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  "You're a liar," Lyn said, keeping her voice low between breaths of exertion, almost afraid that anything louder than a whisper would start a chain reaction that would end in an avalanche.

  They were on their bellies in a narrow tunnel that had apparently been carved out of the rubble during the rescue of the construction workers. In places the floor beneath them was chipped concrete, in others it was gravel and earth. Huge pipes and pieces of lumber were balanced precariously overhead, and snakelike lengths of cable swung from broken rafters. Lyn could not help flashing back to another hot, dark place filled with terror and the threat of imminent death, and yet.. .this time it was different. This time she wasn't alone.

  They were almost side by side; Lyn's shoulders against Casey's hips as they inched through the opening toward the direction the dog had gone. She could hear the hiss of his breathing and feel the contraction of the muscles of his legs as he pulled himself along.

  "And you're a crazy person," he replied tightly. "You've got no business in here, and there's a penalty for crossing a police barrier, much less—"

  "You told me you didn't get involved," Lyn accused breathlessly, struggling to pull herself alongside him. "You didn't care. Everything's expendable to you, right, Mr. Carmichael? Because you don't get attached. But who is it who's risking his life to go after a dog that probably didn't survive the cave-in?"

  Casey paused, and she felt him stiffen beside hen "He's not dead," he said, very lowly. "That stupid mutt of yours is on the trail of something, God knows how. And anyway..,"

  Lyn pulled herself up beside him, shoulder to shoulder, neck to neck. "You lied," she said. "You do care, and you care a lot about everything. It's all just an act, it has been from the beginning and you almost had me believing it, damn you."

  When he turned his head his face was so close that his nose brushed hers and his lips were almost on hers. His breath flooded across her skin and his eyes were like embers, locking them together. She could feel the same adrenaline surging through him that was pumped in her veins, anger and passion, need and fear, desperate welcome and the fury of anxiety. He breathed, "If we ever get out of this, we're going to have a hell of a fight."

  She replied grimly, "You'd better believe it.”

  Suddenly he tensed. "Quiet! I hear something."

  She heard it, too, a frantic scratching and clawing punctuated by soft whining. They started to move forward again, more quickly now, and the fear that was pounding in Lyn's heart was sharp and urgent. The movements of a dog had set off the most recent collapse; the rubble was so fragilely balanced that even Rabbit, in his eagerness to find his self-proclaimed target, could precipitate another, perhaps even more serious accident.

  They hoisted themselves over a broken culvert and they both saw Rabbit at once, pawing at a pile of broken boards and cement chunks. "Good dog!" Lyn gasped.

  Casey extended his hand to the dog. "Here boy, that's enough—"

  There was a shuddering, a creaking, a thundering explosion of dust and crackling debris. Lyn cried out and Casey swung around, pulling her into his arms and .pushing them both against the far side of the culvert. He shielded her with his body and she tried to do the same for him as the loosely piled metal and plaster above them began to shift and give way, showering them with dust and gravel... and then was still.

  They clung to each other with arms like steel; Casey could feel the thundering of her heartbeat and the slamming of his own. But she was alive. She was alive, safe, clinging to him; he couldn't distinguish her gasps for breath from his own and all he wanted to do was hold her, just hold her and never let her go. He couldn't pretend anymore. He couldn't hide anymore. He had never needed anything so intensely as he needed her in that moment, had never loved anyone so desperately...

  "Lyn," he whispered. All the pain and loneliness of the past two weeks—of all his life—surged up within him then and he couldn't hold it back no matter how hard he tried. He closed his eyes tightly against an emotion almost too intense for him to bear, he ran his hands over her shoulders, her back, tangling them in her hair...just feeling her, holding her, keeping her close. Keeping her safe. "Oh, God, Lyn..."

  "Say it," she whispered hoarsely. Her hands were moving across his back, his neck, his arms and his face with the same sort of fierce, wondrous urgency that was in his touch.. .just reassuring herself he was there and unharmed, that they were safe together. "Say it," she repeated. "I need to hear—"

  "I love you!" His voice was a breathless half whisper at first, then stronger as his fingers tightened on her shoulders and pushed her a few inches away, his eyes blazing into hers. "I love you," he repeated distinctly, "and I'm not going to let you go, not now, not ever. Do you understand that?"

  "I understand," she whispered, and they sank into each other's arms again, holding each other for one last moment of joy and discovery that was all too brief, but seemed to last forever.

  And then, on a mutual instinct they moved apart, following the sounds of scuffling movement. When they traced the sound to its source it was just in time to see Rabbit scrambling past them toward the safety of the light outside. A grimness came into Casey's expression as he watched the dog go. "That," he said, breathing hard, "is not a good sign."

  Their eyes met briefly, in undisguised fear and urgency, and without another word they moved forward and began to loosen the boards Rabbit had been clawing at. At last they had created an opening large enough for Casey to wedge himself partway through. Lyn waited, straining and anxious, until she heard—she thought she heard—a muffled sound, like a whine.

  "He's here!" Casey called. "He's alive."

