by Rachel Lacey
“Thought you’d want to know. Word on the street is that goings-on at Olivia Bennett’s place were a fraternity prank,” Hartzler said.
“A fraternity prank?” Pete pinched his brow.
“Apparently one of the fraternities over at Carolina U uses chickens as some kind of mascot, and they’ve been having a field day with this shit with Halverson.”
Pete frowned. He vaguely remembered a photo a few weeks ago with some fraternity guys pulling their pants down in front of Olivia’s Chicken Ass graffiti. This fit, and it wasn’t sinister. But it didn’t sit quite right with him either. “I don’t see why they’d target Olivia specifically.”
“Why do college kids do any of the things they do?” Hartzler sounded bored. “I’ll go down there tomorrow and read them the riot act. That ought to be the end of it.”
“Well all right. Let me know if anything else turns up.”
“Like what?” Hartzler asked.
“I don’t know. Just ask around and see if anything sounds off.”
“Don’t read more into this than there is just because you’re banging her, Sampson.”
Pete bristled. “And don’t write her off just because she’s caused trouble in the past.”
He hung up the phone, frustrated and pissed off. Hartzler wasn’t going to ask any questions when he visited the frat boys. In his mind, the case was already closed. Yet Pete couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to the story.
He was going to have to pay his own visit to the Omega Chi fraternity at Carolina University to get the answers he needed. Never mind that the sheriff had warned him to stay away from this case, and Olivia.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Timber’s high-pitched whine drowned out the radio on the ride home from the Dogwood Animal Hospital. His cold snout pressed into the back of Olivia’s neck, sending shivers down her spine.
“You did not enjoy your stay at the vet, did you?” she asked the woebegone shepherd.
“Woof,” he answered, his head cocked to the side, brown eyes crinkled.
“I didn’t either,” Pete said. “Thank goodness for pet insurance.”
“Will it cover his bill?”
“Most of it.” He pulled into his driveway and shut the car off.
Timber whined again. Olivia felt like joining him. Deputy Hartzler had called earlier. He told her that the vandalism to her house, including the dead chickens in the backyard, had been a fraternity prank. Which meant she could go home.
Surely Pete knew this, but he hadn’t mentioned it. She nibbled on her bottom lip as she followed him and Timber into the house.
Bailey waited in her crate in the kitchen, squealing with glee. Olivia opened the crate and ushered her straight out the back door. It had been days since the dog had had an accident. Crating her when she was left alone and more frequent potty trips seemed to have totally turned her around.
Olivia tried not to feel guilty for how long it had taken to get her to this point. She’d have had the damn dog adopted out weeks ago if she’d just spent a little time training her.
Lesson learned.
She walked back inside with Bailey only to have Timber fling himself against her legs, squeaking at eardrum-piercing levels, giving her the kind of super-sad puppy dog eyes no one could resist. “You are so pathetic.” She sat on the kitchen floor to coddle him.
“Man up, dude. No wonder you got kicked off the force. The vet says you’re good as new.” Pete stared down at them, but his tone belied his words. He sounded like he wanted to give his dog a big hug.
“It’s okay,” she said. “I think he’s earned himself at least one night of pampering after his ordeal. I picked up some wet food for him earlier, figured it might be easier for him to swallow while his throat’s still healing.”
“Yeah, the vet mentioned that would be a good idea. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She placed a kiss between Timber’s eyes then stood. “I was planning to make stuffed peppers tonight. Sound good?”
“Yeah.” He yanked her up against him and kissed her hard. “You don’t have to cook for me, you know.”
“I know.” She kissed him back. “But I like to.”
In truth, staying at Pete’s townhouse made her feel all kinds of domestic. She didn’t want it to end. She’d fallen for him, hard and fast, and there was no way out, not for her at least.
But did he feel the same?
