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“I could use some help at the rescue,” the woman said.
I looked back toward the kennels. What if another dog needed me here? They were my . . . family.
Shrill, sharp barks sounded like crazy from inside. Crap. Someone was in there.
“Let me buy you breakfast and you can think about it,” she said as she hurried back into the driver’s seat.
She threw the van in gear.
Stay. Go. Stay. Go.
As she backed up, I jumped inside.
“I needto go let the dogs out before bed.” Abruptly, I got to my feet.
“I’ll help,” Mr. October said.
“No.” I cleared my throat and tried again. “I’ve got it. I’m sure you need to go home anyway.”
“Actually, I don’t.”
Chapter Eight
Teague
“You take allthese dogs out every night by yourself?”
Pepper looped a leash around the dog she called Sadie. She wrangled another and made it look easy.
“I do it in the morning and afternoon too,” she snapped.
Something had happened upstairs. She hadn’t been friendly the entire night, but her mood had darkened.
I took one of the leashes from her hand, and she scowled. “I’ll help. It’s not safe to be walking around at night.”
She snorted. “What do you propose I do? The dogs need exercise and bathroom breaks whether it’s safe or not.”
“Promise me you won’t go out after dark alone anymore.”
Her back was to me, but I didn’t miss the way she stiffened. “I can’t do that.”
I followed her—more like was dragged by two excited greyhounds—out the front door of the rescue. She locked it behind us as if she was empty-handed instead of handling two dogs of her own.
As soon as they heard the lock click, they shot off down the sidewalk. “Easy, guys. It’s slick out.”
I caught up to her. The four dogs pranced with their noses working overtime. They seemed to know where they were going, while I was along for the ride.
“Should I let them hose down your truck?” She pointed her chin toward my parked vehicle.
“As I recall, you owe me a wash.” I bumped her shoulder and a mischievous curve shaped her lips.
“Why is your truck so muddy anyway?” she asked as we continued in perfect rhythm down the sidewalk.
“Went to Jersey to do some training.” Sadie stopped to sniff. “By the way, you’re not getting out of washing my truck.” I smirked. “Especially since I cooked dinner for you.”
“If I’d have had it my way, you wouldn’t have,” she muttered.
We continued down the street in silence for a few minutes. A couple stopped to let us pass since we took up the whole sidewalk. Another man went around through the parked cars.
