AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Your phone was over here buzzing.” Brooklyn offered it to her. “It’s Isaac. He says it’s an emergency.”
The group went silent as all eyes shifted to Del. Forcing a smile, she excused herself and stepped inside, away from curious ears. What on earth could he be calling about that would be deemed an emergency? Had someone else run off the road and into his partially restored yard?
“Hello?”
“Hey, Del, sorry to bother you, but I didn’t know who else to call.”
Isaac sounded frazzled and out of breath. She could hear the crunching of footsteps on dry grass across the line.
“No worries, what’s up?”
“It’s Louie, he’s gone.”
“Gone?” The face of Isaac’s adorable, rotund bulldog flashed to her mind. “I’m sure he couldn’t have gotten far. How long has he been missing?”
“Fifteen minutes.”
Okay, not hours, so that was good. Louie would probably just finish chasing whatever he’d run off after and circle back. They’d been through this with Rex countless times. “Well, I’m sure if you stay out there calling for him, he’ll—”
Oh, shoot.Deaf bulldogs couldn’t hear their masters calling. Del’s pulse quickened.
“Exactly. If he runs out into the road before I can get to him, Del, I’ll…”
Isaac’s voice broke, making her decision an easy one. He’d called her for help, and that’s exactly what she would give him. The others could continue the meeting without her.
“Stay by the house in case he comes back,” she said, leaning out the door and waving Brooklyn over. “We’ll be there in five.”
*
Isaac circled thehouse, his heart in his throat. Why? Why had he nixed the idea of getting a damned underground dog fence? So what if he didn’t own the place or plan to be here long? If anything happened to Louie, he’d never forgive himself. He prayed that between him and Del, they’d find him before anything bad happened—and that he’d made the right decision, calling her.
What had she meant bywewould be there in five?
It’d been a little precarious, him requesting complete anonymity for the web design work when they were devising their plans at lunch. But she hadn’t questioned his request. In fact, she hadn’t even batted an eye. Had that meant she was good with keeping secrets or terrible at it?
A little late to worry about it now, dummy.Why did hindsight always have to be twenty-twenty?
He dragged the back of one hand across his forehead, trying to keep the sweat out of his eyes. Louie seemed to have picked the hottest, muggiest day of the year to go running off. Though, it wasn’t all his fault; Isaac should have known the screen door that separated his house from the garage wasn’t strong enough to withstand his bulldog’s brute strength, latched or otherwise. Especially with the separation anxiety Louie had begun to develop these past few months. It was getting to the point where Isaac could hardly use the restroom without Louie trying to scratch down the door to get in. He had hoped that if Louie could see him through the screen door, it would alleviate some of that anxiety. He just hadn’t anticipated that stupid rabbit hopping across his path on the way to the trash can.
Now Louie was missing, Isaac was on the brink of an anxiety attack, and the woman he couldn’t stop thinking about was on her way over with extra help she shouldn’t be bringing.
Maybe it was Brooklyn. Yes, that made sense. Surely, Del wouldn’t bring anyone else along.
And where was that damn dog?
Isaac caught his reflection in the picture window on the back of his house, the setting sun painting his worried face in yellows and oranges. Crap, he didn’t even have a ballcap or sunglasses on. There hadn’t been time to grab them before, and he wasn’t about to go inside and miss seeing Louie wander back through the yard now. Would Del or her accomplice put two and two together if they saw him without one of his subtle disguises? If so, would either run back into town and blow his cover?
He didn’t think so. And right now, he really didn’t care. He just wanted his beloved fur baby back, the one living creature he knew would follow him to the ends of the earth. The one he’d pledged to take good care of when he’d rescued him from the pound.
The one who had barreled through a flimsy screen door today and was now missing.
An approaching engine sounded in the distance, sending Isaac into a panic. What if Louie picked this exact moment to dart out of the woods and into the road?
Unable to stand there and do nothing, Isaac raced down his winding drive. He wouldn’t let anything happen to Louie. Not today, not ever. But where had that dog gone?
As he emerged from the woods that acted as a natural screen for his yard, a familiar white sedan pulled into the drive and screeched to a stop. This time Del was driving it. She scrambled out the driver’s side door while Brooklyn hurried out the passenger side. Instinctively, Isaac slowed to keep a safe distance between them, wishing again that he at least had sunglasses on. Thankfully, neither balked at his appearance.
“I brought an extra pair of eyes to help search,” Del called. “Any sign of him?”
