by Rebecca Deel
Dawn shrugged. “Charlie is our next grooming appointment. Maybe Heidi is dropping him off early. Want me to check Charlie in?”
Uneasy for some reason, Nicole shook her head. “I’m finished with Violet if you want to put her in a holding crate. If we keep moving as fast as we are now, we might finish early today.”
“Hey, I won’t complain about that.” Dawn covered her yawn. “We didn’t sleep much last night. I’m glad we had Linc, Mason, and Trent on hand when the shooter showed up.” She crossed to Nicole’s side and attached a leash to Violet’s collar. “Come on, sweet girl. Mom should be here soon.”
Nicole opened the door to the reception area, thankful her part-time appointment setter had agreed to come in today to help out. Expecting to see Charlie, another Lab, and his owner, she came to an abrupt halt when she spotted a tall, dark-haired man in his late thirties, someone she’d never seen around town or in her shop. A new resident looking for a pet groomer? Pet Palace was the only business in town that fit the bill.
As she started forward, a furtive movement out on the street caught her eye. Her breath froze in her lungs. No. It couldn’t be. Pedestrians walked between her shop and the blast from her past. When the crowd had moved on, the man she thought she recognized was gone. She must have been mistaken. Ivan had no business in Otter Creek.
Linc was watching the stranger in the shop closely from the other side of the lobby while Nicole’s helper, Ryan, talked with him about their services. The shop assistant glanced her direction and smiled. “This is Nicole Copeland. She owns Pet Palace and can answer all your questions about the services we offer.”
She stepped behind the desk to stand beside Ryan after catching Linc’s warning glance. “May I help you?”
He studied her a moment, then appeared to come to a decision. “I’m here to help you.”
Was this man a salesman? “If you’re selling pet grooming supplies, leave me your contact information and website address. When I’m ready to order more product, I’ll take a look at what you’re offering.”
“I’m not selling anything, Ms. Copeland. I’m offering you a friendly warning.”
Linc moved closer to the stranger, ready to intervene if necessary.
Nicole glanced at Ryan. “Take a break. I’ll cover the desk for a few minutes.”
The college student glanced at Linc who gave him a slight nod.
Once Ryan was out of the room, Nicole turned back to the man staring at her with a wealth of sadness in his eyes. “Who are you?” she demanded.
“Todd Fitzgerald.”
“Well, Todd Fitzgerald, here’s the thing about advice. You can offer, but I’m free to accept or reject it. Say what you have to say and we’ll both move on.”
Fitzgerald glanced at Linc before refocusing on Nicole. “Is there a place where we can talk in private?”
“No,” Linc said. “Here or nowhere.”
“Say your piece, Mr. Fitzgerald.” Nicole’s hands fisted. “We’re slammed today.”
He shrugged. “Suit yourself.”
“I usually do. Talk or leave.”
“I understand you’re involved with Mason Kincaid.”
Her cheeks burned. She could understand friends and family expressing concern but not a total stranger. “We’re getting married soon.”
“You should rethink your decision.”
“Because?”
“He’s a murderer.”
Fury exploded in her gut. “Do you live in Otter Creek, Mr. Fitzgerald?”
“I’m from a small town outside of Summerton.”
She scowled. “You’re from Liberty?”
Fitzgerald inclined his head.
This man must be related to the woman killed in Mason’s accident. “I’m sorry for the loss of your family members, Mr. Fitzgerald, but Mason paid for his mistake. You can’t keep harassing him because you’re still hurting. The law says he has the right to a life. Do yourself a favor, and go home.”
“You’re still going to marry him? Even after what he did?”
“I love him. He’s a good man who learned a hard lesson. I’m honored that he asked me to marry him.”
“You’re making a huge mistake. You can’t trust him. What if the next time he drinks and drives, you’re in the car with him or your kids? Think hard before you marry him. I don’t want what happened to my sister-in-law and niece to happen to you.”
“You don’t know him, Mr. Fitzgerald. Mason is a man of honor and integrity. Go home and be with your family. They need you to be strong for them.”
