Welcome to “At First Sight Saturday.” Today’s guest is author, Gayle Irwin, who gives us a ‘first sight’ scene from her book Rescue Road and introduces us to hero, Levi and heroine, Rhiann. Be sure to leave a comment to let Gayle know your thoughts about the scene. First, a note from Gayle: October is Adopt-a-Shelter-Dog Month, and I am excited to share my pet rescue romance novel, Rescue Road, a story about second chances for the people in the story and for the dogs that readers will meet in the book. My own rescue dog, Jeremiah, is the basis for my female character’s four-footed companion, Jax. The first meeting between my heroine, who rescues dogs, and my hero, who is an EMT, showcases two dogs she has rescued and hopes to place in new homes. In the book, readers will learn more about pet rescue and adoption; that is the theme of my series. Thank you for letting me showcase the first novel in the series in honor of pet rescue workers, the animals they help, and the adopters who bring these creatures into their homes during Adopt-a-Shelter-Dog Month!
Excerpt: Rhiann Kelly twisted the lens on the digital camera, capturing the scene of two adult dogs sitting in front of a downed cottonwood tree. Golden leaves splayed on the ground, creating a natural carpet and accenting other autumn colors throughout the Montana campground. She smiled at the scene framed in the camera’s viewfinder.
Rays of mid-morning sunlight danced among the aspens, cottonwoods, and pine trees and enveloped her canine subjects. As she took a deep breath to steady herself, Rhiann silently willed the wire-haired West Highland terrier and the coppery cocker spaniel to stay. Pressing the silver button atop the camera, she snapped two photos.
“Good dogs! Really good dogs!”
The four-footed creatures stood in union at her praise and wagged their tails. Rhiann walked to them and presented each with a soft treat from the pocket of her fleece jacket. First one and then the other nibbled the bacon-flavored morsel from her extended hand.
Rhiann repositioned the dogs to the right, closer to a russet-colored shrub. She coaxed the animals to sit and stay, and they obeyed. Rhiann walked back to the camera and glanced at the dogs. She smiled at the new scene. The animals’ fur blended well with the colors of the serviceberry bush, its crimson branches and burnished leaves cascading toward heads of yellowing grasses.
“Stay!” Rhiann again commanded as she readjusted the tripod and camera. She looked through the viewfinder. This will make a great adoption photo.
Rhiann placed her index finger on top of the camera. Sticks snapped along the nearby wooded trail. Rhiann paused and raised her head. Her photo subjects looked to the left, and she glanced in that direction. Her green eyes widened.
Bear?
Leaving the camera and tripod, she swept the dogs into her arms and drew a deep breath. Knowing southwestern Montana provided prime habitat for such creatures and that October offered opportunity for food foraging before hibernation, she reprimanded herself under her breath.
“Why didn’t I bring that bear spray?”
Leaves crunched as running steps padded closer. Rhiann sprinted toward the nearest concrete picnic table. The two dogs chorused a barking frenzy from the security of her embrace. Rhiann tried to hush them as she leaped upon the structure’s seat and climbed to the higher tabletop. Twigs cracked as something rushed from the surrounding forest. She quivered and bit her lower lip to stifle a scream. She knew bears had poor eyesight, and if she kept quiet, perhaps the creature would move on without noticing her.
On impulse, her right hand delved into her jacket pocket in search of a defense weapon. However, the two wiggling dogs in her arms made the attempt difficult. Rhiann shushed them as her fingers closed around a set of keys. Her hand emerged from the pocket, and she whispered praise to the dogs plastered against her chest. Rhiann closed her eyes in silent prayer. The intruding noises ceased, and she re-opened her eyes. Her mouth rounded in an “O” when she saw what stared at her.
***
Levi Butler gawked at the woman standing on top of the picnic table at Twin Bridges Campground—holding a pair of small dogs no less! The scene made him come to a complete stop after jogging the three-mile circular river trail and back to the parking lot. He muffled a smile and turned his head to squelch an eruption of laughter that rumbled in his chest.
Returning his gaze to the picnic table, he watched the dark-haired woman place a hand over her heart. The russet cocker spaniel jumped from her grasp. Instinct kicking in, Levi took a step forward, but the glower from the dog stopped him.
He heard the woman exhale. “Heavens! You scared me!”
