Free Love Inspired Suspense September 2015 #1 by Alison Stone, Lisa Phillips, Margaret Daley

grizzly.”
    â€œIt’s that bad?”
    â€œToday’s Friday. Aren’t you coming back Monday?”
    Lydia nodded.
    â€œWe’re fine, but I’ve learned to appreciate you.” JoAnn winked and pointed toward the door. “You look exhausted. Go home.”
    Lydia saluted. “Aye, aye.” Then to everyone, she said, “Thank you so much for this party. I needed it after the week I’ve had. I’ll be back on Monday.” As the last word slipped from her mouth, she pictured a few days ago when the bomb exploded, and shuddered. So much had changed in that time. She would be glad when she returned to her normal routine.
    She made her way toward the front entrance with her goodies. When she reached for the handle, the door opened, and she quickly stepped back. Jesse with Brutus beside him filled the entry.
    â€œI saw your car. I thought I’d catch you to make sure Mitch will be okay to go home today.” Dust covered Jesse’s black uniform.
    â€œDid you go Dumpster diving?”
    One corner of his mouth hiked up. “Searching for clues can be a dirty job.”
    â€œI was coming to see you to give you and whoever else is working the site this.” She thrust the foil-wrapped sweets into his hand. “JoAnn makes the best cinnamon rolls.”
    â€œThanks.” He stared at the gift for a few seconds, then looked her in the eye. “Is Mitch cleared to leave?”
    â€œYes, but I want to take him home.”
    â€œYou think he might need a vet?”
    â€œNo, but Kate wasn’t happy when I told her Brutus wasn’t coming back tonight. Mitch is familiar with me. I’ve treated him several times this year, and best of all, I think Kate won’t give me a hard time.”
    â€œBut you don’t have a fenced backyard.”
    â€œI think Kate will jump at the chance of walking him around out back. My little sis has taken after me as far as loving animals.”
Not much else, though.
    â€œAre you sure you don’t need Brutus?”
    â€œYes.” She wanted to see more of Jesse, but she needed to remember it was only a case to him.
    â€œThen that’s fine with me. I’m so used to Brutus being around that it was lonely without him.”
    â€œGreat. I’m going to load Mitch and some food into my car and take him home now. I need a long nap.”
    Instead of leaving, Jesse moved inside and shut the door. “Did you get any sleep last night? I was hoping Brutus would help you feel safe.”
    â€œHe did. It was probably my four-hour nap yesterday that threw me off schedule.” Although that could be part of the reason, the main one was the man standing in front of her. Even in a dusty police uniform, he commanded a person’s full attention.
    â€œAnd you’re taking another one today?”
    â€œYep. You can carry the canned food.”
    After she showed him where it was kept, she took a leash and retrieved an excited Mitch from his cage. She adjusted her gait as the German shepherd adapted the way he walked with a missing back leg.
    Out in the parking lot, Jesse set the food on the seat in back while Lydia helped the dog climb into the front seat of her gray Jeep. She shut the passenger door and came around the hood of the car.
    â€œI thank you, and so does Kate, for letting us have Mitch.”
    Jesse peered at the bomb site and back to Lydia.
    â€œDoes Jake know about Mitch’s leg?”
    â€œNo, I wanted him off the critical list and stabilized first. He was really attached to his dog.”
    She’d known that, but she had no choice if Mitch was to live. “I’d like to go with you when you tell him.”
    â€œYou don’t have to. I can break the news to him.”
    â€œIt’ll devastate him, but I feel I need to be the one. I made the decision and can explain the reason why Mitch lost his leg.”
    Jesse’s barrier he kept between them fell in place.