  Lyn released a quavering breath of relief. "Hurry," she said.

  His head and shoulders were inside the opening, his arms stretched overhead. "Lyn—take off my shirt. Hand it to me. I can't—I don't want to let go of him."

  Not hesitating to question, Lyn wedged her hands underneath him, tearing at the buttons of his shirt, pulling it off his body one sleeve at a time as he lowered his arms to her. She bundled up the material and passed it to him, then moved back, waiting once again.

  "Do you know something?" Casey's voice was muffled and strained as it came to her. "We make a pretty good team."

  Lyn massaged her aching throat. "That's what I've been trying to tell you," she whispered.

  It seemed forever, though it actually couldn't have been more than a few minutes, before Casey appeared with Montana, muzzled by his shirt, in his arms. His face was taut and streaked with sweat, but his eyes were quietly triumphant. "Come on," he said, "let's get out of here."

  *****************

  Lyn went with them to the emergency clinic, where Montana was diagnosed as suffering from a simple femural break. Casey stayed with the dog as its leg was set, and Lyn stayed with Casey, holding his hand. The vet assured them that Montana would recover smoothly and regain full use of his leg in short order, but Lyn could see that Casey did not want to leave the dog, even overnight. He didn't say anything, and he put on his usual matter-of-fact front, but Lyn could tell.

  The night was dark and starlit as they pulled up in front of Casey's house, Rabbit sitting on the front seat between them. Casey turned off the ignition and leaned his head back against the headrest, silent for a moment.

  "I should take you back to your car," he said. "I don't know what I'm thinking about. You were crazy to come out there today."

  "And you were crazy to think I wouldn't." Lyn opened the door and got out. Rabbit, apparently happy to be back in his second home, bounded out after her and made himself comfortable on a lounge chair on the porch.

  Casey watched the dog with a smile as he got out of the car. "He doesn't look much like a hero now, does he?"

  "All in a day's work," agreed Lyn. They went up the steps together and she paused to scratch Rabbit's ears. The dog looked at her, then closed his eyes again. "You were wrong about him, you know."

  Casey unlocked the door. "Oh, yeah?"

  "You s
aid he couldn't be trained. That he was worthless. He wasn't worthless today."

  "Well, I'll admit that, but his behavior wasn't all that extraordinary, you know. He heard the sound of another canine in distress and went to investigate. Any dog would do the same."

  They stepped inside, and Casey switched on the light. Lyn turned to face him. "You were wrong about something else," she said. "You were wrong about me."

  He had pulled on a light windbreaker over his bare chest, zipped halfway up. His hair was windblown and there was the slight bristle of a sandy beard on his lower jaw. He looked worn and rumpled and vulnerable, and Lyn had never loved anyone in all her life as much as she did him at that moment.

  His face softened, and he reached out a hand for her. "Lyn, honey, I know..."

  "No." She stiffened her shoulders and lifted her chin. "You promised me a fight, and I've got some things to say."

  For a moment he stared at her, and then he spread his hands, managing a resigned smile. "Okay. Fight."

  "You know what your trouble is, don't you?" she accused. "You've started to believe your own publicity. All this stuff about being perfect, being right, about never making a mistake—that's just for the dogs! You make them believe it because that's what you do, but let me tell you something, Casey, you are not perfect, and you do make mistakes!"

  He frowned a little. "Lyn, I don't want to get into this..."

  "You can't go around managing and manipulating people's lives, Casey! So maybe you were only doing what you thought was best, and maybe it was best—but not for me! Do you understand that?" She struck her chest. "Only I know what's best for me."

  "Don't you see? That's what I was trying to—"

  "And you know what else? The only reason you stay in control all the time is because you're afraid not to be! You were afraid to feel, to care, to get involved because you were afraid of losing. But you were only fooling yourself, Casey, and pushing aside all the good things you could have had because you're afraid to let go and open up."

  "For God's sake, Lyn, don't you think I know that?" His face was pained now, his eyes stormy. "Don't you think these past two weeks—"

  "And that's another thing!" She advanced a step on him. "I'd like to thank you for the most miserable two weeks of my life. While you were trying to do what was best for me you almost pushed me into making the worst decision I could have possibly made."

  "I'm not responsible for—"

  "You are responsible for me!" she cried. "Just like I'm responsible for you. Don't you know that by now? And we have to do what's best for us—for each other. I don't have to go to Philadelphia, I don't want to go to Philadelphia. That part of my life is over. I like working with animals, I like making a small difference in a small way. Maybe I'm not very good at it yet, but I can learn and, oh, Casey, don't you see? I don't want to change the world anymore, all I want to do is light a single candle. And I can do that here, with you."

  She heard his sharp intake of breath, and saw the flicker of hope and question in his eyes. Once again he lifted his hand as though to reach for her, then let it drop. "Lyn, I—"

  "And I'll tell you something else you were wrong about." She took another step toward him, fists clenched. "You said you didn't need me—"

  "I never said that—"

  "Perfect people don't need anyone, do they? That's the whole trouble!"

