by Rebecca Deel
Mason chuckled. “I’ll have hot coffee waiting for you both.”
“I better get a good morning kiss, too,” Nicole groused.
“Deal.” He nudged her toward the hallway.
Nicole followed her friend to the end of the hall where the guest rooms were located. Five minutes later, she slid under the covers again and willed herself to return to sleep. Following a restless hour of fruitless tossing and turning, Nicole gave up. She trudged to the security room.
Mason spun around for the second time that night and stood. “Problem?”
“Can’t sleep. I’m too wound up, and I keep wondering what’s happening with Ivan.”
“Go make your favorite tea. I’ll text Josh to see what he knows.”
Nicole beamed at him. “Thanks.” She found chamomile mint tea in the pantry. After nuking water and dumping a tea bag into the steaming liquid, she carried the mug into the security room and curled up on the love seat at the side of the room. “Did Josh respond?”
“Ethan and Rod are questioning Ivan now. Ethan said he’d contact us later today.”
The ball of ice in her stomach began to melt. Good. At least Ivan wouldn’t cause more trouble tonight. She had a feeling that the two policemen would keep him busy for hours.
Once she finished her drink, Mason tucked a quilt around her and brushed strands of her hair away from her cheek. “Rest. I’ll be right here.”
Nicole snuggled under the blanket and soon drifted off to sleep. She woke later to the sound of two men speaking in low tones. She peeked at the window. Still dark. Linc must be getting ready to leave for PSI. She hoped he functioned a lot better than she would today with the interrupted night of rest.
Soon, the front door opened, then closed again, and Mason returned to the security room with a mug of coffee clutched in his hand.
“Hi,” she murmured.
“It’s four o’clock. You have another two hours to sleep.”
“Linc is doing PT with the trainees today?”
“Josh insists that the trainers keep in shape and work out with the trainees at least three days a week. Durango or Bravo go up against them in PT every day.”
“Ugh. That’s not what I want to do before the sun rises.”
Mason smiled as he returned to his seat in front of the monitor.
“I’ve been thinking.”
“Uh oh.”
She frowned. “Ha ha. I’m not that dangerous.”
He chuckled. “What’s on your mind, Nicole?”
“I hear you’re training with Bravo and Durango.”
“I wanted to be able to protect you. Why?”
“Did you know the teams train their wives in self-defense, too?”
He nodded.
“Do you think they’d allow me and Dawn to join the women?” She smiled. “Dawn admitted she and Linc are dating.”
“I’ll ask Rio about you two attending the next training session. Why the sudden interest?
“I want the ability to take care of myself and protect our children.” She sat up. “Plus, Rio’s job is dangerous. The danger might follow him to Otter Creek.”
“I can train with you.”
“Are you kidding? After training with Special Forces guys, you’ll wipe the floor with me.”
He chuckled. “I’ll be gentle.”
“After we’re married, we’ll make good use of the gym in your house. In the meantime, I’ll join the women if they don’t mind.”
“I’m sure it’s fine.” He tugged Nicole to her feet. “I’m brewing another pot of coffee which should be finished by the time you change clothes. If you want, I’ll toast a bagel for you, too.”
Nicole gave him a quick kiss. “You spoil me.”
“Then I’m doing things right.” He cupped her cheek. “You deserve to be spoiled.”
Was it any wonder that she was head-over-heels in love with Mason Kincaid? He treated her like a princess. “I won’t be long.”
Nicole hurried to her room, grabbed fresh clothes, and showered. Twenty minutes later, she sat beside Mason at the security console, sipping her coffee and eating her bagel. By the time Dawn emerged from her room, Nicole had finished her breakfast and was reviewing the day’s schedule on her phone.
She smiled at her friend. “Good morning.”
“Don’t talk to me until I’ve had at least two cups of coffee.” She eyed Nicole. “You look chipper for a woman who had a broken night of sleep.”
“That’s what happens when I get a head start on the coffee consumption. I’m two up on you.”
