Page 23 of Haystacks and Hoaxes

Two curly-haired Golden Doodles were bouncing inagitation on the other side of the glass doors, full-sized dogs that Mila would’ve never referred to as puppies if she’d seen them first. From their frisky movements, she was guessing they were anywhere between one and two-years-old.

“You gorgeous things,” she crooned, opening the door just enough to squeeze herself through. Before the door clicked shut behind her, they were already hurtling themselves against her.

Chuckling at their antics, she slid to her knees on the tile floor and endured their playful mauling. “Aww! Were you guys lonely in here?”

Ollie and Daisy were so excited about her visit that they were wiggling their entire backsides instead of simply wagging their tails. It took countless scratches behind their silky ears and smooches on top of their furry heads before they finally settled down, one on either side of her.

She shimmied back a little to rest her head against the wall. Though she was tired, she wasn’t ready to shower and go to bed just yet. Too much had happened today. The details were still swimming through her head. Among those details was the intensity in Rock Hefner’s warm, chocolaty gaze. The flirtatious Johnny Cuba wasn’t hard on the eyes, either, but it was Rock who’d kept drawing her gaze back to him this evening. Though she’d tried not to make it obvious, she’d been powerless to stop ogling her new boss.

The way he leaned on his cane with each step was seriously going to be her downfall. She was such a sucker for flawed heroes, and he happened to be an honest-to-goodness real American hero — a soldier who’d plainly given his pound of flesh during combat.

That wasn’t the only thing that drew herto him like a moth to a flame. The occasional flashes of pain in his eyes told her he’d seen and done things he would never forget. Like her, he had scars on the inside.

Maybe it was why she felt such a connection to him. It certainly couldn’t be because she was crushing on a guy she’d only met today, because that would be crazy.

Not to mention he was her immediate supervisor. He could call her his partner all he wanted, but that didn’t change the fact that he was the guy who’d be signing off on her future job evaluations and pay raises. Decker had taken a big chance on hiring her. She didn’t want to blow it by getting personally involved with Rock Hefner on the side.

The phone in the back pocket of her jeans vibrated with an incoming call. She’d turned it back on after her interview and discovered she’d missed another flurry of calls from her mother. Her phone had only grown quiet after her mother and stepfather’s flight had taken off.

I’m gonna be in so much trouble for dodging them all day long.A weary glance at the screen of her phone proved it was, indeed, Carla Kingston calling again. Unfortunately, Mila was fresh out of excuses for continuing to ignore her parents. She braced herself for the tongue lashing of her life as she accepted her mother’s call and lifted the phone to her ear.

“Hey, Mom!” She forced a note of brightness into her voice. “How was your flight to Florida?”

“Horrible since you missed it!” Her mother’s shrill accusation made one of the dogs whine in protest. “What was that sound?” she demanded quickly.

“One of the two Golden Doodles that Deck adopted today.”

“I thought you were at an interview,” her mother snapped.

“I was,” Mila sighed. It was approaching midnight, for crying out loud! Nobody in their right mind would expect their daughter to still be at an interview that had started roughly ten hours ago. “I got hired, by the way, then almost blown up by a bomb afterward. Decker is basically holding me hostage at his place until the police get to the bottom of what’s going on.” Though her mother had never been fond of her stepson’s choice of careers, Mila was extra grateful this evening that he protected others for a living.

“Meaning you’re spending the night at his place?” Her mother’s voice was clipped with disapproval.

“Um, did you miss the part about how I almost got blown up? By a bomb?” Mila couldn’t believe her mother hadn’t yet asked if she was injured.

“A bomb that could’ve easily been avoided if you’d been where you were supposed to be,” her mother returned crisply.

And now I can bleed out, for all you care.“Listen, I’m sorry about the cruise.” Mila doubted her apologies would do any good, but she didn’t know what else her mother wanted to hear. “I really am, but I need this job. When I got the call for the interview?—”

“I know, I know. You threw your parents right under the bus and ruined Christmas in one fell swoop. Thank you, Mila. Thank you for thinking of yourself like you always do and no one else.”

“Mom, please,” she sighed. She’d known her mother was going to be upset about the cruise, but this was overdoing it. Even for her.

“And now you’re eating caviar and sleeping on silk sheets.” The anger in her mother’s voice gathered venom. “By the time your dad and I return to town, you’ll havegotten a taste for things we’ve never been able to afford to?—”

“I love you, Mom,” Mila interrupted tiredly. “And I’m really, really, really sorry for upsetting you.” She’d hoped her mother would at least be happy about the fact that her daughter was gainfully employed again. “I’ll find a way to make it up to you when you get home.” If she remembered her parents’ cruise itinerary correctly, their ship would depart in the morning and return three days after Christmas.

“Whatever. You’ve already made your choice.” Her mother plowed right through her apology. “Enjoy spending Christmas with the hateful witch your stepbrother married.”

“I’m not spending Christmas with them,” Mila protested. “I’m only staying here for one night.”I think.“I’m sure they already have plans for the holidays that don’t include me.”

“Their plans have never included you,” her mother returned testily.

“Not according to Chanel.” As soon as she spoke, Mila wished she could call the words back.

“Is that so?” Her mother’s voice shook with anger.

In for a penny.“She claims she invited me to both their wedding shower and baby shower.”

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