Revealing Annie - Freya Barker Page 0,6

that’s exactly what the pooch is angling for.

The sun has sunk behind the mountains on the west side of town. It’s always a surprise how quickly dusk settles here. I can see my trailer in the shadow of the trees as we slowly approach, and a sudden shiver runs down my spine.

It must’ve cooled down.

3

Sumo

“Back already?”

I grin at her comment as she comes walking out of the bakery in the back, carrying a tray of buns.

The past week has been busy. It usually is this time of year. Aside from our regular town population, tourism picks up in the early summer, which makes for more frequent emergency calls. Today is the start of my next couple of days off and the first chance I have to grab a few things at the store. We usually work twenty-four-hour shifts with a twenty-four-hour break, and after the third shift we get a three-day break, although during busy times, or in a year with a lot of wildfires, that schedule can change.

My initial reaction had been disappointment when I walked up to the counter to find a young girl instead of Annie. Not sure what it is, but there’s something about the woman that stuck with me. Enough so, I grabbed a cart and instead of my usual path through the store, I beelined it for the bakery.

“Ran out of sweets five days ago,” I admit.

“And you only show now? I applaud your restraint,” she teases with an easy smile.

Yes, definitely something about her that draws me in.

“Would’ve come sooner but things have been busy. Tourist season,” I explain.

She nods her understanding and turns to the girl who was filling a box for me.

“If you want to take the next customer, Jenny? I’ll finish up with this one.” She takes a look at what’s already in the box before lifting her eyes to me. “What else would you like? I actually just pulled some pastéis de nata from the oven.” At my blank look she explains, “Portuguese custard tarts. Very good, if I say so myself.” Again with the easy smile and I notice how perfectly white her teeth are.

“You baked those?”

“I’m one of the bakers, yes. Only reason you caught me out here last time was because one of the girls was running late.”

“I don’t know what they are, but if you made them, I’ll get half a dozen of those.”

She shakes her head slightly before turning toward the back.

“Will that be all?” she asks when she returns and I nod. “These are still warm so as soon as you get home, let them breathe a little.”

“Actually,” I stop her as she moves to the cash register. “There is something else. I hoped I’d catch you here so I could ask you about a dog.”

It’s a blatant lie, but something compels me to keep her talking.

“You wanna ask me about a dog?”

Yeah, she doesn’t sound too convinced either, but now that I’ve opened this door I may as well step through it.

“Blue’s been on my case. I recently bought a house and she said it needed a dog. I’m guessing Tony put a stop to adding more rescues to their household, and now she’s trying to fill mine.” She still looks dubious, so I forge ahead, thinking on my feet. “Anyway, I’d be interested in visiting the shelter and I could probably use some advice, but I don’t want to get Blue involved. She’d only get her hopes up or hound me until I give in.”

“I see,” she mumbles.

I’m not sure she does, so I hurry to push a little. “Look, I’d really appreciate if you could walk me through the process. I don’t know when your next shift is, but I’m off for the next couple of days.”

“Hmmm…” Her hum hangs in the air between us as she tilts her head and scrutinizes me like a bug under a microscope. I wait her out and eventually she seems to come to a decision. “I’m there daily from two to five, except for the weekends, those aren’t set in stone.”

“This afternoon then?”

I try not to examine too closely why it is I’m suddenly in a hurry to get a dog.

“Sure, if you want,” she says, with a deceptively dismissive shrug of her shoulders. I’m not buying it; I didn’t miss the quick smile tugging at her lips before she turns to the register.

I’m still wearing my grin when I finally leave the store, casting one last glance at the bakery. Back at