Very, very bad.

He made sure to look casual while he took in his surroundings. Yeah, they were definitely doing something back there. The yard contained a pile of rusty car parts, large paint-type cans scattered around, and a beaten-up doghouse. The wood was rotted, and the roof sagged. He stayed back, taking note of the tin bowl, a few leashes, and mud pits. A nasty smell radiated from the yard, like a rodent trapped under the porch. Ugh. Not a good situation. Bet there were rats running around.

Stone shuddered more from the thought of encountering a dog than a rat. Rodents he could handle—he’d seen and lived with his fair share. Dogs? Not so much.

“See, there’s the doghouse. There are dogs. Who knows how many? We have to get closer.”

Again she went to march onto the side lawn in plain view of any asshole checking them out. If there were drugs or dog fighting involved, things got complicated. Best to go back with Devine and poke around at night.

He stepped in front of her, lowering his voice to his famous cop growl everyone obeyed. “No. You can take a picture from here, noting the gate and the doghouse. But there’s no animals evident around, and we can’t go further.”

“I’m not leaving a helpless animal trapped inside without proof. Cover me.”

Moving in a blur, she jogged toward the side lawn, her iPhone held out in front of her for any Tom, Dick, or Harry to see. Cover her? What the hell did she watch on television? He muttered a vicious curse and took off. If he were on duty, he’d be tempted to lock her ass in jail for a night for disobeying a police officer. Instead, he looked like some poor chump racing after her with a helpless look on his face.

She reached the gate and flashed a few pictures. His instincts told him they were alone, but he didn’t want to take a chance. Arilyn pressed her face against the creaky metal and lowered her voice to a soothing pitch. “Are you in there, sweetie? Come on out, we won’t hurt you.”

Stone thanked God he was on the other side of the gate. She was nuts. He braced himself for a snarling, angry pit bull to race out and try to attack, but the doghouse was silent. She snapped another photo.

“Enough. There’s no dog here, and we’re trespassing. Let’s go.”

“But—”

“Now.” This time he grabbed her wrist firmly and led her away, not bothering to pause to let her catch up. Her Amazon legs were almost as long as his. “You don’t have to be so pushy. I know there’s a dog in there, Stone. I’m telling you, something is going on.”

The sound of his name on her lips by her own accord made a funny thing happen to his gut. Probably indigestion. “I know, but there’s nothing to do right now. Listen, I’ll come check out the situation, okay? I’ll bring my partner and we’ll look into it.”

“When?”

He let out a breath. “When I’m back on official duty.”

She got that mulish look on her face again. “Too late. We need to check it out now.”

“Oh, for God’s sake, get in the car. Fine. I’ll tell Devine to do a drive-by this week. Will you get off my case now?”

“Yes. I’m sending these photos to Anthony. If I need you as a witness, I’m giving them your number.”

“Who’s Anthony?” The question popped out of his mouth before he had time to think. It was the familiarity in her tone that made him curious. Maybe she’d moved on from her other perfect relationship after all. “New boyfriend? Ex?” He couldn’t seem to stop himself, which was frickin’ embarrassing.

She didn’t seem to notice his question was out of bounds, satisfied she’d gotten what she could from him. “The director of Animals Alive. We work closely together.”

“Oh. Is he spiritually enlightened, too?”

She rolled her eyes. “We’re not dating. Though he’s perfect for me. Just more in the friend camp.”

He relaxed and got in the car. Yeah. Friends. That was good. Not that he cared. “Let me guess. He loves dogs, helps out with charity, wants to grow as a better person, doesn’t hunt, and is super nice.”

Her gaze narrowed. “Are you making fun of me?”

“Nope. Just running down the requirements of the men you condescend to date.”

She buckled her seat belt, looking at both him and his muscle car with pure distaste, and stuck her nose in the air. “At least I date more than a body. Bet your requirements are as simple as you are. Big boobs, small brain, undemanding, and a seeker of fun.”

He drove, refusing to tell her how close she was to the mark. Not that he enjoyed women of little intelligence. He loved a sharp, witty female who didn’t let him get away with his normal stuff. It was just easier to date someone he’d never have a long attachment to. That way, he didn’t have to deal with the slow eroding of a relationship that was doomed from the start. Cops were among the highest casualties in marriage, and now he knew why. He wasn’t gonna make that mistake again.

“You’re wrong.” He paused. “Boobs can be any shape and size. I never discriminate.”

She shuddered with distaste. “Please drop me off at the firehouse.”

“Fine.” They drove in silence back into Verily. “Where’s your car?”

“There.”

He pulled up to a shiny, tiny Ford Fusion in an awful sea-green color. Just as he thought. The car was just horrible. “Have fun saving the environment. Oh, and thanks for the blackmail trip. Let’s do it again sometime.”

She yanked open the door, spun around, and shot him a glare. “I don’t like you, Officer Petty.”

“Good. Don’t like you much either. Night, Arilyn.”

She gasped, slammed the door, and turned. He grinned, roared away, and turned on the radio. Yeah, that was almost worth the trip. Something about getting her all irritated satisfied him on a deeper scale. He sang aloud to some pop music and headed to Ray’s Billiards. It may be a long six weeks, but at least he’d manage to keep himself entertained.

six

ARILYN SLOWLY OPENED her eyes and eased out of her pranayama practice, going back to regular breathing. The soft sounds of a flute whispered past her ears.

With slow motions, she stretched out her legs in front, raising her arms to the ceiling and stretching straight out and dropping her head to her calves. The delicious stretch loosened the last of her stress. Rising back up, she pressed her palms together, bowed her head, and said a quick prayer of gratitude.

Finally. Her emotions were back under control. A lightness flowed through her body, her mind was crystal clear, and she was ready to face the day.

No more thinking of Stone Petty and his aggravating ways.

Arilyn parted the Chinese painted screens that blocked off her meditation center. The scratch of paws on the floor echoed in the air, and she braced herself as the two piles of fluff threw themselves at her, wiggling and slurping at her in ecstasy. It had taken a while to get them past whimpering and crying behind the screens. Dogs had no sense of time, and to Lenny and Mike, it was hours that she had isolated herself from them in a maddening game. They heard her breathing but couldn’t get to her. Now, thank goodness, they slept behind the screen as close as possible and waited for her to come back.

She laughed and gave them snuggles, refilled their water bowl, and began making a cup of ginger tea. Piling fresh berries in a ceramic bowl, she added organic granola and Greek yogurt. Today was going to be great. She’d focus better, be more balanced, and complete the multitude of tasks needed. The big bachelorette party for Kate was coming up fast, and she needed her strength. Kennedy was scaring the hell out of her about the strippers. Or exotic male dancers, as she corrected. She was insistent on hiring a cop to arrest Kate, but Arilyn hoped she went with her suggestion and got a fireman instead.