After Jessie turned toward the store, Mrs. Patterson whispered to Linx. “Don’t get her hopes up. Betsy’s been missing over a week. I’m trying to get her to accept another puppy.”
“It’s too soon,” Linx said. “She needs closure for Betsy.”
“I understand, but I’m wondering if Jessie can come by the rescue center and get acquainted with the other dogs. I heard your brother found a basset hound with puppies.”
“Sure, I’d love to have her volunteer.” Linx’s heart leaped and a smile broke on her face. “I can teach her how to take care of a dog.”
“Great. I have to prepare for Vacation Bible School, and you know how it is at her age. Jessie’s always asking me questions, and I can’t get my work done. How about twice a week to start with?”
“Bring her by any time.”
Linx drove back to the center in high spirits, but when she opened the door, the uneasiness she’d woken up with returned.
“Cedar, Ginger,” she called. “I’m home.”
Instead of coming to the door and greeting her, Cedar lay on the sofa and looked out the window. Her nose parted the curtain as if she were a woman pacing on a widow’s walk watching and waiting for her seafaring husband to return.
She wagged her tail weakly as Ginger made small noises from a playpen Linx got from the thrift shop.
“You miss him, don’t you?” Linx rubbed her dog’s back. “So do I, but at least he loves you—if he remembers you.”
Cedar had been moping around the cabin ever since the morning Grady had shown up and teased her, tapping on the door.
What kind of unfeeling monster would take a beloved pet away from its owner?
Someone like her, obviously.
Keeping a lost dog was all kinds of wrong when the owner still held out hope for it. It was only a step away from kidnapping.
Linx wanted to punch herself for being that kind of unforgivable person. Story of her life. She acted out of anger and never considered the other person’s point of view. Except Grady hadn’t truly looked for his dog.
That was the only shred of an excuse she had, so she clung to it. He was so eager to disappear from her life that he’d never visited her rescue center or emailed her about Cedar.
Now that he was putting roots in this town, her excuses had run out.
Why was she holding onto Cedar?
It wasn’t as if she could bring the past back—the times when she and Grady would snuggle in his cabin with Sasha lying on the rug in front of the fire. Times she’d imagined were happy. Only, she’d built a lie around herself, feathered it with childish stories about charming knights and white picket fences. Swing sets and playpens, playing baseball and hopscotch. Summer barbecues and winter snowmen.
Both she and Grady thrived on adrenaline and the rush of firefighting, but what they had that fire season wasn’t based on anything other than lust and thrills.
He was over her as soon as the season ended, but she couldn’t deal with rejection. She never dealt well with rejection. Who did?
She hadn’t even realized she was pregnant—at first, because she continued her harsh physical workout during the off season. Her body adjusted to working out hard and her periods became irregular, so she’d lost track until the pressure inside of her was too big to ignore.
It was Salem who’d first suspected Linx was pregnant, and she’d made her buy a pregnancy test. Salem had been injured during rookie training. After she recovered, she’d rented a room in town and was Linx’s training partner. They worked out together and she pumped Linx for information about every detail of her season and was determined to try again.
Now, Salem was dead. It had to have been a freak accident. The wind could change on a dime and the fire itself created its own weather. One errant gust was all it took to push the parachute the wrong way.
As for Grady and Salem.
Saying their names together was like licking the bitter dregs on the bottom of a moldy cup of coffee.
She had no claim to Grady, and if it were true that Salem’s baby was Grady’s, it could explain why Grady gave up smokejumping.
Linx never wanted to pity Grady, and he would be upset if he ever detected a whiff of pity from her, but truly, Grady had sorrows she knew nothing about.
Keeping Cedar was the least of it.
“I’m so, so sorry I kept you from him.” She buried her face in Cedar’s mane to hide her suddenly wet eyes. “Even though it’ll break my heart, I have to let you go.”
Grady woke with a start and shot up from his trailer bed perched over the fifth wheel. He was back at his property and an unsettled feeling ate at his gut.
The night was pitch black and quiet—too quiet.
He fought a chill from jiggling down his back and pushed aside the curtain on the side toward the building site. He’d taken delivery of the rocks for the foundation and the logs for the walls of the cabin.
The digging had been hard work, but he had nothing else to do. There had been no leads to the arson at his parents’ property, and he’d spent the last few days helping with the cleanup.
Grady pulled the curtain shut and turned onto his side, closing his eyes. He could still see his small cabin the way it was. It was the last place he’d seen Sasha, the last place he’d felt like a whole man, the last place he’d made love—with Linx Colson, before she’d turned into a raging lunatic.
How had it gone so wrong?
Sure, she was a temptress, and she’d hoped to use his influence as drill instructor to go easy on her. She’d been disappointed when he gave her the hardest time, but she’d surprised him by passing—despite the rope burns, the tangled chutes, and the hard landings.
Then she went nuts.
She’d expected him to change his plans after that first fire season—assumed too much. She’d followed him to the airport, begging him to let her either come along or to stay home with him for the winter.
Five whole freaking months later, she pulled the pregnancy stunt.
Like she had to wait that long before figuring it out?
