by Rachel Lacey
* * *
Olivia worked until the café closed at nine. Way to spend a Saturday night. There was a time when she would have gone home to change and gone out to party with her friends. But she’d gone out with Merry last night, and tonight she wanted to catch up on social media.
Kristi had sent her a link to an article about a beef factory in Texas that had been raided and several employees arrested after undercover video showed workers kicking and prodding downed animals on their way to slaughter.
A loophole in the current laws on factory farming failed to provide similar protection to chickens. And tonight Olivia meant to blog her heart out about the injustice. She was going to renew her request for people to write to their lawmakers and also start a petition that she planned to send to the CEO of Halverson Foods.
She took the dogs on a long walk, sat in the bathroom and played with Hallie, and then settled on the couch with a veggie wrap and a glass of wine. She’d been on the go all day, and she was exhausted. That morning, she’d gone to the sheriff’s office to file a report about the incident in the parking lot behind the diner. Deputy Hartzler had looked bored the entire time, but hadn’t been as rude this time, so at least there was that.
Somewhere into her second glass of wine, as she added photos to her blog post, she dozed off on the couch. She was dreaming about Pete doing naughty things to her with his handcuffs when loud barking startled her awake.
She rubbed her eyes and rolled over to check the clock. It was three a.m., and she was on her couch, still dressed, her laptop on its side on the floor beside her. Ugh. Oh, and her fool dogs were barking.
Bailey and Scooby were at the front window, barking and growling to raise the dead.
Squinting, Olivia peered out the front window. In the yellowish glow of the street lamp, nothing stirred but a few moths.
“Come on, you guys, stop barking at raccoons.” She herded them up the stairs to her bedroom, where she changed into pajamas, brushed her teeth, and climbed into bed.
The next thing she knew, sunlight was streaming in the windows. The clock showed it was just past nine, and Olivia sighed deeply into the pillow. Today was her first day off in eight days. Working at the café, she didn’t have a regular schedule. Some days were early, some were late, some long, some short, but today, blissfully, she had nothing to do.
She’d go to MacArthur Park to meditate, maybe take the dogs on a jog, maybe think about letting Hallie out of the bathroom for the first time. Bailey and Scooby shoved their noses over the edge of the bed, looking for attention.
Merry’d been horrified when Olivia told her she didn’t allow dogs in her bed, but please. She’d cleaned enough questionable stains off the couch. She didn’t want to think about any of that nastiness in her bed.
“All right, all right.” She slid out of bed and went into the bathroom. She freshened up, then tied a robe over the skimpy nightie she’d apparently put on in her three a.m. stupor and went downstairs to let the dogs out.
She’d just taken a big bite out of a bran muffin when someone started pounding on her front door. Her heart jolted in her chest. If it was one of the guys from Halverson…
Pressing a hand to her chest, she hurried to the door and peeked through the peephole. Pete stood on the other side of the door, in uniform and mirrored shades, his expression dark with anger or…something else, equally as intense.
Cautiously, she pulled the door open. “Um, hi?”
She glanced down at her bare feet. Christ on a cracker. She had on nothing but a thin terry robe over her nightie. Her hair was a mess, and she wasn’t wearing any makeup. At least she’d brushed her teeth.
“Everything okay here?” he asked, his tone low and serious.
“Sure.” She met his eyes with a shy smile, then watched as his gaze dropped to survey her lack of clothing.
“You been outside yet this morning?”
“No.” She pinched the edges of the robe together in her fist to keep from giving him a peep show. Pete still looked awfully intense. She was starting to get the feeling she was missing something. “Should I have been? What’s going on?”
He motioned her to follow him out the front door. “One of your neighbors called it in. They were concerned about your welfare.”
“My welfare?” She padded after him down the walkway, confusion mixing with alarm.
Big, red letters dripped down the front of the house. You didn’t listen.
“Oh, my God.” She clutched her robe and stared. The entire side of the house had been spray-painted. Beneath the ominous words, a row of chickens had been painted.
“Your neighbor thought it might be blood,” he said.
“Blood,” she repeated. Holy shit. No wonder Pete had looked so spooked when he banged on her front door. She was feeling a bit woozy herself.
“Let’s go inside.” Pete put his hand on her elbow and guided her back through the front door.
She sank onto the couch and stared at him. “I just woke up. I had no idea.”
“Did you hear anything last night?” He stood in the middle of the room, watching her.
“No. Oh!” She lurched upright. “I fell asleep on the couch. I woke up around three, and the dogs were at the front window, barking like crazy. I took them upstairs to bed. I thought it was a raccoon or something.”
“Did you hear anything outside at that time?”
“No.” She shook her head. “Only the dogs.”
“Have you had any interaction with anyone from Halverson Foods since the last time we spoke?”
A shiver ran down her spine. “No. Do you think they were here last night?”
“Stands to reason.” Pete shoved his hands in his pockets and looked out the front window, a different kind of tension on his face.
She glanced down and saw that the robe had gaped open to reveal the lacy, low-cut front of her gown. She yanked it closed. “Um, do you mind if I get dressed before we finish this conversation?”
