He smiled, a light in his eyes. “Let me know what the doctor says, and tell Hattie that I’ll check in on her later.� He swept his gaze over her one last time before he turned and headed off to the elevators.
Just then, Nick walked around the corner.
“How is she?� Olivia said, scrutinizing the sheriff’s expression.
He waved Olivia to a chair and sat down next to her. “She’s got a nasty cut on her leg that the doctor is stitching up, but after that, the doctor said that she could go home. I told her that we’d be out here waiting when she was ready.� Nick sat heavily in the chair and shook his head. “She’s a strong woman. Even though she nearly died, she was still asking about the case against MegaStore. She still wants to testify.�
Olivia shook her head. “She’s finally able to control her life, so she’s focusing on the things that she can control.� She smiled and put a hand on his arm. “Nick, you did good tonight.�
“You did good tonight, yourself.� The elderly sheriff turned his head and returned the smile. “Hattie told me how you were talking to Jeremy, turning the blame around on him and throwing him off guard. That was smart. Andrew is going to hate me saying it, but you do have a knack for the work. Maybe you should consider taking the PI test.�
Olivia snorted. “Are you kidding me? I just convinced Andrew to move in with me. I’m not about to jeopardize my relationship with him.�
“You’re working on your communication with him, right? Take some advice from an old married man, Olivia. Communication is more than just telling him about your day. It’s also about telling him what you want. You’ve solved five cases, Olivia. It’s obvious that you like it—and you have a knack. You should talk to him.�
A swinging door opened, and Hattie was slowly walking toward them with her release papers in her hand. “I’m ready to go home.� An anxious expression crossed her face. “Do you know what happened to my cat?�
Olivia and Nick both stood up from their chairs, and Olivia hurried to reassure her. “Jackie has been watching GigaByte from day one. I think she’s actually pretty attached to him, so you may have to fight her to get him back.� She smiled and held out her hand. “Come on, I’ll give you a ride home. We’ve got some things to discuss.�
Hattie frowned. “About MegaStore? I should never have helped them. Does the whole town hate me?�
“All the town knows is that you are going to be instrumental in kicking them out. No, I have something else to talk to you about.� Winking at Nick, Olivia wrapped her arm lightly around Hattie’s waist. “I wanted to talk to you about Thomas.�
“Thomas.� Hattie paused and stared at Olivia. “How do you know about him?�
“All I know is that he’s a man in love. He came to town with the company in hopes of finding you, and I don’t think that he’s the stalkerish type.�
“I don’t even know if I can tell anymore.�
Olivia hugged her gently. “You’ve got good instincts, Hattie or Morgan. No matter who you decide to be, you have friends here who will watch out for you and support you. You just need to talk to us, and we will have your back. I’m just letting you know that he’s here—if you want to talk to him.� She paused, and when Hattie looked up again to meet her eyes, she added, “If not, that’s okay, too.�
“I wanted to tell Jackie, you know,� Hattie said wearily. “She seemed like the kind of person you could trust, and I was so tired of feeling alone. I should have told her sooner, and maybe this never would have happened.�
Pushing through the doors, they walked outside. The sun was dipping below the buildings, and Olivia smiled. “You can’t dwell on the past, Hattie. You have to keep moving forward. You can make a good life here, Hattie. I hope you stay.�
“I think I will.�
“Come on.� Olivia pulled her close, draping an arm around her shoulders. “Let’s get you home so you can hug your cat and start planning your new life.�
Hattie laughed, the first happy sound that Olivia could remember hearing from her. She’d been so serious, even at the app release party, what seemed like an eternity ago.
As she drove Hattie home, she couldn’t help but think about what Nick had said. Even thought she wanted to deny it, she did like the idea of taking the PI test. Now that she had hired someone to help with the dog-walking business, she did have more time on her hands, and she loved investigating.
What Nick right? Was she better off being honest with Andrew, or would she lose him again if she were totally honest with him?
19
After Hattie had recovered, she produced the evidence she had against MegaStore. Rather than go to trial knowing that he would lose, Matthias convinced MegaStore to pull out of Lexingburg—so long as they didn’t have to pay any tax penalties to the county.
