by Lori Wilde
“Yes, Pookie is dear to me,” Delia said.
Erin reached out and patted the battered plastic animal. “He’s sweet. You must have missed him.”
Delia held the statue close. “He is sweet, which is why someone stole him.”
Erin deliberately ignored the baiting tone in the woman’s voice. Instead, she said, “I’m so glad you got him back. When I was in first grade, one of the boys stole my lunch box, which I loved. I was devastated. I ran home and cried and cried.”
Delia’s expression softened a little more around the edges. “What kind of lunch box was it?”
“Scooby-Doo. And I loved that lunch box. I was so proud of it. I couldn’t believe it was gone.”
Delia nodded. “Scooby-Doo is a good choice. So, did you get the lunch box back?”
“No. Although I knew who took it, no one would believe me. My parents said I’d probably lost it on the bus and wouldn’t buy me another because they felt I’d been careless. My teacher said I’d probably lost it at home somewhere and didn’t believe me when I said Billy Porter had stolen it.”
“You poor thing,” Delia said, patting her on the arm.
“The worst part was that a couple of months later, Billy started coming to school carrying the Scooby-Doo lunch box. I could even see where he’d marked out my name and written his own. I was so upset, but no one would do anything, so I had to ignore it. But it was hard to ignore since Billy liked to tease me by saying ‘Don’t you wish you had a lunch box as nice as mine?’”
“That rat,” Delia huffed. “Someone should have taught that boy a lesson.”
Erin looked Delia directly in the eye. “I agree. What Billy did was horrible. That’s why I would never, ever take something that didn’t belong to me. As you can tell, I still to this day remember the Scooby-Doo lunch box incident.”
Delia patted her arm again. “You poor thing.”
Trent cleared his throat. “Excuse me. but, Ms. Weber, do you have any idea who might have left Pookie outside your store?”
Delia spun around and glared at him, her hands on her wide hips. “Trent Barrett, have you no manners?”
Both Trent and Erin looked at each other. He seemed as baffled by Delia’s comment as she was.
Trent explained. “Delia, I’m trying to find out about Pookie. I thought that was what you wanted me to do.”
Delia pointed one finger at him. “You should have sympathized about the lunch box first. Then you can ask about Pookie.”
Trent turned to Erin, his deep-blue eyes sparkling with humor. She could tell he was trying hard not to smile. To his credit, he managed to look sincere when he said, “My deepest apologies,” he said. “I’m so sorry to hear about your loss.”
“Thank you.” Now Erin had to keep from smiling at the mischievous look in Trent’s eyes. The man was a flirt, plain and simple. She could tell from the way he was looking at her that he found her attractive.
“Now that I’ve paid my respects to your lost Scooby-Doo lunch box, do you have any idea how Pookie came to be outside your store?” he asked.
“None at all,” she admitted and glanced at Delia. “I really am sorry this happened to you.”
Delia patted her arm yet again. “I appreciate your concern. And I realize now that you couldn’t possibly have had anything to do with Pookie’s disappearance. Not when you’ve suffered yourself. Trent will have to figure out who really did it.”
Erin was relieved the other woman believed her. Not only would she hate to think someone blamed her for a theft, but it wouldn’t do Precious Pets any good if everyone started thinking badly of her.
“I’m not done asking questions,” Trent said to Delia.
Delia shook her head. “No more questions. She didn’t do it. Enough said. Go on back to your office and arrest someone else. I’m going to visit with Erin for a bit.” She glanced at the store. “Do you let the local shelters list dogs and cats so they can find forever homes? I didn’t pay that much attention when I was here with my grandson last Saturday. You remember Zach, don’t you?”
Erin smiled. It would be difficult to forget the eight-year-old. He’d asked a million questions while Delia had visited with the mayor and his wife.
“Yes, I remember Zach. Yes, I help the local animal shelter find homes for the strays. A couple times a month, they bring a few of their pets here to see if my customers are interested in adopting. And then sometimes, I act as a foster home to a kitten or a puppy. Right now, I’m taking care of a puppy named Brutus. He’s a sweetie and needs a good home.”
