by Alison Hart
As she stood there, she could feel Chase’s eyes on her. Self-conscious, she scraped the toe of her sneaker in the dirt. When she realized she was outlining a heart, she panicked and scuffed it out.
Still he didn’t say anything. What was he thinking? Was he still mad? Jas wouldn’t blame him. She had no right to be mean to her friends. Make that friend, singular. Chase was her only real friend.
That’s not true. Miss Hahn, Dr. Danvers, Grandfather—all three had stuck by her through this mess. Still, they weren’t Chase.
Jas glanced sideways at him. He was still watching her, his gaze intense. As if he could see into her heart. As if he knew how scared she was.
“What?” she asked, wanting to sound tough, but it came out in a whisper. She cleared her throat, her pulse beating fast. His eyes were crystal blue and his smile breathtaking. No fair, she wanted to tell him. Stop making me like you.
Then he shrugged, his reply to her question. She swallowed hard, trying not to look away. But her insides were fluttering, and she flicked her gaze back to the horses.
“I was just wondering,” he finally said. Straightening, he turned and lifted the gate latch.
Wondering what? Wondering if I like you?
“If I were James Bond”—he held open the gate for Jas—“and Hugh was Goldfinger, how would I take him out? Bomb his Mercedes? Poison his scotch?”
She stopped in her tracks. Here she’d been resisting acting like a lovesick fool and he’d been channeling James Bond. “Only you’re not.” She punched him on the shoulder. “And Hugh is a real villain, not some movie actor. So come on. We’ve got a barn full of horses to turn out. And when we’re done with the horses, let’s take Hope back to her old home. I’m tired of seeing her moping around. We need to find her friend.”
She strode brusquely toward the barn, all thoughts of romance gone. Guys are so clueless. But then she realized her step was lighter.
Lucy came out of the barn, leading Flower. When they passed each other, she said, “Hey, Jas, who was the lady I saw you talking to? The one wearing Jimmy Choos?”
Jas felt a prickle of apprehension. Why was Lucy interested in Ms. Baylor?
“What’s a Jimmy Choo?” Chase asked.
“She’s just some filthy-rich donor that Miss Hahn is courting,” Jas said quickly. “Come on, Chase, we’ve got to feed Rose before she busts down the fence.” Linking her arm through his, she pulled him into the barn.
He stopped in front of the supply room. “What was that all about?”
“About Lucy being too nosey.” Jas unbolted the door.
“You can’t possibly think that Lucy …” He burst into guffaws. “Right—the Mata Hari of the cheerleaders.”
Jas shot him an annoyed look. “I’m just being careful, okay? Even the investigator, Ms. Baylor, said to be cautious. She’s worried Hugh will find out, too. And you have to admit, Lucy’s spending a lot of time on Mill Road with all the rich folks. Maybe she really has gone to the dark side.”
“Lucy? She’s more Gossip Girl than Goldfinger.”
“You know, Chase, the James Bond stuff is getting really lame. So quit.” Flinging open the door, Jas scooted inside. “I’ll feed the chickens. You feed Rose.” She pulled the top off a feed tub and began scooping cracked corn into a bucket. When Chase didn’t say anything, she glanced over her shoulder.
The doorway was empty. Straightening, she listened. No whistle, country song, or corny jokes came from the aisle, either.
Jas wanted to kick herself. She’d acted like an idiot again. If only she could make Chase understand that it wasn’t him; it was the worry. Grandfather, Hugh, the farm, Whirlwind. It was eating her up inside.
And not even James Bond could help.
Fourteen
“DONATIONS ARE WAY DOWN,” MISS HAHN TOLD the circle of volunteers who were gathered in her living room that evening. She was seated in the rocking chair, a ledger and file folder on her lap. To her right, Lucy and Chase sat on the floor on either side of an open pizza box. Rand, Mr. Muggins, and Dr. Danvers were lined up on the sofa, pizza slices in hand as they ate. Grandfather sat on a love seat.
Jas was hunched on the footstool, her chin propped on her bent palm. “Pizza?” Chase offered. She hoped it meant he’d forgiven her for her earlier bad mood.
“No thanks,” she said. Miss Hahn had told her what this meeting was about, and it had ruined her appetite.
