All Bark and No White Knight

by Stella St. Claire

  “Wow, it’s almost like you’re channeling Andrew,” Olivia growled. She took a threatening step toward her sister. “I’ve spent the past week thinking that my boyfriend was cheating on me, and you know something.”

  “I didn’t.” Janelle put two fingers in the air. “Scout’s honor.”

  “You were never a Girl Scout.” Olivia took another step. “Try again.”

  “I really didn’t, but now I can honestly say that your boyfriend isn’t cheating on you. And you really should trust him. And me. You should definitely trust me.”

  Olivia threw her hands up in the air. “Unbelievable. Next I’m going to discover that Jackie knows what’s going on and is keeping it a secret from me!”

  Scrunching up her nose, Janelle shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. I can’t imagine why he would talk to her.”

  “It is too early in the morning, and I cannot deal with this, but do not for one second think that this is over,” Olivia hissed. “And quit doing things without telling me!”

  Angry, she marched up the stairs again and opened the door to let the dogs back in. She poured some food in their bowls, and after they’d gobbled it down, they curled up once more and went back to sleep. It wasn’t long before Fender began to snore, and Goodwin’s nose twitched, and soon the big dog was yelping under his breath and chasing something in his dreams. She watched them wistfully as she sat down at her desk and pulled out her notebook. There was no way that she was going to be able to go back to sleep, which meant that she had some time to work on solving her mystery.

  Paul was the key. He had to know who’d bought the rose after Andrew’s purchase. Was he in hiding because he was scared—or because he was involved?

  How was she going to find him? It had been a week. He could be clear across the country by now. Tapping her pen against the paper, she leaned back and sighed.

  What would Rose Palmer do? Her beloved fictional detective had provided hardly any inspiration since Olivia had become occupied with reading the romance book, which, she had to admit, wasn’t bad.

  Maybe she’d pay Trisha another visit at the flower shop and see if she’d heard from her missing boss. If Nick was looking for Paul, he’d have access to the man’s mortgage records and would know if he owned any other property in the area. That said, the sheriff wasn’t likely to share that information with Olivia.

  After circling Paul’s name, she tossed the notebook on the desk and stood and stretched. She wasn’t going to get much of anything done until she had that cup of coffee.

  On his fifth cup of coffee for the day, Andrew popped a couple of aspirin as he read the email again.

  Three more responses to the ad, and one of them could only meet tonight. Which meant that he was going to have to cancel his dinner with Olivia.

  She was going to kill him.

  “Hey, boss, you got a second?”

  Andrew glanced up at the timid voice and waved Cora in.

  His secretary looked unusually nervous as she walked in and looked around.

  Trying to put her at ease, he leaned back and forced a cheerful, casual tone. “What do you need?”

  “I’m so sorry, but the children’s ward just called, and all of their televisions are offline.” Cora winced at the end of this little speech, as if anticipating his wrath, and Andrew squeezed his eyes shut and counted to ten. When he felt calmer, he took a deep breath.

  “Page Brett for me. I think Ashley wanted some extra hours this week, so see if she can stay a few extra hours tonight and work on it.”

  Cora nodded eagerly. “You’re so good at handling all of this. Do you want another cup of coffee?”

  “No. At this point, I don’t think it’s helping.” Andrew sighed. Lately, he’d found himself pulled in three different directions, and he was starting to wonder if he was making the right choices.

  A few minutes later, Brett popped his head through the door. “You paged?”

  “Yeah. The televisions are down in the children’s ward. I’m hoping that Ashley will help me out, but I’ll need someone on call tonight in case she runs into trouble. Do you mind?”

  Brett grinned and plopped down on the couch. “Why don’t you do it?”

  “I’ve got plans.”

  Brett cocked his head with an inquiring look, reminding Andrew of Goodwin when the dog was listening for special words to be repeated, like leash or treat or Who’s a good boy? “Plans that have to do with that top-secret thing you’re doing that you can’t tell anyone about, or plans that involve trying to convince your girlfriend that said top-secret thing isn’t anything to worry about?”

