to check the cereal supply and heard a scratching sound at the kitchen door. He glanced back over his shoulder and froze. “What the …?”
Having a raccoon show up at the back door wouldn’t have surprised him. Or a deer. An elk. A mountain lion. Actually, having a bear come pawing at the door wouldn’t have shocked him. But a boxer? The boxer?
He wore one of those white plastic cone collars that prevented dogs from chewing at their stitches, and he looked ridiculous. Healthy, but ridiculous. Crooked tail wagging, ears perked, pink tongue extended, panting.
“It’s been two weeks,” Gabe muttered, thinking aloud. Was that long enough for the dog to be released from quarantine? Maybe. Had the vet brought the dog back to him to keep? Why? He’d told her the dog wasn’t his.
Gabe frowned at the dog, then stepped outside, careful to block the boxer from scooting past him until the door was safely shut. “What’s the deal, dog? Did you slip your leash and run away?”
He didn’t see the vet or anyone else. Ordinarily Eagle’s Way’s serious security safeguards would prevent drop-in visitors, but for the past eight years Gabe preferred to leave gates and locks open whenever possible, no matter where he was. Memories of the six months he’d spent as a … guest … in an Eastern European prison were hard to shake, so he initiated Eagle’s Way’s security system at night but left the place accessible during the day. The vet could have driven right up to the house if she’d wanted, but the drive was empty. She must have parked in the circular drive in front. She’d probably ring the bell any moment now.
Gabe turned to reenter the house. This time the boxer was ready. A brindle blur all but knocked Gabe down as he dashed inside, through the kitchen, and into the hallway, headed for the great room. Gabe muttered a curse and took a quick mental inventory to determine what might be at risk of destruction as he trailed after the dog, wincing at the thought of the crystal collection on the coffee table—exactly at crooked-tail height.
“Hey!” he called as he hurried after the dog. “Stop. Stay. Sit.”
He might as well have said “Sing ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ ” for all the good that did. Luckily, the dog made it across the room without destroying anything, and after a quick sniff he curled up on the rug in front of the fireplace.
“Well, make yourself at home, why don’t you?” Gabe muttered as he crossed to the front door. He stared out at the circular drive where he expected to see a car—but didn’t. There wasn’t a car or truck or any vehicle of any type in sight.
Gabe’s frown deepened as he stepped out onto the front porch. No car by the garage, either. “Hello?” he called. “Dr. Sullivan?”
Nothing. Nada. No one.
Reentering the house, he braced his hands on his hips and stared at the boxer. “You did not come all the way up here by yourself.”
The dog exhaled a loud, snorty sigh. His tail thumped twice against the rug, and a stray thought sneaked past Gabe’s barriers. Matty would have loved him.
Daddy, can I have a dog? Please? Pretty please?
Gabe gave himself a shake, then grimly said, “Well, it doesn’t matter how you got up here. You are not staying here.”
The tail thumped three times. Otherwise the dog didn’t move so much as a whisker. In fact, he looked as if he’d be content to lie by the fire all winter. “Not hardly,” Gabe muttered.
Well, he was headed to town anyway. A quick stop by the vet’s to dump the dog wouldn’t be a big deal.
Gabe grabbed his car keys from a nearby table and jangled them. “You want to go for a ride?”
One floppy brown ear perked up inside the silly white cone.
Gabe jangled the keys again. Both ears perked. Gabe tried to recall if he’d seen a dog leash anywhere in Eagle’s Way. Maybe in the mud room?
When he returned to the great room with a leash in hand, the boxer leapt to his feet. After fastening the leash to the leather collar and adjusting the white plastic cone, Gabe led him to the garage and helped him climb up into the Jeep. He and the boxer headed into town.
Again.
THREE
Nic gave her reflection in the bathroom mirror one last look and wished she’d splurged on a new shade of lipstick for her date tonight. She’d worn a bronze shade for years.