“We’re spending twice as much for hay,” Miss Hahn went on. “The grass isn’t growing in the pastures. No one’s adopting—folks can barely afford their own animals. So right now, we have too many mouths to feed.”
“What about your big donors? Clark’s Feed, Tom’s Grocery, and Stanford Hardware?” Dr. Danvers asked. “They’ve been regulars for years.”
Miss Hahn glanced at the open ledger in her lap. She tucked a graying strand of hair behind her ear and then looked up. Her whole face sagged.
Jas knotted her fingers. She’d never seen Miss Hahn so upset. So defeated. Usually her former foster mom was a bundle of optimism. She had learned to stay positive in order to handle case after case of abuse.
“They’ve suddenly chosen not to support us,” Miss Hahn said quietly. “And today when I called the Stanford Grill, they told me they were withdrawing support as well.”
Murmurs of disbelief rose in the room. But Jas wasn’t surprised. This was Hugh’s way of retaliating, she bet. He’d discovered that the insurance company was going to prosecute. He knew they were looking for Whirlwind.
Jas crossed her arms over her stomach, the smell of the greasy pizza making her nauseous. I can and I will destroy Diane and her precious farm. Hugh wasn’t going to burn down a barn. He wasn’t going after Jas with a knife. He was cutting off all donations. The farm and the animals she loved would never survive if funds dried up.
We can’t let Hugh ruin us! Jas wanted to shout to the others. But who would believe it was his fault?
She listened to the conversations going on around her. Dr. Danvers and Grandfather were blaming the drop in donations on the slump in the economy. Miss Hahn and Mr. Muggins were blaming it on the drought and the price of feed. Jas swallowed a laugh. Not even the weather was as powerful as Hugh.
Okay, a foolish exaggeration. But Jas had lived at High Meadows farm for four years. She’d witnessed the influence he had in Stanford. His relatives, friends, and employees shopped at Tom’s Grocery and Stanford Hardware. They dined at the Stanford Grill and bought their feed from Clark’s. Jas couldn’t blame the businesses for stopping their donations. They couldn’t afford to alienate Hugh.
The voices grew heated as suggestions and accusations flew. Jas wanted to plug her ears. She wanted to flee from the room. Instead, she sat frozen on the footstool. No more running away.
Suddenly, Chase dropped down beside her, bumping her with his hip. “Scoot over.”
“There’s no room,” she said as she slid toward the edge.
“There’s room.” He stuck his long legs in front of him. Pizza sauce dotted his lower lip. Jas pointed it out and he licked it off with a dart of his tongue.
“Sorry about this afternoon,” she apologized.
He shrugged. “No problem.” Leaning closer, he whispered, “Hey, you don’t think—”
“Ugh.” Jas fanned the air. “Garlic breath.”
“I swear.” With a roll of his eyes, he pulled a pack of gum from his pocket. “I knew Lucy was a princess.” He popped a piece in his mouth and chewed noisily. “Better?”
She nodded.
“Okay, back to my question. You think Hugh’s behind the donation fiasco, don’t you?”
Jas stared at him. “Are you serious?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Because I thought …”
“No one would believe you?”
“Exactly.”
“Let’s find out.” Chase leaped up, his lanky frame towering over those who were seated. Putting two fingers in his mouth, he whistled shr
illy. When the others stopped talking, he said, “Jas and I think Hugh is behind the drop in donations. It makes sense. Four businesses stopping their donations in one week is too much of a coincidence.”
Jas glanced around, noticing a lot of dubious expressions.
“We all know the Robicheauxs have a lot of influence in town,” Chase continued. “Hugh might be getting back at Jas for …”
Jas tugged on his pant leg, warning him not to blab too much.
“… finding out about Shadow being Aladdin.”
“That makes no sense,” Dr. Danvers said. “Someone in Hugh’s position hires powerful lawyers to win his fights for him.”
“Really,” Lucy said. “I work for Mrs. Vandevender. She has good things to say about Hugh. And she’s nice. All rich people aren’t snotty and cruel.”
Chase’s neck reddened and he abruptly sat down. “Thanks for trying,” Jas whispered. “I don’t deserve such a great friend.”