“Let me take a look at him. Also, do you sell birdseed? I have a new bird feeder that looks like the Tower of Pisa. I need to stock it.”
Erin smiled, relaxing for the first time since this whole mess had started. Even though she knew all along that she hadn’t done a thing wrong, just the threat of being arrested made her jittery and jumpy. She was used to always being the good girl. The good daughter. The good student. The good fiancée.
She wouldn’t know how to be bad if someone gave her lessons.
“I have several types of birdseed,” Erin told Delia, thrilled the woman was now being friendly. “I’m certain I have something that will work for you.”
She turned to look at the handsome chief of police. Her pulse rate picked up, but she ignored it. Even Pookie, the plastic bunny rabbit statue, was smart enough to know a man like Trent Barrett was trouble.
“Are we done?” she asked him.
He grinned, his look downright flirtatious. His blue eyes sparkled once again with mischief, and Erin’s first instinct was to smile back at him. Thankfully, her common sense kicked in, and she stopped herself. Smiling at Trent struck her as an activity only a tiny bit less dangerous than carrying around a lit stick of dynamite. The man was a handsome devil all right.
When she didn’t return his smile, he only grinned bigger. She could tell he found her amusing, but she didn’t care. She wasn’t going to flirt with this man no matter how tempting it might be.
“You’re no longer a suspect in Pookie’s kidnapping,” Trent finally said. “But I’d say we’re far from done.”
With that and a goodbye to Delia, he walked away. Erin frowned. What did he mean by that crack that they were far from done?
“Woo-wee, that boy is a charmer. All of those Barrett boys are,” Delia said as they watched Trent Barrett leave. “But that one, he’s a flirt through and through. A mighty fine-looking man, but a flirt, that’s for sure.”
“Mmm.” Erin didn’t want to discuss Trent Barrett. The man made her...pensive. And pensive could be bad for her emotional health.
Delia yanked open the door to the shop and headed straight for the birdseed. “You have a wonderful selection.”
“Thanks.” Erin helped her pick just the right type for the birds she wanted to attract. Then after introducing Delia to Brutus, she rang up the older woman’s order.
“Sure you don’t want to adopt this puppy? He’s a great little fellow,” Erin tried, even though Delia had already made it clear she thought Brutus was way too active.
“Brutus isn’t right for me. Does he have any sisters?”
Erin hid her disappointment. Delia wasn’t the first person to ask that. So far, Erin had sent three people to the county animal shelter to see Brutus’ sisters.
Well, an adopted animal was one more with a home, so Erin told Delia, “Yes. The shelter has several females left from the litter.”
Delia eyed Brutus, who was now gnawing on Erin’s sneaker. “Yes, I think one of the girls might suit me better. I’ll go over there this afternoon.”
Erin reached down and detached Brutus from her shoe, telling him firmly, “No, Brutus.” Then she said to Delia, “I’m sure you’ll find a wonderful dog to love.”
“I’m sure I will, too.” Just as the older woman was about to leave, she said, “Hon, before I go, I wanted to say I’m so sorry about the mix-up this morning. I only hope Trent finds the people who stole Pookie. They des
erve to be in jail.”
“I’m sure the chief will do a thorough investigation,” Erin assured her.
“You’re probably right. Even though he’s something of a rogue, Trent’s good at his job. He keeps this town running smoothly.” She leaned forward a little and added, “But just so you know, be very careful if you decide to go out with him. That man breaks hearts as easily as I crack eggs.”
Erin handed Delia the bag with the birdseed and said as much to herself as to the other woman, “I’m not worried. My heart is unbreakable.”
2
“Dang it, Leigh, stop yanking on my arm. I told you, I already met Erin Weber. Last week.”
Trent’s sister made a snorting noise and kept tugging. “You tried to arrest her. That doesn’t count. Now come on and meet her the right way, without the threat of imprisonment hanging over her head. You’ll love Erin. She’s in my pottery class.”
Trent stopped and refused to let his sister tow him any farther. “You’re in a pottery class?”
Leigh rolled her eyes. “Jeez, you’re easily distracted. Okay, yes, I’m taking a pottery class.”
