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“It means we keep them alive as long as possible; we do our best to get them adopted, but sometimes...” he trailed off with another shrug.
“Jesus Christ.”
I looked down at the little terror in my hands. As soon as my attention returned to her, those beady upside-down eyes gleamed like she knew she’d just gotten her way.Again.
“Thanks a lot,” I muttered flatly as I tuckedChurrobeneath my arm and turned on my boot heel. “Don’t look at me like that,” I grunted at her as we headed back out to my truck. “This is just gonna take longer than I thought, but I’ll find someone to adopt you if it’s the last thing I do.”
* * *
Walkinginto the sheriff’s department with a tiny dog under my arm wasn’t exactly a good look for me, but my house wasn’t properly dog-proofed, and I worried the miniature demon would have an aneurysm if I left her alone at the house.
I wasn’t sure how long it would take to find someone to adopt her, so I’d stopped on the way in to pick up a few things I thought she might need. And apparently seeing the same sucker Churro saw every time she looked at me, the woman at the pet store managed to take serious advantage. I’d walked out of there with everything a dog could possibly need, including a new collar with a fancy pink tag in the shape of a heart outlined with rhinestones, her name laser etched in the center of it.
I had food and water bowls—two of each so that when they got dirty, I had a spare set while the first two washed, some special kind of refrigerated dog food that was supposed to be good for little teeth, more toys than I could count, and an expensive-as-hell dog bed shaped like a cloud that was probably more comfortable than my own mattress.
I’d walked out of there with my wallet substantially lighter and my arms loaded down with shit I probably wouldn’t need soon enough.
In my defense, I was delirious from lack of sleep, and she kept giving me that damnlook. The one that said she had all the faith in the world that I’d keep her alive and provide her with a good life. I told her over and over again that wasn’t how this story was going to end, but she didn’t seem to be listening.
Inconspicuousness wasn’t even an option, but I thought I’d at least get a few feet into the bullpen before people noticed. I was wrong. “Jesus, Clarke. Why the hell did you bring a rat into my station?”
The dog in the crook of my arm yipped that gurgly, hoarse bark as though she were offended. I kept moving toward my desk, casting my boss, Harrison Duke, the sheriff of McCall County, a flat look. “She’s not a rat. Well, at least not fully. I think.”
He cocked a bushy white eyebrow and let out a huff, ruffling his equally bushy white mustache. “Still doesn’t explain what that thing’s doin’ in my bullpen.” He crossed his arms, straining the integrity of his shirt even more than his large barrel gut already was as he stared down at the dog with distrust.
Before I could answer, a squeal came from my left, just as I sat down, dropping the dog bed onto the floor at my feet and placing Churro in it with a few toys and a treat, hoping that would keep her entertained enough to stay out of my hair for the time being.
Deputy Sheffield, the newest member of our department, a rookie of six months, crouched near the edge of my desk, scratching the dog beneath its chin as she cooed at it. “What a little cutie pie!” she declared, her whole face lighting up at the sight of the little dog. “What’s her name?”
“Churro,” I said on a grunt, feeling ridiculous saying it out loud.
“Aw,” she squealed. “An adorable name for an adorable little puppy.”
Churro was practically falling over herself at the attention she was receiving. She yipped again and hop-danced in a tight circle in the middle of her bed—a move I hadn’t thought possible, given her giant-ass head. It looked like Sheffield had quickly fallen for the dog.
“You want her?”
Sheffield’s head came up. “Huh?”
I jerked my chin at the dog she was now cradling against her chest. “She’s all yours if you want her. Just say the word.”
Her eyes went wide, her face turning pale. “Oh, uh... I appreciate the offer, but... I think my apartment might have a rule against pets.”
Of course they did.
Churro chose that moment to break away from Sheffield and come over to where I was sitting, pawing at my pantleg for attention. “Besides, I think she might have picked her new owner anyway.”
Duke grumbled, that mustache twitching. “The rat can stay. Just make sure that thing don’t shit all over my station.”
“Yes sir.”
He harrumphed again, his chosen form of communication, before turning and heading back into his office. The man had never been much for words, but he’d always been a fair and just boss. I’d admired him since I was a teenager. He was part of the reason I wanted to get into this line of work. I wanted to follow in his footsteps, be a good man who protected my community and people. For a gruff, grunting man of very few words, there was a reason he’d been elected to his position over and over and over again. The people of this town trusted him and the team he’d built. They had faith in him, and in the rest of us who were part of his department.
It was a relief, working for a good man, especially given what was happening one county over. Rumor was the police department in Ashland was dealing with corruption, but so far there’d been no proof.
That didn’t mean we weren’t all watching carefully, ready to step in if need be, and judging by the way the sheriff’s demeanor had gotten even saltier, he was keeping an eagle eye out and growing more concerned with every story he heard.
Sheffield returned to her desk, and I gave Churro a cursory pat before gently pushing her back into the dog bed.