  “I think I really hate that you’re dating my girlfriend’s best friend,” Andrew snarled. “As your boss, I could easily tell you that it’s none of your business.”

  “You could, but we both know that you won’t. Come on, man, you’re stressed out. Something has to give.”

  “Like what? What do you think should give? I’m not giving Olivia up. I can’t give up my job. And this top-secret thing, as you call it, is important. Very important. So for the moment, I just have to make it work. So—can you do it?”

  Brett scowled. “Don’t yell at me, man. I’m just telling you that you aren’t handling things well, and you know it.”

  “I’m sorry.” Andrew blew out his breath. “It’s not just all of this. I was with Hannah minutes before she was murdered, and I never gave her the rose. I couldn’t even tell Nick what I’d done with the blasted thing—I must have dropped it or tossed it in the nearest trash can, but I wasn’t paying all that much attention at the time. What if I’m the reason that she’s dead?”

  “Dude, you are the most logical and level-headed person that I know. If you can’t tell me what’s going on, I know that it’s for a good reason. I also know that you would never be involved with anything shady. Do you have a bad feeling about this project?”

  “No.”

  “Then it’s probably not related.”

  “Yeah, but that seems to mean that someone knew that I was meeting with Hannah—and knew about the roses. It meant that someone was watching me. Olivia’s office was torn apart yesterday. What if someone is watching her, too?”

  Brett stretched and smirked. “No offense, because I love the girl to death, but your girlfriend is stubborn. I don’t like to think that someone is following her, but she does tend to get herself into sticky situations, and she doesn’t need your help to do that, either.”

  “She swears that she’s not investigating Hannah’s murder. She’s been looking into Jackie’s vandalism case, and I guess—they could be related? It seems odd.”

  Brett’s eyebrows snapped together. “Jackie’s vandalism case? What are you talking about?”

  “You didn’t know? Apparently, someone went through the bookstore and scribbled all over all the book covers that featured redheads.”

  “What?” Brett launched to his feet. “That sounds serious. Why wouldn’t she tell me that?”

  Andrew was taken aback by Brett’s response. He’d known that Brett and Jackie were becoming close, after all. Brett had never been monogamous, but Andrew hadn’t expected the alpha male routine from him. “I don’t know,” he said slowly. “You’ll have to ask her.”

  “Women,” Brett grumbled. “I will never understand them.”

  “Join the club. Anyways, phone tonight?”

  “Yeah. I plan on having a few words with Jackie tonight, but I can keep my phone on me in case she runs into trouble. Ashley seems pretty capable, so I can’t imagine that she’ll need help.”

  “Yeah, I was lucky to find her. Before you go, I’ve got another question to ask you. Have you given any thought to your future?”

  Brett snorted. “Olivia got you looking out for Jackie’s interests? I like her. Isn’t that good enough for right now?”

  “I wasn’t talking about Jackie,” Andrew said with a laugh, “but okay. No, I meant here at the hospital.”

  “I’m not planning on leaving y
ou high and dry.” Brett frowned. “Why?”

  “You’re good at your job. I just think that maybe you might be good at the administration part of it, too. If you want to learn, I’ll be more than happy to teach you.”

  “Okay, Yoda,” Brett joked. “Sure. You know how I’ve always planned to steal your job out from under you one of these days.”

  Andrew rolled his eyes and chuckled. “I don’t even know why I bother trying to have a serious conversation with you. Get out of my office. And don’t flirt with Cora on your way out. I think the poor girl’s heart is broken that you’ve finally settled down with someone, and it’s not her.”

  “Nah. She’s too good for me.” Brett was grinning as he swaggered out of the office, and Andrew shook his head. He and Jackie were made for each other.

  Once Cora confirmed that Ashley would handle the children’s ward job, Andrew picked up his phone, but then he hesitated and stared at it. Canceling the dinner with Olivia wasn’t going to be easy, and it might drive her even further away.

  He was keeping secrets from her. She was following him around town. Were they ever going to gain some traction again?

