Foxfire (13 page)

“We had to put Mr. Jacobson's dog down
today.”

His smile disappeared. “That's too bad. Will
is a good man. Lost his wife not long ago, too. Must have been hard
on him.”

Grace swallowed the lump that rose in her
throat. She would not cry. What was with her lately? She’d never
felt like relieving her emotions with tears before. She nodded,
keeping her eyes on her bowl.

“Must have been hard for you, too.”

Again, Grace nodded without speaking.

“Course you could always check the Foxfire
Animal Shelter. Bet they've got a lot of unwanted dogs.” He
scratched his chin. “Yep, that just might be a nice thing to
do.”

Why hadn't she thought of that? She'd ask
Tyler tomorrow. He could help her pick out a perfect dog for Mr.
Jacobson. It would be just the thing, no matter how Will had
rejected the idea today. No animal could take the place of Spanky,
but having a new dog to care for would give him something positive
to focus on.

Grace jumped up and ran to Brad. She kissed
his weathered cheek and hugged him tight. “You're a genius.”

Brad chuckled. “You'd have thought of it
yourself, hon.”

“You think he'll accept a new dog?”

Brad patted her on the arm. “I'm sure. You
might want to wait a spell though. Give him a few days to grieve
for Spanky.”

Grace attacked her ice cream with fervor. “Do
you want to go to the shelter with me?”

Brad's eyes twinkled. “Three's a crowd,
hon.”

Had he read her mind? “What do you mean?” she
asked trying to look confused.

He winked. “You and Tyler can take care of
it.” He laid his spoon beside his bowl. “How about you two coming
to dinner tonight? I've got a dozen ears of corn out there on the
porch. Harri's bringing the main course, though Lord only knows
what that'll be.”

Grace still felt kind of hollow inside. She
didn't think she could keep up a happy front for a whole evening,
especially with Tyler there to remind her of what they'd done
today. All she wanted tonight was to soak in a hot tub and curl up
with a good book with Tiffany for company.

“I think I'll take a rain check, but thanks
for asking. I'm kind of washed out.”

“Sure, hon, I understand.”

She looked up at him. “Did you read the
article in the paper about the body behind the restaurant?”

He clunked his spoon on the table. “Terrible.
Just like the others she was murdered somewhere else and her body
was left there. What kind of evil person can do such a thing?”

She shivered. “It's scary. I mean this makes
it personal, doesn't it? It's not like something happening far
away. It's right here.”

He reached over and patted her arm. “It
didn't happen here, honey.”

“We don't know that. For all we know all
those women could have been killed here and moved to Knoxville or
other places afterward.”

“Enough talk about it. I'm not into
speculation. Besides, there's no one in Foxfire who would do such a
thing. This is a quiet, safe community. We have a zero crime
rate.”

They finished their dessert in comfortable
silence, then Grace took her leave.

She walked more slowly back toward her cabin.
Rounding a bend in the path where she could no longer see Brad's
house behind her, she felt a chill despite the heat of the day. She
increased her pace. She felt certain someone was watching them, but
Tiffany seemed unaffected. It had to be her imagination.

When she reached her house, she stopped in
surprise.

Tyler rose from the front steps and dusted
the back of his jeans.

“Hi,” he said. “I didn't feel like being
alone. Could I keep you company?”

“Great,” Grace mumbled. She'd finally pushed
the sadness far enough away that she no longer felt like crying,
but seeing Tyler brought it all rushing back.

He shrugged his shoulders. “If you'd rather
be alone?”

“No, it's fine. I mean, I could use some
company.”

Tiffany jumped up, resting her paws on
Tyler's chest and licking his face.

“Down, Tiff,” Grace ordered.

Tyler laughed, tilting his head away from the
dog's tongue. “It's all right.” He pushed Tiffany gently to all
fours.

“Come on in,” Grace invited, leading the way
to the front door. She mentally ran through the items in her
fridge, wondering if she should call Brad and take him up on his
earlier offer.

“Are you hungry?” she asked.

“Not really.” He looked around her sparse
living room. “You know, I do like your house.”

