“He didn’t have a tattoo. Let me see if he has a microchip.”
The vet checks the puppy’s neck with a handheld device and shakes his head. “Either the owner didn’t get around to having the microchip inserted, or it’s not functioning.”
“What do I do now?”
“I can look if there’s space available in a foster home. Otherwise, you can drop him off with the SCPA and hope someone claims him or adopts him soon.”
“What would you do?”
He chuckles. “Keep him. But unfortunately, my house is already full of pets, so that counts me out. I don’t suppose you know anyone who would love to give him a home in the meantime, and potentially permanently.”
“Not really. I can ask my colleagues if they’re interested, though.”
“Let me know. And if not, I’ll look into the foster care situation, and I’ll let you know what I find out when you pick him up tomorrow.”
“I hadn’t planned on coming back for him. I was just going to pay his bill and was hoping you could find him a new owner.”
“Unfortunately, we don’t have room for him once he’s no longer a patient.”
The furball flashes me his puppy eyes, gives a little whimper, and licks my hand.
“He definitely likes you,” the vet says.
Likes me or not, I’m not looking at adopting a dog.
But despite that, I can’t help but stroke the soft fur on his head. “What kind of dog is he anyway?”
“He looks like a cockapoo.”
“A cock-a-what?”
“It’s a designer breed. One of his parents was a poodle and the other a cocker spaniel.”
“Isn’t that the definition of a mutt?”
“Not in this case. It’s when two different breeds are mated to produce an animal that hopefully includes the best attributes of both breeds. That’s why they call it a designer breed.”
I shoot the puppy’s picture with my phone to show the guys and Isabelle at the meeting. Maybe I can convince one of them to adopt him, because one thing’s for certain, I don’t want to drop him off at the animal shelter. The poor little guy deserves better.
Liam, Connor, and Adam are seated in the conference room when I arrive at our office.
“Jayden and Isabelle aren’t here yet?” I ask, taking my seat next to Adam. A coffee from The Coffee Nut is waiting in front of me. I nod my gratitude to Connor.
“They’re on their way,” Liam says.
“Do you think he’s asked her?” Adam is referring to Jayden’s plans to propose to Isabelle this weekend. His girlfriend. The woman who used to be our kickass office manager before she finally proved to both Liam and Jayden that she deserved to be the company’s first female operative.
But while she was proving herself capable of the job, she and Jayden were falling in love.
Well, truth be known, they were in love prior to that…but they were both too blind to see for themselves what the rest of us already knew.
“I guess we’ll find out soon enough,” Liam, the only married member of the team, says. “What took you so long to get here?”
I tell them about the puppy and show them his picture. “I don’t suppose any of you would like a dog.”
Liam shakes his head. “I’ve already got my hands full with Cassie. I don’t think I could handle a puppy thrown into the mix.”
“I’m more of a big-dog lover,” Adam says. Connor agrees with him.
“Why don’t you adopt him?” Adam asks.
“Same deal. If I adopt a dog, it’ll be a big one. But I’m not looking to adopt a dog or a cat or any other animal.”
Liam opens his mouth, as if to say something, but doesn’t get that far. Jayden and Isabelle enter the room, holding hands.
“She said yes,” are the first words out of Jayden’s mouth. A wide grin spreads on his face.
“We told you she would,” Liam says, pushing himself out of his chair.
We congratulate them. Hugs are exchanged.
“You called us in to see if Jayden went through with the proposal?” Isabelle asks after we’re finished. From her expression, I’m guessing the two of them were celebrating the proposal with some horizontal action when Liam called them.
“No, I called everyone in for another reason.” Liam gestures for us to take our seats. “We’ve been asked to help, once again, with the Orlov case. Even though Vadik and his men at the winery were arrested—and are currently facing life in prison—the Feds have yet to locate his grandson, Nikolai Orlov. As long as he’s still free, the Orlov family will continue to commit crimes. He was marked to take over the family business once his grandfather stepped down, and it’s suspected he’s doing just that. Only now, he’s deep underground.”
“And the Feds want us to flush him out?” Landon asks. Vadik Orlov was the leader of a Russian crime family we helped the FBI with several months ago.
“That’s exactly what they want us to do. But we’re doing it through his cousin, Chloe Reinhart.”
“Chloe? Isn’t she the owner of that winery?”
“Yes, the winery that the Feds suspect she has no idea she owns. Her name is on the legal documents, but the Feds have nothing beyond that to indicate she’s ever been on the property. They interviewed the employees, and none of them have actually met her. Or at least, none of them have met the woman in the photo they were shown.
“They’re hoping she knows where her cousin is hiding, or at the very least, he’ll attempt to contact her.”