“Not at all.” He glanced at her, his professional demeanor betrayed by a flash of hunger in those dark eyes.
She shivered, and it had nothing to do with the message spray-painted on the front of her house. “Be right back.”
* * *
Pete stood in Olivia’s living room, hands in his pockets, willing himself to think of anything other than how sexy she’d looked all rumpled and fresh out of bed. He was here on business today, and he couldn’t let himself be distracted, not by the fear in her eyes when she’d seen the message painted on her house or her breasts spilling out of her nightgown.
The barking at the back door had grown louder since she went upstairs. He heard paws scraping against its wooden surface. Curious since he’d never actually seen her dogs, he strolled over and peeked out the window. Two brown boxers sat at the top of the steps. As soon as they saw him, they reared up on their back legs, barking even louder, tail stumps wagging madly.
“They want their breakfast,” Olivia said from behind him.
He turned. “I don’t mind if you let them in.”
She’d changed into a purple top and khaki shorts and added something pink and glossy to her lips. “Are you sure? They can get pretty rowdy.”
“I can handle rowdy.” He couldn’t keep the slight double entendre out of his voice.
Olivia’s cheeks heated to match her lips. “Okay then.”
She opened the back door, and the two dogs bounded inside. They both went straight for him, barking and jumping on him, crazed with excitement. Olivia grabbed each dog by the collar and hauled them into the kitchen, where they quickly became distracted by the promise of food.
“What are their names?” he asked.
“Bailey.” She pointed at the female dog. “And Scooby.” She pointed at the male.
“Do you have somewhere else you could stay for a few days?”
She pressed her hands against the counter and faced him. “Jesus. Really?”
“This is twice now they’ve been at your home during the ni
ght, and that’s worrisome. You need to make yourself less accessible until the whole thing blows over.”
She glanced toward the front of the house, her expression sober. “I fell asleep downstairs last night. They could have been looking in the windows, watching me. It’s a little freaky.”
“I’d feel much better if I knew you were staying somewhere else.”
She sighed. “It’s complicated. I’ve got these dogs, who aren’t even mine or all that well behaved, and a kitten still living in my bathroom.”
“What about the friends who ditched you the night you were arrested? I’d say they owe you a favor.”
Olivia’s mouth dropped open. “They—um. For the record, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
He grunted. “One of them is named Terence. I’m guessing, if I searched the Citizens Against Halverson Foods website, I could probably find out his last name and maybe your other friend too. Is it Merry Atwater?”
Her eyes rounded. “Shit! No. Merry has nothing to do with any of this.”
“Then who?”
She stared at the counter in front of her, her pretty lips pressed in a thin line. “You must think I’m an idiot for not turning them in. But they both could lose their jobs if they got arrested.”
Yep, he did think she was an idiot on this particular subject. “And you? Your job isn’t in jeopardy?”
She blew out a breath and glared at him. “It is. But I’m the one who was up on the ladder with a can of spray paint. It was my stupid idea, so I can handle the consequences.”
“You’re too smart to be so foolish.”
Hurt flashed in her eyes. “Yeah, well, screwing things up is my specialty.”
And now he felt like an ass. “Olivia—”
“But you’re right, they do owe me a favor. Merry’s already got a house full of dogs, but maybe I could have my other friends keep Bailey and Scooby for me so that I could crash at her place for a few nights.”
“All right then. I just have a few more things to go over with you to finish up my report. The Halverson Foods factory is closed today because it’s Sunday, but I’ll stop by tomorrow morning to ask some questions, see if I can shake loose who might be behind this.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Olivia was halfway between homeless and a third wheel, and she was pissed about it. Merry had demanded she stay at the farm with her and T.J. until the graffiti incident had been sorted out, which she’d reluctantly agreed to. Kristi was keeping Scooby and Bailey for a few days, and Hallie the kitten had moved with Olivia into Merry and T.J.’s guest room.
But today was Tuesday, and Merry worked seven to seven at the hospital. Olivia was off at four, and there was no way she was going to the farm until her friend was home. T.J. was a great guy, but he was unlikely to appreciate having his girlfriend’s troublemaking friend underfoot all afternoon.
So Olivia had spent an hour at the library doing some research for her next blog post. Now she was hungry and irritable, with two hours until she could go home. A plate of vegetarian sushi from Mikoto’s might just take care of both of her problems.
It was only a few blocks from the library so she decided to walk. As she passed the rec center, the front door opened, and the man who came storming down the steps brought her heart right into her throat.
Pete was breathing hard, looking deliciously handsome in black athletic shorts and a red Wolfpack T-shirt stretched across his broad shoulders. Head down, he hustled onto the sidewalk. She put her hands out before he slammed right into her.
“Hi.” She tried for a casual smile, but her hands were on his pecs, and holy hell, his muscles…
“Olivia?” His dark eyes flicked up to hers.
“Believe it or not, I was just walking by, and you…um, are you okay?” Because even for Pete, he looked intense right now. His brows were pinched, and his muscles were so tight her hands practically bounced right off him.
“I’m fine.”
She lifted her hands free of his chest. “What were you doing in there, running a marathon?”
