My Kind of Love

by Jill Sanders

  “Joshua Williams, CEO of Internal Security, the latest security firm to take American by storm, was seen at Tuesday night’s party with Camilla Kincaid, CEO of XSecure Inc.”

  She’d grabbed the paper and shoved it in her bag, not wanting to hear anything else. The three of them sat silent for a moment.

  “Did you hear about the old corner building on Main Street?” Riley asked.

  “What?” She shook her head at the speed Riley could change subjects.

  “Apparently, some mysterious brothers have moved into Pride.” Riley leaned forward. “No one has seen them since they arrived. I heard it from Carol, who heard it from Patty, that they’re twins.” She wiggled her eyebrows.

  “If no one has seen them, how do you know they even exist?” Carrie asked, gaining her a narrowed gaze from Riley, who ignored her question completely.

  “You and Jacob are twins,” Lilly reminded her.

  “Yes, but not identical.” She nudged her cousin. “At first, Patty thought her eyes were playing tricks on her. She turned down one aisle in the store and bumped into one brother, then turned into the next aisle and bumped into the other brother. The only way she knew they were two different people is because they were dressed differently. When she asked, they explained they were twins and that they had just moved into town.”

  “So, someone has seen them then?” Sara asked, earning her another look from Riley.

  “What does this have to do with the old corner building on Main?” Lilly asked.

  “Well, Patty told Carol who told my mother, who confirmed it with me, that the brothers purchased the old building with cash.” Riley leaned back as if that explained everything.

  “Okay, I’ll bite. What are they going to do with the old building?” Lilly asked.

  “No one knows. But I did get it out of my mother that they also purchased a home on the bluff.”

  “No.” Carrie drug the word out, pretending to be shocked. “A home and a business?” She held her hand to her throat. “What is this town coming to?”

  “Is this what I pay you three to do all day?” Iian asked, causing the three of them to jump slightly.

  “Geez, Dad,” Riley said as she signed along. “Don’t sneak up on us like that.” She rolled her eyes.

  Iian chuckled. “I don’t sneak.” He glanced down and, upon seeing the image on the front of the newspaper hanging out of her bag, frowned before turning his eyes to Carrie. “Are you okay?” he asked her in sign language.

  “I’m fine, Mr. Jordan.” She pushed her empty dish away and scooted out of the booth. “We were just finishing up,” she signed, then she picked up the rest of the dishes to clear the table.

  Riley got up and elbowed her father in the ribs. Iian cleared his throat before adding.

  “If you need some time…”

  She shook her head, stopping him. “Your daughter is making something out of nothing,” she said slowly. Iian was an expert lip reader.

  She turned her back on her friends and her boss and walked back to the kitchen to dump the dirty dishes and get ready for her shift.

  Josh wasn’t due back for another full day, which meant she could speculate while she waited, but it wouldn’t do her any good.

  She tried to keep her mind off the image, but it kept popping up in her mind. By lunchtime, she had a headache growing behind her eyes. She was thankful when her shift was finally over, and she drove home in her sedan.

  Pulling in behind her new truck, she smiled upon seeing the new artwork for Carrie’s Sanctuary on the doors and the back window.

  The auto shop in town had done a wonderful job with the decals. She stood there for a few minutes, smiling at it before heading inside to change so she could take care of the animals.

  The two horses, Scratch and Itchy, were being picked up today by Ryan and Ann Ravage, their new owners. Their barn had been finished and was waiting for the horses. She had almost an hour before they would be here to pick them up.

  The young couple had moved from California and had instantly fallen in love with the two geldings.

  Carrie was going to miss them, but she still had Chester and Rudy. Brownie had already gone to his new home and she missed the gentle horse so much, she was thinking of heading up to see him at his new place just outside of Portland.

  That was the problem with her business; she was emotionally invested in every single animal that came through her doors.

  She went upstairs and changed into a worn pair of jeans, her boots, and a collared shirt. She knew after loading up the two horses, she’d want to take Chester or Rudy for a quick ride.

  She stepped outside and frowned when she didn’t see DeWalt at his normal spot on the porch. Had he been there when she’d come home? Had he been there this morning when she’d rushed to work?

  Calling for him, she figured he might be out in the barn, keeping the animals company, and made her way in that direction. She opened the door and blinked a few times until her eyes adjusted.

  Instantly, she knew something was wrong. Her entire body shook as she searched for the cause of the scent that filled the place.

  When she found the dog, she fell to her knees and held his lifeless body and cried.

  When she finally composed herself, she pulled out her phone and called her dad.

  “Dad?” She held in a cry. “Come, it’s DeWalt.”

  “Do you need Mom?” he asked.

  “No, he’s gone.” She closed her eyes as tears flowed again. “Someone shot him, in my barn.”

  “Hang tight, honey, we’re on our way.”

  She hung up and pulled herself up, then glanced down at her clothes. Blood covered the thighs of her jeans.

  Wiping her eyes with her sleeve, she went and stood outside, waiting for her parents to arrive.

  When they did, she was pulled into hugs. Her mother kept her company while her father disappeared into the barn.

  “Let’s go get you changed.” Her mother took her by the shoulders.