That was when he’d blown up—screamed at her over the phone and told her in no uncertain terms that she was not to contact him again.
She’d gone stoic on him and promised he would never hear from her—and she’d done exactly that.
Around her supposed due date, he’d called her once to check up on her. Asked her about the baby, and she’d denied everything—accused him of getting her confused with some other woman.
I was never pregnant. You must have dreamed it up. I never threatened to sue you. You’re nuts, Grady. It wasn’t me you knocked up.
And that was that. Except for the telltale quaver in her voice, she’d played her innocent role well.
So, why was it now so important for him to stay away from the Mountain Dog Rescue?
She wasn’t hiding a baby there, was she?
He groaned as the pieces snapped together.
Big brother Todd turning overprotective meant there might have been smoke.
Where there was smoke, there was fire—the possibility she’d actually been pregnant and her family believed it was his.
Heck, she must have believed the baby was his, because otherwise, why all the drama? There was no baby now. No lawsuit. No threat of harassment, especially since he was no longer on a fire crew this season.
He sat up too fast, hitting his head on the canopy above him.
Damn. That was the only thing that made sense.
If she was pregnant, then she’d gotten rid of the baby—a late term abortion. His baby. Killed.
Unless she hid him or her at the dog rescue center.
With the noise of dogs barking, no one would hear a baby cry.
Crap. Was he dumb? His kid would be almost six by now. It wasn’t a baby he should look for, but a little boy or girl.
Grady flicked on the flashlight he kept near his bed and pulled on his clothes. He couldn’t sleep anyway, so he got dressed and got into his truck
.
As his truck bumped its way down the dark, rutted dirt road, Grady couldn’t help the guilt swarming through his gut.
If he’d listened to her and came home, if he’d gone with her to the doctor and verified her pregnancy, then waited for a DNA test, she wouldn’t have killed the baby—or hopefully, hidden it.
His eyes blurred, and he yanked his steering wheel hard, barely avoiding a tree.
And if it had all been a fake, he would have known also and been able to rest easy. Why hadn’t he followed up?
Dawn broke over the eastern sky as Grady pulled into town. The little town of Colson’s Corner was nestled in a small river valley between two parallel ridges of granite. A river ran through the center of the town, forded by a steel bridge.
Grady pulled out his cell phone and stared at Linx’s last text message.
We need to talk.
Four words from Linx that could mean everything and nothing.
His heart thudded like the thunder following dry lightning strikes—the kind that ignited forest fires. Was Linx going to finally fess up, and if she did, would he believe her?
His gut twisted and he wondered if he’d been too hard on her. She had been a nineteen-year-old who acted a whole lot older. She’d worked her way up the fire crews until she nabbed a smokejumping training spot.
The woman was fearless and wild, and she carried her load without complaint. She’d wielded the saw, swung her Pulaski, and did her fair share of mop-up duty. Other than her bad temper, “Short Fuse” was an asset to the team, and she never cut corners—unlike Salem who was careless with her equipment and depended on her jump partners to double-check her chute and rigging.
Grady turned the corner and barreled up the dirt road leading to the Mountain Dog Rescue Center. The only reason Linx wouldn’t allow him inside her cabin, despite being so turned on she could have combusted on the spot, was because she was hiding something—most likely his child.
This time, he wasn’t leaving until he got what he came for.
He slid to a stop in front of the cabin, and his heart threaded into his throat.
Linx’s SUV was gone.
Chapter Sixteen
Grady wasn’t going to slink away. Not even if the sheriff himself were to point a howitzer at him. He stepped out of the truck and wandered around the Mountain Dog Rescue Center.
The dogs out back barked up a storm, but there was no sound from inside the cabin. Had Linx somehow gotten wind of him coming down the hill toward her and slipped away?
But then, she claimed she wanted to talk.
Her text message, We need to talk, was front and center in his mind.
She was holding a secret, maybe more than one, and it was time for her to fess up. Or maybe she was still playing a game, setting him up for not coming at her beck and call for the two retrievers she suddenly decided to lure him with.
He should have met her at the motel for another dog transfer. Casual sex was no problem for a hotshot firefighter—make-up sex, even better, although there was, according to her, no relationship between them.
What did he know?
Linx was so prickly and short-tempered that most of the time, he couldn’t tell if she was coming or going. But then, that was what made her interesting, and so very addicting.
He was never sure where he stood with her, and that appealed to the adrenaline junkie in him. She was fiery and one hot, determined woman.
When he was her drill instructor, he wanted to see how much pain she could take. He’d pushed her harder than any of the other rookies and exposed her to danger to test her mettle.
She never once complained—never whined and never shirked her duty. She’d grit her teeth and her eyes would focus with laser intensity as she charged forward. There’d been days and nights when he was sure she would collapse. He’d tell her to quit, and she’d refuse, insisting on completing his orders, no matter how extreme.
And then, she’d get a second wind after he carried her into the shower and cooled her down only to heat her up in bed.
His cell phone rang and his heart jumped, until he saw it was only Nessa.
“Hello,” he mumbled, getting back into his truck. “What’s up?”
“It’s Sam. He’s bitten someone, and the city is serving notice to you, the registered owner, for a hearing to determine whether he’s dangerous or vicious.”
