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too, eventually….”
    “Let’s focus on Jasper for now.” Joe looked down at the scruffy creature. “They’ve probably already met, in the forest or something. And Jasper’s smaller than Red, doesn’t seem like he’ll want to be dominant. Maybe it’ll go just as well as it did with Griffin.”
    “If Red kills him, we have to tell Lacey and Savannah that he was already adopted when we got to the pound.”
    “Red’s not going to kill him.”
    “He’d better not,” Ally said glumly.
    “Let’s put the ferret upstairs so the poor thing doesn’t have a heart attack, then introduce the dogs outside. Fair?”
    Ally nodded.
    The farm dogs were still penned up, as they had been since the social worker’s visit, and they weren’t used to being contained for so long. Joe reconsidered the plan. “Actually, let’s take Jasper in with us for a bit, and I’ll let the dogs out to run some steam off. Then we can do the introductions one at a time.”
    “Everything gets complicated, doesn’t it?” Ally asked sympathetically.
    She was right. Nothing was ever as a simple as Joe wanted it to be. But he was doing the right thing. Finding a way for the girls to have their dog was important. It was worth the hassle. The ferret, on the other hand…. But then he thought of Austin’s glee as the little creature had investigated his ears and neck. It was time there was something in the house smaller than Austin, something he could be in charge of. Joe would just have to make sure the creature was cared for properly.
    One more responsibility. But it was okay. It was what people needed, so Joe would take care of it. That was what he was there for.

Chapter 6

     
    O NCE AGAIN , Mackenzie’s life seemed to be spinning in strange directions. He was pretty sure there was a connection between the feeling of being out of control and the consumption of massive quantities of alcohol, but he was going to have to wait until he sobered up to really puzzle that relationship out. For now, he was just letting things happen.
    It had sounded like a good idea when Anton had called to suggest it. A friend had opened a bar and was trying to drum up business; he was offering free drinks to a select group of gorgeous people if they came and had an obvious good time, and Mackenzie and Kristen were good-looking enough to qualify. Mackenzie hadn’t seen Anton since the party at the church, but the guy always seemed to have good connections. Good drugs, too, but Mackenzie had resolutely stayed away from those on this occasion. Alcohol was controllable, at least in theory.
    Mackenzie leaned back against the leather couch and looked out at the bar. He was pretty sure he still looked sober enough. He wasn’t tipping over or anything. That was important. And the bartenders seemed to have cut him off, or at least started putting so much mix in the free drinks that there wasn’t much chance of getting any drunker, so that was good too. He could manage this night. Another hour or two, maybe, then he’d drag Kristen back to her place and they’d get some sleep. Mackenzie had worked all day, but the next was just bureaucracy—a meeting with his agent, a fitting—nothing he couldn’t do hungover. Everything was fine. He wasn’t being irresponsible. He missed Joe, but he was coping with it.
    “You look miserable,” Kristen said, flopping gracelessly onto the ottoman in front of him. “Why don’t you dance?”
    “Turns out I don’t like dancing unless I’m high,” he said sadly.
    “So get high.” Her expression made it clear she’d found the obvious solution.
    “Nah,” he said, leaning back into the leather. “Don’t feel like it.”
    “Is this a Joe thing? Does Cowboy Joe disapprove of drug use?”
    Mackenzie frowned. Kristen wasn’t the first friend who seemed to have gotten a negative impression of Joe, and it was beginning to be annoying. “I don’t think so. And he’s not here. I can do what I want. I just don’t feel like