Page 10 of Hard Rain Coming

He didn’t bother to stop or turn around. “No clue.”

God, he made her so fucking mad. She raised both hands and gave him the middle-finger salute when he disappeared from view. After a few moments, she decided to head inside as well. Not because of Dallas. Nope. She needed to stretch her legs. Besides, Mike Paul was a terrible flirt, and her ego could use a boost.

The compound housed several outbuildings along with Mike Paul’s house. The smallest, the office, was across the way. Through the window, Vivian spied Arlene Mathews on the phone, frowning as she peered up at a large computer screen. Beside her was a big tomcat, who seemed to be just as interested in whatever it was she was looking at. Arlene looked up just then, her short black hair a sharp contrast to her pale face. Her glasses magnified her eyes in a way that made her look like a bug. The woman was in her late fifties, and nice enough, but Vivian knew she was tight with Mary Margaret Christchurch, the biggest gossip in Big Bend.

Vivian gave a small wave before walking toward the largest outbuilding. She supposed she looked ridiculous in her shiny black coat, four-inch heels, day-old makeup, and ratty hair. She knew it looked as if she were taking the proverbial walk of shame. She also supposed considering Arlene’s friendship with Mary Margaret, it would be all over town by the evening.

Not that she cared. That was something she’d learned to stop doing a long time ago. She was a Bridgestone, after all, and around these parts, being a Bridgestone meant that people paid attention. It was one of at least one hundred reasons why she’d left all those years ago. She was finding it hard to figure out exactly why she was still here. Scarlett’s wedding was long over, and Jack had expected her back in Alaska weeks ago.

Jack. Shit. She owed him a phone call. She made a mental note to get hold of him as soon as she got back to the ranch.

The barn was brightly lit when she walked inside, and Vivian immediately spied Dallas down at the far end with Mike Paul. Both men leaned against a stall and were talking quietly, so she turned in the opposite direction. She passed a pen that held two small calves, and another with a pony that had its front legs wrapped. A small room at the end of the barn caught her attention, so she walked over to it and peered through the window.

There were six kennels inside, all full, three with cats and kittens, the others with dogs. The men were still talking, and she figured she couldn’t hurt anything, so she let herself inside and visited each kennel. The kittens were cute. So were the puppies. But it was the dog in the last kennel that tore at her heartstrings.

For starters, it was the ugliest thing she’d ever seen. A small terrier of some sort, the dog was black, though the fur was shot through with gray, especially around the eyes. The snout was narrow, the eyes cloudy, and it began to bark when she knelt down in front of it. The bark was high pitched and loud. It had barely any teeth left in its head and one of its ears was missing (mostly), but she reached out her hand for a sniff anyway.

At first, the little dog growled and barked, then growled some more, until her soft words coaxed the animal forward. Cautiously, it sniffed her fingers, but laid its ears flat and cowered when she tried to pet it. No doubt it had been hit in the past. Vivian kept up her soft chatter, and after a few moments, the dog got curious enough to lick her hand.

“You poor thing,” she murmured, opening up the kennel door so she could slip inside. “Come here,” she murmured, giving the animal time to get used to her. When the small dog eventually let her pick it up, Vivian held it as close as it would let her. “You’re so small,” she whispered, walking out of the kennel. The dog shook, but burrowed deeper into her embrace as she read the notes pinned to the side of the kennel.

Terrier cross

Female

Spayed

12-14 years of age

Soft food diet

October 15th

Absently, she rubbed the little girl’s head and wondered about the date, which was two days from now. Had the dog been adopted? Vivian wandered back out into the barn, still holding the dog close to her chest. She spied Mike Paul at about the same time he noticed her.

“Hey, I didn’t know you were with Dal.”

“Not surprised. Dal expects me to be a good girl and wait for him in the truck.” Her sarcasm was heavy.

Mike Paul broke stride and, instead of heading outside, came over. “I see you’ve made friends with Lilith.”

“That’s her name?”

Mike Paul shrugged. “That’s what I call her. She’s the queen of hell. Doesn’t normally let anyone touch her.”

“I think she’s sweet.”

Dallas joined them, but remained silent as Mike Paul chuckled, though his smile slowly faded. “You’d be the only one.”

Vivian didn’t like the look on his face. She thought of the placard pinned to the kennel. “What does October fifteenth mean?”

Mike Paul sighed and reached for the dog, who watched warily from the safety of Vivian’s arms. “Unless we find a home for her, she’ll be euthanized.”

“What?” Shocked, Vivian looked down and found the little girl’s eyes on her. “How can you do that?”

“It’s not my call. I’m helping out the shelter by having her here. They’re overcrowded as it is, and on Thursday, I’ve got a young husky coming in with six pups. Another rescue. I don’t have the room, and they can’t take her back.”

“Can’t you take her in yourself? To your house?”