Cheeks flushing, he grabbed her wrist and squeezed. “You’re a fool, Ms. Copeland. I’m trying to save you from my sister-in-law’s fate. She was murdered by your boyfriend before she could watch her baby grow up. I don’t want the same to happen to you.”
Before Nicole could tear her arm from his grasp, Linc latched onto Fitzgerald’s wrist with a punishing grip. “Leave now or I will throw you out.”
The other man hissed and released his hold on Nicole. “I’m just trying to help.”
Nicole held up her hand to hold off Linc’s rebuttal. “I understand your motivation, but this conversation is over. If you don’t have a pet for me to groom, I’ll have to ask you to leave Pet Palace.”
He stepped back. “I hope you don’t regret your decision.” Fitzgerald strode out the door as Heidi and Charlie came in.
Her eyebrows rose as she approached the desk. “Unhappy customer?”
“Just a man with an agenda.” As Linc and Heidi exchanged greetings, Nicole came around the desk and rubbed Charlie’s head. “Hey, buddy. How’s it going?”
The dog barked.
“That good, huh? I guess Heidi and Quinn have been treating you like a prince.” She turned to Heidi. “The usual?”
“Please. We’ve been on three S & R missions in the past three weeks. Charlie found two lost hikers and a lost child.”
Nicole took his leash and led him toward the workroom. “Good job, buddy.” To Heidi, she said, “I’ll give you a call when he’s ready. Probably three hours, though.”
“No rush. See you soon, Charlie.”
Linc remained silent until the door closed behind Heidi. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” Mostly. Fitzgerald had a grip on him.
“If you’re not, Mason will take it out on me.”
Nicole had started to turn but froze at the instructor’s words. “You can’t be afraid of him. You have tons more training than he does. Mason might get in a few punches, but you could wipe the floor with him. Don’t do it, though. I’m partial to that handsome face of his.”
“You don’t know your husband-to-be very well, Nic.”
“What do you mean?”
“What do you think he’s been doing when you work late?”
“I assumed he was at home or running errands.”
“Even though he can’t have a weapon, he’s been training hard with Bravo and Durango on self-defense skills.”
No wonder he was in such good shape. Nicole had thought his prime physique was from the construction work. “Why?”
“To be able to protect you better. Haven’t you figured out that everything he does is with you in mind?”
Tears stung her eyes. She should have known his reasoning. She’d seen for herself the lengths he went to for those he loved. Now, Nicole was the center of his world.
She grinned. “I think I’ll ask him to let me watch the next time he joins a training session with them. I think it would be fun.” Certainly entertaining.
Linc snorted. “Fun? Bravo and Durango don’t spare Mase when they train with him. He’s becoming as tough and skilled as they are.”
Huh. Good to know.
Dawn walked into the reception area. She smiled. “Charlie! How’s my buddy?”
The Lab barked.
She took the leash from Nicole. “I’ll take him on back. Take a break and put your feet up for a few minutes. You’re pale.”
“Pain meds
would be welcome along with a soft drink.”
“I’ll send Ryan back out. Relax for a few minutes while I shampoo this handsome boy.”
Nicole answered two calls by the time Ryan arrived and took over the appointment desk. “Need anything, Linc?” she asked.
“I won’t say no to a soft drink.”
The next hour passed at a fast pace as she and Dawn groomed Charlie and three other dogs that arrived for baths and nail buffing. Nicole shook her head at the antics of the Silky Terriers, three sisters who livened the shop’s back room with yapping and their attempts to escape the dryer. None of the three were fans of the noisy contraption.
Once they finished with the terriers, Nicole and Dawn tied a different colored scarf to each small neck and placed the dogs in crates to wait for their owner to pick them up. The din of their protest was deafening. Nicole was glad to escape the cacophony.
She poked her head into the reception area. “Call Tori and tell her the triplets are ready,” she told Ryan.
“Yes, ma’am.”