She grinned. “I don't entertain much. Tiffany
doesn't require much in the way of furniture. We can sit in the
kitchen if you want.” She gestured toward the open doorway.

“No, I meant what I said. It's simple, but
warm.” He seated himself on the hearth and picked up a rock that
had been painted into a sleeping kitten. He picked up several
others, dogs, rabbits and turtles, examining them carefully.
Finally, he smiled up at her and wrapped his arms around his knees.
“You're very talented.”

“Thanks.”

Grace sat in the rocker.

Tiffany came out of the kitchen, her jowls
dripping water. She walked to Tyler and leaned against him. He
ruffled her fur and she dropped to the rug at his feet.

Grace felt awkward. What could they talk
about to avoid the issue forefront in both their minds?

He met her gaze. “The first time I had to
euthanize an animal, my dad was with me. Later we sat and talked
about it. He helped me understand what I'd done was the humane
thing.” Tyler shook his head. “I still have a hard time dealing
with it. No matter how prepared you are, it always hurts to see
life fade away.”

Grace swallowed. The lump kept rising in her
throat. She wouldn't resort to tears in front of Tyler. She bit the
inside of her mouth, a trick that always worked. She watched
Tyler's fingers absently stroking Tiffany's ears.

“I suppose you get hardened to it,” she
said.

“Never.”

Grace lifted her head and met his gaze. They
stared into each other's eyes, and her stomach flipped. Her heart
seemed to stop, then picked up speed, thumping erratically. “I...it
was hard for me.”

Tyler unfolded his arms and rose to his full
height. “For me, too.”

She had to force her gaze away, regain
control. She'd let Tyler get past her protective shell again. She'd
never allowed anyone but Brad to see her soft side.

“I was talking to Brad. He suggested getting
Mr. Jacobson another dog.”

Tyler moved closer. “That's a great
idea.”

****

Tyler watched the emotions cross her face.
He'd known she'd be hurting. He'd spoken the truth when he said he
never got over putting an animal to sleep. He wanted to take Grace
in his arms and comfort her, and draw comfort from her, but he kept
his distance, knowing she wasn't ready. Neither was he. He still
had a job to do, and that job required him to stay focused on one
thing. Catching a killer, a killer who wanted to murder Grace, and
that scared the hell out of him.

She looked down at Tiffany, avoiding his
gaze.

“Want to go for a walk?” he asked.

Grace shook her head.

“A drive?”

She shook her head again. He needed to find a
way to break through the walls she'd put up. He told himself it was
all to maintain his cover, but he knew better. If he walked away
now, she'd break down, have her cry and it would help. He should
respect her right to do that and head back to his lonely apartment.
But he didn't want to leave her alone. And it had more to do with
his feelings than Grace's. With Grace, he'd begun to believe that
he could move on with his life. The grief that had kept him awake
night after night, month after month, year after year, had begun to
heal. He felt the hard ice of his heart chipping away, bit by bit
as he settled into his new life. He reached out and squeezed
Grace's shoulder.

“The animal shelter is open until seven.” The
words popped out surprising him. He shouldn't let himself get
personally involved, but what was happening between them had
nothing to do with catching a killer.

Another chunk of ice melted when Grace lifted
her gaze to his.

“Brad said we should wait a few days.”

Tyler grinned. “We could pick out a dog and
keep it at the clinic. That way I can make sure it has all the
required shots and is in good health before we hand it over.”

“You'd be willing to do that? Keep it at the
clinic, I mean.”

He placed a hand on his heart and gave her a
look of feigned surprise. “How could you doubt me?”

Her eyes lit and a smile tilted her lips
upward. God, she was beautiful when she smiled. She didn't need
makeup or any artificial enhancements. Her beauty came from
within.

“I'd love to go,” she said.

“Let's do it.”

“Let me grab my purse. I'm sure the shelter
accepts donations.”

Every male hormone came into play as he
watched her walk down the hall, her hips swaying in subtle
rhythm.

He called out, “We can stop for a bite to eat
first. That is if you've gotten your appetite back.”

She stuck her head around the doorway. “Brad
invited us to dinner, but I told him I wasn't in the mood to be
with anyone. I'll call him back and tell him I've changed my mind.
That is...if you want to. Harri's going to bring the main
course.”

