Ever After (Love to the Rescue Book 3)

by Rachel Lacey

  Dressed in a very practical blue dress covered in a white wrap-around sweater, she headed out. First on her list was the local thrift shop. They were hiring for a full-time salesperson, and while the pay was less than ideal, the work would be interesting. She knew a bit about fashion and loved finding beauty in repurposed ways.

  The girl behind the counter took her application with a bored “thank you,” much more interested in whatever she was reading on her cell phone. No wonder they were hiring for a new daytime employee. Olivia lingered for a few minutes in the shop, admiring a vintage incense burner. No impulse shopping until she’d received a paycheck, but if she got the job here, she was so buying that.

  In the meantime…

  She applied for a waitress position at the diner, a hostess position at Finnegan’s Pub—which served way too much meat for her taste, but at least she wouldn’t be the one serving it—and a cashier job at the Walgreens where Pete had made his infamous late-night condom run. Not for nothing, but she didn’t want to stand behind a cash register all day.

  Somewhat demoralized, she headed home to fix herself a salad. A veggie wrap from the café sounded better, but there’d be no more eating out until she got a job, and she doubted she would ever set foot in the café again anyway.

  So home she went. The dogs were ecstatic to see her. She let them out while she ate, visited Hallie upstairs, then crated Bailey and hit the road again. Having exhausted her list of jobs to apply for, she headed first to MacArthur Park to meditate.

  She imagined finding Pete here, taking a few minutes of relaxation on his lunch break, but of course he wasn’t. He was out busting bad guys, doing whatever it was he did all day. And hmmm, she actually knew very little about what he did all day. Or what he did in his off time, other than coaching the boys at the rec center on Tuesdays.

  But his dog was at her house, so that was kind of a big deal. And maybe it was best if she didn’t know too much about him, since they were trying to keep this casual and all that.

  Banishing him from her mind, she meditated for over an hour until her mind was cleansed and her energy buffered. When she got back into her car, it was just past two. Pete was off duty at three, that much she did know. But he often worked late. She knew that too.

  She’d be home by three, just in case. Timber would be eager to see him, after all.

  She drove back into town and cruised down Main Street, eyeing the various storefronts for any Now Hiring signs she hadn’t already applied for. Jimmy’s Wing Hut was hiring for a line cook, but ewww…no thanks. Not that she was qualified anyway.

  She turned down Dogwood Road, headed for Peachtree Lane. There were other storefronts here, not as high profile as the businesses on Main Street, but there were some off-color places she adored like the thrift shop she’d applied at earlier, a paint-your-own pottery shop, and a vacant storefront with a Now Hiring sign.

  Intrigued, she pulled over. The poster in the window read: The Lavender Moon: holistic and alternative remedies. Now hiring for experienced sales staff. Inquire within.

  And Olivia had the feeling she’d just had her first big break in the job hunt.

  * * *

  Pete finished his shift on time for once and drove to the office to drop off some paperwork before he headed to Olivia’s to get Timber. He was slightly uncomfortable with the fact he’d left his dog with her all day. Not that he didn’t trust her. More like…it felt way too cozy for a woman who was supposed to be nothing but a casual fling.

  He needed to get his dog and head home for the evening, maybe take a step back and slow things down before they both got in over their heads.

  His phone rang and, speak of the devil—Olivia’s name showed on the screen.

  “Pete, oh my God—” Her words tumbled through the phone, shrill and panicked.

  “What happened? Are you okay?” His heart pounded. If those assholes at Halverson Foods had so much as touched a hair on her body…

  He was already striding toward the back door when she answered.

  “It’s Timber.”

  “Timber? What happened?” A new kind of fear twisted inside him.

  “Someone threw chicken carcasses in my backyard, and the dogs ate them before I realized, and Timber choked on a bone.” Her voice broke.

  “Choked? Is he—is he okay?”

  “I gave him the best doggy version of the Heimlich maneuver I could, and it moved enough that he could breathe, but it’s still stuck in there. I’m at the vet now.”