* * *
Pete closed his eyes and kissed her while his heart hammered against his ribs. Olivia was terrible at hiding her feelings. It was all there on her face, in her eyes. She was falling for him. And well, he didn’t want to look too hard at his own feelings, because there was no way he and Olivia could ever be more than they were right now.
He’d already tried marriage, and it had been a disaster.
“I spoke to Hartzler today,” he said.
Olivia pushed backward out of his arms, which had been his intent, but still he fought the need to reach out and pull her back against his chest.
“He called me too,” she said.
“He’s pretty sure the Omega Chi kids are behind it all, although we don’t have enough evidence to charge them.”
She looked away. “So I can go home.”
“Tomorrow.” He gave in to the urge to pull her against him, her chest pressed to his. “No rush.”
“Tomorrow,” she spoke against his shirt.
He ought to make a clean break with her here, let her go home and back to her own life before things got any messier between them. It was selfish of him not to. She deserved her happily ever after, and he couldn’t promise her happiness.
So he had no idea why he heard himself saying, “I’m off on Wednesday. Maybe we can do something.”
She tilted her head up to meet his eyes, giving him a searching look. “I’m volunteering that morning at the women’s shelter, but I’m free in the afternoon.”
The women’s shelter? Pete thought of the night he, Maggie, and their mom had spent there after his dad came home stoned out of his mind, smashed his fist through the china cabinet, and then—convinced they had turned against him—threw them out of the house. “I thought you’d spend your time at the animal shelter.”
“I was there today, and I’ll be there again tomorrow, but I thought maybe I should spread myself around a little.”
“You’ll be finished with your community service hours in no time.”
She shrugged. “Might as well try to finish it up before I go back to work.”
“Any leads there?” he asked.
“A few. If nothing pans out by the end of the week, I’ll lower my standards.” She backed out of his arms and bent to rub Timber behind his ears. Bailey sat behind her and whined.
He squeezed the back of his neck. “Don’t do that.”
“I need a paycheck, Pete. If I have to bag groceries until I find something better, so be it.”
She shouldn’t have to lower her standards with him either, and yet he found himself hoping she would, just a little while longer, because he wasn’t strong enough to give her up. Not yet. “Something will come along, hopefully something much better than working at the café.”
“I hope so.” She turned her full attention to the dogs, fussing over them as she fixed their suppers. Once both dogs were happily stuffing their faces, she went to the refrigerator and took out ingredients for the stuffed peppers.
Pete stood there, watching her work. Olivia had made herself right at home here, had made his house feel like a home with her presence.
The truth was, he might not ever be ready to let her go.
* * *
Tuesday morning, Pete finally made it out to the Carolina University campus to have a chat with the fraternity brothers, face to face. He pounded on the front door of the frat house for a solid five minutes before he finally heard a shout from within.
“Dogwood County Sheriff’s Office,” he called and was rewarded by heavy footsteps approaching t
he door.
The kid who opened the door wore low-slung athletic shorts and nothing else, his disheveled hair hanging in his eyes. “Can I help you, Officer?”
“Deputy Sampson with the Dogwood County Sheriff’s Office. I need to have a few words with whoever’s in charge.”
“Uh.” The kid looked at him for a moment through eyes reddened from sleep, or pot. “Just a minute.” He turned and walked upstairs.
Pete stood in the foyer, hat tucked under his right arm. Minutes ticked by. Finally another kid came down the stairs, this one dressed in jeans and a CU sweatshirt, his hair combed back and damp, as if he’d just splashed water over his face.
“I’m Justin Wendell, president of the CU chapter of Omega Chi,” he said, extending a hand.
“Deputy Sampson with the Dogwood County Sheriff’s Office.”
“How can I help you, deputy?” Justin gestured for Pete to join him in the living room.
Justin sat on the battered-looking couch, and Pete chose a black leather recliner across from him. “I’m investigating a string of vandalism around town, in particular on the property of a woman named Olivia Bennett.”
“Oh, sure. Another deputy came out earlier this week to ask us about that. And like I told him, we don’t know anything about it.”
