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Authors: Kate Carlisle
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attention to whatever was going on downstairs,
but seconds later she strutted away to join Robbie, probably hoping our guest had
brought food.
“I’ll be there in a minute,” I said, as though I expected Tiger to convey my message
to the chief. I chuckled at myself, gave my hair one more gust of hot air, and turned
off the hair dryer. Checking the mirror, I saw that my hair was still a tangle of
red curls, but at least they were dry and bouncy, as opposed to stringy and wet. I
quickly applied a coat of clear gloss to my lips, and hurried downstairs to greet
the chief.
“Sorry to keep you waiting,” I said as I swung open the front door. “Come in.”
“Thanks for seeing me.” He stepped inside and removed his wet leather jacket. I took
the jacket, and he glanced down at the small puddle on the hardwood floor. “Sorry
about the mess.”
“Don’t worry about that. Let me hang this up.” He followed me into the kitchen, and
while I hung his jacket on the service-porch rack to dry, he grabbed several paper
towels and walked back to the front door to sop up the rainwater.
“It’s pouring out there,” he said a minute later as he returned to the kitchen.
“I know. My hair was sopping wet by the time I made it home.”
“It looks great now.”
“Oh,” I said, foolishly pleased by the compliment. “Thanks.”
Robbie had been patient long enough. He let out a quick bark and toddled up to Eric’s
feet, where he sat expectantly.
“Hey, buddy,” Eric said, and bent down to scratch Robbie’s back.
Tiger joined them, and Eric gave the cat’s neck and ears a soft rubbing.
I almost sighed out loud. My pets recognized an animal lover when they saw one. And
I did, too. Eric had recently adopted Rudy, a German shepherd he was training to become
the first member of the Lighthouse Cove K-9 patrol. There had been a run on pet adoptions
last month when the local no-kill animal shelter had rented a booth at the town’s
Valentine’s Day Festival.
Mac was another one who’d taken advantage of the pet-adoption service and found himself
a beautiful black cat. He’d named him Luke, short for Lucifer, and it was sweet to
see how instantly they’d adapted to each other. At the time, I wasn’t sure how my
Tiger would feel about sharing her backyard territory with Luke. But the two felines
had scrutinized and sniffed and circled each other for a little while before they
slowly decided to become new best friends.
Mac had since assured me that he’d be paying another visit to the pet-adoption booth
to find himself a big, clumsy, lovable dog, as soon as he moved out of the small garage
apartment and settled into his new life in the lighthouse mansion.
“Let’s sit in here,” I said to Eric, gesturing at the kitchen table. “I didn’t have
lunch, so I was going to throw together something to eat. Do you have time to join
me?”
“I’d love to. I missed lunch, too.”
“I need to feed these two ragamuffins first, if you don’t mind. Otherwise, they’ll
be begging for scraps.”
“I don’t mind at all.”
Eric took a seat and watched me fill the pet bowls with food and give them fresh water
to drink. Then, rather than prepare a real meal for Eric and me, I pulled out my favorite
snacks and put them all on a platter. There were pickle spears, potato chips, cheese,
crackers, pistachios, some rolled-up ham slices, and olives. I placed the goodies
on the table, along with napkins and utensils and small plates for each of us.
“Would you like something to drink? I’ve got bubbly water, soda, beer?”
“Just water. I appreciate it, Shannon.”
Once I’d poured two glasses of sparkling water, I sat and we began to munch. He seemed
perfectly happy to enjoy a quiet moment, but I was dying of curiosity. So after a
few minutes of small talk, I prompted him. “You said you need some background information
on Lily.”
He nodded and finished
but seconds later she strutted away to join Robbie, probably hoping our guest had
brought food.
“I’ll be there in a minute,” I said, as though I expected Tiger to convey my message
to the chief. I chuckled at myself, gave my hair one more gust of hot air, and turned
off the hair dryer. Checking the mirror, I saw that my hair was still a tangle of
red curls, but at least they were dry and bouncy, as opposed to stringy and wet. I
quickly applied a coat of clear gloss to my lips, and hurried downstairs to greet
the chief.
“Sorry to keep you waiting,” I said as I swung open the front door. “Come in.”
“Thanks for seeing me.” He stepped inside and removed his wet leather jacket. I took
the jacket, and he glanced down at the small puddle on the hardwood floor. “Sorry
about the mess.”
“Don’t worry about that. Let me hang this up.” He followed me into the kitchen, and
while I hung his jacket on the service-porch rack to dry, he grabbed several paper
towels and walked back to the front door to sop up the rainwater.
“It’s pouring out there,” he said a minute later as he returned to the kitchen.
“I know. My hair was sopping wet by the time I made it home.”
“It looks great now.”
“Oh,” I said, foolishly pleased by the compliment. “Thanks.”
Robbie had been patient long enough. He let out a quick bark and toddled up to Eric’s
feet, where he sat expectantly.
“Hey, buddy,” Eric said, and bent down to scratch Robbie’s back.
Tiger joined them, and Eric gave the cat’s neck and ears a soft rubbing.
I almost sighed out loud. My pets recognized an animal lover when they saw one. And
I did, too. Eric had recently adopted Rudy, a German shepherd he was training to become
the first member of the Lighthouse Cove K-9 patrol. There had been a run on pet adoptions
last month when the local no-kill animal shelter had rented a booth at the town’s
Valentine’s Day Festival.
Mac was another one who’d taken advantage of the pet-adoption service and found himself
a beautiful black cat. He’d named him Luke, short for Lucifer, and it was sweet to
see how instantly they’d adapted to each other. At the time, I wasn’t sure how my
Tiger would feel about sharing her backyard territory with Luke. But the two felines
had scrutinized and sniffed and circled each other for a little while before they
slowly decided to become new best friends.
Mac had since assured me that he’d be paying another visit to the pet-adoption booth
to find himself a big, clumsy, lovable dog, as soon as he moved out of the small garage
apartment and settled into his new life in the lighthouse mansion.
“Let’s sit in here,” I said to Eric, gesturing at the kitchen table. “I didn’t have
lunch, so I was going to throw together something to eat. Do you have time to join
me?”
“I’d love to. I missed lunch, too.”
“I need to feed these two ragamuffins first, if you don’t mind. Otherwise, they’ll
be begging for scraps.”
“I don’t mind at all.”
Eric took a seat and watched me fill the pet bowls with food and give them fresh water
to drink. Then, rather than prepare a real meal for Eric and me, I pulled out my favorite
snacks and put them all on a platter. There were pickle spears, potato chips, cheese,
crackers, pistachios, some rolled-up ham slices, and olives. I placed the goodies
on the table, along with napkins and utensils and small plates for each of us.
“Would you like something to drink? I’ve got bubbly water, soda, beer?”
“Just water. I appreciate it, Shannon.”
Once I’d poured two glasses of sparkling water, I sat and we began to munch. He seemed
perfectly happy to enjoy a quiet moment, but I was dying of curiosity. So after a
few minutes of small talk, I prompted him. “You said you need some background information
on Lily.”
He nodded and finished
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