Red Sole Clues

by Liliana Hart

  Chapter Four

  Three days later, Lily kept her eyes on the dog at her feet. If she looked at the man standing next to her, she’d, well…she’d have to see the man standing next to her. A man whose almost-black hair and square, beard-covered jaw gave her the strangest urge to reach out and run her hand down the side of his face. What was that about? A man whose eyes she was dying to decipher, because she’d be damned if she could figure out if they were hazel or gray, or maybe even green. They seemed to change every time she glanced his way. He was tanned from the sun, with the body of someone who obviously spent time being physical instead of sitting behind a desk.

  And that made her like him all the more. Only she couldn’t like him. She. Would. Not.

  So her eyes stayed glued to Honey, who raised her head and flapped her tail hopefully.

  “Did you guys find anything that can help you arrest the people who did this?”

  Carter shook his head. “Nothing yet. We collected what little evidence there was at the site you found, but there wasn’t much to go on. I’m looking into other empty properties, but I don’t have anything yet.”

  Lily shivered, and it wasn’t related to the temperature. “I just can’t help thinking that these guys must have a lot of dogs, and who knows when they’ll kill or torture another one.”

  Carter turned toward her. “How do you figure?”

  “If they could so easily shoot five of them at a time—” She didn’t finish. The lump in her throat wouldn’t let her. Lily looked up and found Carter watching her. Look away, Lily. Eyes on the dog. Eyes on the dog.

  She cleared her throat and went back to filling him in on Honey’s progress. “So, she’s doing well, moving around with assistance—”

  “Assistance?”

  “Sure.” Lily nodded and glanced at him briefly before looking away again. His eyes were on her. Shouldn’t he be watching the dog? That’s what he was here for. She swallowed and kept going, desperately trying to ignore the nerves he brought out in her. It wasn’t fair. She was a professional. She had an advanced degree. Actually, two of them. She wasn’t a little girl with a case of puppy love. She shouldn’t have to fight the butterflies in her stomach to give him the rundown on Honey’s medical condition.

  She cleared her throat and refocused on his question. “We use a strap under her belly to help lift her as she walks. She’s able to go out for potty breaks with it, and as she gains confidence and balance, we ease up on the support until she’s no longer relying on the strap.”

  He nodded. “Smart.”

  Maybe if she kept talking she could ignore the fact that his arm had just brushed against hers. Because, cripes, that shouldn’t have felt so dang good. “She’ll need to go to a foster home soon, though. She’s ready for it and I want to get her out of the clinic. I mean, not because it’s a problem to have her here. It’s not. It’s just that it can be stressful. All the other dogs coming in and out, the cats, the noise. All of it can be a bit much for a dog trying to recover long term.”

  Now she was babbling. Great.

  “She can’t go home with you?” Carter asked, turning to her again.

  “No. I live too far away. I wouldn’t be able to make it home to check on her, take her out to the bathroom. She needs someone to stop and check in every few hours for now. It’s okay,” she assured him. “I’ll ask around. Someone will be able to help, I’m sure.”

  Lily actually didn’t have any pets at the moment, which was weird for a veterinarian, but she’d been working her tail off while in school and now here to establish herself. She wanted to keep Honey, and actually thought she might adopt her if no one else stepped forward. For now, though, Honey needed out of the clinic environment and into a home where she could get the care she needed. Lily’s home just wasn’t going to meet her needs for the time being. And Lily needed to think of Honey’s needs, not her own.

  “I can take her.”

  “What? I mean, you can?”

  Carter nodded and she had to admit she was stunned. That was unexpected. In fact, she’d been a little surprised that he’d showed up to check on the dog in the first place.

  “Yeah, I live nearby, and my house is only a few minutes from the station, so it isn’t a problem to swing by and take her out when I’m on patrol. I can also get a few of the other deputies to help out. We’ll get her covered between all of us.”

  “Wow, that would be great. If you’re sure. Are you sure? Because, I mean, that would be great.”