  Pete blew out a breath. “Where?”

  “Dogwood Animal Hospital. Hurry.”

  “I’ll be right there.” He disconnected the phone and strode toward his car. Timber was still breathing, and he was at the vet. Surely that meant he would be okay.

  Five minutes later, he walked in the front door of the animal hospital.

  Olivia sprang from the nearest chair, looking poised to fling her arms around him, but at the last moment, she stopped short and hugged herself instead.

  Fuck. He reached out and pulled her against his chest. “What’s going on?”

  She looked up, her eyes suspiciously bright. “They were playing in the backyard. I was on the deck applying for jobs on my laptop. They were hanging out by the back fence, but I wasn’t paying attention because they were being quiet. Then Bailey threw up. That’s when I found the chicken carcasses. They were—” She put a hand over her mouth. “There were at least three birds, whole. Raw. The dogs had really done a number on them. Timber started gagging…that’s when I realized he couldn’t breathe.”

  “Jesus.” His throat tightened.

  “I just grabbed him around the chest, under his diaphragm, and heaved. He made a choking sound, and he started breathing, but it was raspy, and he was drooling and acting all weird still, so I rushed them both here—I’m so sorry, Pete.”

  “What are you sorry for? You probably saved his life.”

  “But if I’d been paying attention instead of working on my laptop—”

  “Stop that. You had no way of knowing those chicken carcasses were there. And I want to talk more about that, but how is Timber now? Have you seen Dr. Johnson?”

  “He’s been back there with him since we got here. I brought Bailey too, to be checked out.”

  “I’ll go check for you,” the vet tech behind the counter said. “You guys can wait in exam room three, and I’ll send Dr. Johnson in.” He led them into the empty exam room and closed the door.

  Pete sat next to Olivia in the two plastic chairs against the wall and clasped her hand between his. He’d only had Timber a few weeks, but already the thought of losing him hurt. He couldn’t imagine coming home without that damn whiny shepherd there to greet him.

  Dr. Johnson came into the room a few minutes later. “Good to see you, Pete.”

  Pete stood. “Dr. Johnson. How is he?”

  “I was able to remove the bone from his esophagus using the endoscope, which was minimally invasive. I expect him to make a full recovery.”

  Pete swallowed hard. “That’s great news.”

  The vet nodded. “He’s a lucky dog. Olivia saved his life.”

  She gripped his hand, looking as relieved as he felt.

  “He’s still sedated,” Dr. Johnson said. “We’ll want to keep him for observation. His esophagus is quite abraded, so I’ve inserted a feeding tube for the time being, but I do expect him to recover relatively quickly.”

  “Fantastic.”

  Dr. Johnson turned to Olivia. “I’ve examined Bailey as well. She doesn’t appear to have any blockages, so she’s free to go home with you. Just keep a close eye on her for the next forty-eight hours. If she has any difficulty eating, drinking, or going to the bathroom, bring her straight in.”

  She nodded. “I’ll do that. Thank you.”

  “Okay. I’ll have the tech bring Bailey in, and you can see Timber for a few minutes before you go if you’d like.”

  “I would. Thank you.”

  “Right this
way.” Dr. Johnson led him to the back room, lined with metal crates of various sizes. Timber lay in one of the largest crates, unconscious, an IV taped to his front leg. A thin plastic tube protruded from an incision on his right side.

  “Oh,” Olivia said softly from behind him.

  Pete felt a punch to the gut as he looked at his dog. He sat in front of the crate, opened the door, and stroked Timber’s fur. “It’s going to be okay, buddy. The doc says you’re going to be fine.”

  “Oh, Timber.” Olivia crouched next to him. “I’m so sorry, honey.”

  “Don’t listen to her,” Pete told his sedated dog. “She saved your life.”

  She reached in to pet him. “You get well soon so that I can spoil you rotten to make up for this, okay?”

