s fingers. As his warm, callused hand closed around hers, a tear trickled down her cheek. She swiped it away and