  "I never said—"

  "But you do need me! You needed me today, and you—"

  He grabbed her arms and pulled her to him, closing her mouth with a kiss.

  "I do need you," he whispered against her mouth. "I need you so much I can't think straight..."

  Lyn wrapped her arms around his neck and lost herself in his kiss, in the wonder of the future and the possibilities that unfolded before her like a barely-imagined dream. They held each other, her head against his shoulder, his chin atop her head, for a long, silent, deeply intense moment.

  Her kissed her hair, tenderly. “I'm so glad you came back to me," he whispered.

  Lyn tilted her head back to look at him, lifting one finger to lightly trace the shape of his eyebrow. How she loved that face. She could spend the rest of her life looking at that face. "You were right about one thing, though," she said softly. "I do need to work with people, to help them... that's what I'm good at, what I know." She stepped back determinedly, her jaw set. "But I'm good at other things, too, Casey. I want you to teach me how to train assistance dogs, and I want to work with the handicapped. That's the kind of difference I want to make."

  He lifted his hand to caress her hair, smiling. "That's quite an undertaking. It'll take years of training before you're even qualified to place a dog."

  "I know that."

  "We'd have to spend a lot of time together."

  "I think I could handle that."

  His eyes were sober. "Are you sure? Because I meant what I said before, Lyn. I'm never letting go. I want you to marry me."

  Her eyes closed against the joy that swelled inside her, but there was no holding back the smile. "Yes," she whispered, and her voice sounded a little choked. "I think I could handle that, too."

  He drew her to him again, wrapping his arms around her, holding her securely against his chest. "I'm glad," he said softly. "Because I don't think I can live without you."

  Lyn smiled, and snuggled contentedly against his shoulder. "I know," she answered.

  ##

  Dear Reader,

  I hope you enjoyed FOR KEEPS, which was one of the first books I ever wrote that featured canine heroes. A lot has changed in the world of dog training since then, and this book has been extensively rewritten to reflect that.

  If you liked Montana the golden retriever, you’ll definitely want to check out Cisco in the Raine Stockton Dog Mystery series. Cisco is a mischievous golden retriever and Search-and-Rescue dog in training who works hard to keep his mistress out of trouble, and sometimes even solves a crime or two. SMOKY MOUNTAIN TRACKS, RAPID FIRE, GUN SHY and BONE YARD are all available now as e-books, and look for SILENT NIGHT in December of 2011 .

  You might also enjoy these “Romance Revisited” e-books from the land of light romance and happy endings, all priced under $3.00:

  MATCHMAKER, MATCHMAKER

  He was a cowboy looking for a wife. She was a lady specializing in brides. They were made for each other... They just didn't know it yet.

  A MAN AROUND THE HOUSE

  He was the answer to a busy working woman's dreams. But was he too good to be true?

  STEALING SAVANNAH

  He was a reformed jewel thief now turned security expert and her job depended on his expertise. But could he be trusted not to steal the most valuable jewel of all-- her heart?

  UNDER COVER

  She's working on the biggest case of her life, and her cover has already been blown-- by the very man she's investigating. Now they must work together to solve an even bigger mystery-- their future together.

  INTERLUDE

  Sometimes a chance encounter is over in a moment, and sometimes it can last a lifetime.

  CAST ADRIFT

  She's a scientist and he's a sailor, and neither have much patience for the other. but two weeks alone at sea could change everything...

  THE STORMRIDERS

  They were thunder and lightning when they were married, and their divorce has been no less turbulent. But trapped together during a deadly blizzard with the lives of an entire community depending on them, they discover what's really important, and that some storms are worth riding out.

  And if you like suspense, be sure to pick up

  EXPOSURE

  Everyone has secrets, and Philadelphia talk show host Jessamine Cray is no exception. But when a stalker begins to use secrets from her past to terrorize her, Jess can no longer trust anyone: not her friends, her family, her colleagues… or even herself.

  NIGHT FLIGHT

  She’s an innocent woman who knows too much. Now she’s fleeing through the night without a weapon
and without a phone, and her only hope for survival is a cop who’s willing to risk his badge—and his life—to save her.

  SANCTUARY

  They came to the peaceful, untouched mountain wilderness of Eastern Tennessee seeking an escape from the madness of modern life. But when they built their luxury homes in the heart of virgin forest they did not realize that something was there before them… something ancient and horrible; something that will make them believe that monsters are real.

  JUST BEFORE DAWN

  A call in the night sends a mother down a terrifying path. Could her missing daughter still be alive? Or is she the victim of one of the cruelest serial killers of the century?

  If you enjoy these books, let me know at www.donnaball.net. Meantime, happy reading!

  Donna Ball

  http://www.donnaball.net

  Also by Donna Ball, in print and e-book editions from Berkley Books:

  A Year on Ladybug Farm

  At Home on Ladybug Farm

  Love Letters from Ladybug Farm

  for every woman who ever had a friend... or a dream.

  And

  Keys to the Castle