Font Size:  

Katrina drove slowly north on Main Street again, reaching the little cottage for sale.

“That couple is still on the swings, Annie. Do you think the guy is Steve?”

She strained to see, the sun was almost completely set, and the playground was in shadows, but a couple embracing was still evident.

“I don’t know. Can we just sit here for a while?” Annie asked.

“Of course. Where’s the gate? We should be near the opening in the fence.”

“It’s closer to his truck,” Annie said, pointing.

“I’ll back up.”

They inched back, the entrance to the playground in full view, with Steve’s truck just beyond it.

They watched for a few minutes, and then it appeared the couple was separating.

“Oh, crap! The girl is walking in the opposite direction. Can we follow her? I’m sure the guy is Steve. I want to check out the girl.”

“I’ll circle the playground. That looks like Steve,” Katrina said, putting the car into drive. “I recognize that swagger.”

She drove quickly to the end of the playground fence and followed the road around to the left. The girl was just walking up the path to the school entrance when a car horn beeped, and they watched her run up to the waiting vehicle.

“Oh, Jesus, is she in middle school?” Annie cried.

Katrina pulled over, and they watched a young woman of indeterminant age get into a dark red minivan driven by a man who was probably her father. Straining to see the license plate, Annie was going to sleuth when she was home.

“Either that or she’s a teacher.”

Annie had started to cry. “That’s no teacher. She’s a teenager! What is he thinking? How did he even meet her?”

“Do you know if Casson’s does any internet work for the school?” Katrina asked, grasping at straws.

“Probably. Oh god. You’d better take me home, Kat. Alphé’s probably wondering where the hell you are.”

“Don’t worry about Alphé,” she replied. “Do you want to get a cup of coffee?”

“No. Just take me home. I’m going to confront him tonight.”

In her mind, she repeated the license number: ATR 601.

***

Maggie had one motive, and that was to see Justin and hug him and make sure he knew that she loved him with all her heart. The confusion of so many people coming and going for the past week made her worry that he felt neglected even after their afternoon delight, and that was the last thing she wanted.

After she’d returned to the cottage from the rescue, a few more hours of work for her graphics design customers and she was ready to take care of business of another kind, taking Brulee for a long walk before sunset.

Harnessing her up so she couldn’t wiggle out of a collar and chase horses, Maggie then sprayed both of them with bug spray. It was cool, too, so she donned a jacket. Her canvas snake boots would keep her feet dry and protected.

One more drink of water for Brulee and a bottle of water for Maggie and they were off. The trail headed west through the wood on her one-hundred-plus-acre property and was inhabited by several bands of wild horses that had been relocated Happily, only a few left their bands to be renegades and go back to the federal lands that didn’t want their presence.

Just as the sun was on the horizon, she reached the rescue. Kelly had returned from Ted LeBlanc’s clinic with their newest addition, a large-breed mixed mother dog and her six pups, adorable little bundles of whimpering softness.

“They are so cute! How old?”

“Just a few days, so we’ll have them for a while. Look at Brulee! She thinks she’d like to have one of her own,” Kelly said, laughing.

“Ah, no,” Maggie said, but chuckling. “Brulee’s still a pup herself. She needs training.”

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
Articles you may like