Grady’s pulse shot up to attention. “Wait. What exactly happened?”
“Zulu has a male friend who’s been sleeping on her couch. This guy’s former military—big man. He didn’t like Sam right off the bat, and Sam didn’t like him either. It’s almost like they’re in competition.”
“How serious is the bite?”
“Not too bad. A superficial bite on the hand.” Nessa said. “But the guy filed a complaint.”
“Was it provoked?”
“Zulu says Sawyer, that’s the Army guy, was upset that Sam wouldn’t let him into her bedroom. I think he tried to grab Sam’s collar and Sam nailed him. I believe that’s provocation, don’t you?”
“I agree, so what do we have to do?”
“I’ve got Sam here at my house now. If we can get Sawyer to drop the complaint, or admit he provoked him, then we’re golden. Otherwise, there’s a hearing and determination of whether he’s dangerous and vicious, and if he is, they could impound him.”
“Would they have him destroyed?” Grady gritted his teeth, unwilling to picture that quiet and sullen dog put down.
“Not if we can show he was doing his job protecting Zulu,” Nessa replied. “The easiest would be to get Sawyer to withdraw his complaint. I think he’s more upset because his pride was hurt. Zulu isn’t interested in him as anything more than a friend, and he’s been protecting her for months without getting to first base.”
“You want me to speak to him?”
“Yes, if you can, man to man. I’ve already tried, but he’s resistant. I told him a woman with her traumatic background is not open to a relationship, and he denies it—says he’s only being a friend.”
“I’m not a trained counselor like you are,” Grady said. “But I’ll give it a try. How do I get in touch with him?”
“It might be easier if you came by,” Nessa said. “You’re Sam’s legal owner, and you’ll have to attend the hearing.”
Grady ran a hand over the back of his neck. “Let me follow up on the retrievers and then I’ll be over in a few days.”
As he hung up the phone, he noticed a car turning up the dirt road and recognized Tami King behind the wheel.
Tami waved at him, then parked her car in front of the rescue center and opened the door.
“What can I do for you?” She bumped her way through the door. “Linx said okay on the two retrievers, but you never got back to her.”
“Well, I’m here now, is Linx around?”
Tami wrinkled her nose and shrugged. “She said she had to take care of some personal business. I thought she was with you.”
“Me? Why would you think that?”
“Because you’re not at the office this morning, by coincidence.” Tami winked. “Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me. I know you and Linx have the hots for each other, and I’m sure it’ll all work out.”
“Not if she’s keeping secrets from me.” Grady lowered his voice and noticed Tami’s facial features freeze.
“Secrets? What secrets?” Tami fanned herself and crossed over to her desk. “If you’re trying to find out if she’s in love with you or not, sorry, I’m not going to give you a hint.”
“I want to know why she won’t let me step into this cabin.” Grady glanced around at the décor. A comfy sofa sat against the front window and a large, plush doggie bed lay next to it.
A child’s playpen filled with towels and chew toys held a tiny puppy, the one that was on the center’s website and social media page.
Could this have been used for a baby before?
“You’re in here right now,” Tami said, s
hrugging as if there was no issue. “I hope you find what you’re looking for.”
There was no evidence of toys or children’s books, if that was what she was referring to.
“Mind if I have a glass of milk?”
“Uh, I’m sure it’s okay,” Tami said. She glanced at the clock. “I have to be going soon.”
Grady wandered over to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. Orange juice. Milk. Chocolate milk—the kind kids liked to drink.
But no cookies and no ice cream.
He opened the pantry to grab a glass. The only cereal Linx had was muesli and granola. Didn’t children eat sugary cereals with marshmallows and leprechauns?
“What are you looking for?” Tami’s voice closed in on him. “Linx isn’t here. I’ll let you know when she gets back.”
“I’ll wait. Got all day.” He flashed her a charming smile. “She texted me that she wanted to talk, so I’m giving her the opportunity.”
“Fine, but when I have to leave, you’ll have to wait outside.” Tami huffed and stomped back to her desk.
Was it Grady’s imagination, or was Tami trying to hurry him from the office? In that case, she didn’t know him at all.
The more someone tried to push him, the slower he got. He poured himself a glass of milk and sipped it as he wandered around the living room. The mantel over the fireplace was made of a quarter hewn log, and held family pictures.
“You really don’t want to be caught snooping around,” Tami yelled from across the room. “She could be back any minute. Believe me, you wouldn’t want to get on her bad side.”
“As if I haven’t seen every side of her,” Grady mumbled and scanned the family pictures. No children of any age, not one, appeared in any of the pictures. He stopped at the end of the row and picked up a picture of Linx and her dog.
“She’s not going to be happy,” Tami warned as she stalked to his side.
“What’s this?” Grady brought the picture close and narrowed his eyes. Her dog looked exactly like Sasha—down to the white crest on her chest and the orange-red patches over her eyes—one more pronounced than the other.
“I’m sorry, but I have to leave,” Tami said, grabbing him by the arm. “We’ll be open later once Linx returns.”
Summer Love Puppy: The Hart Family (Have A Hart Book 6) Page 10
