CHAPTER NINETEEN
With Kimber to keep me occupied, Liam’s long hours don’t seem so daunting. Besides, at a certain point I need to learn I can’t lean on him forever, right?
We spent last night helping Kimber adjust to her new surroundings. With Liam sleeping in the living room and me in Vince’s room, Kimber picked out a spot halfway between the two locations and made it hers by dragging over her bed and flopping down.
This morning she glued herself to my side once Liam left for work.
“Maybe you’ll come live with me,” I mutter out loud. Kimber turns her head, her fat pink tongue hanging out. She’s belly up, all four feet in the air while I rub my hand in circles over her short fur. So far we’ve discovered she really likes the belly rubs.
Knowing that my job is to keep the dog calm seems to calm me. For the first time since I came home, I feel settled and able to concentrate. I unearth my laptop and plop down on the floor next to Kimber. Opening my email jolts me into action. So many unanswered messages from people at school. I work through them steadily, ignoring the ones who must’ve read about Chad’s arrest in the paper and clearly want the gossip.
I also find a number of ranting emails from Chad’s brother. Once I realize the content is all pretty much the same, I set them aside in a special folder for Liam to go through.
A few hours later I’ve done some research on student housing—no dogs allowed—and glanced at a few for rent ads. One thing becomes clear—I need to find a job. Chad covered our bills while I was in school. My job at the college bookstore barely paid for our groceries. I have a lead on a Teaching Assistant position, but I’m not the only one applying for it.
“Okay, that’s enough depressing stuff for the day. Let’s go get some sunshine.” Kimber rolls onto her side at the sound of my voice. Alert and waiting for my next move.
Slowly, I pick myself up off the floor and set my laptop on the couch then help Kimber up. She waits at the back door patiently while I attach her leash, her black nubby tail twitching from side to side.
Outside, she keeps her head down, sniffing everything in the yard and I follow her lead, happy to be in the sunshine, even though it’s already in the high eighties.
Kimber halts and lifts her head, focusing her attention on the street. A low growl eases out of her a few seconds before the rumble of a motorcycle registers in my brain. Not an uncommon sound around here, but not usually on this street.
Kimber keeps herself a few steps ahead of me as I circle the house to the front yard.
The dark blue Harley Davidson rolling into the driveway startles me and my hand tightens around the leash. Kimber’s ears go up, her entire body stiff and alert. When the bike shuts down and the rider slips his helmet off, I relax.
“What are you doing here, Marcel?” I call out.
Still unsure of the intruder, Kimber stays between me and what she obviously sees as a threat while Marcel approaches.
“Whoa,” he says, stopping in his tracks.
“It’s okay,” I try to reassure Kimber. “Sit.” She sits but doesn’t take her eyes off Marcel or relax her posture.
Keeping one eye on the dog, Marcel advances carefully. “I didn’t realize you had a dog.”
“We’re watching her for a friend. What are you doing here?”
He lifts his broad shoulders and jams his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. “I was in the area and thought I’d say hi. See how you’re doing. If you needed anything.”
I swallow my surprise and try to ignore the warmth spreading through my chest. “I’m doing okay.” The glowy feeling abruptly ends. “Wait a second. Did Liam ask you to check on me?”
Marcel’s crooked smile is the only answer I need. He takes his hands out of his pockets. Without making eye contact, he offers his hand, palm down for Kimber to sniff. “I would have stopped by anyway eventually.”
“Yeah, right,” I tease and he laughs with me.
Having decided he’s not a threat, Kimber moves closer to Marcel, leaning on him and allowing him to scratch her rump.
“I guess she likes you.”
“She’s a good girl.”
I nod down the street in the direction of his old house. “Did you come by to check on it?”
“Nah. Not in the family anymore,” he answers, clearly not wanting to discuss it.
“Do you want to come in for something to drink?”
“I don’t think your Sheriff would approve,” he answers with a teasing smile.
“We’re not together,” I blurt out for some stupid reason.
“Does he know that?”
“Of course he does. He doesn’t see me in that way.”
“Sure.” He turns his head to the side and snort-laughs. “Okay.”
“Seriously. He’s my brother’s best friend, so he thinks I’m off-limits or he’s following some stupid bro code, you know?”
He laughs even harder. “Yeah. I’m familiar with the concept.”
I place my hands on my hips and narrow my eyes. “I feel like you’re making fun of me.”
“I’m not.” He holds up his hands. “Swear it.”
We end up sitting on the front porch steps, catching up on the last few years of our lives. Well, I end up doing most of the talking. Marcel’s pretty evasive beyond the basics. I can’t deny I’m a little annoyed with Liam for asking someone to check up on me, but it’s also really sweet, especially since I know he doesn’t like Marcel all that much.
We’re interrupted by a red sedan slowly moving down the street. It’s a small neighborhood, so after a few days back home, I already know all the vehicles that belong on our road. I definitely don’t recognize this one. Marcel notices my interest and his gaze narrows on the unfamiliar car. “Someone you know?”
“I don’t think so.”
The car speeds up and makes a sharp right at the end of the street. For some reason my heart won’t settle down. Marcel seems to sense my unease and offers to take me for a ride on his bike.
“Is it safe?”
He gives me a crooked smile in return. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Feeling brave, I stand, giving Kimber’s leash a gentle tug.
“Where you going?” Marcel asks when I head toward the back of the house.
“I need to take her in the back door. She can’t do steps.”
“Here.” He leans down and pats Kimber’s head. “Don’t eat my face off,” he mutters to the dog before slipping his arms under her big body and lifting her up. Kimber’s big, amber eyes widen. She seems as surprised as I am and doesn’t move a muscle. He gently sets her down by the front door and I scurry up the steps to let us in the house.