The whole town was happy. Even the mayor, it seemed.
Janelle’s wedding catering went off without a hitch, and when she finally told Patrick about the baby, she was surprised to find that he already knew. He pointed out that it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why she was so moody and getting sick every morning. He was a little upset that she’d kept it from him, but Patrick was never one to stay angry for long. Janelle was so happy that she threw a small baby announcement party at Happy Endings.
Olivia used the party to reintroduce Morgan to Lexingburg. The woman decided to leave off her assumed name and reclaim her real identity. Just as Janelle had suspected, the town didn’t blame her for her work for MegaStore. Instead, she became an instant hero for helping to shut the large corporation’s plans for a Lexingburg location down.
In an attempt to play Cupid, Olivia also invited Thomas to the party at the bakery. She had given him a heads-up about Morgan’s past, and he knew that he should take things slow. Everyone knew that Thomas worked for MegaStore, meaning he was isolated at the party, but even so, he didn’t approach Morgan until she approached him.
Smiling, Olivia watched them shake hands. They both seemed kind of nervous, but she noticed that they talked for most of the party.
“Playing matchmaker,� Andrew whispered in her ear.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,� she said primly and sipped at her coffee. “I’m just watching the party. You know, Janelle kept the baby a secret for all that time, and now she’s throwing a party to announce it to the town? How ridiculous is that?�
“Don’t think I didn’t notice all the baby stuff that you saved to your computer. You’re excited to be an aunt.�
Frowning, she poked him in the chest. “What are you doing looking through my computer?�
Andrew had that mischievous look in his eye that she knew all too well. “I had to make sure you didn’t find yourself a new boyfriend. First I was gone for a conference, and then I was stuck working late. You had plenty of time to find yourself a new roommate.� He smiled at her over his plate of baked goods, selected a snickerdoodle, and took an appreciative bite.
She could give as good as she got. Arching an eyebrow, she retorted, “Well, I did start researching. My boyfriend said that he was going to move in with me, and then he just disappeared.� She stole a brownie from Andrew’s plate. “Do you have any recommendations for dating sites?� she joked.
Chuckling, he snatched the brownie back from her and then held it enticingly close to her mouth, and as she took a bite, he said, “I just moved a suitcase in. I was on your computer because I left mine at work, and I wanted to order a f
ew things for Brett. He’s moving into my apartment temporarily.�
“Really?� Olivia said through a heavenly mouthful, and wrinkled her nose. “Why?�
“Because his apartment burned down this morning.�
“What?� Olivia gasped and swallowed at the same time. A morsel of brownie lodged itself in her throat, and she coughed a few times to free it, while Andrew hastily put down his plate and patted her between the shoulder blades. “Why didn’t you tell me?�
“I’m telling you now,� he said reasonably, picking up his plate again, “and I just learned about it myself a few hours ago. You were in the middle of decorating for the party. In yellow.� He wrinkled his forehead. “Why yellow?�
Momentarily distracted, Olivia said, “Yellow is gender-neutral. We don’t know the gender of the baby, and even if we did, we don’t want to start color coding the kid. They say that’s not healthy for the baby.� Coming back to the topic at hand, she blurted, “That’s not important. How did Brett’s apartment catch on fire? Did Brett do something? Wait, is he hurt?�
“Love the way your brain works,� Andrew said and laughed. “First you blame him, and then you want to know if he’s okay.�
Grimacing, she leaned over and took another bite of brownie. “Sorry. Is he okay?�
“He’s fine.� He shook his head in empathy. “He lost quite a bit in the fire. As we’d talked about moving in together, I was hoping that you wouldn’t mind if I turned my place over to him for the time being. When I needed a place to go, he was there for me.�
“Yeah.� Olivia looked down at her feet. He was talking about when he’d walked away from her. It was definitely something that she didn’t want to relive.
