Page 94 of The Love Shack

Glancing through the kitchen doorway, they both saw that Hero was still asleep on the couch. On his back, head hanging off the side of the couch, tongue lolling out, Hero snored. Apparently his playtime with Handsome had really worn him out, too.

“That dog is sound asleep.” His gaze cut back to hers. “I’m sorry I cursed to you, though.”

“I understand.” To punctuate that, she kissed him. “I don’t mind that you worry about me. I worry about you, too. And I actually agree with Oliver. I’m responsible for a lot of animals. Ensuring their safety is important.” This time she nipped his bottom lip and said, “Guess I’ve been too busy with this new guy to look into it.”

“How about if the new guy—who, for the record, is actually the old guy—looks into it for you?”

“Will that keep you busy? Because if so, I might have to object.”

“I’ll take care of it between customers this week.” He treated her to a longer, deeper, very thorough kiss, then stood, putting her on her feet before him. “In the meantime, how about you use extra caution? And call me if you hear anything at all, even if you’re sure it’s nothing.”

No one had cared for her like this except her mother. It left her heart full. “I promise.” Berkley gave him a hug. “I hate for the day to end.”

Tipping up her chin, he treated her to his heated gaze. “One of these days, you need to ask me to stay over.”

Grinning, she replied, “One of these days, I just might.” With a dramatic sigh, she explained, “But Betty will be over early tomorrow, and I don’t want to shock her.”

“Shock Betty? I’m not sure that’s possible.”

True. Betty had been around a long time. Maybe she’d drop some subtle hints just to see how it’d go.

Lawson combed his fingers through her hair. “I know you like being right here, next to the shelter, but the setup does have its drawbacks.” He headed for the door, and suddenly Hero was there, ready to visit nature one more time before they turned in.

Cheese also showed up, a credit card in her teeth, ready to sneak behind the dryer. Lawson’s brows shot up. “Oh, no you don’t, you little pickpocket.” He whispered it gently, almost like praise, while quickly pulling a business card from his wallet. “How about a trade?”

The flashy card, in rainbow hues, caught the cat’s attention. When he knelt to stroke her—while offering the new card—Cheese didn’t run from him.

Successfully making the exchange, he grinned up at Berkley, then stood.

“Clever.” In so many ways.

He tucked the credit card back into his wallet, did inventory to make sure nothing else was missing and then returned it to his pocket. “That cat keeps me on my toes.”

“You seem to be the only target of her thievery these days.”

Sending the cat a fond smile, he said, “That’s because she loves me.”

Love.Yes, well, apparently she and her cat were both susceptible to Lawson’s charms. Which, of course, made ending the day more difficult.

Doing her best to ensure Cheese didn’t slip by them, Berkley leashed Hero and stepped out with Lawson.

The sun had set over an hour ago. A tall security lamp and a bright moon lit the area around the shelter on all sides, but in her own little section of yard, her yellow porch light barely illuminated ten feet.

Shadows lurked everywhere, something she’d never noticed before. Other than the chirping of crickets and the occasional hoot of an owl, it was eerily silent.

Hero sniffed here and there before choosing a spot to do his business.

Speaking in a whisper, Berkley said, “I play soft music in the shelter so the animals don’t hear every little sound when I bring Hero out. The other night, he barked and I thought for sure they’d all get started, but fortunately, they didn’t.”

Frowning, Lawson surveyed the area. “What made him bark?”

“What doesn’t? When it’s just the two of us, a wayward leaf might offend him. One night, a toad had him enraged.” She smiled. “You and Oliver have nothing on Hero when it comes to being cautious.”

“Glad to hear it.” As Hero hurried back to them, Lawson patted his neck. “Good boy.”

The evenings usually felt peaceful, but now that she’d talked to Chad, uncertainty kept her on edge. Time to wrap it up. After giving Lawson a big hug and one last kiss, she and Hero went back inside. Lawson waited until she’d locked her door, then he got out his phone, turned on the flashlight and headed back through the woods.

He was a big man, imposing enough to handle most situations with ease, and still she worried. Which meant Hero worried. Together, they stood near her phone, waiting.

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