Page 100 of The Deadly Shallows

“Ah.”

A plate encircled with clear wrapping and topped with a white bow sat on her counter.

“Present?” he asked.

She looked over. “Carol is too stinking sweet.” Rummaging behind a cupboard door, she pulled out a chew stick for Dirk. He sat on his heels, his head at attention.

Caleb smiled. Dirk adored her, and he loved that. Animals loved unconditionally.

She handed Dirk the treat, and he scampered into the living room. “Carol is Megan and Billy’s mom. She checks in on Dirk when I work late.”

“That’s nice of her,” he said, shifting his focus to Austin. To them together.

“She makes the best chocolate chip cookies.” She peeled back the wrapping and offered him one.

“Thanks,” he said, biting into it. Chocolate, sugar, and a hint of vanilla swirled in his mouth. “You weren’t joking. These are great.”

“Mmm-hmm.” She nodded, having bit into one. She took his hand in hers. “I want to show you something.”

“Okay.” Her soft skin caressed his as they walked into her bedroom.

She released his hand and knelt down in front of a cedar trunk. Stenciled artwork was painted across the top—a big sun in the center and wisps of rays reaching out with two cardinals flying.

“Nice trunk,” he said.

“Thanks.” It creaked as she lifted the lid.

“Did you paint the design?”

“Yeah.” She smiled. “I wanted to brighten it up.”

“Nice work.”

“Thanks.” She pulled out a wooden box the size of a shoebox with another sun and cardinal.

“You like cardinals.”

“When I was a kid, there was a stretch of time when a cardinal used to come and sit on my ledge every morning and sing.” She smiled, getting back to her feet and closing the lid. “He must have had a nest nearby. Every now and then, I saw the female, but she never came up on the ledge like he did.”

“That’s really cool.”

“I viewed it as a gift from God.” She headed for the door.

“He takes care of the sparrows,” Caleb said, referencing the verse from Matthew.

Her cell rang. “Could you hold this?” she asked of the box.

“Sure.” He took it and tucked it under his arm.

“Hello? Uh-huh. . . . Sure. No problem,” Austin said, wrapping up the call.

“Everything okay?” he asked.

“It was Lucy. She’s got a family emergency. She needs to drive up to Lynchburg as soon as possible and asked if I could watch Jaxon for a few days. She’s been keeping him at the office until she finds a permanent home for him because of her cats, but since she’s going out of town, I said no problem.” Austin looked up at the clock. “She should be here in twenty.”

“I hope everything will be all right,” he said.

“Me too.”