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by Kris Bryant

  “You’re back. We’re all on second rounds. Do you want another Heineken?” Judy asked when Natalie slipped back in the booth.

  “No, thank you, but I could use a hot tea. It’s cold out there.”

  Linda reached out and held Natalie’s hands to warm them. It was a sweet gesture. “You were gone for a bit. Did you find the dog?”

  Natalie shook her head and frowned. She told them the story of the dog, but left out the part about Jim shooting at it. Neither he nor she needed the grief these women would rain down on Jim for shooting at somebody’s pet. Hoping they would pick up where they left off, Natalie asked, “What did I miss?”

  Chapter Four

  Sarah closed the door softly behind her and locked it. It was almost midnight, and they were trying to be quiet so as to not wake Uncle Bob or Harley.

  “Come here and look at this.” Aunt Judy motioned for Sarah.

  “He’s going to spoil her, isn’t he?” Sarah took a photo of Harley asleep on Uncle Bob’s lap, completely unaware of his loud snoring. She watched the rise and fall of Harley’s little body in the crook of Uncle Bob’s arm and sighed. It was adorable, even though it sounded like Uncle Bob was revving a car before the start of a drag race.

  “How can she sleep so hard?” Aunt Judy asked.

  “She doesn’t know anything bad in this world. She’s innocent. I wish I could sleep this well.” Sarah scooped Harley up, careful not to wake her. Bob stirred when the weight was lifted off him.

  Judy whispered in his ear so he wouldn’t be startled. “Go to bed, Bob.” Bob blinked a few times until he focused. He was slow to rise out of the chair but eventually worked his way up the stairs to the bedroom. Judy turned to Sarah. “Go put Harley to bed and come up. Let’s talk about the night.”

  Sarah needed to talk to someone to release the buildup of excitement that sat in her chest at being back in town and seeing Natalie again after so many years. She tucked Harley into her bed, turned on the small lamp across the room, and tiptoed out. Judy handed her a cup of hot cocoa with a top layer of melted mini marshmallows. Sarah wrapped her hands around it, enjoying the warmth on her fingers.

  “It sure was nice to hang out with Natalie and Linda,” Judy said.

  “Nat was a bit standoffish.”

  Judy gave her a look. It wasn’t quite a smirk, but more of a “tell me something I didn’t know” look. “Well, can you blame her?”

  “Come on. It was a long time ago. Plus, I don’t think she remembers.” Sarah looked down at her cocoa, knowing full well Judy was studying her.

  “Of course she remembers. She was stiff straight the entire first drink. A bit more relaxed when she returned from her call about the stray dog. She looks great, and she’s doing such a good job with the town.”

  “She looks fantastic. Even prettier than she did in high school.”

  “She grew into herself. She found confidence somewhere along the way. And did you hear what Linda said? She’s not dating anyone.”

  Sarah squelched the desire to fantasize about Natalie. The tiny flame that had reignited and sparked in the pit of her stomach upon seeing Natalie again was hard to ignore, but she had just finalized her divorce, and dating wasn’t a great idea. Focusing on Harley and getting normalcy back in her life was her number-one priority. She could put her own desires on hold. “You know that’s not a good idea. Plus, I don’t want to be that parent who dates a ton of people while my daughter watches and learns from my behavior.”

  Judy threw up her hands. “You’re not asking Natalie to move in. You’re just planning to do things with her that don’t include Harley. That’s how single parents date. They hire a babysitter, who would be me and I’m cheap, and go out on dates and have fun and make out. Don’t close yourself off because you think you don’t deserve happiness, because you do.”

  Sarah had been in only three serious relationships as an adult. She’d dated a guy in college who treated her like a queen, but she didn’t feel anything when they kissed or made love. She broke it off to be fair to both of them. When she’d finally accepted that she was a lesbian, she had one long-term relationship after a series of horrific first and second dates. Then her life had changed when she met Francine nine years ago.