He grinned. “You’re right.”
Grandfather rapped his cane on the floor. “I agree with ’ase and Jas,” he declared. “Hugh is a sneaky snake.”
Jas gave him a grateful look.
“Well, we already know he’s hired top-notch lawyers,” Miss Hahn said. “And the kids are right: Hugh will stop at nothing to win. However, the truth of the matter is that the farm is running out of money. The reason doesn’t matter. We have one month of operating budget left. After that …” She faltered.
Jas held her breath. The “after that” was too horrible to think about.
Miss Hahn cleared her throat. Her eyes were red-rimmed. “After that, we’ll have to surrender the animals to other shelters and farms.”
“No!” the cry burst out before Jas could stop it. All eyes swung to her. She shut her mouth, hesitating when she realized the others were waiting for her to speak. Then she straightened her spine. She was tired of being scared. Tired of running away.
“I’m not going to let this farm be destroyed,” she said. “Miss Hahn said we have a month. That’s enough time to raise more money. I saw how everyone pitched in to make a home for Grandfather and me. We can use that energy to make sure our animals don’t have to leave the farm unless they’ve found a better home.”
“I second the motion,” Chase said. “School doesn’t start for three weeks. That’s three weeks to bake cookies and wash cars and do whatever we have to do to raise money.”
Rand, who’d mostly been silent, said, “I’ve been thinkin’. We need to fence in those five acres on the other side of the pond. There’s good grass there.”
“Only we can’t afford fencing materials,” Miss Hahn pointed out.
“Electric wire’s cheap enough,” Mr. Muggins said.
“But so tacky.” Lucy scrunched her nose. Jas flinched as she remembered saying the same thing not so long ago. “Mrs. Vandevender is replacing her wooden fence with that fancy vinyl stuff. I bet she’d give us the old boards and posts.”
“Good, good.” Miss Hahn began furiously writing on a piece of paper in the folder. Jas let out a relieved breath. She felt Chase’s palm brush against hers. Slowly, their fingers entwined.
Jas felt herself relax against him—as if his hand holding hers meant that everything would be all right. She stole a quick glance at him. When he smiled, her heart did a little flip.
This time she didn’t draw away. This time she told herself that being close to Chase felt just right.
And as the energy and ideas filled the room, she also knew that this was one fight they were going to win.
Early the next morning, Jas and Chase strode down the drive to Hope’s old home, the pup trotting beside them on a leash. Officer Lacey had given up on the Havahart trap after catching a slew of possums and raccoons. Jas, however, was determined to find Hope’s friend. She knew what it was like to feel lost and alone.
Okay, so maybe she was putting her own feelings onto the dog. But one more thing she’d learned at Second Chance Farm was that animals had emotions, too.
As they walked, Jas and Chase discussed possible designs for a brochure to mail out for raising funds. Chase had taken a course on Microsoft Publisher. Lucy had a digital camera. All they needed was time to put it together.
When the brick ranch house came into view, Jas slowed. A sign for an upcoming auction was tacked to the front door. Officer Lacey had told them the place was empty. Still, tire tracks were tamped in the lawn as if someone had driven right up to the door. A windowpane was broken. A chair with three legs lay upended on the steps.
“Looks like someone ransacked the place,” Chase said.
“Maybe they were looking for drugs.” Jas shivered. The place was as silent and eerie as a cemetery.
Tugging on the leash, Hope whined. Her nose quivered. Her eyes were alert under her tufts of hair. “She senses something,” Jas said.
“Her phantom friend?” Chase wasn’t as convinced as Jas.
“Come on, Double-o-seven, let’s put your sleuthing skills to good use.”
“I don’t remember James ever tracking missing canines.” But he followed her past the house to the backyard. Jas stepped over a ripped garbage bag, its contents spilled and blown across the unmowed lawn. Paint cans and a rusted ladder had been tossed in front of the garage doorway.
“Looks like someone is using this place for a dump, too.” She pointed into the garage’s shadowy interior. “That’s where Hope was chained. No food or water.”
Chase stepped inside to look around. Hope cowered at Jas’s feet, trembling. She leaned over and stroked her furry head. “Don’t worry. You’re not going in there.”
