Free Pet Friendly by Sue Pethick Page B

shameless.
    â€œYou see something?” he said, following her gaze.
    Emma shook her head. “Nope. I don’t see anything.”
    Todd sat back and tossed his sweatshirt onto the floor. Between the effort of looking for Archie and clearing the windows, he’d begun to sweat, and in the close confines of the truck’s cab, Emma found the effect intoxicating. There was something she still found very attractive about Todd, she realized, and bit her lip. He wasn’t wearing a wedding ring, either, which was encouraging. What was it he’d said about his mother bugging him to get married?
    Whoa, slow down, girl! Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
    â€œWhy don’t we head back?” she said. “Maybe someone’s seen him up at the inn.”
    â€œMaybe.” Todd was still watching the woods. “The inside seemed a lot different, but maybe I’m just misremembering.”
    It took her a second to figure out that he was talking about the inn. He doesn’t want to give up yet, she thought. He’s stalling for time.
    â€œYou’re right,” she said. “When business started going downhill about eight years ago, Gran decided to come up with a theme that would attract new customers. She and Clifton liked the idea of tying it in with the age of the building—”
    â€œHence the Victorian stuff.”
    â€œRight. The antiques, the stained glass, all the period pieces you see in the lobby, are in the rooms, too. And everything just clicked when she discovered that the place was haunted.”
    Todd’s head swiveled. “Haunted? You’re kidding.”
    â€œNope. Gran and Clifton did some digging into the history of the inn and found out about it. We’ve had people come from all over the world hoping to encounter one of our ghosts.”
    â€œAnd do they?”
    â€œWho knows?” She shrugged. “I’ve never encountered one myself.”
    â€œSo the new theme worked.”
    Emma paused, thinking about her current financial struggles.
    â€œMore or less. I worry sometimes that we’re dependent upon a pretty limited clientele, but they’re loyal and it’s hard trying to differentiate yourself from the big chains.”
    He looked back out the window.
    â€œI can imagine.”
    â€œSo,” Emma said, “what are you doing with yourself these days?”
    Todd hesitated, looking uncomfortable.
    â€œI’m in a period of transition at the moment,” he said. “I left my old job a few months ago and now I work at home part-time.”
    Emma nodded. Well, that settles it, she thought. A period of transition? Working part-time from home? Todd was definitely down on his luck. She sighed. Why am I always attracted to the losers?
    Todd set his hand on the door.
    â€œI’d better let you get back to work. I’ll get the Jeep warmed up and follow you in a few minutes.”
    As the door clicked open, he shook his head.
    â€œI keep thinking that Archie must have seen a squirrel,” he said. “Why else would a dog just take off like that?”
    Emma shrugged. “Maybe he saw a ghost.”

CHAPTER 9
    B y the time Todd stepped into his hotel room, he was exhausted. It had been a long day of driving on top of a pretty sleepless night when Archie ran away, and that had been more than two hours ago. Cold, hungry, and sick with worry, he was too tired to set his burden down gently. He opened his hands and let the suitcase and dog carrier crash to the floor.
    Archie might be trapped somewhere, he thought, or hurt. A coyote or a black bear could have eaten him. Had he run out onto the highway and been hit by a car? Was he shivering and wet, in danger of starving to death? The myriad ways a little dog could be killed or injured flashed through Todd’s mind like a montage of disaster.
    Cut it out. All you’re doing is borrowing trouble.
    He stripped off his clothing and stepped into the shower.