“And you startled me,” he replied.
“What are you doing here?” they asked simultaneously.
Levi chuckled. He reached a hand toward her and said, “Here, let me help you.”
He noticed her hesitation, so he smiled. Dressed in black sweatpants and a long-sleeved dark blue T-shirt, he pointed to the emblem above his left pocket. Red lettering announced, “Jefferson County EMS.”
“I promise—I’m one of the good guys.”
Her eyes traveled to the insignia. The emerald spheres sparkled like jewels, catching him off-guard. Levi shook his head to banish any thought of attraction.
I need her to feel comfortable, not more frightened, he thought.
He maintained his smile and watched as she extended her arm. He clasped her hand and helped her to the ground.
“You ruined my shot,” she said with a glare. “Who runs in a campground at 11 am on a Tuesday in October?”
He heard the frustration in her voice, tinged with a note of relief. “I’m sorry about scaring you,” he said. “I go on duty in a few hours, so I needed to get my run in before work. Usually, during a weekday in autumn, no one is around.”
“That’s what I thought, too,” she retorted.
She set the white terrier by her feet and reached up to the cocker spaniel. She helped the dog to the ground. She looked at Levi, and her face softened. “I admit, I’m glad you’re not a bear.”
He patted the can of spray on the belt at his hip. “That’s why I have this.”
Holding the dogs’ leashes, the woman escorted them away from Levi. He noticed the camera and tripod.
“I take it you don’t have bear spray?” Levi asked, taking a few steps closer.
She shrugged. “I planned on it but forgot it at home.”
The woman pulled a biscuit from her jacket pocket and gave a piece to each dog. She walked closer to the camera, the small dogs trotting close behind her.
“Where’s home?” Levi asked as he watched them.
The woman turned. Her eyes narrowed, and she frowned.
Levi shrugged. “I’m just curious. I’ve lived here for nearly fifteen years, and I don’t believe I’ve seen you around.”
“You likely haven’t. I recently moved to the area.”
“Oh? What brought you here?”
“Family. And these guys.” She nodded toward the dogs.
He studied them a moment. “Nice-looking animals. Yours, I take it?”
“For now. The terrier is Molly, and the cocker is Max. They’re available for adoption. The photos I’m taking will hopefully get them a new home.”
“Do you work at the animal shelter near Bozeman?” Levi asked.
She shook her head. “I’m a pet rescue transport coordinator. I’ve visited Heart of the Valley Animal Shelter a couple of times during transports through the area. I’m setting up an animal sanctuary near Colter on land that’s part of my family’s heritage.”
“Really? May I ask where?”
She hesitated and chewed her lower lip. Her emerald eyes gazed into his slate-colored ones. She glanced at the insignia on his shirt before responding. “A few miles west of town.”
His eyebrows arched. “That’s interesting. I live west of Colter, too. I don’t recall seeing any for sale signs on properties around there lately.”
“I bought the place for back taxes.”
Levi remained silent a moment, his mind whirling with wonder as he pictured ranches in the area. He shook the cobwebs from his entangled thoughts and said, “Well, maybe we’ll be neighbors. I’m intrigued by your idea of a rescue sanctuary. My future involves raising horses, and some will come from the Bureau of Land Management’s wild horse adoption program.”
Her face softened as she smiled. Levi immediately noticed her smooth complexion and high cheekbones.
“Sounds wonderful,” she said. “I’d like to hear more about that sometime.”
He returned her smile. “And I’d like to learn more about your sanctuary plans. Our area could use a strong rescue organization.”
The woman nodded. “Sadly, there’s no lack of need, no matter where a person lives. Do you have pets?”
Levi shook his head. “My job leaves no time for caring for a companion animal. However, I’m sure a dog or two, maybe even a few cats, will be part of the horse ranch I’m planning.”
The woman smiled again. “You could consider adopting for your department. Agencies like yours across the county have dogs as mascots and ambassadors to the community.” She took a few steps closer to the camera. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get a few more pictures taken so I can post photos online and get the word out about these two.”
Levi extended his hand. “Stop by the EMS office in Colter when you have some time so we can continue our conversation. We brew some great coffee at the station. I’m Levi Butler, by the way.”
She shook his hand. Her grip was firm, yet gentle. “Nice to meet you. I’m Rhiann, Rhiann Kelly.”
