His New Companion Release Day!

The final book in my Wyoming Legacies series is officially in stores now! His New Companion is a K-9 Companions book and follows Ty Moulten as he begins to emerge from his shell five years after his beloved fiancée dies. He volunteers to foster a service-dog-in-training on weekends, and he gets more than he bargained for. Not only does a mini-dachshund enter his life, but a beautiful woman with a service dog of her own does, too.

Expect hijinks from the members of the Jewel River Legacy Club, especially Clem and Ty’s mom, Christie. I laughed. I cried. And I’m sad the series is over! I hope you enjoy it!

EXCERPT:

He would not get attached to the dog. After all, this was a temporary gig.

Ty Moulten stood outside the entrance of Howard Service Dogs in Jewel River, Wyoming, after five on Friday and wondered again if fostering a dog on the weekends was wise. Maybe he should wait until next year when he’d have more time to get used to the idea. Or he could try in a few months when the temperature cooled. July had been a scorcher so far, and they were only midway through it.

Either the sun was melting him or he’d worked himself into an actual fever. Why was he so sweaty? Probably didn’t help that after he’d finished checking cattle, he’d opted to change into a fresh pair of jeans instead of shorts.

Life made more sense in jeans, cowboy boots and a cowboy hat. And being comfortable would help him keep his head on straight. His heart had been broken once. Shattered, really. Fostering a dog was nothing compared to what he’d had with Zoey, but it didn’t change the fact there wasn’t enough of his heart left for him to squander the little that remained.

He didn’t do love—or people in general—anymore.

Ty opened the glass door, stepped into the small entryway and continued through a second set of glass doors. Inside the warehouse, industrial-sized fans overhead circulated the air, and the large space in front of him had been sectioned into training areas. To the far left, a door led to the kennel room, and to the far right stood the office and a hallway leading to restrooms and storage.

Patrick Howard had moved to Jewel River after purchasing the abandoned warehouse from Ty’s older brother, Cade. Patrick’s daughter, Mackenzie, had opened her veterinary clinic in the smaller building next door. Their arrival had worked out great for the community as well as for the Moulten family. The area had a veterinarian again, and Mackenzie and Cade had gotten married in January. The training center’s renovations had taken the better part of last year.

Ty’s mother, Christy Moulten, had been the one to convince Ty to volunteer there. For someone who’d spent the past six years on his ranch avoiding extended interaction with anyone besides his brother and mom, the idea had sounded ludicrous. But then it had grown on him. Helping Patrick meant helping people who needed a service dog. Fostering a dog on weekends for a cause he believed in? Yeah, he could probably handle that.

“You made it.” Patrick emerged from his office with his German shepherd, Charger, by his side. The tall, lean man in his early sixties wore athletic shorts, a T-shirt and running shoes. He strode toward Ty. “I appreciate you doing this for me. Hope you don’t mind, but there’s been a slight change in plans.”

Ty didn’t like the sound of that. He braced himself as Patrick stopped a few feet in front of him.

“I’m worried about Fritz.”

“Who’s Fritz?” Ty asked.

“I’ll show you.” Patrick jerked his thumb toward the kennels. “Let’s go.”

Ty followed him to the large kennel room. Shuffling noises, whining and a few barks greeted them. Patrick stopped near a crate that contained a black-and-tan miniature dachshund.

“Fritz is three years old. I brought him here last week. His owner, a retired veteran, passed away, and the family couldn’t keep the dog. A dachshund rescuer told me this guy was trained to help his owner with anxiety and depression. Naturally, I hoped to work with him and place him with one of my clients.”

“You don’t think you’ll be able to?” Ty peered down to get a glimpse of the dog, but he was curled up in the rear corner.

“I’m not sure. At this point, no. He’s miserable here even when he’s out with the other dogs. I think he was attached to his owner and needs one-on-one attention.”

Ty could see where this was headed, and panic zipped through him. He’d expected to get a bigger, easygoing dog that didn’t need much attention. He’d pictured the two of them walking around his ranch or hanging out in his living room from Friday night through Monday morning.

“Hey, Fritz, come on out.” Patrick bent and opened the kennel door. The dog slowly emerged, stretching his legs in front of him. Then he shook his body—ears flapping loudly—and trotted directly to Ty.

Those big brown eyes melted him. Fritz’s tail wagged as he sniffed Ty’s shoes. Then he began wiggling ecstatically with what appeared to be a smile on his face.

“Well, I’ll be.” Patrick rubbed his chin. “I haven’t seen him this excited since bringing him here. He likes you.”

Ty crouched and let the dog sniff the back of his hand before attempting to pet him. Fritz ate up the attention. He was wiggling so much that Ty laughed and picked him up. The dog instantly settled in his arms.

“Would you be willing to take Fritz for the weekend?” Patrick asked.

As if on cue, Fritz turned to stare up at him with eyes full of longing. Stirrings in his heart threw him off balance. This dog liked him. Really liked him. And he couldn’t weigh ten pounds. The warm little body with his soft, short fur was evaporating all the arguments warring in Ty’s brain.

***

HIS NEW COMPANION

Healing from heartbreak
Can start with a four-legged friend.

Six years after losing his fiancée, rancher Ty Moulten still struggles with grief. Organizing a fundraiser in her honor and fostering a service dog feel like a step forward, and lead to meeting Ashlinn Burnier, the service dog training center’s new administrative assistant. As Ashlinn helps Ty plan the fundraiser, he finds himself falling for Fritz, the tiny dachshund in his care, and for Ashlinn—who has a service dog of her own. But Ashlinn worries her health challenges make her a burden, and Ty wonders if he can open his heart again. Will two hardworking pups help them choose love over holding on to fear?

Purchase His New Companion!

What have you been reading this summer?

Thanks for celebrating with me! Have the best day!