Chasing His Fox

by Debra Kayn

  So far, he hadn't recognized any of the customers who had trusted him to work on their vehicles. He had a feeling they were newcomers to Missoula. Maybe they hadn't heard the talk around town about him.

  He was grateful for the chance to get his hands dirty and prove himself. Hopefully, his customer base would grow, and he'd have a half a chance in hell of supporting himself.

  Grabbing his rollaway, he pulled the chest of drawers closer to the 4Runner. Picking out the tools he needed, he turned to walk under the vehicle and spotted a pair of sexy legs walking into the garage.

  Legs, he recognized.

  Legs, he'd been between.

  Legs, he wanted wrapped around him again.

  Scarlett continued toward him until she stood in front of him, ignoring the forty thousand, seven hundred pound automobile on the jack above her. "What are you doing?"

  He clanked the wrench against the muffler. "See that part up there? I'm going to remove it."

  "I'm not talking about the car. What are you doing following me around town?"

  He glanced down at her. The swell of her breasts showing above the neckline of her shirt heaved up and down.

  "Did you walk around the block?" He went back to loosening the adaptor.

  "Wh...?" She scoffed. "I'm not answering your question until you answer mine."

  "What was it again?"

  She exhaled loudly. "You're following me around. Today. Yesterday. The day before. I've seen you, so don't deny it."

  He shook his head. "Wasn't planning on it."

  "Am I in danger or something?"

  "No." He walked over to the rollaway and plugged in the grinder.

  She followed him, blocking his way back to the car. "Then, don't follow me."

  He grunted. "Then, talk to me."

  "About...?"

  He took in the way her eyes dilated. She was frustrated, passionate, and on edge. His balls ached in pleasure. Damn, he'd missed her.

  Even more, he'd be happy if she sat at the desk and kept him company. He was lonesome without her. She brought the sunshine with her wherever she went, and he wanted the rays shining on him.

  For the first time in his life, he had the opportunity to have what he wanted. Nobody could stop him, and he wanted her.

  "I found out who was behind vandalizing the garage and attacking me." He grabbed her arm when she stumbled back and softened his voice. "It's over, fox."

  He kept the information to himself that the man responsible for killing his dad and framing him for the cocaine was Jerry. Scarlett would hate herself for being involved with him, and she was innocent in the equation.

  That kind of information would eat her alive. From here on out, he wanted to protect Scarlett. Love her.

  "You need to tell the police." She trembled. "Make them pay for what they'd done to you. You were almost killed."

  "Nah, fox." He smoothed the worry off her forehead with his thumb. "It's done, and I'm moving on."

  She gulped and looked away from him. "You're leaving?"

  He turned her head. "I've fought my whole life to hold on to what I have. I'm not going anywhere."

  "You're not?" she whispered.

  He shook his head. She stepped away from him. He dropped his hand to his side, watching her. There weren't many times in his life when he couldn't read her emotions. He'd felt her happiness, sadness, fear, and confusion on a daily basis before prison.

  She walked out of the garage toward the sidewalk. Today, he was left more confused than ever.

  Chapter 34

  Scarlett

  THE WHEELS ON THE GARBAGE can hit a piece of gravel in the driveway and careened to the side. She grabbed the handle with both hands, straining to keep the container from tipping over. Everything lately fought against her.

  She set the can by the curb and gave it a kick for all her troubles.

  Three weeks after losing her job, she was no closer to finding another one. She'd heard nothing back from the various companies around town where she'd turned in her resume.

  She stomped back to the house. Knowing Nelson was staying around only added to her bad mood. Sure, it was easy for him to live next door to her because he was done with her.

  He never gave it a thought of how being her neighbor affected her.

  The damn motorcycles that kept going over to Steel Mechanics had kept her up last night until four o'clock in the morning. She couldn't see what they were doing or who Nelson had over visiting him.

  The phone rang. She ran into the kitchen, catching the call on the sixth ring. "Hello?"

  "Scarlett?" The caller paused. "It's Lorraine."

