“I’m at the shelter,” Luke said. “A woman just called about an abused dog.”
She came to attention. “Abused dog? Where?”
“I have an address about fifteen miles from here. The woman didn’t leave her name.”
She stood up and walked toward the kitchen, speaking more quietly. “Tell me what she told you.”
Luke related a story about a dog in a neighboring county staked out in his owner’s front yard, skin and bones, who rarely got food or water. Shannon’s stomach turned over at the very thought of it.
“Okay,” she said. “I’ll go have a word with the owner.”
“No. We need to call the sheriff.”
“Sheriff Sizemore can’t go. It isn’t his jurisdiction. And all law enforcement tends to do is issue a lot of warnings, which do no good. We need an animal control officer, but budgets are stretched too tight around here.”
“So you’re the unofficial animal control officer?”
“Just think of me as a concerned citizen.”
“With no authority. Nice people don’t abuse animals. That’s who you’ll be talking to. Somebody who’s not nice. You shouldn’t go alone.”
“Okay,” she said. “I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
She hung up the phone and turned to Russell. “I have to go. Luke got a call about an abused dog.”
The minute she said Luke’s name, Russell’s mouth twisted with irritation. “Why do you have to go?”
“Because it’s my responsibility.”
She went to her bedroom, kicking off her shoes and grabbing her boots. Russell appeared at the door.
“Send Luke by himself.”
“Russell—I’m going.”
“You need to learn to delegate.”
She stood up, grabbing an elastic band from the top of her dresser and shoving her hair up into a ponytail. “I really don’t have the time to discuss my management style with you.”
“We were having a perfectly nice evening. Why are you letting Luke ruin it?”
“This isn’t about Luke ruining our evening,” Shannon said sharply. “It’s about saving an abused animal. If you think it’s anything else—”
Russell held up his palm. “No. Wait.” He exhaled. “Of course you’re right. I’m overreacting.”
She looked away.
“No. I am. I just…” He came forward and took her by the shoulders. “I just hate that our evening is being cut short like this.”
“It’s okay.”
“If I had a patient who had an emergency, of course you wouldn’t stand in my way.”
“No. I wouldn’t.”
They went back to her living room. “You be careful driving,” Russell said, opening the door. He gave her a gentle kiss on the lips. “Another night?”
No. She knew now that she didn’t want another night with him. Unfortunately, now wasn’t the time to tell him. But the moment he asked her out again, she would. There was nothing really wrong with Russell. But tonight she’d finally come to the conclusion that, for her, nothing was really right, either.
“We’ll talk later,” she told him, already dreading the conversation.
The tip Luke had gotten said the place they were looking for was fifteen miles outside Rainbow Valley on a secluded state highway. He tried plugging it in to Google Maps, but that was little help. Finally they made their way to a rural property that fit the description. The house was two stories, with a paint-starved front porch and a rusted-out Thunderbird in the driveway. A dog was tied up in the front yard. Shannon turned onto the long driveway leading to the house and stopped.
“My God,” she said. “Look at that poor baby! He’s so thin. Do you see any food? Are they even giving him water?”
She began to inch up the driveway. The dog looked to be mostly pit bull with a few other things thrown in. The sun was nearing the horizon, but his ribs protruded so prominently Luke could see them even in the fading daylight.
“He must stay tied to that post every night,” Shannon said.
As she stopped behind the Thunderbird, a man came out of the house, the screen door slapping shut behind him. He had dark, scraggly hair, shoulders like concrete blocks, and a scowl that said visitors weren’t welcome.
“What do you intend to do?” Luke asked.
She jammed her truck in park and killed the engine. “Have a word with that guy.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“He clearly couldn’t care less about the dog. He’ll probably just let me take him.”
Maybe. But Luke still had a bad feeling about this. “No kidding, Shannon. He’s a big man. Don’t get in his face.”
But he’d messed with a dog, which flipped Shannon’s switch, which meant a confrontation of some kind was coming whether it was good for her or not.