  “DeWalt didn’t deserve that.” She laid her head on her mother’s shoulder.

  “Of course not, sweetie.” Her mother ran her hand through her hair.

  They disappeared into the house and Carrie went upstairs to change. She pulled off her soiled clothes and jumped into the shower, since some of the blood had trickled through the jeans. Then she pulled on a clean pair of jeans, a fresh shirt, and her riding boots. Now, however, she doubted she’d go on a leisurely ride. Instead, she was thinking of making sure the rest of the animals were secure and trying to figure out how to prevent something like this from happening again.

  When she walked back outside, her mother was chatting with the Ravages. Scratch and Itchy were already loaded up in the horse trailer behind their truck.

  “Hi, sweetie.” Her mother wrapped her arm around her waist. “We loaded the geldings up already.”

  “Thank you,” she said softly.

  “I figured you needed some time to yourself.”

  “We’re sorry to hear about DeWalt. He was such a gentle old soul,” Ann said.

  “Thank you,” she said as she walked over to say goodbye to the two horses. “Take care of these guys.” She hugged Itchy, then walked over and did the same to Scratch.

  “We will. If you need anything…” Ryan added.

  “Thanks.” She shook their hands and watched them drive away.

  “Your father has taken care of DeWalt,” her mother said, wrapping her arms around her. “He pulled the slug out of him and will try to match it with a gun, so we have a better idea who did this. When he’s done burying him in your little cemetery area, he has a few questions.” Carrie nodded. She’d lost a lot of animals since opening the sanctuary. Many of the animals she’d rescued had been too sick or old to survive. She’d known it would be part of the job, so with her mother’s help, she had created an area near the flower garden where she buried the lost. For each animal she lost, a small plaque was placed in the garden with their names and, if possi
ble, a picture. DeWalt would be the first that had been taken from her.

  “Why don’t we head inside and get something to drink?”

  She followed her mother inside and sat at the kitchen table while her mother made a pitcher of lemonade and set some crackers on a plate with some cheese.

  “We can take these outside and wait for your father.” Her mother handed her the plate and she followed her out front.

  Her dad was coming back from behind the barn, pulling on his shirt as he walked. There was dirt on his pants from the little graveyard, which caused her eyes to grow damp again.

  Her father walked over and pulled her into a hug. “He’s resting now.” He sighed. “I’m so sorry, sweetie.”

  “Who did this?” she asked, pulling back. “Why?”

  “I’m going to find out. But I’d like you to talk to Josh, when he gets back, about installing some security around here.”

  “Oh my god,” she gasped. “Louie?” She started to rush towards the dog kennels, but he stopped her.

  “All the other animals are okay. Whoever did this didn’t mess with the animals in kennels. Sit.” Her father motioned to the seat. “Your mom took care of all of them while you were up changing.”

  She relaxed back. What would she have done if something had happened to any of the others?

  “We think they targeted DeWalt because he was freely running around and not in a kennel,” her mother added.

  “When was the last time you saw DeWalt?” her dad asked.

  She thought about it. Louie and DeWalt had spent the night with her. Since Louie wasn’t used to running around on his own, she’d locked him back up in his old kennel before she left for work. DeWalt had followed her back there. She filled her dad in on her morning ritual, told him what time she got off work, what she had done, and how she had found DeWalt, down to every detail she could think of.

  By the time she was done, she was exhausted and rested her head on her mother’s shoulder.

  “How about we stay for dinner. I’ll make your favorite, Italian chicken.” Her mother ran her hand over her hair.

  “No, I’ll be okay. I’ll bring Louie in for the night. I had some things to go over.” She lifted her head.

  “Are you sure?” her dad asked.

  “Yes, thanks, both of you.” She reached over and squeezed her father’s hand.

  “If you need anything…” Her father stood up after she did.

  “Thanks.” She hugged him again, then stood on the front porch as they drove away. Tears threatened again, but instead of caving to her emotions, she walked out and checked the animals again, letting Louie out, making sure to put a leash on him so he didn’t sprint off. The dog had, on the first day she’d been watching him, gotten loose. It had taken her and DeWalt almost an hour to catch him as he ran around playfully in the yard.

  Taking Louie into the house, she glanced around and wondered what to do next. DeWalt had become such a major part of her life. Louie whined and demanded her attention, then glanced around as if looking for his old friend.

  “He’s not here.” She hadn’t thought she could cry anymore, but she dropped to her knees and held onto the dog and bawled like a child needing a nap.

  When she was done, Louie licked her face and made her laugh as he ran around the house playing with a pair of her socks.

  Picking herself off the floor, she walked into the kitchen and pulled out a can of soup. She was just about to open it when the doorbell rang, and Louie let out a happy bark.

  “Who’s here?” She frowned down at her watch. Her parents had only recently left, and she doubted that they would come back.

  When she opened the door, Josh stood there, smiling at her. His smile fell away instantly when he saw the redness of her face.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked instantly.

  “You’re home early,” she said, avoiding his question.

  “I grabbed an earlier flight this morning.” He stepped inside and took her in his arms. “You’ve been crying, what’s wrong?” He repeated the question as Louie danced around them, obviously happy to see Josh again.