  Now he was laughing at her. “Great,” he said, his grin telling her he was teasing her just a little bit. “I do have one requirement, though.”

  “You do?”

  He nodded solemnly, holding her gaze. “That you have coffee with me.”

  “Coffee with you?”

  “Yes. Coffee with me.”

  “Coffee with you?”

  He cocked his head and laughed. “Is that confusing somehow? It’ll be simple, really. We’ll just meet up, walk down to the diner. Grab some coffee. Maybe a piece of pie.”

  She clamped down on her lips, biting them from the inside to stop herself from saying “pie” back to him in the dimwitted, parroting manner she’d fallen into in the past few minutes. She wasn’t a stupid woman. Yet all the evidence was pointing in that direction right now.

  “I don’t date,” was what came out when she finally did release her lips. Good. That was good. Direct. Firm. Final.

  “Good. Because coffee doesn’t count as a date.”

  She didn’t know what to think of that. Could the man really just want to have coffee? Maybe he wanted to ask more about dog racing or to find out more about taking care of Honey and what it would entail. Maybe he was trying to kill two birds with one stone, grabbing a coffee break and snack while he got the information he needed from her.

  “Okay, I’ll get my purse.” She turned to walk away, but was stopped by his answer.

  “Now? You want to go now?” Now he was the one who looked stunned and Lily began to feel like this was the most bizarre conversation she’d ever had.

  “Um, yes?” Because suddenly, it seemed very important to get this over with. To take care of the coffee commitment and finish this—whatever this was—once and for all. Then she’d get some semblance of her sanity back. Some smidgen of control over her emotions, her thoughts, and most importantly, her foolish girly parts that were trying to stage a mutiny against her no dating policy. A policy she wanted to keep firmly in place. No, not wanted to keep in place. A policy she would keep firmly in place. “Yes. Now would be great.” Ugh. Again with the “greats”.

  “Great,” he said as his grin stretched wide, and she knew the laughter in his eyes was aimed at her.

  Chapter Five

  Carter smiled to himself as he walked Lily back to her office after their coffee “non-date.” It was a date. She just didn’t know it yet. He could deal with that. He would give her space and time. When he’d asked her why she didn’t date, she said she’d had all the romance she could handle. Apparently, not one, not two, but three men had told her they loved her before leaving her. She’d had three long-term relationships, complete with flowers, candlelight dinners, and whispered words of love and forever. In each case, that love hadn’t proven strong enough. For one reason or another, the men had “changed their minds,” as she put it.

  When she told him, she acted as though she was over the guys, and she might very well have been. He could tell she wasn’t over the hurt though. Maybe simply the surprise of it. The surprise when one after the other left, despite telling her they would never go. When one after the other said they didn’t love her anymore, or that their love—her love—just wasn’t enough. He didn’t know what was wrong with those idiots, but he did know one thing. Moving quickly wouldn’t be an option with her. That was fine with him. He didn’t need speed. He was perfectly happy to take his time, to get to know her and let her see she could trust him. To build that trust with one simple act after another. One kiss a
t a time. One day at a time. Whatever it took. Because the more time he spent with her, the more he liked her. The more he wanted to be with her.

  They’d had more in common than he thought they would. She valued family above all else. Christmas dinner at home was more than just an obligation to her. When she spoke of her parents and siblings, the love in her eyes was apparent. It didn’t stop there. She loved to hike and mountain bike, just like him. He even liked the way her version of dressing up was a pair of jeans—jeans his hands were aching to relieve her of—and a cute camisole. He was willing to bet she didn’t own a pair of Loui-boo-frou-frou or whatever-they-were-called shoes, unlike the woman he’d dated last year. A sweet, beautiful woman, but one he couldn’t connect with at all. Not like Lily.

  “So Honey will be ready to go home in a couple of days?” he asked as they approached the front of her clinic.

