Page 29 of Heather's Truth
“It won’t take me long, I promise. And she needs some attention.” A plan was taking shape and she only needed a few more minutes to make it happen.
“All right.”
“It will give you more time to evaluate our situation.”
His dark eyebrows arched in skeptic assessment. She grinned. “Too much?”
“Just a bit.” He checked his phone and when his hazel eyes met hers again, she knew she’d won a minor victory. “Be quick, okay?”
“You got it.”
“And don’t even think about getting me wet.”
She made an ‘X’ over her heart. “Promise.” When he’d checked out the back room where they handled clean up, treatment, and so many other things, Dale blocked the door while she bathed Daisy.
The sweet dog stood still, letting Heather wash away the blood and mud from her ordeal. When she was clean and her minor scratches tended, Heather turned to Dale. “Hand me a lead, please?”
He frowned at her.
“I told you I’m not taking her home.”
“I’m not telling you to take her home.” Unfortunately. “We just need to get her into a kennel.”
“Oh.”
“Really,” she scolded. “Do you think I browbeat people into adopting pets they don’t want?”
“I think you could smile them into it.”
She stopped, frozen by the odd compliment while she was leashing Daisy. Uncertain what kind of response he expected, she chose to ignore it. Talking nonsense to the dog, she led Daisy out of the room, but when Heather turned for the door to the kennels Daisy flopped to her belly and cried.
Heather’s heart cracked at the misery in Daisy’s eyes. “She doesn’t want to go back.”
“I’m not taking her to my house,” he said, his tone unyielding.
“For the last time,” she said, her sweet voice in direct opposition to her hard words, “I’m not asking you to adopt this dog.”
“Then what is the problem?”
“Fear.” Heather knelt by Daisy and stroked her ears, hoping the panic would pass quickly. But the dog wasn’t convinced. “Whatever she saw has her terrified of the kennels. Hold the leash for a second.”
With an impatient huff, Dale complied.
“Easier to text with two hands,” she explained as her fingers flew over her phone screen.
“What are you up to?”
“Do you really think someone is watching me? Or us?”
“Yes.”
“You thought someone was in the woods too, near the body. Lester’s crew.”
“I thought it was possible.”
More than possible based on how diligently he stuck to the cover story when they were alone. “Daisy will be a target if you’re right.”
“They want to silence you. The dog can’t testify.”