  She held onto him and, even though she’d told herself all the tears were done, she felt more slip down her cheek.

  “Someone killed DeWalt,” she said into his chest.

  * * *

  “What?” He jerked back, shocked at her words. “When?” He glanced around the room, not sure of what he expected to see. Seeing Louie at their feet, he turned back to her.

  “It must have been while I was at work this morning.” She stepped away from him. Louie was begging for attention, so he knelt and gave him a few scratches and a hug.

  “Are the other animals okay?” he asked, standing back up.

  “Yes. My parents think that whoever did it killed DeWalt because he wasn’t caged. The old dog didn’t go anywhere. He hardly got off the porch.” She sighed. “I was just about to make some soup. Would you like something?”

  “I’d love something. I was going to pick up Louie and then grab a burger.” He followed her back to the kitchen, his stomach growling loudly.

  “I don’t have burgers, but I can do grilled cheese and soup.” She glanced back at him, pulling a can of soup down.

  “I can help.” He took her shoulders and his eyes scanned her. She looked exhausted. “It’s the least I can do in return for you keeping Louie for me while I was gone.”

  She nodded, and he could tell that she was too tired to argue with him.

  “Sit.” He nodded to the table. He was pretty sure that if he nudged her, she’d fall over. “I’ll deal with this.” He started moving around the kitchen as she sat down. For a while, she watched him then she rested her forehead on the table as Louie started snoring at her feet.

  Josh busied himself with making his favorite version of grilled cheese, adding tomato slices and some bacon she had in the fridge. She had little jars of spices and herbs and he mentally thought to remind her that fresh herbs were better. She had plenty of land. She should have a little garden for herself. He glanced out the window as he cooked, mentally plotting where in her backyard would be the best spot for a small garden.

  When the food was done, he turned back to her. She was still resting her head on the table and he hated to wake her, but he knew she’d probably gone without eating since morning. One thing he remembered from working with her at the Golden Oar was that she hardly ever took lunch breaks.

  “Here,” Josh said, jolting her from her light nap. She sat up, blinking and rubbing her eyes. “Grilled cheese.” He set a plate down in front of her, then set a bowl of tomato soup next to it.

  “This isn’t grilled cheese.” She tilted her head. “It’s a piece of art.”

  He chuckled and sat down across from her.

  “A little bacon and spices, along with tomato slices.” He shrugged. “Dig in.”

  She took her first bite and then sighed and closed her eyes in pleasure. He felt his body respond to the sounds she made.

  “When you’re ready to tell me, what happened…” he hinted, trying to get his mind off of her sexy groans of happiness.

  Setting the sandwich down, she started telling him the story of finding DeWalt in the barn.

  By the time she was done with her story, the food was gone.

  “My dad wants me to ask you about adding security around here.” She pushed her empty plate away.

  “Sure.” He nodded and thought about what she would need. “A few cameras, a security system for the house, the barn, the kennel areas. Maybe some cameras out there so you can check on the animals from inside here.”

  “How much?”

  He blinked. “What?”

  “How much is all this going to cost me?” She practically groaned it.

  He’d seen the new truck in the driveway, with the new decals for her business.

  “How about you let me take care of this. It will be my gift to you for watching Louie.”

  She was silent, then sighed. “I�
�m too tired to argue with you.” He took their dishes to the sink, then followed Carrie out to the living area.

  “Louie was a pure joy.” She bent and gave the dog attention. “To be honest, I was really going to lean on him tonight. I haven’t been in this house alone since I moved in.” She glanced around.

  “We could always stick around.” He smiled.

  He knew that she’d normally smile back, but instead, she just looked at him as though she were thinking about it. “How about you stick around for one movie? If I fall asleep on the sofa, you and Louie can sneak out.”

  He agreed quickly. Anytime he could spend with her was good.

  They moved to the sofa and Carrie picked out a movie. She was a big sci-fi buff like he was, and he was pleased when she picked one of his favorite movies, Guardians of the Galaxy.

  He leaned back. and she made room for Louie to jump up, which brought her closer to him.

  After the first few minutes, he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close as he held his breath. When she sighed and relaxed next to him, he smiled.

  “Josh,” she said, turning her head towards his, “who is Camilla Kincaid?”

  Whatever he’d been expecting her to say, it hadn’t been that.

  “Who?” He shook his head and flipped the volume off on the remote sitting between them.

  She sat up slightly. “Camilla Kincaid.”

  He groaned. “Why? Has she caused problems?”

  “No. There was a picture of you and her together in the paper. Along with an article.”

  “Did you read the article?” he asked, curious of what someone would have to say about the two of them meeting.

  “No.” She frowned. “I was too busy at work today.”

  “I put her father, Donald Kincaid, out of business and in jail.” He shifted, still holding his arm around her. Tossing the remote down, he cupped her face. “Why? Where you jealous?”

  She sighed. “A little.” Her eyes dropped to his lips.

  “She hit on me, I dodged her advances.” He shrugged. “I had a sexy redhead on my mind instead.”

  She surprised him by quickly moving over him. Her jean-clad legs straddled his as his hands moved to her hips.