  “Even though we’ve been separated for a year and recently divorced, I still feel like I’m a part of that family. It sounds crazy, but I feel guilty if I find somebody else attractive. I need to switch my mind from married to single.” She scooped a spoonful of marshmallows into her mouth and grimaced. “Ugh. These are too sweet. How Harley can eat them is beyond me.” She poked a hole in the soft, sugary shell that encased the hot chocolate to get to the liquid, which promptly burned her tongue. “Ow. Really?”

  “Who struggles with hot chocolate?” Judy traded cups with Sarah. “Here. Take mine. Now, let’s get back to our conversation. You should ask Natalie out. Or even just to hang out and get a better feel for her. We didn’t find out a lot, other than she’s not dating anyone. After Natalie left on that call, Linda made sure we knew that.”

  “I guess I could always use a friend. And Nat was always nice to me. Maybe I’ll swing by the department in a day or so and drop off cookies or something small-town like that,” Sarah said.

  “Everybody there will appreciate it, and you both could use a new friend.”

  When she was younger, Sarah had easily made friends. They weren’t the ever-lasting kind though. They were the cliques, the partygoers, the people she had lunch with and, over time, simply stopped calling or texting. They weren’t the people she turned to in her time of need. Sarah longed for a friendship that had depth. Moving around her whole life had made one like that almost impossible to have. “I have an idea. Thank you for the suggestion.” Sarah drained her mug and kissed her aunt on the cheek. “I’m going to bed. Tonight was fun but also exhausting.”

  “Sleep well, dear.”

  Sleep didn’t come easy to Sarah. Natalie was the only thing on her mind. She was even more beautiful than Sarah remembered. Tall, gorgeous, and confident. She was such a fool in high school. The night at Ellie’s party had confused her. Vodka and cherry 7UP was her poison.

  She had been on her third when she saw Natalie sitting on the fireplace, drink in hand but not sipping on it, trying to be as inconspicuous as an awkward seventeen-year-old shy blonde could be in a sea of popular kids. It was so obvious she didn’t want to be there, didn’t belong there, didn’t want to be noticed, but Sarah noticed. She smiled and headed over to Nat, thinking she was being suave, but as she recalled, she moved with the grace of an elephant. She leaned into Nat’s personal space and touched her hair, telling her it was the most beautiful color she’d ever seen. In the span of thirty seconds, she not only invaded Nat’s private time, but she touched her without consent.

  She groaned when she recalled leaning across her lap to pretend interest in what Nat was drinking. It was a flirty ploy to get even closer. Without thinking, she brushed her lips over Nat’s in a whisper of a kiss. When Nat didn’t move, Sarah kissed her for the first time in a dark corner of Ellie Shepherd’s living room. She pulled Natalie’s bottom lip into her mouth and ran her tongue over it and moaned when she felt Natalie’s hands in her hair. Natalie kissed her back smoothly, as though she’d been expecting Sarah to do it. She was in shock at how intense it was and at the jolt of pleasure that rippled through her body. Years later, it was still her best kiss ever. She put her fingers to her lips, thinking about missed opportunities and how Natalie was the one who got away.

  * * *

  “Oh, my God. Sarah Eastman. Is that really you?”

  Sarah closed the door behind her and smiled. She remembered Faith from the cheerleading squad a few years behind her in school. She looked the same except for several laugh lines around her eyes and small, vertical lines above her top lip from a bad habit, which showed when she didn’t smile. How Faith could be sitting near the front door in a sleeveless blouse was crazy. Sarah subconsciously pulled up her turtleneck
for more warmth.

  “It’s me. I’m back.” Sarah shrugged and glanced around the room. She stopped herself from frowning when she realized Natalie wasn’t there. “I came to drop off some cookies to the department and say hi to Natalie.”

  Just then, Natalie blew into the common area, obviously unaware she had company. “We got another call on Ghost Dog. I’m headed out to see if I can round him up.”

  Sarah watched as she tucked her hair behind her ears and set her campaign hat firmly on top of her head. Time had been good to Natalie. The department’s drab khaki uniform couldn’t hide her curvy body, much to Sarah’s delight. A small tremble worked its way from somewhere deep inside her, traveled up through her throat, and escaped her mouth in the form of a small sigh at how beautiful Natalie was. It wasn’t loud enough for Natalie to hear, but Faith obviously heard and loudly cleared her throat.