He didn't want to share Grace with anyone
tonight. He preferred to think of the two of them in his bed
sharing a glass of wine and a plate of strawberries. He hid his
disappointment behind a smile. “Psychic casserole?”

She laughed and a moment later returned with
a purse slung over her shoulder. “Whatever it is, it'll be
scrumptious. Harri's a great cook.”

“Sounds good.”

She called Brad and told him she and Tyler
would share dinner with him and Harri after all. When she hung up,
she said, “I'm ready. Let's go get that dog.”

So was he. Ready to carry her off to bed. He
concentrated on banking the fire she'd started in his loins. “I'll
get the truck and pick you up.”

“No need. I can walk down with you.”

There went that smile again. He reached for
her hand and she didn't protest. It felt right snuggled inside
his.

Twenty minutes later, he held open the door
while Grace entered the shelter's noisy reception area. Cats roamed
freely in a large cage, bumping against the bars as they passed.
One reminded him of Muffin. He still had no idea who the cat
belonged to, but he wasn’t complaining. He'd gotten used to her
company.

An elderly woman with chipmunk cheeks and
little round glasses riding on the end of her nose greeted them.
She reminded him of Mrs. Claus. She led them to a room in the back.
“What kind of dog are you looking for?” she asked.

Grace said, “A big one  “

“A mutt  “ Tyler said in
unison.

Tyler laughed. “We're looking for a big
lovable mutt.”

They perused the cages, stopping to pet and
talk to each animal. Tyler knew it would be hard to choose. Grace
kept moving back to a brown speckled mixed breed. The animal was
less than a year old, and hadn't yet grown into its rather large
paws. Tyler scratched behind the dog's ears and received a wet
puppy kiss in return.

“We'll take this one,” Tyler said. He looked
for Grace's approval. She gave him her hundred megawatt smile in
answer.

Decision made, Tyler filled out the paperwork
and left a generous donation. Before leaving, he handed the woman
his business card.

“Oh, my. You're the new veterinarian.”

“That's me.” He leaned down as if to share a
secret. “I'm offering my services if you need a volunteer.”

Her face lit with pleasure. “Oh, thank you,
Doctor. I'll talk to the manager and he'll get in touch with you.
You don't know how grateful we are. The shelter survives on
donations alone. Sometimes it's difficult to come up with the money
to pay for emergencies. We could offer you a small
compensation.”

He patted her hand. “I wouldn't dream of
taking a penny.”

“You're the answer to a prayer,” she
responded.

And so the wheels had been set in motion.
Tyler would be staying in Foxfire when his assignment was finished.
Looking down on Grace's shiny red curls, he decided his life had
finally taken a turn. A turn for the better.

Chapter Nine

Three days later, Grace opened her mailbox
and removed a large brown envelope. Her name and address had been
printed in neat block letters, but there was no return address. She
studied it for a moment, wondering who had sent it. It weighed next
to nothing. What could it be?

Curiosity got the best of her and she pulled
the strip to open the envelope. Peering inside she saw a silk ivory
scarf.

“What in the world?” She pulled it out and a
piece of paper fluttered to the ground. The scarf draped
luxuriously across her arm. The silk shimmered in the morning
sunlight. She ran her hand down the length, its simplistic beauty
mesmerizing her. She loved the feel of silk. Her one vice was silk
lingerie, though she kept that secret to herself.

Last night, Tyler had kissed her goodnight
after walking her to the door. Could this be a present from him? He
said that her skin looked and felt like silk. A rush of pleasure
warmed her. No matter that she had fought against it, she was
falling for Tyler. He made her feel beautiful, not outside, but
inside where for so long she'd felt soiled.

She lifted the silk to her cheek, closed her
eyes, and rubbed its smoothness against her face. Today they were
taking the dog they'd adopted to Mr. Jacobson. They'd named him
Shane. Her heart beat a little faster at the thought that soon
she'd see Tyler. She placed the scarf around her neck and looped
it, letting it drape across her chest. What did it matter that she
was dressed in jeans and a cotton t-shirt? She'd wear it to show
Tyler how pleased she was with his gift.