  “Hang tight, Timberwolf. I’ll be back to see you tomorrow.” He stood and took Olivia’s hand, pulling her up beside him. She was shaking, her hand like ice in his. “I’ll drive you home. Let’s go have a look at those chickens they got into.”

  “My car’s here,” she said, but she didn’t look in any shape to drive. Her normally vibrant eyes were glassy, her cheeks pale. Aftereffects of the crisis.

  “We’ll get it tomorrow.” He led her to his squad car and motioned for her to get in the passenger seat. “You get to ride in front this time. Behave yourself.”

  She glared at him. “Any other time, that might be funny.”

  He shrugged. “It was funny.”

  She loaded Bailey into the back of the car, then climbed in beside him, sitting with her eyes closed as he started the engine. Her phone rang, and she pulled it from her purse. “Hi, Merry.” She paused. “Bailey’s fine, and it looks like Timber will be too, although he has a bit of recuperating to do.”

  Pete turned the car toward Peachtree Lane. Now it was time to figure out how those chickens had gotten into her backyard. This might have been intended as just another harmless prank, but Pete’s dog had almost died. And someone was going to pay for that.

  “No, I don’t know where the chickens came from,” Olivia was saying. “But ten bucks says they’re from Halverson Foods. We’re on our way to my house now.” Another pause. “Yes, he’s with me. I’ll call you when I know anything okay?”

  She hung up the phone and stared out the window, silent as he turned into her driveway.

  “All right then, let’s go have a look.”

  She followed him inside with Bailey. “You’re staying inside,” she told the dog, then followed Pete into the backyard.

  He walked toward the back fence. It wasn’t hard to tell where it had all gone down. The back corner of her yard was strewn with chicken carcasses, in various states of destruction. The birds could have come from the supermarket—they were already plucked, heads and feet removed. But he’d bet Olivia was right. They had probably come from the Halverson Foods chicken-processing plant.

  She made a sound of disgust from behind him. “I can’t believe someone put these in my yard. Why would they do that?”

  “To make a point, I guess. I’m off duty, so I’m going to have to call it in.”

  And then he and Olivia were going to have a little talk. This had gone too far, and she wasn’t staying here alone again until the vandals had been caught.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Olivia felt like she’d been swept up in a tornado, and it was not a feeling she enjoyed. She closed her eyes and pictured the landscape at MacArthur Park until her pulse had slowed. When she opened them, the sheriff’s deputies were still there. Pete stood in the corner with them as they finished up their paperwork.

  “We’ll be in touch,” the tall one—whose name she’d forgotten—said.

  She stood. “Thank you.”

  Pete walked them to the door. He still wore his uniform, his expression dark and brooding. Guilt pinched her stomach. Because of her, he’d almost lost his dog.

  He closed the door behind them, then slid his arms around her. “You okay?”

  She leaned into him. His body was hard and unyielding behind her, separated from hers by all of his law enforcement gear. She turned in his arms, placing a hand against his chest. Hard. She frowned.

  “Kevlar,” he said.

  “Really? You wear that every day?”

  He nodded.

  The knowledge sent an uncomfortably cold tingle down her spine. “Have you ever been shot?”

  “No.”

  “Ever shot anyone?” Now she was just being nosy, but to be perfectly honest, she’d never thought that much about the dangers of his job. Not until now, and it was freaking her out.

  “No,” he answered.

  “That’s good.” She pulled back and wrapped her arms around herself.

  “Been shot at. Once. He missed.” Pete cracked a smile.

  “If that’s meant to make me feel better, it doesn’t.” On the contrary, tears stung her eyes, and she didn’t even know why.

  “Hey.” He took her hand. “I need to go home and change. Why don’t you come? Stay the night.”

  She glanced at the clock, and her heart sank. “Crap. It’s Friday night. I’m supposed to be babysitting for Merry and T.J. right now.”

  “I’m sure Merry, of all people, understands.”

  “Of course she does but—” She shook her head. This was just one more screwup to add to the long list of her life screwups. “I better call her.” Olivia dialed Merry’s number.