  16

  She stared at the small diamond ring tied to a ribbon around Godiva’s neck.

  “I can afford something bigger if you want,” he said in a small voice as he shifted from foot to foot. “Obviously. But you have understated tastes, so I didn’t want to get you anything that you might hate.”

  Wynona swallowed hard. “It’s a diamond ring.”

  “Yes, it is.”

  “Why are you giving me a diamond ring?”

  “I thought that was obvious.” He got down on one knee. “I love you, Wynona. I fell for you even before Jackson went missing, and I think he knew. I think that he and Godiva ran off together to force me to admit my feelings. You’re not just some fling for me, and I have a feeling that I’m not some casual guy for you. I know that it’s all sudden, and you don’t have to accept the ring. I’ll try again in a few months, in a few years, however long it takes until you’re comfortable with the idea. And I’m wrong, then I won’t bother you. I just needed you to know.”

  Godiva licked her nose, and Wynona smiled. “I’m not ready for the ring, but I do love you. And maybe in a few months, I will be ready.”

  “Ah, sweetheart.” He swooped her up and spun her around before planting a big kiss.

  Godiva and Jackson danced circles around them and barked in a chorus of canine happiness.

  “She’s certifiably insane,” Olivia complained as she leaned back on the couch and scratched Goodwin’s head. He and Fender had spent the past hour getting plenty of belly rubs from their grandmother, and they were now tuckered out.

  Pamela looked sharply at Olivia as she re-entered the living room. “Don’t talk about your sister that way,” she said automatically as she handed her younger daughter a glass of wine.

  “Mom, you don’t get it. She’s yelling one minute and crying the next. If she hadn’t just told us that she wasn’t pregnant, I would think that the hormones are getting the best of her.” Olivia shuddered. “My God, she’s going to be horrible when she is pregnant. Do you think I can get away with a nine-month vacation?”

  “Olivia!” Pamela laughed. “What has gotten into you? I thought you were excited to be an aunt. You should be supporting Janelle. She’s trying to expand her business and create a solid base for her family.”

  Taking a deep swing of her wine, Olivia scowled. “Yes, but in the process, she’s alienating her other family. Me. Mom, she knows something about Andrew, and she’s not telling me.”

  “I find that hard to believe. Even when you two were fighting, you never kept secrets from each other.”

  “See, that’s not true. She knew that Andrew was trying to propose to me and didn’t tell me.”

  “That wasn’t a secret,” her mother protested. “She was simply trying to create the perfect proposal memory for you. That’s the kind of support and level of trust that you should be showing her. If she knew that Andrew was going to hurt you, she would tell you. Not that I would ever think that Andrew would hurt you.”

  Olivia tapped her finger on her glass. “He hurt me when he walked away,” she admitted softly. “And now that we’re back together again, I can’t help but wonder if he’s realized that he should have stayed away.”

  “Sweetheart.” Pamela leaned over and put an arm around Olivia. “All couples go through rough patches. Look at me and your father.”

  “You’re divorced,” Olivia said dryly as she rested her head on her mother’s shoulder. “That’s not a great example.”

  “Yes, but we still maintain a level of friendship for the sake of you girls.”

  A fat lot of good that did. Her father was almost never around, and it had gotten to the point that it didn’t even bother Olivia anymore. Well, that wasn’t true, but she liked to pretend that it didn’t bother her. “What about you and Joe? Do you guys have rough patches?”

  “Of course! We fight. Since your father and I didn’t work out, I have some insecurities about Joe, even after all these years. I think maybe those insecurities run in the family. If you and Andrew are meant to be, it’s going to work out just fine.”

  “And if we’re not?”

  “Then you’ll find someone who’s better for you.”

  Straightening, Olivia snorted. “Mom, that’s what people say when they think it’s not going to work out. You’re supposed to tell me that Andrew is the one, and that I’m being silly.”

  Pamela shrugged. “I could say that, but you just said it for me. Trust your intuition, Olivia. It knows better than anyone.”