“Coaching soccer.”
“Really? Because you look—” Actually, he looked angry. Or upset. Sometimes with a man it was hard to tell one from the other. Cautiously, she placed her hand back over his heart. It thumped hard and fast against her palm.
“Olivia—” His voice was rough, like he wanted to shake free of her and go stew alone.
But she couldn’t let him do that, because she knew she could help. “Someone got under your skin today.”
“There’s this kid—” he said, then stopped and shook his head. “Never mind. I’ll call you tomorrow to catch up about your case.”
“Wait.” She stepped in front of him again. “I need to show you something.”
“Not now. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“It’s not about that. Come with me.” She took his hand and tugged him in the direction of her car.
“Whatever it is can wait. “ He pulled his hand free.
“No, it can’t. Come.” She took his hand again and half-dragged him down the block to her Prius, still parked at the library.
He gave her a long look, then folded himself into the front passenger seat.
“Trust me,” she said. Then she put the car in drive and pointed them toward the outskirts of town. MacArthur Park would be closing within the hour so she’d settle for her second favorite meditation spot—a quiet overlook on Jordan Lake. It was too far above the water to be popular with fishermen, and this late in the day, unlikely to be occupied by any sightseers.
“Where are we going?” he asked.
“Someplace quiet.” She glanced over at him.
His posture was tense, his hands braced against his thighs. “We can’t. Even when I’m off duty, Olivia.”
She snorted. “I’m not going to jump your bones. I just want to show you some meditation techniques. You look like you could use a little stress relief—or something.”
“I shouldn’t be seen with you outside of work.”
“Then we won’t be seen.” She got it, she really did. So the tug of annoyance she felt must be directed at herself, because if she hadn’t been stupid enough to break the law and get arrested, Pete wouldn’t be afraid to be seen with her, wouldn’t be compromising his professional integrity to be with her.
That just sucked. And it hurt a little bit too.
“Olivia—” His tone punched her right below her ribs.
Tears pricked behind her eyes. “I don’t want to get you in trouble, Pete, with your boss or your conscience. Just let me do this for you tonight, and I promise I’ll never contact you outside of work again.”
* * *
Pete felt like a pressure cooker about to burst. He shouldn’t have let Zach get under his skin like this. And Olivia…Olivia was driving him God-knew-where to do God-knew-what with him.
He was too angry to think properly or he never would have gotten in the car with her. Trapped inside the Prius, her flowery scent teased his nostrils. The sun was setting ahead of them, casting the interior of the car in its golden blaze. It created a halo effect around her when he looked over. “You’re a little bit crazy, you know that right?”
She shrugged. “I like to live outside the box.”
He rubbed his brow. This was ridiculous. He was a grown man, and he had totally lost it over a petty argument with a thirteen-year-old.
Zach Hill. The kid had started a fight, scuffling with one of the other boys over something he’d said. When Pete broke it up, Zach had told him to leave him alone.
“You’re not my father,” he’d shouted.
And that knocked the wind right out of him.
“Here we are,” Olivia said, interrupting his thoughts. She pulled the car into a gravel pull-off along the banks of Jordan Lake. “Follow me.”
She set off at a brisk pace down a dirt trail to the right. He followed, trying to roll some of the stiffness out of his shoulders. He failed. But a new kind of tension was grow
ing inside him now, one that had everything to do with the sexy woman leading him down this path.
“Here,” she said.
They were standing at an overlook about ten feet above the lake, with a stunning view of the sunset beyond. She spread a blanket over the ground, then took off her shoes and stepped onto it.
“Olivia—” He stood in the dirt facing her. “I can’t do this. I really just need to get out of here and go home.”
She smiled, and goddamn she was gorgeous with the lake and the sunset behind her. She wore a blue top and a long black skirt that hugged all of her curves. All he really wanted to do right now was kiss her, lose himself in her until everything else faded away.
“Oh, come on now. You’ve come this far.” She took his hand and tugged him toward her.
Reluctantly, he kicked off his shoes and joined her on the blanket.
“Good. I usually start with some stretches, but I think you might be too tense right now for that, so let’s sit and focus on breathing first. Here…” She pushed on his shoulders until he sat, then she sat beside him. “Now close your eyes.”
He did, but the blackness behind his lids brought him right back to the rec center.
You’re not my father. My father’s dead.
“Now I want you to concentrate on your breathing. Slow and steady. Deep breaths from your diaphragm. Feel the way your stomach moves in and out as you breathe. Focus on that.”
He listened to the singsong tone of her voice, and he tried to do what she said. He drew in a breath and held it, then exhaled slowly.
“That’s great,” she said. “Keep doing that until you’re comfortable with your breathing.”
They sat in silence for a minute, and while he wanted to protest that this was silly, he did feel some of the pressure in his chest ease as his breathing slowed.
“You’re doing great,” Olivia said from beside him. “Now keep breathing slow and steady, but I want you to focus on your toes. Think about relaxing them. Wiggle them if you need to.”
“There’s nothing wrong with my toes.”
“It’s part of the process. You’re going to work your way up, one body part at a time, until we’ve gotten all the tension out.”