“Nice. No excitement overnight?”
Mason shook his head. “Linc left at 4:00 a.m. He’ll be at the salon by 2:00 this afternoon.” He glanced over his shoulder with a smile. “Congratulations, by the way.”
She smiled. “Thanks. Now, please tell me there’s more coffee.”
“A full pot.”
Dawn made a beeline for the kitchen.
At 6:30, Nicole booted up the salon’s computer and waved her brother-in-law to a stool behind the counter. “If the phone rings, grab it.”
“I’m not your receptionist, Nic.”
“You are today. Ryan has classes until noon, and we have back-to-back appointments today.”
“I already have a job. Babysitting you.”
She grinned. “Today, you’re demonstrating the time-honored skill of multitasking.”
“Brat.”
After a few quick instructions on how to work the software program to book appointments, Nicole placed a noisy kiss on Trent’s cheek. “You’re the best, T.”
“Uh huh. A kiss won’t pay off the debt.”
“Look at it this way. You’re earning serious brownie points with my sister by helping out.” She nudged him with her elbow. “And if you play nice with my customers, I might stop at the clothing boutique across the square and purchase a very slinky nightgown for Grace.”
His eyes lost focus for a moment before he growled. “That nightgown better be extraordinary.”
With a laugh, Nicole patted his cheek and hurried into the workroom to help Dawn set up for Titan and Elmo. By the time the dynamic duo left the shop clad in spiffy new neckerchiefs, Nicole and Dawn had two scratches each from Elmo’s claws, and they’d combed enough fur from Titan to practically make another dog. Considering the number of scratches they’d had in the past from Elmo, the women considered today’s appointment a success.
A few minutes before noon, Trent poked his head in the door to the workroom. “Nic, Rod’s here. He says he needs to talk to you.”
She shook her head. “I’m elbow deep in suds here. He’ll have to wait.”
“I already told him you were booked solid until closing. The detective wasn’t impressed.”
Nicole rolled her eyes. “Fantastic. Tell him if he wants to talk, he can come back here. I don’t have time to stop working. We have two Great Danes arriving in twenty minutes. The big babies are 150-pound chickens who are afraid of everything, including water.”
Soon, Rod Kelter strode into the workroom with a grim expression. “I have questions, Nicole.”
Nicole hoped she had answers to satisfy him.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Nicole eyed the red-haired detective. “As you can see, I’m a little busy at the moment.” She currently had her hands in the suds-filled fur of a Wheaton Terrier. “If you want to ask questions, you’ll have to do it while I work. Otherwise, I’ll draft you to help with the Great Danes due soon for a bath and nail trim.”
She inclined her head toward the stool to her right. “Pull up a stool and make yourself comfortable, Detective.”
Rod set the stool where he could see Nicole’s face. She turned back to Pierre and lathered more shampoo into his fur.
“Are you always so busy?” he asked.
“Most of the time. We’re the only pet groomers in town, and most pet owners don’t want to drive to the Cherry Hill pet store to use their groomers. Pet Palace does a brisk busin
ess every day. If you think this is bad, you should come in during the holiday season. Last year, Dawn and I worked 16-hour days for six weeks running from the middle of November until the first of the year.”
He looked puzzled. “Why? Aren’t people too busy shopping and cooking for holiday meals to schedule pet grooming?”
Nicole grinned at him. “Pet owners want to show off their fur babies during the holidays when friends and relatives visit. I guess you and Megan don’t have a pet.”
“Does a gold fish count?”
“Nope.”
“Our schedules are too crazy for anything except fish.” He waited until she’d rinsed off Pierre and rubbed him with a towel to start the drying process before he slid a notebook and pen from his pocket.
“I’ll take Pierre to the back room,” Dawn said. “He loves the dryer.”
“Thanks.” As Dawn led the Terrier from the room, Nicole glanced at the white board to see who was next. “Can you wait for one minute while I get Princess?”
He frowned. “Make it quick, Copeland.”