The bell over the front door rang and in walked Mason. Although he smiled, that sentiment didn’t reach his eyes. Something was wrong. Nicole walked into his open arms and hugged him. “I’m glad to see you. I missed you today.”
“I missed you, too.” He raised her hand to his mouth to kiss the back. When Mason lowered her hand, he glanced down and froze. He shifted her arm so her wrist was in a patch of sunlight. “What happened?”
Rats. Nicole had hoped he wouldn’t notice the bruises forming where Fitzgerald gripped her arm. Should have known that wouldn’t be the case. Mason noticed everything. She hoped she was as observant about Mason. “It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”
“Nic.”
When she glanced at him, Linc shook his head slightly. She scowled. This wasn’t a good idea.
Mason cupped her chin and turned her face toward his. “Tell me.”
“Todd Fitzgerald.”
Color drained from his cheeks. “Fitzgerald came to the shop?”
She nodded.
“What did he want?”
“He warned me not to marry you. I told him to leave.”
Mason turned narrowed eyes toward Linc. “You didn’t stop him from touching her?”
“Hey.” Nicole poked Mason in the gut with her finger. “I can take care of myself. I was getting ready to break his hold on my wrist when Linc did it for me.”
“Fitzgerald hurt you.”
“You know I bruise easy. He gripped my wrist for a few seconds at most so don’t blame Linc.”
Linc shook his head. “Mase is right. It’s on me. I should have been close enough to break his hold immediately.” He looked at Mason. “I’m sorry. I won’t allow that to happen again. You have my word.”
Mason wrapped his arms around Nicole and pulled her close. He gave a slight nod to Linc, accepting the apology. “I’ve got the watch. You have a class soon.”
“I’ll text you when I’m finished at PSI. You can tell me where to meet you, and we’ll figure out how to set up for tonight.” With that, Linc left the shop.
“I’m fine,” Nicole murmured. He had to believe her. Otherwise, Mason might confront Fitzgerald. That wouldn’t be a good thing.
“I should have been here.”
“You have to work, and so do I. The bruises will fade soon.” She brushed her lips over his and stepped back. “I need to get back to it. We have two more dogs arriving soon. Dawn and I will have to work fast to finish on time. We would have been finished already, but we had a dog emergency earlier.”
Mason frowned. “One of the dogs was hurt?”
“Nope. Violet decided to play with a skunk this morning.”
He grimaced. “I hope your treatment was successful.”
“De-skunking shampoo is a life saver.” Another kiss, then Nicole turned toward the back room. “Ryan, we don’t have time to work in any latecomers now. Unless we have another skunk emergency, the rest of the horde without an appointment will have to wait until tomorrow.”
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll pass the word.”
She hurried to the back room and joined Dawn in bathing a gorgeous white German Shepherd named Annie. The sweet dog was a shy one who had taken a shine to both of her groomers and took every opportunity given to share doggy kisses.
The next two hours passed in a blur of activity. By the time the last pet left the salon, Nicole was about ready to drop from fatigue and Dawn didn’t look in any better shape. “Let’s clean up and get out of here. I hear takeout calling my name.”
“Me, too.”
The two women dragged themselves through the cleaning process and set everything up for the next day. Thankfully, the start time was two hours later. Maybe she and Dawn would be able to sleep in a little. With her head pounding, she couldn’t think through the logistics of having a bodyguard stick around until 8:00. For Mason and Linc, that was late to begin their day.
Hopefully, Rod or Ethan would identify the killer soon and put him behind bars. She was ready for her life to go back to normal.
When the salon was ready for business the next day, Nicole closed the door to the supply closet with a snick. “Done. Let’s get out of here.”
She and Dawn walked to the reception area where Ryan was closing down the computer for the day. “Need me to come in tomorrow, Nicole?” he asked.
“Don’t you have classes in the morning?”
His face flushed. “I have skip days available.”
“You might be my future doctor one day. I’ll pass on the offer of help until your regular shift tomorrow. We have fewer grooming appointments booked. We’ll handle the load until you’re free from class.”