Levi smiled. “Well, Rhiann Kelly, I’d be happy to help however I can, and I’m sure my colleagues would be, too. Most of us at the department are dog lovers.”
“Good to know, and thank you,” she said with a smile and another sparkle to her eyes.
Levi noticed the shimmer of green as well as the glimmer of auburn highlights in her wavy hair. Curiosity caused him to ask, “You’re Irish, I take it?”
Rhiann’s smile remained on her face. “Both sides of the family. Levi sounds like a strong western name.”
“I’ve lived in Montana for nearly two decades, but I’m originally from the east coast. I came here for fire school and took EMS training. Decided to stay.”
Rhiann glanced at the natural setting surrounding them. “I can see why.”
Levi took a few steps toward the parking lot. “Welcome to our little community, Rhiann. Don’t forget that offer for coffee next time you’re in town.”
He gave her another smile and a quick salute before jogging toward the vehicles parked several feet away. He glanced back to see her watching him. His gray eyes off the path, Levi nearly tripped over a tangled root bulging from the ground. He stumbled but caught himself. He glanced back again to see Rhiann covering her mouth with her hand.
Likely hiding a grin at my expense. Levi pasted on a smile and waved. She returned the gesture before turning her attention to the dogs.
“Way to go, dude—not a great first impression,” he muttered as he slowed to a walk.
The hurt from his romantic history rose like a weed. Levi shook his head to disentangle past and present.
“What do I care about first impressions anyway?”
The murmuring took him to the paved parking lot. As he neared his black Ford F-250, he noticed a red Toyota Tacoma with Washington license plates parked nearby. A heart-shaped sticker on the passenger side of the truck bed noted, “I Love My Rescue Dog.” He saw another placard on the driver’s side near the tailgate which stated, “Rescue Road—The Journey Home.”
Levi glanced back at Rhiann, who now engaged the terrier and cocker spaniel in a game of fetch. He heard her laughter as she occupied the little dogs in play. Levi smiled at the joyous scene.
“She loves what she does.”
He unlocked and opened the driver’s side door of his pickup. She might be a woman worth getting to know.
The thought made his heart leap. He sucked in a deep breath and muttered, “Don’t go there, dude, just don’t go there.”
New thoughts came to his mind as he climbed into the cab of the truck and started the engine. Where is this place she bought? Back taxes? Whose property could that be?
The questions tickled Levi’s brain as he drove away.
Blurb: Freelance writer Rhiann Kelly shelved romance for years. Her dream of starting an animal sanctuary takes deep roots after finding the perfect location in southwestern Montana and purchasing the property for back taxes, land that was homesteaded decades previous by her great-grandparents.
Emergency medical technician Levi Butler knows his elderly friend George left the ranch to him in his will. Levi anxiously awaits the probate to be complete so he can plan his retirement and begin his dream of raising and selling horses.
When Rhiann and Levi find each other at the ranch simultaneously, sparks fly – and not the romantic kind. Yet their attraction for one another can’t be denied despite the chasm between them. The magnetism deepens after Levi finds Rhiann injured in an automobile accident. Meantime, land developer Dallas Patterson sets his sights on charming Rhiann to obtain the land.
Can Rhiann and Levi work together to detour Patterson and find a solution in which neither needs to give up their dream, or will the fence line of their hearts – and the property – separate them forever? Can their broken paths weave their hearts together as they travel the rescue road? Available Now
About Gayle: Gayle M. Irwin is an award-winning author and freelance writer, being recognized by Wyoming Writers, Inc., and the Wyoming Press Association for several of her works. She is a contributor to seven Chicken Soup for the Soul books and the author of many inspirational pet books and stories for both children and adults. Her clean, contemporary romance series, Pet Rescue Romance, consists of Rescue Road, released November 2019 and Finding Love at Compassion Ranch, released in May 2020. She subtly weaves important life lessons within the lines and pages of her stories, including the importance of pet rescue and adoption. An animal advocate, Gayle volunteers for various dog rescue and humane society organizations and donates a percentage of all book sales to such groups. Gayle resides in Wyoming with her husband and their adopted animals. Learn more about the author, her writing endeavors, and her pets, and receive free stories and resources by visiting her website: www.gaylemirwinauthor.com.
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