  “Hey, Boss. You have a visitor.”

  Sarah froze when Natalie’s gaze met hers. A flash of something in Natalie’s eyes momentarily confused her. It was a combination of anger and passion. Then Natalie softened and smiled.

  “Sarah, hi. What are you doing here?”

  Tongue-tied at their moment that had happened in a flash, Sarah could only smile and thrust the plate of cookies at her.

  “Did you bake these?”

  After two seconds of awkward silence, she found her voice. “Harley and I did last night. I just dropped her off at school and thought I’d pop in and see if you were around.” Why was she so nervous? Seeing Natalie in action doing her job gave her chills. The quiet woman who had sat next to her a few nights ago had become someone who wielded power and determination.

  “That’s so sweet. Thank you. I’m going out to look for that dog, if you want to come with me. I need to head out while the lead’s still hot.”

  As much as she wanted to, getting a job was more important. “I can’t. I’m going to apply at the library this morning. I tried yesterday, but the person who does the hiring was out sick.” Sarah excused herself, feeling Natalie’s restrained energy at small talk. “I’ll talk to you later. Go find that dog.”

  “I’ll walk you out.”

  Sarah felt a jolt of energy when Natalie barely touched the small of her back as she led her through the front door.

  “Thanks again. That’ll be my lunch.” Natalie thumbed behind her at the office.

  “Well, if you want something more substantial and definitely healthier, give me a call. We can have lunch without our family.”

  “Here. Put your number in my phone.” Natalie handed it to Sarah and waited while she fumbled around until she got all the digits right and her name spelled correctly. She was a hot mess and hoped Natalie didn’t pick up on it.

  “Okay. Now go do sheriff stuff.” Sarah gave Natalie her prettiest smile and climbed into her car. She took a deep breath and slowly made her way to the library. Even though she kept telling herself a relationship wasn’t a good idea and she wanted to focus on Harley and getting her situated and comfortable in a new place, Natalie was making her feel things she hadn’t in a long time.

  Now that she had given Natalie her phone number, she was going to check it a lot more for messages. She didn’t talk to anybody daily, so texting wasn’t on her radar. And social media? Since her divorce, she’d stopped posting online. Most of her accounts were of a happy family who didn’t exist anymore. It wasn’t that important. She had a strong core with her aunt, uncle, and Harley, and it was crucial that Harley not be affected by the transition to single parent. She was so focused on getting her daughter settled that it never sank in that she, too, was getting a fresh start.

  * * *

  “The job is Monday through Friday, nine until two. And Saturdays if you want, but usually we can get someone to pick up that shift. The job doesn’t pay much, but you can read all you want during your shifts, as long as the work gets done. We now have a great selection of audiobooks. Do you enjoy reading?” Mary Cooper, head librarian, said.

  “I love reading.” Sarah guessed Mary to be in her mid-sixties. She was fascinated with Mary’s long, graying hair that she parted down the middle and rolled into buns right above both ears. It wasn’t really a Princess Leia thing from Star Wars, but damn close. She was mesmerized by how straight Mary’s part was, and her eyes kept straying to the stark-white line when the conversation lulled, which happened a lot.

  Two dollars above minimum wage wasn’t great, but it was something. If she needed more money, she could take Judy’s advice and open a small practice. Tax season was coming up, and maybe she could work on returns in the afternoons after her shift at the library. This was a blessing and gave her time with Harley before and after school. “I would love the job. It works great with my schedule.” She’d already told Mary that she had a daughter at the elementary school and assured her that she had help at home if Harley missed school because of a cold or a doctor’s appointment.

  “When can you start?”

  Sarah didn’t hesitate. “I can sign on the dotted line today.”

  Chapter Five

  “How is this dog everywhere and nowhere at the same time?” Natalie rubbed her hands together and blew on them to keep them warm. She rested her hip against the bull bar of her cruiser and looked at Joshua Monroe, one of her deputies, who only shrugged. They both had arrived at Mrs. Wanda Jenkins’s house at the same time, but neither saw the golden retriever. Mrs. Jenkins swore it had run out into the road two seconds before they arrived.