  “Uh huh,” she said, and he had to stifle a laugh at the way she was all but sprinting to the door in her desire to leave. If it weren’t for the other desire he could see in her eyes and the chemistry arcing between them, he might be offended. Acting like she wanted to be away from him right now didn’t mean anything. She wanted him as much as he wanted her.

  “Good, so Friday then? I can pick her up after I take you out to dinner.”

  “What? But, but, what?” It was fun making her sputter.

  “Dinner. Two people, eating food. More talking. Much like what we just did,” he said, turning back toward the diner briefly. “Only it will involve more food and be a bit later in the day. Then we’ll swing by the clinic. I assume you have a key to get in after hours?” He didn’t wait for an answer. He just answered her sputtering with a smile and went on. “We’ll pick up Honey and you can help me get her settled in at my place.”

  Her eyes went round and her face flushed. She was moving her mouth as if she couldn’t quite make the words come out despite wanting to, but there was heat there also. Heat and interest. She wanted to come over to his house.

  “I can’t come to your house!”

  He tipped his head back and laughed. She was really cute, he had to give her that. He was about to reassure her that all he wanted was her help getting Honey settled in, but Alton Crawford interrupted them. He’d just come from inside the clinic and had apparently overheard some of their conversation.

  “You’re taking the dog, Deputy Jenkins?”

  Carter would bet he and Lily wore matching looks of surprise when they turned to the lawyer. Carter extended his hand, more out of habit than anything, and Alton gripped it briefly, before reissuing his question.

  “You’re taking the racing dog? The one that was shot?”

  Carter ignored the question. “What’s your interest in Honey, Alton?”

  Alton Crawford was a prominent lawyer in the small town. He and his wife were active in the community and the largest church in town, and Carter couldn’t begin to imagine why he’d be so interested in Honey and where she went.

  “Nothing, nothing.” Alton’s denial was too hurried. Too strong. “I just came by to drop off some papers for Lily and saw the poor thing. Awful, what someone did to her. It’s a miracle you found her and saved her in time, Lily. Just a miracle.”

  Lily glanced at Carter before answering and he found himself placing a hand to her back. “I was out hiking. It wasn’t a miracle at all. Just chance.”

  Alton nodded. “Well, sure. Sure. Anyway,” he turned to Carter again, “you’re taking the dog?”

  Carter didn’t answer and Lily cut in. “Alton, you said you brought paperwork by. Does that mean the landlord is willing to lease additional space to me?”

  “Oh, yes. It’s all set. You just need to sign and write a check. He’ll give you the first two months’ rent free since you’re taking the buildout on by yourself. I still say let him do the buildout and spread out the payments each month, but you seem to be set on doing it your own way.”

  Carter smiled when Lily raised her brows at the lawyer, stopping him in his tracks. He couldn’t help but be impressed by the way she took him on, clearly making her business decisions where she saw fit.

  “Yes, well…” Alton moved past them on the walk, clearing the way to the door for Carter and Lily to enter. “I’ll need the papers back with the check by close of business tomorrow.”

  “You got it,” Lily answered, and Carter was happy to see a smile break over her face. She was proud to be expanding her business, and he was happy for her. She should be proud.

  As they walked away, he watched Alton. The man glanced over his shoulder several times, telling Carter his hunch was right. Something was up. Alton’s interest in Honey was strange. And strange didn’t set well with Carter. Especially when it involved Lily.

  Chapter Six

  “You shot them?” Alton whispered, even though his office door was closed.

  “Of course I shot them,” Jenk Wilson answered through the line, with a sneer so plain in his voice, it wasn’t hard for Alton to picture it on his face. They’d gone to school together back in the day, but each had gone his separate path until they’d partnered up a year ago. Alton’s path had included a top-tier law school. Jenk’s education came care of the penitentiary system, and it was a lot more limited than Alton’s. But he was street smart, and he knew dog racing. Knew how to train the dogs, how to draw in the crowds without drawing the attention of the police, and how to make them both money doing it. When Alton’s lifestyle first began to creep ahead of his income, he hadn’t worried overly much. When it had bolted forward by leaps and bounds as his income began to decline with each year in this pissant town, Alton had gone along with Jenk’s scheme. Dog racing. Only he hadn’t planned on dogs being shot.