“Would he really take that risk if he believes the Feds are looking for him?” Isabelle asks.
“It’s possible. As kids, the two were close. Back then, Nikolai would do anything for Chloe and was super protective of her. The Feds don’t know why, but it’s clear there was a special bond between them. They’re hoping it’s still there, even though he has yet to reach out to her—as far as they’re aware.”
I pick up my coffee. “So they want us to do surveillance on her?”
“It’s more than that. They want someone to get close to her. Get to know her and gain her trust. But they’re also concerned for her safety. They have reason to believe one of Orlov’s enemies has issued a contract on her.
“The Feds obviously can’t put her under witness protection because then Nikolai won’t be able to contact her, and they won’t be able to nail him.”
“What do we know about her?” Jayden asks.
“She’s an elementary school teacher. Single.” Liam pushes the manila folder in front of him toward me. “And she’s about to become your girlfriend…”
Spying Under the Mistletoe is now available.
Also by Stina Lindenblatt
Romantic Comedy Series
By the Bay
Decidedly Off Limits
Best Friend Rule #1: never want the guy’s sister. Oops.
Decidedly with Baby
One-Night Stand Rule #1: always check the condom’s expiry date. Oops.
Decidedly with Love
Fake girlfriend Rule #1: never fall for your fake boyfriend. Oops.
Decidedly with Mistletoe
Kissing-under-the-mistletoe rule #1: never kiss your ex-fiancée. Oops.
Decidedly by Chance
Single Mom-To-Be Rule #1: watch out for those horny hormones. Oops.
Decidedly with Luck
Masquerade ball rule #1: what happens at the ball doesn’t always stay at the ball. Oops.
Decidedly with Wishes
Bucket List Rule #1: Be careful who finds your list. Oops.
Love Undercover
While You Were Spying
She needs a fake husband. He needs to protect his best friend...
Spying Under the Mistletoe
She’s a former mafia princess. He’s been hired to track down her family secret…
Copper Creek
Cowboy Most Wanted
A sexy cowboy. Some racy photos. And an accidental hook up—or three—with his best friend’s siste
r.
Once Upon a Cowboy
Cinderella's fairy godmother just turned hot. And male. Very, very male.
Fix Me Up, Cowboy
Nails aren't the only thing getting banged in this opposites attract romantic comedy.
Contemporary Romance Series
Pushing Limits
This One Moment
Two former best friends secretly in love with each other. The night that tore them apart. And the tragic event that will bring them together—and test their love for one another.
My Song For You
Bad-boy rocker Jared Leigh is about to meet the biggest challenge of his life…his deaf four-year-old son.
I Need You Tonight
His secret is a link to a past she would rather forget…
Acknowledgments
First, I want to thank everyone who has fallen in love with the By the Bay series and asked me to write more stories for it. I was lucky to meet a group of amazing romantic comedy authors at a romance author conference (Romance Author Mastermind) in November 2019. Christina Hovland and Dylann Crush were looking for rom-com authors to participate in a charity anthology that would raise awareness and money for the Testicular Cancer Awareness Foundation. It was a no-brainer about joining them.
When I polled the members of my Facebook group (Stina's Sweethearts) as to where I should go next with the By the Bay series, the majority asked for more hockey romances. All right, the majority also asked for books for Drew and Holly's two brothers (all from Decidedly with Baby). When it came to baby names for Hannah and Wes's newest addition in Decidedly with Luck, I asked my Facebook group for suggestions. That's how Hannah and Wes's son Riley came to be. So thank you to everyone in Stina's Sweethearts for always being eager to help me out when I'm looking for a name or ideas for pets to include in my books.
I want to thank my content editor Bev, as well as Hope and Jessica for their copyediting and proofreading wizardry. All three individuals helped make this book sparkle. Naturally, I can't forget rom-com author Brenda St John Brown, who always shares her brilliant wisdom when it comes to my romances. She's the best.
Finally, I would like to thank my husband, our two young adult sons, and our teenage daughter, for their love and support. And I can't forget our cat, Callie, who loves to jump on my desk in the morning (thereby blocking the computer screen) to absorb all the attention she can get. The words "I'm busy right now" mean nothing to her.
About the Author
Born in Brighton England, Stina Lindenblatt has lived in a number of countries, including England, the U.S, Finland, and Canada. This would explain her mixed up accent. In addition to writing fiction, she loves photography, especially the close-up variety, and currently lives in Calgary, Canada, with her husband, three kids, and their cat.
Want more from Stina Lindenblatt?
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Decidedly with Luck (By The Bay Book 6) Page 34