“I think if Liam trusted you to check on me, you can come in,” I say to Marcel, waving him through the front door.
His hands go back in his pockets and he follows me inside. “Holy shit. Your brother’s been busy fixing up the place.”
“Right? Doesn’t look anything like it used to.”
He drops down onto the couch and Kimber plants herself between his legs, sitting on his feet. “Lap dog, huh?” he says, scratching behind her ears. He glances up at me. “You got some jeans? A pair of boots?”
When I give him a blank look, he jerks his head toward the door. “For the ride.”
“Oh, yes. Give me a second.”
Having another guy in the house makes me feel like I’m doing something wrong, but I shake it off. He’s just a friend. I might appreciate his impressive male beauty, but no one’s as impressive as Liam.
Not to me, anyway.
When I return, Marcel’s in the same spot. Kimber’s slid to the floor, and given him her belly to rub.
“What a hussy,” I tease as I bend down to pet the dog.
She sneezes at me and rolls to her side.
“Ready?” Marcel asks, extracting himself from between Kimber and the couch.
I nod and stand. Kimber watches us leave with a passive expression. I feel bad leaving her alone, but we’ll only be gone for a few seconds.
Outside, Marcel goes over a few basics about riding on the back of the bike. “Once around the block?” Marcel asks as he hands me a helmet.
“Sounds good.”
He grins and flips me a thumb’s up. I climb on the way he explained and settle behind him. The first time, Marcel turns right at the end of the street and cruises slowly through the neighborhood.
“How you doing back there?” he shouts when we’re close to Vince’s house.
“Good!”
He nods and keeps going. This time we turn left at the end of the street and he does a lazy loop through the neighborhood. When we turn onto my street, what looks like the same red car from before is passing Vince’s house again. Slowly.
Marcel doesn’t say anything, but decreases our speed to a crawl.
When the car disappears around the corner, Marcel accelerates and pulls into the driveway.
“Who do you think that was?” I ask once I’m on solid ground.
He takes in my nervous expression and forces a smile. “Probably someone visiting relatives in the area. It’s summer. Lots of people visiting, right?”
I huff out a laugh. “True.”
“Did you have fun?”
“Yes.” Laughter follows my answer. “I expected you to pull some macho-guy thing and go a hundred miles an hour.”
The corners of his mouth turn up. “Nah. I wouldn’t do that to you.”
“Thank you for stopping by. I’m sure you had much more exciting things to do today.”
He shrugs. “No problem.” He lifts his chin toward the house. “Let me watch you go inside,” he says.
When I’m safely tucked behind the screen door, I wave and Marcel revs his engine a few times. He takes off way faster than he did with me. Kimber barks at the noise and hurries over to greet me by the door.
Shutting the door behind me, I realize how much I miss Liam.
This evening, my patrol car’s tucked into a spot off the road. Strategically placed facing the downward slope of a hill where drivers always forget to watch their speed. So far I’ve written three tickets. Almost enough to fill the quota the department denies it has for the day. Overall, an uneventful afternoon and evening for me.
For Chad’s brother, today was very eventful. I received the call around dinnertime that he was located hiding out at his parents’ house and served with the order forbidding him from contacting Bree again. It sounded like the parents weren’t too pleased to find out what their other son had been up to. And I hope that’s the last we hear from the Joseph brothers until the court case proceeds.
The deafening roar of an engine makes me sit up. Lucky me. Maybe I’ll write a fourth ticket before sunset.
When I realize the noise belongs to Marcel’s Harley, I push open my door and step out.
He shuts the bike down and swaggers over. Running his gaze over my car and radar gun, his mouth quirks. “You ever feel like a douche sitting here waiting for speeding citizens to write up?” he asks.
The answer is actually yes, but I’m not going to admit that to him. “Are you here for a reason?”
He drops the attitude. “Just left Bree’s place.”
“Everything okay?”
“She figured it out within five seconds, you know.”
“Great,” I mutter, surprised I haven’t received a pissed-off text from her.
“Thanks for warning me about the guard dog.”
I snort, realizing it never occurred to me. “We just got her last night. Did she try to eat you?” I ask, trying not to sound too hopeful.
He rolls his eyes. “No. She’s good, though. Real protective of Bree already.”
“Good.”
“One thing did happen.” He slips his hand inside his leather vest and pulls out a scrap of paper. “This car drove by while we were talking outside. Seemed to pay a lot of attention to the house.”
“She recognize it?”
“No. I took her for a short ride to see if it belonged somewhere in the neighborhood—”
“Wait. You did what?”
“Relax. It’s not like I tucked her in and read her a bedtime story. Don’t worry, I saved that for you,” he answers in the cockiest way possible.
“How do you not get punched in the mouth on a regular basis?”
His eyes widen and he touches his chest. “Most people think I’m charming.”
“Yeah, right.”
“Can I finish?” he asks.
When I don’t object, he continues. “The car was on the street again when we came back. I’m almost positive it was the same vehicle.” He hands over the scrap of paper. “It’s probably nothing, but figured you’d want to run the plate.”
I’m impressed by his quick thinking, but keep that thought to myself because I doubt he cares one way or another about my opinion. “Thanks.”
“No problem.” He hesitates for a second. “The car seemed to freak her out. I’d go back, but I need to be somewhere tonight.”
No doubt a drug deal or something else I’d rather not know about.
“That’s okay. I’m going to ask one of the guys in that zone to check it out.”
“Good.” He throws his leg over his bike. “If you need anything else, let me know. Bree has my number.” He’s smirking by the last word and I barely resist the urge to flip him off.
Before I have a chance to respond, he twists the throttle and takes off.