  Before Alton could answer him, Jenk continued. “What did you think I did with them when they were done? You think I have some nice retirement home out in the country for them? If they aren’t running or breeding, or earning their keep in some way, they need to go.”

  “Well, you didn’t bury the bodies deep enough, Jenk.” Alton swallowed his unease at the thought of shooting an animal in cold blood. They needed to do damage control now. “The local vet found the bodies when she was hiking. One of the dogs survived. She had to cut off its leg, but the damned thing is still alive. She’s got the deputy sheriff involved.”

  Jenk grunted. “Doesn’t matter. Dog racing isn’t illegal, Crawford, so you can pull your panties outta your damned ass crack. No one cares if you’re running a few dogs.”

  “They’ll care about the gambling. That’s plenty illegal. And they’ll care about the rabbits those dogs are chasing. About the dogs you’re shooting. If I’m connected to any of that, prosecution won’t matter at all. It’ll ruin me, Jenk, and I’m not about to let that happen.”

  Another grunt through the line was all he heard before the phone cut out. Alton muttered a curse and swiped at his brow as he sank back into his chair. He could not let this get out. Jenk might not care about his reputation, but reputation was everything to Alton. Everything. His would be shot to hell if anyone got wind of this.

  Chapter Seven

  Lily was in a state all day Friday, and it wasn’t a good one. She wanted dinnertime to come, and didn’t at the same time. She knew she should just tell Carter she couldn’t go to dinner with him. That she would help him get Honey settled at his house, but that going out together wasn’t an option. She didn’t date. It was that simple.

  And yet… She sighed. And yet, she wasn’t able to resist feeling the littlest bit of excitement at the thought of spending more time with Carter. The man made her laugh. She liked talking to him, liked hearing his stories. She liked the way he looked at her and listened, and the way he made her feel like she was the only person in the room. The only person he wanted to talk to.

  The way her body responded to him couldn’t be ignored either, but that was the problem, wasn’t it? She didn’t want there to be any attraction between them. Didn’t want him to make her want things, but he absolute
ly did. Because let’s face it, the man was hot. And he used it to his advantage. Not in a way that made her think he’d push her for something she didn’t want. In fact, he was doing all he could to show her he’d wait. That didn’t mean he couldn’t tell her breath caught every time he stepped close to her. He seemed to know the effect he had when his hand brushed her arm or when he leaned close to whisper something to her.

  “Lily?”

  Lily jumped when Bea walked into the exam room where she was finishing up a client note. “Yes?”

  “Ryan Crawford is here to pick up the lease agreement for his father. He said you were expecting him.”

  Lily glanced at her watch, realizing with surprise that it was five thirty already. Time would be tight to change and be ready when Carter picked her up in half an hour. She refused to do much to get ready for a date she didn’t want to go on, but hadn’t been able to stop herself from bringing cute jeans that fit better than the scrubs she wore every day, paired with a halter top that showed off her arms.

  “Can you send him to my office? I’ll be there in just a minute.”

  Rushing to wrap up her notes, she moved down the hall to her office. She’d met Ryan Crawford a couple of times since moving to town, but usually saw him at his father’s office. Apparently, he was about to begin his third year of law school and planned to join his father’s practice when he graduated. He was a nice-looking man with a fairly unremarkable face, and a smile that seemed genuine and easy. Stacking him up next to Carter, which her mind’s eye couldn’t help but do, he paled in comparison. He was a couple of inches taller than Lily, where Carter stood over six feet tall. Ryan had none of the rugged strength and natural sex appeal Carter had. He was simply…nice-looking.