Pete questioned the kid for a solid thirty minutes, and he didn’t like the vibe he got at all. Justin Wendell was cocky and evasive, like a privileged rich kid who didn’t think the laws of the real world applied to him or just didn’t care.
“So if I had a look at your cell phone, I wouldn’t find any pictures of your boys egging Olivia Bennett’s house or spray-painting her garage?” Pete asked.
“No, but you’d need a warrant for that, deputy.”
Pete shrugged. “Unless you voluntarily handed it over, you know, to clear your name.”
“No, thanks.”
“Have it your way. But we’ll be paying close attention to your fraternity. If anyone steps out of line, we’re going to nail your asses.” Pete stood to leave.
“Good luck with that,” Justin said. He walked Pete to the door. “Funny thing, you asking about this. I would have figured you guys at the sheriff’s office would be thanking us.”
* * *
Olivia spent Tuesday morning at the Dogwood County Animal Shelter. She’d been given doggy duty today, which meant she was responsible for visiting with and walking as many dogs as possible before it was time for her to leave, cleaning their kennels when necessary.
“They haven’t been walked since last night,” Darlene, the woman at the front desk, told her. “The ones that are potty trained are marked at the front of their kennels, so try to walk them first. If you don’t want to take them outside, there’s an exercise pen out back you can let them run around in.”
“But it’s okay to walk them around the neighborhood if I want?”
Darlene leaned back in her chair and gave Olivia an amused look. “More than okay. Most of them would love the chance for a real walk.”
“Okay. Great.” Olivia unlatched the wire-mesh door leading to the dog kennels, greeted by an onslaught of barking and clanging as the dogs vied for her attention.
Truth be told, yesterday was the first time she’d ever set foot in the Dogwood Shelter. She’d spent the morning cleaning out the cat enclosures and playing with kittens. It hardly felt like work. This was different. Dogs looked up at her, eyes bright and hopeful, tails wagging, paws thrust through metal bars to get closer to her.
Remembering what Darlene had said, she glanced around until she found a kennel marked with a bright pink card that said “I’m potty trained! Please walk me first.” Inside was a brown and white dog of dubious heritage, bouncing up and down like a wind-up toy.
“You’re first, it looks like,” she said, then glanced at his ID card. “Barney, huh? Who named you? You’re not a purple dinosaur.”
She attached a leash to the little dog’s collar and led him through the lobby onto the shelter’s front lawn. Barney tugged her toward the nearest tree to relieve himself, then trotted happily at her side as she walked him around the neighborhood. Here and there he stopped to sniff at mailboxes and trees. He barked at falling leaves and tried to chase a squirrel. In short, he had a blast.
His stride slowed as they circled back around toward the shelter.
“You’re not ready to go back inside yet. I get it. I wish I could keep you out longer but there are a whole bunch of other dogs who’re still waiting for their turn.”
He hung his head and followed her inside.
Olivia reached into the treat bowl on the front desk and passed him a cookie. “You’re a good little dog, Barney. I bet someone will take you home soon.”
She put him back in his kennel and took out the next dog, a bouncy pit mix named Annabelle. After Annabelle was a Lab mix named Luke. And so on. By lunchtime, she’d walked twenty dogs.
Thirty more remained, most of them waiting in soiled pens for a chance to see the sunshine and pee outside.
Olivia had planned to leave at noon so that she could spend the afternoon job-hunting, but she couldn’t leave those dogs unwalked. “Am I seriously the only one here walking dogs today?” she asked Darlene.
The other woman nodded. “We have two other volunteers who usually come in on Tuesdays, but one’s on vacation and the other one called in sick.”
So Olivia got a bag of chips and a Diet Coke out of the vending machine and kept going. She scrubbed out kennels for the ones who hadn’t made it outside in time. She was bringing a Golden Retriever named Earnest back to his kennel when she saw a couple walking through, looking at the dogs.