  "Oh, hi." She pulled the phone cord as she stepped over to the counter and leaned against it.

  "Girl, what is going on? The bar was closed for three weeks, and last night I went to work to find out you were no longer working there. There are three guys I've never seen before running the place. Olivia and Wendy had no idea you quit. Jerry's going to be gone for at least two more weeks. The bar is a mess. Those guys that think they know what they're doing don't even know how to mix drinks."

  "I'm sorry." She wasn't sorry. "I didn't quit. I got fired."

  "No." Lorraine's voice rose higher, "Why?"

  "New management or some excuse. The guy wasn't too open to the reason. I received my final check three days after the call." She walked into the family room, stringing the cord across the area, and sat on the couch.

  She kept the knowledge that Jerry had paid her for eight weeks of work when he only should've paid her for two. She'd chalked it up to Jerry, having a conscious after he'd fired her.

  "What are you going to do?" asked Lorraine.

  "I'm job hunting now."

  "Any luck?"

  "No."

  Lorraine groaned. "This is crazy. I wish I knew what was going on."

  "I can't help you there."

  Lorraine sighed. "I'm so sorry about the job."

  "Yeah, me, too." She stared out the sliding glass door.

  "Well, I won't keep you. I just woke up and wanted to call and find out what happened."

  "I'm sure I'll see you around the neighborhood soon. Thanks for calling. Bye." Once she ended the call, hung the phone up, she returned to the living room and melted into the corner of the couch.

  The changes in her life seemed overwhelming. She couldn't mooch off the generosity of her mom, letting her live at home, eat her food, use her electricity.

  Working at a bar had never been her life goal, but it was a way of supporting herself. She had enjoyed the manager position. The paperwork, the office duties, and being in charge of ordering from the different beer vendors challenged her more than serving drinks to customers.

  Since getting fired, she'd concentrated on putting her resume in at places where she could expand on those skills. But that wasn't working out.

  Maybe she should lower her expectations and apply for food service jobs. It would bring in a paycheck, and if she hustled, the tips were extra money in her purse.

  Bang.

  Bang.

  Bang.

  She moaned, recognizing Nelson's pounding from next door. He was going to be the death of her. Each reminder of him stabbed her in the heart.

  One day, she'd reach her limit, and gasp her last breath. It'd probably happen when she stepped out of the shower, and she'd forever be known as the young woman who died naked from a broken heart.

  A high, shrill whine filled the house. She huffed and pushed herself from the couch, walking to the sliding door. Scanning the fence line, she couldn't see anything. Then, movement came above the boards, and she zeroed in on the tree in the lot behind Steel Mechanics.

  Nelson was up in the rotten old treehouse, sawing a board. He threw the small end of the wood to the ground. She grabbed the handle of the door and stopped herself from going outside to see what he was doing.

  The plywood underneath him bowed with his weight. She shook her head in disbelief. How many times had he yelled at her f
or climbing up there?

  Back then, the treehouse was unstable and rotted. The structure had only gone downhill since.

  She had no idea how the contraption was holding Nelson up or why he was up there in the first place. It was dangerous.

  "Not my business," she muttered, turning away.

  Needing to move in a more positive direction, she changed her clothes, applied makeup, and left the house. She'd hit every bar and restaurant within a mile radius of the house first. Tomorrow, she'd extend her job search.

  Looking for a job kept her away from the house, away from Nelson, away from moping around and wanting something she couldn't have.

  Chapter 35

  Nelson

  CURLEY AND RODDY PULLED up to the garage bay. Nelson set down the three-quarter impact, having expected them to arrive.

  Going by the box tied to the back of Curley's motorcycle, the errand had been a success. Roddy walked to him, carrying a sack.

  "Did you get everything?" He peered inside the bag and relaxed. "How much do I owe you?"

  Curley carried the box inside the garage and set it on the floor. "Two hundred and thirty-four dollars."

  That was almost how much he'd earned replacing the catalytic convertor. If his plan worked, it would be worth all the money in the world.