  “Fine, but I’m not speaking to Janelle until she tells me why she’s keeping secrets from me,” Olivia muttered. “Honestly. It feels as if she’s picking the bakery over me.”

  “I doubt that.”

  “Spend five minutes with her, and you’ll see that she’s not herself,” Olivia grumbled. “I just feel like I don’t have control of anything. I can’t handle Wagging Tails alone. I can’t figure out who Jackie’s vandal is. I’ve got too many suspects in Hannah’s murder, although I’m still leaning toward Larry. Did you know that Hannah’s bed and breakfast was going to have horseback-riding trails? How awesome would that be?”

  “I remember when that land used to be a farm,” Pamela said with a smile. “There’s plenty of undeveloped land that they could easily turn into trails. Poor girl. She had such a dream. It’s such a shame that someone took all of that away from her.”

  “Yeah, well, at least it’s not going to paved over and built up into condos or something. Her cousin is going back to the farm idea. He’s already pushing his eggs on Janelle.”

  “That is nice. Fresh eggs are amazing. I wonder where he’s planning on selling his products. I’d love to get my hands on some fresh eggs and milk.”

  “I don’t know, but I’ll get Janelle to ask him next time she sees him.” Olivia brightened. “Better yet, you can ask her—and also ask what she knows about Andrew.”

  Pamela laughed and reached out to pat Olivia on the thigh. “As much as I have enjoyed this unexpected mother-daughter bonding night, I am not going to mediate your fight with Janelle. You two have always worked things out on your own, and you don’t need me.”

  Olivia had known that her mother wasn’t going to be much help, but she’d needed someone to talk to after Andrew had canceled their dinner. Her mother had always been more like Janelle than Olivia, and sometimes their relationship was strained. It was nice to be able to lean on her sometimes. “Where’s Joe? Did he make himself scarce when you told him that I was coming over?”

  “No, he’s special-ordered some part for the car, and so he went into the city to pick it up. He should be home anytime now. Want to stick around a little longer? We can pop some popcorn and watch a movie?”

  “Popcorn?” Olivia groaned. “I’m stuffed. Dinner was amazing! But I really should be heading back. I’m behind on my pa
perwork, and I’ve got to doctor Goodwin’s foot.”

  “All right, dear. Maybe next time you stop by, it won’t be because you’re upset with your sister?” Pamela sounded so hopeful as she kissed her daughter’s head and stood that Olivia had to smile.

  She drained the rest of her wine. “I promise that I’ll try. Thanks again, Mom.”

  “You’re welcome, darling. Be careful driving home. I’ve heard there are rabid raccoons running around!”

  Did her mother think they were going to attack people in cars as they were driving home? “ I think there was just one.” A sudden thought struck her. “And it was discovered on the road leading to Larry’s inn.”

  “That’s only about ten minutes from here, and that’s closer than I would like. Besides, you don’t know what other animals that raccoon could have bitten.”

  “No,” Olivia said slowly. “You’d definitely want to get your dog’s rabies shots up-to-date. Hey, Mom, are there any campgrounds in Lexingburg that I’m unaware of?”

  “No. I think the closest campgrounds are in the state park. That’s about an hour away. Do you want to go camping, dear? Your father tried to take you once, and you complained the whole time.”

  Shuddering at the memory, Olivia followed her mom into the kitchen and put her empty wine glass in the sink. “Dad forgot the toilet paper, and that was the least of the horrible things that happened during that trip.”

  “Oh.” Her mother paused, and her eyes widened. “Yes, now that I think about it, I do remember that it was a disaster.”

  “Yeah, I am not planning on reliving that experience. But maybe someone else might be. Mom, I’ve got to check on something, so I’m gonna go. Thanks for dinner.”

  Whistling for the dogs, she headed out to the garage. Her mother’s voice followed her outside. “Play nice with your sister!”

  “Only if she plays nice first!” Olivia called back, but her mind was on other things. What if the reason that Nick hadn’t found Paul yet was because the flower shop owner wasn’t living it up in some hotel?