Page 49 of Chasing Shelter

Like someone else I knew. I reached over to give the dog a little scratch, and his head swiveled around as he snapped and snarled. I yanked my hand back. “Jesus.”

Ellie sent me an apologetic smile. “Maybe he doesn’t like men.”

“Whatever,” I grumbled, pointing my vehicle in the direction of the feed store on the edge of town. But my head was on a swivel, looking for any signs of Jasper. I’d given the school and Leah a heads-up so they could be vigilant. The school had been concerned, and Leah had been pissed. At least I knew they’d both be careful. But I was on edge, knowing things with him were far from over.

“You okay, Chief?” Ellie asked, breaking into the silence.

“It’s Sheriff.”

I could feel her smile without looking. That subtle shift in energy warming the space between us. “You’re extra growly. Are you all right?”

I was as far fromall rightas you could get, but I wasn’t about to tell her that. “Had a long and frustrating day, and now I’ve got a tiny but vicious mongrel stinking up my SUV and a neighbor whose heart is too big for her own good.”

“Gremlin isn’t a mongrel.”

My gaze flicked over to Ellie. The dog had burrowed into her lap, making himself at home. “No, he’s smart. Found the best person possible to take him in.”

Ellie beamed at me. “You don’t hate me?”

I reared back. “Why would I hate you?”

She shrugged, turning to face the road in front of us. “I don’t know. Since I got here, every time I’m around you, you seem…mad.”

Hell.

“I’m not mad.”

“Okay, supremely grumpy, then.”

“I saw your bruise.Thatmade me mad.” I’d never forget the night she’d shown up at the hospital, worried out of her mind for her brother and Arden and trying desperately to conceal the shiner peeking out from beneath her makeup.

I felt Ellie tense in the same way I’d felt her smile, the energy shifting yet again. But not for the better.

“Oh.” That was all she said. One syllable, no explanation.

Ellie had told Linc she’d hit herself in the face with her suitcase in a hurry to get it down, but I couldn’t help but wonder if it had happened at the hands of her father. I’d done the math and figured Ellie had lived alone with him for thirteen years while Linc was on the other side of the country. Who knew what Philip Pierce had put her through in that time? And I knew what it was like to live in fear of the people who were supposed to care for you.

But I didn’t push. Didn’t demand to know Ellie’s secrets. I didn’t have a right to them.

Instead, we sat in silence until I pulled into the store’s parking lot. Sparrow Falls Feed & Friends was a town staple. We loved our animals around here, and they aided the practical and extra pet and livestock owner alike, carrying everything from the staples to dog food that cost more than dinner for Keely and me.

Ellie didn’t jump out right away. Instead, she turned to look at me. “Thanks for bringing me, Chief.”

Why did that make me feel like I’d won a gold medal, the Nobel Prize, and the presidency all at once? “It’s nothing.”

“Not to me. To me, it’s everything.” And with that, she slid out of the SUV.

I hurried to catch up with her, trying not to think about all the ways Ellie slayed me to the bone. I jogged ahead to open the door. One corner of her mouth tugged up. “Such a gentleman.”

That was far from the truth, but I’d let her believe the lie. “After you, madam.”

Ellie giggled as she passed, and that sound hit me square in the chest. I was so completely screwed.

“Hello, and welcome to Sparrow Falls Feed & Friends. How can I serve you and your pet today?” Curtis, an overly cheery twenty-something, greeted us.

“Hi,” Ellie said with a warm smile. “I just found this little guy. We wanted to give him a bath and get some essentials.”

Curtis glanced from Ellie and the dog to me, his eyes widening. “Sheriff. You’re getting a dog?”

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