  He got the cash out of the desk drawer and handed it to Curley. "Thanks."

  "All I did was pick it up for you." Curley rubbed his forehead. "Though why you'd want one like that makes me think you've lost yourself, man."

  Inside, he chuckled to himself. He had lost his heart. Many, many years ago.

  "Good luck." Curley waved over his shoulder.

  Waiting until he was alone, he stood over the box. He'd only thought through the plan long enough to get everything here. Now that he was ready, he wasn't sure how the best way to get Scarlett's attention.

  If he waited for her to wander over, he was afraid she'd never come. Besides being in prison, this was the longest span of time he and Scarlett had been apart.

  He crouched beside the box and removed the tape, holding the top together. Scratching against the cardboard alerted him to what he'd got himself in for.

  Pulling the top apart, a tri-colored head popped up toward him. A rambunctious tail wagged against the cardboard faster than a drummer in a rock band. The puppy licked Nelson's hand, whining for attention.

  He'd bought an Australian Cattle dog for their herding instincts and energy. If he couldn't keep Scarlett close to him, the dog would follow her around.

  Her memories of Butch were built on fear. He took a chance that it wasn't all dogs she was scared of, and the cuteness of the puppy would win her over.

  At least entice her to visit. Now that he thought about it, his plan was dumb. If he couldn't get her to walk through the gate, how could he expect a dog to lead her to him?

  But he was desperate, and he wasn't afraid of looking like a fool. Scarlett belonged to him. He only needed to show her.

  The dog squeaked a bark out. Nelson reached over and grabbed the sack Roddy dropped off, finding the collar.

  "Hold still." He wrangled the squirming puppy, latching the clasp. "There you go."

  He put the leash on and set the dog on the ground. Right now, the puppy looked nothing like a dog most people would expect to see guarding the garage. But all he needed was something that would bark when someone walked into the building. The rest of the time, the dog could watch over Scarlett.

  Nelson petted the dog, straightened, and led him out the back door. Securing the nameless dog to the tire rack, he returned for the new water/food dish. Once he had everything set up and the dog would be comfortable, he climbed up into the tree and got to work on the treehouse.

  The second he was out of sight of the dog, the puppy barked. His mood lifted.

  As he hammered a new board on the floor of the treehouse, he glanced over at the second-story window on the other side of the fence. He had no idea if Scarlett was home.

  All he could do was work and hope she got curious enough to find out what the barking was about to walk through the gate he'd reopened two weeks ago.

  Chapter 36

  Scarlett

  SCARLETT LOADED THE last plate into the dishwasher. Despite not having an appetite, she'd eaten the pancakes her mom made to try and get Hazel to eat more. Her sister rarely smiled and instead of eating, usually went up to her bedroom and slept when she wasn't working.

  "Want more coffee?" she asked.

  "I'll have one more," answered her mom.

  "I'm good." Hazel's chin landed in her upturned hand. "I'm glad today is a day off. I have zero energy."

  "You need to boost yourself. There's a lot of vitamins on the market. Maybe try some of those to get your energy up." Her mom took the cup from Scarlett. "Thanks, honey."

  Scarlett leaned against the counter. "Do you want to go for a walk later?"

  Hazel shook her head. Scarlett looked at her mom and raised her brows. She was worried about her sister. It wasn't only separating from Scott that put her in a funk. She'd gone through life-altering changes with the miscarriage, too.

  Her mom shrugged, helpless at discovering what would benefit Hazel. All their suggestions seemed to fall to the side when Hazel refused any kind of idea.

  Her mom's head turned. "Did you hear that?"

  "What?" asked Scarlett.

  "I don't know. It sounded—" Her mom looked at her. "That. It sounds like a dog barking."

  "Maybe Mrs. Philamin bought a dog." She walked to the front of the house and looked out the window.

  The residential street was quiet. There was no one outside, not even a car driving past. "I don't hear anything."

  "It's back here," yelled her sister.