  “Any news?” her friend asked when she answered.

  “Bailey’s home. Timber’s stable. And I’m standing you up right now, but why do you sound like you’re at the bar anyway?” A buzz of music and conversation carried over the line.

  “Amy and Noah came over to watch Jayden for us. You didn’t stand me up. You were busy with the police and with Bailey.”

  “Oh, I’m glad you guys still got to go out.” Olivia was grateful that T.J.’s sister and nephew had been able to fill in for her. “I’ll babysit for you next week. Just pick a day.”

  “Don’t worry about it. Are you spending the night at Pete’s?”

  She looked over at him, thumbing through emails on his phone. She didn’t want to be alone tonight. “Yes.”

  * * *

  Olivia followed Pete into his townhouse. They stopped for a moment in the foyer, absorbing the emptiness inside. Quiet. No howling, whining German shepherd waited for them in the kitchen.

  Even Bailey was subdued, standing silently beside them, her tail tucked.

  Olivia set her backpack on the floor and put her hand on his shoulder. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Please stop apologizing. It wasn’t your fault. On the contrary, you saved Timber’s life. I should be thanking you.” He pulled her into his arms and kissed her, long and deep, then he picked her up and carried her up the stairs to his bedroom. He set her on the edge of the bed and unfastened the belt that held his gun, cuffs, and all his other law enforcement gadgets.

  She forced herself to take a long look at it. As a practice, she hated guns. Anything that led to violence of any kind went against the fiber of her soul.

  “You’re looking at me like I’m holding a snake,” he said, a touch of amusement in his voice.

  She looked down at her hands. “I don’t really mind snakes.”

  “But you don’t like guns.”

  She shook her head. “No. Sorry.”

  “Most women find it a turn-on.” He still sounded amused.

  She raised her head and met his eyes. “I’m not most women.”

  His dark eyes heated. “Isn’t that the damn truth.”

  He hauled her off the bed and kissed her until every cell in her body was on fire for him. She worked her way down the buttons of his uniform shirt and tugged it open.

  “And I hate that you have to wear this.” She ran her fingers over the unforgiving surface of his Kevlar vest.

  “You’d rather I didn’t wear it?”

  “I’d rather you didn’t put yourself in the way of bullets at all.”

  He reached
behind himself to unfasten the vest, then lifted it over his head. Now he stood before her in a sweat-dampened white undershirt and slacks, his hair rumpled from her fingers. He was the opposite of what she wanted in every way, and yet…he was the most perfect thing she’d ever seen.

  “I have no idea what to do with you.” He bent his head to nibble at her neck, and she shivered from her heart to her toes.

  “I can think of a few things.” She tugged at the waistband of his pants, pulling him closer against her.

  He laid her on the bed, covering her body with his. “You’ll stay here until this mess with Halverson gets sorted out.”

  She braced her hands against his chest. “Wait—what?”

  “I’ll sleep a hell of a lot better if you’re here. Stay.” His eyes filled in the gaps between his words. He was worried about her, worried for her safety.

  And she should probably be offended. She should argue that she could take care of herself—because she could—but right now she was too busy feeling all warm and fuzzy. “I’m staying tonight. After that we’ll see.”

  Because she couldn’t let herself get too comfortable here in his house. This was only temporary, and she couldn’t let herself forget that.

  “You’ll stay,” he said. Then he tugged down her pants, and she forgot what the hell they were talking about.

  Thirty minutes later, and a whole lot more relaxed, she followed him downstairs. He went into the kitchen to order takeout, and she took Bailey outside to potty. Then she settled on the couch to work on a blog post.

  Pete strolled in, looking dangerously sexy in relaxed jeans and a worn NCSU T-shirt. He sat next to her and turned on the TV. “You’re not stirring up more trouble for Halverson, are you?”

  “Just blogging about what happened today, but I’m not backing off. They can’t bully me like this and get away with it.”

  He changed the channel to football. “I just think you may need to adjust your expectations slightly.”