“You could roll up your sleeves and lend a hand. You can work and question a suspect at the same time, right?”
“If it will get my questions answered before next week, you’re on.” Rod slid from the stool and shoved the notebook and pen back in his pocket. “Okay with you if I use a digital recorder while we talk?”
“Be my guest. I’ll be right back.” Nicole went to the holding area to retrieve Princess, a Blue Heeler. “Come on, sweet thing. Let’s get you all cleaned up for Mama.” She led the dog to the workroom and the tub.
“What do you want me to do?” Rod eyed the dog while Princess looked him over.
“Keep your hand on her back. Otherwise, we’ll both be getting baths, too.” She grasped the nozzle and aimed the warm spray on Princess’s back. “What do you want to know?”
“Tell me what happened last night at Linc’s. Don’t leave anything out.”
“Have you already talked to Mason and Linc?”
“They’re next after I speak with Dawn.” He made a face. “If I can get her attention for five minutes.”
“We’ll work it out.” Somehow.
“Details from last night, Copeland. Let’s hear them.”
She relayed the events, starting with dinner at Tennessee Steakhouse and ending with Josh driving off in his cruiser with Ivan in the backseat.
“Why did Dannon come to Otter Creek?”
“He said he wanted to win me back.”
“You don’t believe him?”
“I haven’t heard from him in two years, Rod. I’m in love with Mason, and we’re getting married in two months and two days. I don’t care what Ivan thought. I would never take him back. I don’t know why he thought he had a chance.”
“He says you invited him to come.”
Nicole stared at the detective. “That’s crazy. I didn’t. Why would he lie?”
“You tell me.”
“No clue.” She lathered Princess’s fur. “Ivan and I didn’t part on good terms.”
“Explain.”
She did. To her surprise, Rod grinned. “Good job, Copeland. I’m impressed.”
“Don’t be. He’s spineless. Otherwise, he would have retaliated. He made me angry, though. Slapping me was way out of line.”
“Yeah, it was. So maybe you contacted Dannon and encouraged him to come so Mason would retaliate against your abuser.”
Outrage shot through her. “You’re out of your mind, Detective. I wouldn’t put Mason in that position, knowing he could end up in jail. Self-defense is one thing. Deliberately putting him in harm’s way is out of the question.”
“The evidence says otherwise.”
“Either the evidence is wrong or your interpretation is. I’m not responsible for Ivan being here. I’d prefer he disappeared as quickly as he appeared.”
“You’re going to stick with that story?”
She scowled. “It’s not a story. I’m sorry you don’t recognize the truth when you hear it.”
“Do you have an explanation for the attacks and close calls happening to you and Mason?”
“No.”
He waited a beat, then said, “That’s it?”
“You do understand what the word no means, right?”
He laughed. “You remind me of my wife. Do I have your permission to search your computer at home and here at the shop?”
“Have at it. I don’t have anything to hide.”
“You’re not going to fight me on this?”
“Why should I? I’ll lose the fight. Forcing you to obtain a search warrant makes me look guilty and ticks you off because of the delay.”
“Also true. I’ll start here in the shop if you don’t mind.”
“As long as Trent or Ryan can access the reservations software, go ahead.”
She rinsed Princess with the sprayer, then grabbed a towel to rub her fur before she turned Rod loose to troll through her computer. Nicole led the dog into the back room where she stood the Blue Heeler under the second dryer beside Pierre.
“Is Rod gone?” Dawn asked.
“He’s checking our computer.”
“Why?”
“Ivan said that I invited him to Otter Creek.”
“Why would you do that?”
“That’s the question of the day, isn’t it? This is starting to feel like a conspiracy.”
“Rod won’t find anything. I use the shop computer as much as you do, and I’m in the emails all the time. There’s nothing in there to incriminate you.”
“The detective plans to check my home computer as well.”
She shrugged. “Let him. He won’t find anything there, either.”
“I hope you’re still okay with all the intrigue and drama when it’s your turn to talk to Rod.”
