Lyndsey Cole - Lily Bloom 03 - Roses are Dead (9 page)

Kori could tell Nora was about the flip into a rage. This had been a regular conversation for the last few weeks since the spill had happened.

Just then, the dogs started barking and took off down the trail ahead of them. Kori immediately took off at a run, Nora hot on her heels. Kori knew the barks were friendly, but there was a leash law in town and it was always risky on event weekends to have the dogs greet someone who wasn’t a dog person.

As they closed in on the barking, they heard a man shouting at the dogs to stay away. Kori and Nora rounded a bend and came face to face with a man holding a stick in attack mode, the dogs wiggling with excitement of a new human and wanting to play with him.

“I’m so sorry,” Kori said, clipping the leash onto Ibis. Nora did the same to Milo and Otis. It seemed the man was unharmed and they could all go their separate ways.

“You know there’s a leash law in effect? I could have you both arrested for this!” the man snarled, taking his gaze from the dogs and looking from Kori to Nora. He was wearing glasses that were too big for his face and were asymmetrical.

Kori considered what Zach would say if she was turned in for having Ibis off the leash. He’d have to do something but she didn’t think he’d actually arrest her.

“We’re really sorry,” Kori tried again. “They’re all so friendly and—”

“Friendly or not, they sounded like they were out for blood!”

Kori decided it was probably best to ignore his comment and continue on their walk heading away from the man.

“It won’t happen again,” Nora promised.

“You can bet it won’t,” he grumbled, and continued walking in the direction the women and dogs had come from.

Kori and Nora headed further into the woods, the dogs now on leashes.

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