Page 79 of Wag More Bark Less

“She’s familiar with you, Luke.” Kira said it as though it were an accusation, refusing to let it go.

“Of course she is. She’s staying next door. We share a deck.” I left out the part where Ellie kept showing up in my house, bringing me socks. Or that I spent the evening watching Star Wars with the pup in my lap for half the movie. “And, in case you forgot, the mayor forced me to take leave. So, I’ve been home a lot more than I normally would be.”

“Right.”

“It’s a quiet day in here,” I said, returning my focus to the safer topic. I scanned the store once more for signs of a customer who might’ve been hiding or in the restroom, but saw no one.

The place looked so much different than it had at the beginning of the summer, before Kira came back to town and gave it new life. New bookshelves, clever displays, and a brightness it hadn’t had since Mom passed. It currently looked like fall had thrown up inside with an excess of decorative pumpkins, fake autumn leaves, and orange twinkling lights running along the top of the shelves. Battery-operated candles flickered in a few places, and the store smelled of fresh-baked apple pie. Mom would’ve loved that.

I was still in awe of the woman my sister had become, and how much she grew into her own this past summer after ditching the ass wipe she’d had for an ex. Mom would be proud. I was proud of her, too, and almost said so. But I couldn’t quite get the words to form.

Old habits died hard, I supposed.

“Oh, the crowd’s coming,” Kira said after draining half her iced coffee. “By this time next week, it’ll be standing room only in this place. I’m enjoying the breather before Golden Days while I have it. I’ve been signing books in preparation.” She pointed to a round table beside the counter, filled with her vampire romances.

“The books look good, though?”

“Look around. They look great.”

“I meant the finances.”

“Oh,” she said, giggling. “I’m not worried about the bank locking the doors if that’s what you’re asking. We had such a successful grand opening a few weeks back that the bills are covered for the rest of the year. I promise, Mom’s bookstore’s in good hands, Luke.”

“I didn’t mean⁠—”

Bells jingled overhead, and a woman with light purple hair pulled into a high ponytail, flip-flops, and a very round belly walked into the store as though on a mission.

“Two questions,” she said to us. “One, do you have a bathroom? This baby’s been pushing on my bladder for the last ten miles, and I’m at DEFCON level one.”

“In the back.” Kira pointed.

“Two,” she called back to us as she quickly waddled through the store. “Have you seen a woman with long blonde wavy hair, about five–six, with a dog—” She stopped mid-sentence. “Ellie?”

Ellie ran up to the woman, tail wagging enthusiastically as though they were long-lost friends. “I really, really have to pee. Then I have a follow-up question for you two.” She hurried to the back, Ellie on her tail.

“Who is that?”

“I think that’s Maggie’s sister,” I said, watching the pup follow her into the restroom.

I racked my brain, trying to remember if Maggie told me whether her sister was visiting. I pulled out my phone, scrolling through the reservation details and messages on the app. The DEFCON level one comment from her check-in day caught my attention, and I chuckled silently. They were sisters, all right. But there was nothing anywhere about a second guest arriving at any point during her stay.

I was in the middle of typing out a text to Maggie when I heard the woman say, “Wait. You’re Officer McGrumpy.”

“Oh, my God,” Kira said, laughing obnoxiously.

“What?”

“Maybe you didn’t know she called you that. I thought it was like a pet name or something. Don’t tell her I ratted her out. I’m Violet Reynolds, by the way. Maggie’s sister. And speaking of my sister, do you know where she is? Her car’s parked outside. I thought she’d be in here, but I don’t see her anywhere. Is there an upstairs?”

“You got this, Officer McGrumpy?” Kira said, smirking.

“Shut up.”

“I’m really sorry about that,” Violet said. “But, in my defense, I don’t know your actual name. Neither do my boys, so I’ll apologize in advance for them, too.”

“Luke Mason,” I answered, trying not to focus on the fact that Maggie had told her sister about me, and what that might mean. Just friends. That’s what you agreed to last night. Why did I keep forgetting that? Because you already know that’s bullshit.

I forced the thought down, mostly because both sisters were staring at me oddly.