“If you change your mind, text me.”
“Thanks.” She wouldn’t do that to him. He’d worked hard to get a scholarship to the community college in town. From there, Ryan planned to transfer to East Tennessee State University for the rest of his studies, including medical school.
While she and Dawn waited in the office, Mason checked the windows and doors in Pet Palace. After he reported that everything was locked, he escorted them to their vehicles. “We’re staying at my house tonight. Linc will split the watch shift with me and Matt.”
“You asked Matt to stop by the shop to check on me today, didn’t you?”
“If I couldn’t be here myself, I wanted someone I trusted to look in on you. Since you weren’t feeling well this morning, I preferred someone with medical expertise. He was happy to do it, Nicole.”
Such a caring, thoughtful man. She laid her hand against his cheek. “Thank you for taking such good care of me.”
“I’ll do what’s necessary to keep you safe.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Refreshed from showering off the day’s dirt and sweat, Mason stood at the front window keeping watch while Nicole and Dawn showered and changed clothes. As he studied the street in front of his house, he considered his options.
His hands clenched into tight fists. Those choices were slim. He was already under watch by the police. He’d spotted a cruiser tailing him more than once today. He understood their reasoning, but the action still made him angry. He wasn’t guilty of anything, unlike 15 years ago. He’d made a lousy choice and paid for it long and hard, and now carried a load of guilt that nothing could ease. But he wasn’t that same 22-year-old who believed himself capable of handling anything, including alcohol.
Mason couldn’t let Fitzgerald’s encroachment into Nicole’s shop go unchallenged. He also couldn’t let the confrontation become physical. If he did, he’d land in jail and leave Nicole defenseless. Fitzgerald’s animosity should be directed toward him, not Nicole. The man had no right to drag her into the middle of this unwanted trip down memory lane.
He knew where Fitzgerald was staying if he hadn’t left town already. If the man was still at the B & B, he’d ask him to leave Nicole alone.
Soon, a black SUV pulled into the driveway and parked. When Matt exited th
e vehicle with his mike bag in hand, Mason opened the door for the medic. “Thanks for helping out tonight, Matt,” he said when his friend entered the house.
“No problem.” He smiled. “Delilah will wait up for me. How is Nicole?”
“Still has a headache.”
A frown. “Is it as bad as last night?”
“She hasn’t said.”
“I’ll talk to her.” Matt indicated his bag. “I planned to check her over anyway. I want to be sure she’s improving.”
“I am.” Nicole walked into the living room and curled up at the end of the couch. “I’m able to control the headache with over-the-counter medicine and I haven’t been as nauseated this afternoon.”
“Good to hear. I still want to check your cut and your pupils.”
She frowned. “Are you sure you shouldn’t be a doctor?”
The medic chuckled. “Maybe when I’m ready to stop going on missions with Bravo. Fortress could use more doctors on staff.”
“Isn’t Linc coming?” Nicole asked Mason.
“His class ends at 10:00. He’ll take over the watch from Matt. My shift starts at 1:00 a.m.” He turned back to the other man. “I’m going out to pick up dinner. Is Delaney’s special all right with you?” When he received a nod, Mason kissed Nicole and headed back to the town square.
Halfway to his destination, he turned right on Pine and drove toward the B & B. Wouldn’t hurt to see if Fitzgerald’s vehicle was in the lot. Five minutes later, Mason turned into the lot and drove through slowly. No vehicles with license plates issued from his home county. Maybe Fitzgerald left town since he delivered his message to Nicole.
He snorted. Right. When had things ever been that simple for him? No, Fitzgerald had an agenda but he didn’t know how far the man would go to make his point.
He mentally boxed up his frustration. Enough. He had hungry people to feed. If Fitzgerald was in town, he’d find Mason soon.
He walked into Delaney’s ten minutes later. The deli only had a handful of customers in the dining area when he approached the register. “How are you, Cindy?”
A broad smile curved the lips of the grandmother of six. “Hi, Mason. I heard what happened to Nicole. How is she?”