Trent shuddered. “Just the thought of you around all that fragile stuff makes me cringe.”
“Very funny, bozo. Now come on. I want you to meet Erin the right way.”
Trent groaned. He and his brothers had developed almost a sixth sense over the years when it came to Leigh and her evil plans. This little visit to meet Erin Weber had “Leigh plot” written all over it. She was up to something as sure as snakes liked to slither.
“Don’t even think about it,” he told her.
“Don’t even think about what?”
“Whatever scheme you’ve got cooking in your devious mind. I’m not falling for it.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’m not up to anything. I just want you to meet a friend of mine.” Leigh tried to look innocent, but he didn’t buy it for a second.
“You’re guilty all right.”
Leigh put her hands on her hips. “I am not guilty. Besides, you can’t prove a thing.”
“Now there’s a comment seldom made by an innocent person.”
Leigh snorted again and started walking toward the pet shop. “You know, Chase and Nathan aren’t nearly as suspicious as you are. They believe me when I tell them things.”
“Well, that’s only because they’re not paying attention these days.” Boy, that was the understatement of the year. Chase had recently married the town’s librarian, and he and Megan were blissful honeymooners. And Nathan was engaged to Emma, a woman Leigh knew from college.
Suddenly, like a whack to the head, Trent understood Leigh’s plan.
“You’re trying to fix me up,” he accused.
Leigh laughed. “As if. I like Erin. Why would I want to ruin her life by getting her mixed up with you?”
Even though he didn’t care for her tone, his sister had a point. Not about the ruining-this-woman’s-life stuff, but the thought behind it. Leigh, like everyone else in town, knew he wasn’t the type to settle down. He liked to enjoy life, and as far as he was concerned, love was for saps.
If Erin really was a friend of Leigh’s, she wouldn’t try to fix them up. Leigh had never tried to fix any of her friends up with him.
Even Leigh wasn’t that evil.
They’d reached Precious Pets, so Trent held the door for his sister. She rewarded him by leaning up and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.
“You’re my favorite brother,” she said. “Now be nice, or I’ll kick your butt.”
He made the snorting noise Leigh was so fond of and said her favorite phrase, “As if.”
“It’s true.”
“Oops, watch out for Brutus,” Erin called from inside.
Trent looked down just in time to see the furball making a break. He scooped up the dog seconds before the rascal made it out the open door. Giving the pup his most serious look, he said, “Hold it, mister. You’re under arrest.”
“Better Brutus than me,” said Erin, coming over to take the puppy from Trent. As he handed over Brutus, their hands brushed. He couldn’t resist prolonging the contact a little longer than necessary. She gave him a startled look, then took the puppy and stepped back. He smiled. Dang. The woman might not like him, but she sure wasn’t immune to him.
“Trent’s here to tell you how sorry he is for trying to arrest you,” Leigh said.
Trent frowned at his sister. “No, I’m not. I’m here because you dragged me here.” He glanced at Erin. “Not that it isn’t a pleasure to see you again, Ms. Weber.”
“You can call me Erin now that you’re no longer threatening to arrest me.”
“Erin. And for the record, I didn’t threaten to arrest you. I said Delia wanted me to arrest you. I only intended on asking you a few questions.”
“Have you found out who stole Pookie yet?” she asked.
Leigh hooted a laugh. “Pookie. I still can’t get over that Delia names those plastic statues in her yard. What does she call the armadillo she’s got out by the tree?”
“His name is Stanley. And the turtle statue she’s got in her flowerbed is Dazzle,” Erin said.
“You and Delia seem to have hit it off despite her wanting me to arrest you,” Trent pointed out.
“Delia has stopped by a couple times in the last week. We’ve had a chance to talk. She’s very nice. She adopted one of Brutus’ sisters and has been coming in for supplies,” Erin said, heading toward a crate with Brutus.
“Leave him out,” Leigh said. “Let him visit with us.”
Erin set the dog down. “Okay, but we need to watch him. He’s a sneaky guy.”
Trent raised an eyebrow when Brutus came over and started chewing on the side of his shoe. “Hey, cut that out.”
