I scratched in the spot that Koda loved behind his ears, moving in a rhythmic motion over and over until his eyes drooped and his breathing grew deep. I slowly removed my hand and took a step back. “I think he’s asleep.”
Everly gave my dog a gentle smile, one I wished was pointed in my direction. “He’s been through the wringer. Sleep is the best thing for him right now.”
I reached out and took hold of her hand, squeezing and releasing it before she had a chance to possibly pull away. “Thank you.”
“It’s my job.”
“I know. But I’m still grateful.”
She moved to a drawer, examining its contents and doing some sort of unnecessary organization.
“Don’t like people thanking you?”
A flush of pink brushed her cheeks. “I don’t need it. I love what I do.”
“And you’re good at it. You’ve got a way with animals. They’re lucky to have you.”
That pink deepened. “Thanks.”
I chuckled. “I’ll let you off the hook now, promise.”
“Did you call in the location of the trap to the Forest Service?”
My hint of amusement fled in a flash. “Not yet. I’ve got a contact over there that I’ll call when I leave. Hopefully, he’ll sign on to letting me be involved in the case. I’d like to be there when whoever set those traps is arrested.”
“I’d like to put his leg in one.”
“I don’t disagree with you there. You usually a fan of bloody revenge?”
She looked up and met my gaze. “Sometimes, violence is the only thing a person understands. I’d never make the first move, but I won’t hesitate to fight back.”
A chill skittered across my spine. Everly spoke as if she’d experienced that kind of violence firsthand. “You should always defend yourself by any means necessary.”
She turned away. “I will. But not everyone has the skills to do that.”
The sadness in her voice ripped at something in me. I took a stab in the dark. “Addie?”
Everly didn’t turn back around, but the tightness in her shoulders told me I’d hit the nail on the head.
“I’d like to help her if I can.”
After a moment, she turned. “You really are just the little helper, aren’t you?”
The corner of my mouth kicked up. “Little feels like a bit of an insult…”
She snorted. “Fine, big helper.”
“That’s better.” I took her in for a second, my gaze traveling across her face, looking for any piece of insight into this woman I could find. “If I can make someone’s life better, I want to try.”
Everly leaned back against the counter. “I might have ruined our chances there.”
“How?”
“I pushed. Tried to get Addie to come live with me. But it was too soon. She doesn’t trust me, and she has a reason not to.”
“Why’s that?” I couldn’t imagine Everly betraying her cousin in any way.
“I left her.”
The sorrow and grief in Everly’s words clawed at my chest. “You didn’t have a choice.” I didn’t know what had gone down with the Kemper family after Howard went to prison, but I knew it wasn’t good. And I also knew that Ev wouldn’t have left her cousin just for the hell of it.
“You don’t know that.”
“I do. I might not know the details, but I know that you wouldn’t leave without reason. And maybe one day you’ll trust me with what that reason was.”
21
Everly
“Are you sure you’re okay staying overnight?” Miles asked as he placed his stethoscope in his medical bag.
“More than.” It wasn’t like I had anyone to go home to. Not like Miles, who had his wife and daughters. “And Koda and I are good friends. I’d like to stay with him.”
“He does seem to be partial to you. I think he’ll feel at ease having you close by.”
I glanced over at the German shepherd, curled up in his kennel. He was snoring away, his new cast in place. We’d lucked out that the break hadn’t needed surgery, but Miles still wanted to keep him overnight as a precaution. I’d need to change his IV and give him another dose of pain meds during the night and first thing in the morning. Hopefully, with a good night’s sleep and some heavy-duty drugs, he’d be feeling better in the morning.
“No one wants to be alone when they’re feeling poorly. I’ve got my alarm set for his next two doses, so I think we’re set.”
Miles patted my shoulder. “I’ll have my cell phone nearby if you run into any issues. Don’t hesitate to call. My wife sleeps with earplugs now, so you won’t wake her.”
“She’s learned the hard way, huh?”
“She was not a fan of having her sleep interrupted, and after my first year of owning my own practice, she got smart and got earplugs. We’re both happier now. I hope you can get some sleep, too.”
“I will.” I waved him off, and Miles headed out the back door.
Surveying the room around me, I sighed. Koda was our only overnight guest but sleeping in unfamiliar places wasn’t the easiest thing for me. At least, the office had a little cot in the corner, and Miles had given me a fresh set of linens and a pillow. It would be good enough. And I’d done without sleep before. I could do it again.
A knock sounded at the back door, and I moved to pull it open. “Did you forget—?”
A man who was definitely not Miles cut off my question. Hayes stood in the doorway with a bag slung over one shoulder, holding two pizza boxes. His hair was dark, still damp from a shower. “Hey.”
“Hi.”
“I thought you might be spending the night. Pizza?”
My mouth opened, closed, then opened again. “What kind?”
Hayes raised a brow. “Does it matter?”
“Always.”
“I went straight ahead. One cheese. One pepperoni.”
“You give me the cheese, and I’ll let you in.”
He chuckled and handed me a box. “It’s all yours.”
My stomach rumbled as I inhaled the cheesy goodness. “I thought I would have to settle for one of Tim’s Cup Noodles.”
“I’d never leave you to that fate. Especially after taking such good care of Koda.” Hayes went to peek in the kennel. When he saw that his dog was fast asleep, he turned back to me. “Where do you want to eat?”
I inclined my head to the left. “Break room. We’ll leave the door open so we can hear Koda if he wakes up.”
I walked into the room that felt even smaller than usual. Memories of the last time we’d been in this space flooded my mind. Apparently, I had a penchant for losing it around Hayes, but I had to admit that he handled it well. I wouldn’t have thought the man who’d been so callous at our first meeting could be so kind and caring.
I slid the box onto the table. “Want a soda or a water? We might have iced tea, too.”
“I’ll take a Coke if you’ve got one.” Hayes moved to the cabinets, pulling out plates and napkins.
“That we have.” I pulled two from the fridge and settled back at the table, sliding one across to Hayes.
We were quiet for a moment as we pulled slices out of our respective boxes. He glanced at mine. “So, you don’t like pepperoni?”
“I don’t eat meat.”
“At all?”
I barked out a laugh. “You sound like I just told you that Santa isn’t real.”
Hayes gave a mock gasp, his hand flying to his chest. “He’s not?”
“I’m just breaking hearts all over the place.”