Free Alone in the Dark by Marie Ferrarella

shook his head, all the while aware that there was another man in the reception
    area. The man's fingers were lightly wrapped around a leash tethered to a drooling bulldog
    who looked as if he'd consumed more than one too many snacks from his master's plate. In
    an effort to forestall any trouble, Brady gave King the command to heel. King dutifully
    ignored the bulldog. The latter seemed as if he were chomping at the bit to sniff out the
    competition.

    "Doc asked me to stop by," Brady told the young woman whose name escaped him.

    "For King?" the bouncy brunette asked.

    "No," Brady replied patiently, eyeing the one closed door in the back and willing Patience to appear.

    "Then why…?" Since she didn't finish her question, Brady glanced in her direction and saw what appeared to be a trace of disappointment on the small, heart-shaped face. "Then you
    sent them to her?"

    Brady's eyes narrowed. Was she talking about the roses? Before he could say anything in
    response, the receptionist had rounded the counter and was on the other side.

    Cleaving to him, she lowered her voice as if she were in the middle of some TV melodrama,
    striving not to be overheard.

    "They took her breath away when she saw them. She could hardly talk." She sighed
    wistfully. "They're absolutely beautiful. I wish someone would send me roses like that."
    She looked at him pointedly. The next second she seemed to rally and was all but vibrating
    in her enthusiasm. "Must have cost you a bundle."

    "I didn't send them." Brady enunciated every syllable clearly. He didn't want to have to repeat himself.

    "Oh." The hazel eyes widened as the fact that she'd apparently made a mistake sank in.
    She grinned as she began to backpedal. "Well. Okay. Um." A creak coming from the rear
    had her jerking her head in that direction. Her mouth quirked in a quick smile. "Here she is
    now." Not waiting for a comment, she hurried over to Patience. "Doctor, Officer Coltrane's here to see you about King."

    Brady merely sighed and shook his head. The woman was definitely not up for employee of
    the year. Crossing to Patience, he lowered his head so that his mouth came close to her
    ear.

    "Have you given any thought to getting a real receptionist instead of a Kewpie doll? Dish
    towels absorb more than she does."

    Patience knew exactly what he meant. Shirley could be very trying. But she had a good
    heart and Patience felt protective of the younger woman. She felt a little bad for Shirley,
    seeing as how the woman had a crush on Brady. "She's good with animals."

    He laughed shortly. "That's because her brain's the same size."

    Though he'd kept his voice low, Patience glanced to see if Shirley had overheard. The
    receptionist watched them with a strange, unreadable expression on her face. Was she
    jealous? Did Shirley think that Brady had sent the flowers? As if something like that
    would have ever crossed Brady's mind.

    She couldn't help wondering if the man had ever been involved, then decided in the next
    instant that the answer to that was probably a resounding no. To be involved you had to
    give of yourself, at least a little, and she couldn't see Brady doing that. He was much too
    self-contained, too controlled.

    Still, she reminded herself, he had come when she'd called. He could have put her off, or
    told her to call the police in officially, but he hadn't and right now, that was all that
    mattered.

    "Why don't you follow me to the back?" Patience prompted. Her eye caught the
    disgruntled expression on the other occupant's face. It had "I was here first" written all over it. "I'll be with you in a few minutes, Mr. Matthews, I promise. This won't take long."

    Matthews nodded, but grumbled something under his breath that had to do with police
    officers and undue privileges.

    Patience saw that the comment didn't go unheard. A muscle in Brady's cheek twitched,
    but to his credit he gave no other indication that he'd heard the other man or was about
    to offer a