He gently lifted her chin. “Every couple goes through rough patches. We’re getting past it.� He kissed her, looked into her eyes, and nodded reassurance. Going back to the conversation, he said lightly, “Do you mind if he stays at the brownstone until his insurance check comes in?�
“Of course I don’t mind! Brett is welcome here, and you are welcome to move in with me. Just don’t judge my computer history. I’m excited to be an aunt.�
“I can tell, but I think you might have gone a little overboard on the shopping. There are boxes in every corner.�
“That’s not me. Janelle was hiding her purchases from Patrick. Oh, hey, Morgan is coming over this way. Does she look happy?� Patting him on the chest, she gave Morgan a big smile. “Hi! How’s it going?�
Morgan laughed. “Nice try. I know that you saw me talking to Thomas. You want to know how things are going?�
“I’m not pushing. I just want to be your friend.�
Blushing, Morgan looked over her shoulder at Thomas as he refilled his plate. “He quit MegaStore. He’s looking for work in Lowell. He’s already got some interviews lined up. It’s a little fast, but he said that he really likes the area, and he wanted to stick around even if I said I didn’t want to see him again.�
“And do you want to see him again?�
“We’re going to start slow. I agreed to a coffee date tomorrow.� She smiled shyly. “I did like him when we were talking online. More than liked, actually.�
“Wow. So something good did come out of MegaStore. Who knew?� They all laughed, and as Morgan walked away, still smiling, Olivia studied the crowd. Everyone was so happy. Mary had brought her new boyfriend, and she looked happy. Janelle looked blissful. Patrick stood beside her, laughing at somebody’s joke, with his arm around his wife, and it looked like even the mayor was having a good time. The town had forgiven him for letting MegaStore almost get a foothold.
“Calm before the storm.�
Olivia looked over her shoulder to see Celeste standing quietly behind her. The town psychic had a strange look on her face, one that Olivia couldn’t quite decipher.
“Lady Celeste!� she said, hoping to smooth over the awkward moment. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you. Natalie has been fabulous. I can’t thank you enough for recommending her.�
“Calm before the storm.�
The psychic might have been a statue. Even her lips barely moved. Worried, Olivia reached out to take the older woman’s hand. “Celeste? Are you okay?�
“The things that you do not say will break you. The things that you do not believe will blind you, and the action that you do not take will kill you.�
The woman’s monotone was really starting to worry Olivia, and her hand was icy cold in Olivia’s grasp. “Celeste, come over here with me.� She tugged at Celeste’s hand, trying to lead her to a chair. “Let’s sit down. Should I call a doctor?�
“No doctor. I am well.� Suddenly, her eyes focused on Olivia, and she withdrew her hand from between Olivia’s palms. “The bells will ring for you, Olivia, but they will not be your happy ending until you embrace yourself. Your second-guessing is going to hurt someone close to you.�
Then, as if nothing had happened, she patted Olivia on the hand and walked away.
Stunned, Olivia stared after her.
What in the world was that supposed to mean? It was just psychobabble from a crazy woman, right? Lady Celeste wasn’t really a psychic, was she?
Was Olivia about to lose someone close to her?
Her gaze landed on Janelle as her sister cradled her growing belly. Her eyes moved to Jackie as the bookseller entered the bakery with a big smile on her face. Next, Olivia searched for Andrew. She saw him and Thomas shaking hands, apparently agreeing on something, and then they continued their conversation.
The three people closest to her. Her sister, her best friend, and the love of her life. Were they in danger because of her?
“Lady Celeste, what did you see?�
She turned around.
The old woman was gone.
End of “Kept in the Bark�
Happy Tails Dog Walker Mysteries Book Five
PS: Book Six of Stella St. Claire’s, Happy Tails Dog Walking Mysteries, Without Missing a Bark will be out very soon. Win a free copy of Book 6 by signing up to her mailing list at
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Stella lives and breathes cozy mysteries! With her head always buried inside these books, it’s no wonder that she would put pen to paper to bring her own cozy mysteries to life. The words flew onto the page, and she’s already teeming with ideas for the next cozy mystery series.
With her trusted canine by her side, it seemed only natural to be inspired by her beautiful beagle Doogle and the many hours they spent walking through scenic New England villages. When Stella’s not reading books, she’s off on road trips, exploring every nook and cranny in neighboring towns, seeking inspiration for her next book.
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Kept in the Bark (Happy Tails Dog Walking Mysteries Book 5) Page 17