  When she returned to the kitchen, her mom and Hazel were opening the sliding door and going outside. She followed them, stepping out onto the patio. There was definitely a dog nearby.

  Hazel walked to the fence. Scarlett frowned, an uneasy pit in her stomach grew.

  Her sister looked back at her, raised her brows, and hitched her thumb over her shoulder. Scarlett shook her head. There was no way she was going over to Steel Mechanics.

  Nelson had broken up with her. He never wanted to see her again.

  "It's probably a customer's dog barking." She stepped toward the house. "Why are you two getting all excited over a dog, anyway?"

  "Well, it sounds close." Her mom walked toward her.

  She slid the glass door open and let her mom and Hazel walk in first. Almost back in the kitchen, Hazel squealed and ran back to the door, running out.

  "What in the world?" Her mom followed.

  Scarlett stayed inside. Her family was officially going crazy.

  "Oh, my God. It's so cute," crooned Hazel from outside.

  Scarlett's neck stiffened. That was the happiest sounding statement to come out of her sister's mouth for months.

  "Look at its spotted tail. I wonder where it came from," exclaimed her mom.

  Great. They found a dog. In their yard.

  Scarlett refused to go outside and swoon over a stray dog. It would probably bite her, and then the owner would accuse her of teasing it.

  She had more important things to do. Like, figure out how to move on from Nelson, get a job, and still put on a happy face for Hazel's sake when all she wanted to do was stomp her feet and scream that she was hurting inside.

  Hanging her head, she closed her eyes. She was going crazy.

  "Let's take it inside."

  "It's probably not even potty trained. It's awfully little. I bet it hasn't been away from its mother for very long."

  "How can we say no to that adorable face. Just look at her...him. Oh, it's a boy puppy."

  "He's licking me. Yes, you are."

  Scarlett rolled her eyes. Not a dog person, she couldn't understand why they'd want to keep it. Both of them worked, and she wasn't going to take care of a dog.

  Her mom walked in, holding a black, white, and g
ray puppy with a dark patch over his eye. "Scarlett, look."

  Scarlett's back stiffened, and she stayed in the kitchen. "You need to take it outside and let it go, so it can go back and find its owner."

  "It's too little. He's only a puppy. I wouldn't want him getting out of the fence and onto the street. He might get hit by a car." Her mom put the pup on the floor.

  The little dog jumped at her mom's legs, lost its balance, and tumbled onto its back and quickly rolled to its feet. Scarlett studied the pup. He was tiny.

  Hazel came into the house, leaving the sliding door open. "I should go buy some dog food."

  "No, Scarlett's right. We need to find the owner." Her mom sat down on the couch and patted her leg. "Come here, boy."

  "He's got a collar. Maybe it says who he belongs to," she said, hopping up on the kitchen counter to sit, safe out of reach of the puppy.

  Hazel kneeled on the floor, trying to catch the high-spirited puppy. Scarlett smiled, hearing her sister's laughter.

  Growing up, they'd never had a pet. Not even a goldfish.

  After a good five minutes of trying to capture their visitor, Hazel finally caught the dog. "You're right. There's a tag on the collar."

  "It's probably a rabies tag." Scarlett slipped her hands under her thighs, looking at the two of them. "If you're lucky."

  "If lost..." Hazel almost lost her hold on the puppy and had to try again. "Contact Nelson Steel." Her sister looked up at Scarlett. "He has a puppy?"

  She shrugged, not surprised to know he'd bought a dog, and hurt beyond anything that she was no longer a part of his life and hadn't known. "I wouldn't know."

  The fact that he'd done something without her knowledge pained her. When he was out of prison, he included her in every part of his life. She was always the first to know when he painted a car or received more money on his tax returns or had no cavities at the dentist. For him to include her on all the significant and insignificant things in his life made her feel important and loved.

  For him to get a dog without her knowledge only beat into her that he was serious about breaking off their friendship.

  "We'll have to take it back." Her mom's lower lip protruded. "I was getting excited, thinking we could keep him."