When the dog didn’t stop, Trent looked at Erin. “What’s with the furball and shoes?”
Erin sighed. “His chewing fascination isn’t limited to shoes. He’ll pretty much chomp on anything that slows down. I’m working on breaking his bad habits, but he’s a scallywag and isn’t coming around easily.”
“Sounds like a male I’d be related to.” Leigh reached down and scratched Brutus. “What this guy needs is a home with someone who’s as much a rascal as he is, don’t you, fella?”
Brutus yapped, almost as if he were agreeing with Leigh. His sister laughed. “See, he thinks I’m right.”
“Unfortunately, I haven’t had any luck finding him a home. The people at the shelter suggested I bring Brutus back and see if I can place a different animal, but I can’t give up on Brutus. Not yet.”
As soon as Leigh stopped scratching Brutus, he returned to chewing on one of Trent’s shoes.
“Dang it, dog,” Trent said. “I mean it. Cut it out.”
Brutus yapped again and resumed chewing.
“He obviously thinks your shoe is a bark-o-lounger,” Leigh teased.
Trent groaned. “Bad joke.”
“Brutus liked it, didn’t you, sweetie?” Leigh leaned over and picked up the puppy. “You need a wonderful home with someone who understands the male mind. Someone who’s had a lot of experience with wild impulses.” She grinned at Trent over the top of the puppy’s head. “Someone like my brother.”
Erin hadn’t realized Leigh’s brother liked dogs. In fact, looking at the frown on his face at this very moment, she still wasn’t sure he liked dogs. He was staring at his sister like she’d just announced he should adopt a rattlesnake.
But before he could protest, Erin gave him her best smile and pushed her advantage. “Would you really consider adopting Brutus? That would be wonderful. I don’t want to take him back to the shelter, and I live in the small apartment over the store, so I can’t adopt him.”
Trent sighed and shook his head. “Leigh was joking. I can’t adopt him.”
Disappointment flooded through Erin. Something awful could happen to Brutus if he didn’t find a home. “Are you sure? He’s actually a sweet little guy.”
At that moment, Brutus started gnawing on the collar of Leigh’s blouse.
“Seems to me he’s more like a one-man demolition team,” Trent said dryly.
“Oh, come on, Trent,” Leigh said. “He’s no worse than you were when you were young. And look how you’ve settled down.” She totally undermined her statement by laughing when she finished. “Well, sort of settled down. At least now you’re less likely to be caught.”
Normally, Erin wouldn’t press someone on a decision like this, but despite his teasing of Brutus, Trent had been kind to the puppy, and she was frantic. The animal shelter might put Brutus to sleep.
She scanned her mind for some way to convince Trent to take the puppy. The best she could come up with was, “He’s young, yet. He’ll calm down with age.”
Trent was frowning. Frowning a lot. “I’m not the sort for a puppy. I’m not home much.”
“I’ll help you take care of him,” Leigh offered. “I can stop by while you’re at work and play with him and walk him.”
Rather than looking pleased by his sister’s offer, Trent continued frowning. “I’m not interested in adopting a puppy. Thanks for asking, Leigh.”
“I’ll buy the food,” Leigh said, upping her offer.
“No,” Trent said.
“I’ll pay for all the shots.”
“No.”
Since Leigh was striking out, Erin made the only other offer that came to mind.
“I’ll help you train him,” she said. “I’ll throw in free puppy-training lessons. A class starts in a few days, and there’s room for you to join.”
Leigh tapped him on the arm. “Now how can you pass up free puppy-training lessons given by Erin? By the time she’s done, Brutus will be better behaved than a choirboy. And who knows? Maybe you’ll learn a thing or two about behaving.”
Trent continued frowning at his sister.
Erin quickly pressed on. “Yes, Brutus will learn how to behave. And after you have him neutered, he’ll—”
“Whoa, whoa. Hold it right there,” Trent said. “Neutered?”
Erin mentally crossed her fingers, hoping Trent wasn’t going to be difficult about this. She gave him a reassuring smile, but he looked positively horrified.