She’d seen several families here today. Some had found their new best friend, some hadn’t. But it was fascinating to watch the process.
“Excuse me. Do you work here?” the woman asked.
Olivia closed and latched Earnest’s pen. “I’m a volunteer. Would you like me to get the Adoption Specialist for you?”
“Oh, she’s with another family right now. I just thought you might be able to give us some pointers in the meantime.”
“I’d be happy to try,” Olivia said. “What kind of dog are you looking for?”
“Something on the small side. Maybe an older dog. We’re no spring chickens ourselves so we don’t need to be training a puppy.” A smile creased the woman’s cheeks. “And gentle, good with kids. Our granddaughter visits often. I’m Deborah Willis, by the way. This is my husband, Gerald.”
“Olivia Bennett. Nice to meet you.” Olivia shook hands while she ran through a mental list of all the dogs she’d walked that morning, trying to think who might be a good match. “Are there any breeds in particular that you like or dislike?”
Deborah shook her head. “I don’t really pay attention to breed. All of our dogs have been mutts. We just want a good family dog.”
Olivia clapped her hands together. “I think I know just the dog.”
She led them down the aisle to Barney’s pen. “His tag says he’s a terrier mix, but I’d call him a mutt. I walked him this morning, and he was good on the leash, very well mannered. It says here that he’s good with children and other dogs.”
Barney pressed his snout through the bars of his cage, and Deborah rubbed him gently.
Gerald bent down beside her. “Reminds me of Scout, our first dog.”
“He does look like Scout,” Deborah said. Barney licked her fingers.
“Well I’m not really supposed to be helping you since I’m just a volunteer and this is my first day working with the dogs, but I can’t see the harm in letting you guys take him out back in the exercise pen if you wanted to spend some time getting to know him.”
“Oh, we’d love that,” Deborah said.
“Great.” Olivia grabbed a leash and opened Barney’s door. The little dog trotted right out, wagging and greeting the Willises like he’d known them forever.
Olivia led them down the hall to the exercise pen and left them there tossing a
ball with Barney. She walked out to the reception desk to tell Darlene where they were, then went back to walking dogs. By the time she’d walked them all, she felt like the potty-trained ones needed another quick trip before she left.
The shelter was closing for the day as she walked out.
“Olivia, wait up,” Tracy, the Adoption Specialist, called from behind her.
“Hi, Tracy. What’s up?”
“The Willises adopted Barney. They said he was the first dog you showed them. You’re a natural.” She smiled.
Olivia shrugged. “Lucky guess. I’m really happy for them though. Barney seems like a great little dog.”
“He is, and he had been here a long time.”
“Then I’m extra thrilled for him.” She and Tracy walked together toward the parking lot. “I don’t suppose you guys are hiring?”
Tracy snorted. “I wish. We’re on a skeleton crew right now, and funding is scarce. You looking for a job?”
She nodded. “And as much as I enjoyed walking the dogs today, I need to be able to pay my bills.”
“I hear you. Well, if anything comes up, I’ll let you know.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that. Have a good night!” Olivia waved as she stepped inside her Prius. She ought to be exhausted after walking dogs all day, but truly she felt invigorated. It wasn’t any more tiring than waiting tables, and it had felt good to be working.
She drove home, determined not to be sad that she would be spending the night at her place tonight and not with Pete. That was silly. She was an independent woman, and this was where she lived. It was good that she wasn’t in danger, that the whole thing had been nothing but a fraternity prank.
And then she turned the corner and saw Pete’s Forester in her driveway. He and Timber sat on her front steps.
* * *
Pete watched as she got out of the Prius. He tried not to feel the way his heart lifted just at the sight of her. That messy blond ponytail of hers had always turned him on.
“What in the world?” She crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him.
I missed you. He cleared his throat. “I went and talked to the Omega Chi boys today. Thought maybe you’d want to hear about it.”