“My turn?” She stared at Nicole. “I don’t have any information.”
“He’ll want to confirm that for himself.”
Trent walked in. “Roscoe and Rascal have arrived. You weren’t kidding about the size of the dogs. Those boys are enormous.”
Dawn stood. “I’ll take them to the holding cage after I put Pierre in his crate.”
“I’ll be there as soon as Princess is dry.” She grinned at Trent. “Get ready, buddy. We might need help wrestling those two into the tub.”
“Oh, joy.” His tone said he felt anything but that. Trent returned to the reception area.
With a laugh, Nicole finished drying Princess and escorted the dog to her holding crate. Dawn waited for her beside the cage with the two Great Danes inside, shaking like leaves in a stiff breeze.
The next hour was spent bathing the two dogs who had to be coaxed and bribed with doggy treats through every step of the process. By the time the boys were dry and resting in their holding cage from all the trauma, Dawn and Nicole were as exhausted as the dogs.
Nicole shoved her hair away from her hot face. “Who’s next?”
“Pixie.”
Thankful the next dog was a Chihuahua, she headed for the reception area. “I’ll bring her back while you catch your breath.”
Trent and Rod turned when she opened the door of the workroom. “Are the boys still alive?” Trent asked.
“Of course they are.”
“The way they howled and carried on, we thought you were torturing the poor things.”
“Yeah, water torture is part of the grooming service. Didn’t you know that?”
Rod chuckled. “They weren’t happy.”
A woman walked into the shop with a black Chihuahua in her arms. “Hello, Nicole. Thanks for working Pixie into the schedule. We’re going out of town to see my husband’s parents tonight, and my mother-in-law doesn’t like dogs. We need Pixie to look her absolute best.”
Nicole loved on Pixie for a moment before she took the trembling dog from her owner’s arms. “We’ll let you know when she’s ready, Dora.”
“You’re the best, Nicole.” After kissing Pixie on the top
of her head, the woman left.
Trent stared at the small dog. “Looks like a black rat.”
She rolled her eyes and returned to the workroom where Dawn was bathing a Corgi. “Here’s our girl.”
“Pixie!” Dawn’s eyes lit up at seeing the small dog. “How’s my favorite sweetheart?”
The Chihuahua yipped in excitement, making both women laugh. Since Pixie was terrified of the dryer, Nicole dried her with towels and set her in the crate, much to her displeasure. The little dog joined in the unhappy chorus of dogs barking and whining in the holding room.
When she returned to the reception area for the next pet, Rod pushed away from the computer. “Any chance I can talk to Dawn without the canine chorus putting in their two cents?”
Nicole checked the schedule. “She’s due for a break. I’m sure she’d appreciate a cup of coffee at Perk.”
“Are you sure you can handle the howling horde while she’s with me?”
“I’ll survive for thirty minutes.” She grinned. “If I have to, I’ll draft help from Trent.”
“Hey,” her brother-in-law protested. “I have two jobs already. I can’t answer the phones and provide security if I’m elbows deep in suds.”
“Lucky for you, Ryan is due in a few minutes. If I can’t handle the deluge of dogs alone, you’re elected.”
Trent scowled. “Just because I’m married to your sister doesn’t mean you can order me around.”
“Are you forgetting about the nightgown for Grace?”
Rod held up his hand. “Whoa. I don’t want to know about that. Send Dawn out here so I can get out of your way.”
“Chicken,” Nicole teased.
“Yes, ma’am.”
That made her laugh as she met the next pet owner at the door of the salon. Nicole confirmed the details of what the German Shepherd’s owner wanted, then escorted the beautiful white dog into the workroom. “Dawn, Rod’s ready to talk to you. Take a break.”
“We’re too busy, Nic.”
“He won’t take no for an answer. Go on. He’s taking you to Perk for coffee.”
Dawn finished sweeping up the dog hair from the latest grooming and turned toward Nicole. “Do you want anything? I’ll be happy to bring back something for you.”