  “It was right there. I saw it digging in my mums. I called you right away, just like your post asked.”

  Mrs. Jenkins was an eighty-one-year-old widow who wore tinted thick glasses and had a pronounced limp, a result of rheumatoid arthritis that had settled in her knee. Most of the time she stayed indoors, but every so often, the postal carrier would forget to bring her mail to the door, and she would have to shuffle down the steps to the mailbox or collect the newspaper that nobody could remember to deliver by hand. She called the sheriff’s department to complain about this or that, but the conversation always turned to something else. Spruce Market’s delivery service was subpar and somebody should tell Fred, or that the new stylist, Amanda Pritz, who made house calls, was fabulous. Judging by her fluffed-up hair, Wanda had recently had it done.

  Natalie walked over to the freshly disturbed dirt where Mrs. Jenkins said the dog had rooted around, kicked the dirt back into place, and tamped it with her boot. “Well, do you want to divide and conquer? I’ll head north and you head south. Let’s start on foot. That way we can weave in and out of the houses better. That dog couldn’t have gotten far if Mrs. Jenkins said it crossed the road right before we showed up.” She was already tired, and it wasn’t even lunchtime.

  “Golden retriever, right?” Joshua asked.

  Natalie liked Joshua. He was young, eager, and didn’t mind working eleven to seven every day. She, Joshua, David, and Betty, the overnight deputy, rotated working weekends. Crime never slept, so somebody was always on duty.

  “Yes. And contrary to popular belief, he’s really friendly.”

  “I’ve never known one who wasn’t. Check in.” Joshua pointed to his shoulder walkie-talkie and headed in the opposite direction, whistling and yelling “Here, boy” every ten seconds. He took his job seriously and Natalie admired that. He would make a good sheriff one day, after he had a little more experience. She didn’t whistle like Joshua did, but called out from time to time as she walked down every driveway and looked under stoops and over fences.

  “I see him. He’s behind the house on Fir and Juniper. One-oh-eight Juniper.” Joshua’s message on the walkie made her quickly turn around. She ran to his location.

  “Joshua. Joshua.” She looked around for signs of him or the dog but saw neither. She clicked on her walkie. “Where are you?” She walked around to the back of the house where Joshua was half under the crawl space of the house.

  “He’s here. I found him.” Joshua wiggled out from the tight space
and pointed. “He’s somewhere under the house.” He stood and brushed dirt and leaves from his once-pressed uniform. “How are we going to get him out?”

  Natalie squatted and looked through the lattice that was partially pushed back. She pulled out her flashlight and looked all around. “Are you sure? I don’t see—” She heard a screeching sound. “Okay. Holy shit. That’s probably the biggest marmot I’ve ever seen in my life.” She stood and took a few steps back. “Maybe you were wrong? That’s not a golden retriever.”

  Joshua bent and looked. “No. I swear he was there. I didn’t see the marmot at all. Jesus, he’s a big one, isn’t he?” He gave a low whistle.

  Natalie let out a sigh. She didn’t want to have to call in animal control. They had a habit of taking everything not tied down. Spruce Mountain had several pets that got out for simple reasons, like they slipped through the fence or a child left the front door open and didn’t realize Fifi got loose. It was a small, tight-knit community, and the neighbors worked together to ensure they were safe, pets were taken care of, and people had what they needed. It was one reason Natalie stayed, regardless of the Freds and Jims in the world.

  “Okay. I’ll radio dispatch. Why don’t you knock on the door and see if anyone is home and tell them what’s happening?” If the dog was under there, it was trapped and possibly not safe with the marmot under there, too. She circled the house and found a small section that wasn’t blocked off and examined the opening. She pulled away a few short yellow and brown hairs but wasn’t sure if it was the retriever’s hair or if this was even his entrance or exit or both. For all she knew, she was holding a tuft of marmot fur. She dropped it and wiped her hands on her pants.