Page 64 of Chasing Shelter

“What?” Thea pressed.

“HehatesTrace. He’s tried to bite him twice,” I admitted.

Fallon’s dark blue eyes went wide. “Seriously?”

I nodded, giving her a sheepish smile.

“Bet Mr. Law and Order looooved that,” she said.

“I’m thankful Grem and Keely are besties. I think Trace will just try to give him a wide berth.”

Thea slowed at a display of cut flowers, studying the blooms. “Moose wasn’t all that fond of Shep at first. But they became friends with time.”

Thea’s massive Maine coon cat was at least twice the size ofGremlin and made it very clear when he was cranky about something. I grinned at her. “You mean Shep bought his allegiance with treats.”

She laughed and moved us toward a fruit stall. “Whatever works.”

My phone buzzed in my back pocket, and I braced. Bradley had obviously realized I’d blocked him because he’d started texting with a new number. I’d blocked that one, too, but I was on edge. Sliding my phone out, I breathed a sigh of relief at the familiar name on the screen.

Arden

Change of plans for tomorrow. Nora wants everyone at her house for dinner. You in?

Me

Sure. Thanks for the invite.

Arden

You know you’re welcome anytime. And bring your pup. I heard he nearly took off Trace’s finger. Smart doggie.

I scowled at the screen.

Me

Such a drama king. Grem didn’t even make contact. And I think he’s only got like two teeth left anyway.

Arden

Never letting him live this down.

“Everything okay?” Fallon asked.

I looked up to find her studying me carefully. In my month or so in Sparrow Falls, I’d realized that Fallon was attuned to everyone’s emotions. She read them like others read a book. And she was constantly checking in on the people she cared about.

“Just Arden inviting me to dinner at Nora’s,” I explained.

Fallon’s gaze didn’t move right away. “You braced when you pulled out your phone. Were you thinking it was someone else?”

Right to the point. Gentle but not pulling punches either. I tried to choose words that weren’t a lie. I felt bad enough for the half truth I’d told Trace earlier, one Iknewhe’d picked up on. “My phone just hasn’t been the happiest place lately.”

Fallon’s expression slid into one of pure empathy. “Is the press still hounding you and Linc?”

“Occasionally. I think I’m still waiting for the other shoe to drop.”That wasn’t a lie. It wasn’t the whole story either. It had a Bradley-sized hole in it.

Thea moved in, rubbing a hand up and down my back. “It’ll pass, trust me. Those buzzards will find something else to circle.”

She would know. When her celebrity ex made trouble for her and Shep, the press descended on Sparrow Falls for a few weeks. But after a while of them refusing to comment, the media had gone in search of a juicier story.

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