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But I will let Gavin fix that later. He can explain why he suddenly has a crazy ex-girlfriend, an ex-fiancée of less than twenty-four hours, and a new fake fiancée …
I sigh as I sink into the chair. No one will believe Gavin went through two fiancées in a day or two. He knew this plan would work, which is why he followed this path in the first place. There is no one on this planet more adverse to failure than Gavin Black.
Lucie takes the seat at the head of my six-person wooden table. Her blond hair is pulled back into a perfect bun. She perches on the edge of the chair with the grace of a ballerina. I like the deputy. She’s always direct and gets right down to business. Plus, she owns a retired and half-blind former police dog.
Now, thanks to Gavin, I’m lying to Lucie about my love life. My Annoyed-At-Gavin meter rises. The deputy is one of the few friends I’ve made since moving to this small town after my divorce. I know a lot of people here in a say-hello-in-the-grocery-store way. But I can count about five women, including Lucie, who would meet me for a dog walk or a glass of wine. My ex-husband cut me off from my pre-marriage girlfriends. Making new ones hasn’t exactly been easy.
Lucie pulls out a pocket-sized, spiral notebook and a pen. Jay and Mac claim seats across from me.
“What time did you take Luna out last night?” Lucie asks.
“We went out around eleven in the evening,” I begin. Then I explain about Luna’s peeing on the floor problem. I describe the deer and the surprising gunshot.
“You suspect a hunter?” Jay jumps in. “Out at eleven at night?”
I nod. “I can’t think of another reason someone would shoot at me or my dogs.”
“We haven’t had any reports of hunting off season,” Lucie says, closing her notebook. “But that doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.”
“At night, though?” Jay shakes his head. “That’s just plain stupid. You can’t even see the deer at night.”
Mac’s brow furrows. He’s the more recent addition to the force. Young, but thoughtful. “Is it possible someone was trying to target Mr. Black?”
I shake my head. “He didn’t arrive until after Luna was shot. I’d already called Marianne at Loving Paws Vet Clinic by then. And I wasn’t expecting him.”
“I came up on a whim,” Gavin says, pausing behind my chair. He places his hands on the back.
I look up at him. His expression is a mask of concern. But I recognize the playful spark in his eyes. The coffee somersaults in my stomach. Part of me wants to send him out to feed the dogs, even though I gave them breakfast first thing this morning. I want to kick him out of the room because I know I’m not going to like what comes out of his mouth next.
“I found Kayla covered in blood and something inside me snapped,” he continues. Then he pauses and closes his eyes. “I can’t stop thinking about if she’d been shot. What if I’d lost her?”
I steal a glance at the trio of cops in my kitchen. They are swallowing his morning dose of melodrama. Suddenly, I realize where he’s heading with this story. He’s testing his version of events.
I saw my best friend covered in blood and realized that I never told her how I feel about her … I never told her that I love her … So I proposed …
I give him a warning look that screams Don’t do it Gavin. His eyes are open now. He’s glancing from me to his audience and then his gaze returns to me.
“Gavin,” I begin. Outside Ava, my five-year-old German Shepard hound mix, begins to bark. Cleveland, my terrier puppy, joins in, his sharp, high-pitch yaps signaling his desire to enter the house. “Can you go let the dogs in while I finish with the officers? I’ll take them out through the front.”
“They can—”
“Please, sweetheart?”
He smil
es. “Of course.” He holds his hand out to the deputy chief. Lucie is on her feet now. “Nice to see you, ma’am,” he says, speaking loud enough for his voice to carry over the symphony of barking dogs. “I hope you will keep us informed about your investigation.”
“Yes, Mr. Black.” Lucie shakes his hand and then turns to me.
“This way.” I motion for the officers to follow me. We head down the narrow hall. The barking fades as we reach the modest living room and front entry. I pull open the door and hold it for the officers. While I appreciate their efforts, I know the chance of catching the illegal hunter is slim to none. “I’ll be stopping by Marianne’s office to pick up Luna today. Should I let her know you’ll be in touch?”
“Yes.” Lucie nods. Then her lips form a rare smile. “Congratulations on your engagement. We’ll have to meet up for a glass of wine on my next day off. I can’t wait to hear the full story.”
Me neither.
“Thanks,” I murmur. “But I’m really focused on Luna right now. I just want to get my girl home.”
“I understand,” Lucie says. “I can’t imagine if something like this happened to my Bella. I promise we’ll do everything we can to find out who is behind this incident. You can tell your fiancé that we’ll be back to look for evidence on his property. I appreciate his permission and his offer to fund the forensic team. But we are up to the job without calling in the cavalry from the city.”