“Creepy,” Chase said when he came out a second later. “Like the torture chamber in a horror movie. How could a person do that to his dog?”
“To two dogs.”
“You’re right. It does look as if there were two dogs. But that doesn’t mean it’s still around. Look at Hope.” The pup was pressed against Jas’s ankle. “If you let her go, she’d be out of here in a flash. Maybe her friend found a new home, too.”
“I doubt it.” Walking Hope around the sagging outbuildings, Jas called, “Here, boy. Here, doggie.” When she returned to where Chase was still standing, she sighed. “No sign of it.”
“Let’s think positively.” Chase started back toward the driveway. “And imagine it’s curled on a pillow in some cushy house.”
Hope trotted after Chase as if just as eager to get away. Then suddenly she whirled. Ears pricked, she stared into the thick brush beyond the garage. She quivered—with fear? Joy? Jas couldn’t tell.
“Chase,” she called over her shoulder. “Hope sees something.”
Then branches snapped and Hope began to bark. She strained at the leash. Goose bumps prickled Jas’s arms. “Chase!”
He jogged back. “What?”
“Something’s in there.” She waved toward the tangle of briars, orchard grass, and wild rose.
“A crazed drug dealer?”
“Whatever it is, it’s big.” Rustling sounds came from a blackberry thicket. “It could be Hope’s missing friend,” she said, trying to convince herself. “Here, girl! Here, boy!” she called. A grunting sound came from the thicket.
Chase grabbed her arm. “And it could be a bear having a morning snack of berries.”
“A bear!” Jas had heard of bears in the area, though she’d never seen one.
Chase began to walk backward, pulling Jas with him. “Don’t run. Don’t panic. Bears generally avoid people.”
“Generally?”
“If they don’t have cubs or are angry for some reason.”
Still tugging on the leash, Hope barked louder. Jas scooped her up. “Shhh. It’s okay, Hope. No need to bark.”
Slowly they retreated. Jas stumbled over a paint can, but Chase kept her from falling. Then the grass and branches rustled and shook. Whatever it was, was heading toward them at a run.
“It’s coming this way!” Jas cried the same instant a huge black creat
ure burst from the undergrowth and lumbered straight for them.
Fifteen
“RUN!” CHASE HOLLERED AS HE TOOK OFF. JAS stood motionless in fear. Hope dove from her arms and raced toward the charging creature. The tiny dog leaped in the air and began furiously licking its snout. Instantly the black beast flopped onto its back. Its paws flailed the air. Its tongue lolled in joy.
Jas gaped at the crazy sight. “It’s a dog!” she exclaimed.
“A what?” Stopping, Chase stared in amazement, then jogged back.
The two dogs rolled on the grass, Hope whining and licking, the huge dog woofing and wiggling.
“It’s a monster-sized one,” Jas said. “A Newfoundland, maybe?”
“Looks like a Newfie. No wonder we thought it was a bear.”
Letting out a giggle of relief, Jas nudged him in the side with her elbow. “Thank goodness you were here to save me, Double-o-seven,” she teased.
“Don’t mention it—ever.” Reaching in his back pocket, Chase pulled out a dog cookie. “Let’s see if the monster is friend or foe.” Slowly, he approached, his eyes averted so as not to appear threatening. “Hey, boy.”
“How do you know it’s a boy?” Jas whispered, right behind him.
“I don’t. But if it is a boy, I don’t want to call him a girl and make him mad.”
With a deep woof, the black dog suddenly scrambled to his feet. “Whoa!” Chase stopped so fast that Jas bumped into him. The dog launched in the air, knocking them both to the ground. It snatched the cookie from Chase’s grasp, gulped it in one bite, then ran back to play with Hope.
Jas pushed herself up on one elbow. Chase was spread-eagled on the grass, blinking up at the sky as if dazed. She leaned over him, worried. “Are you all right?”
“Got the wind knocked out of me,” he gasped. He tilted his head so he could see the two dogs. “So was that friend or foe?”
Jas laughed as she sat up. “Friend, I think. But if we bring him back to the farm, he might turn into foe.” Drawing up her legs, she wrapped her arms around them and sighed. “Miss Hahn’s not going to be happy with one more mouth to feed.”