the light still glowing in the small window like a beacon against the shadows, or was that fear of what lurked in the darkness?
After Poe emerged from her apartment early Wednesday morning and hailed a cab, Jared drove home, his eyes scratchy from lack of sleep.
As he received the expected phone calls from his staff, he gave them their schedules and when each of them was responsible for tailing Poe. She was expected at the dog park in the afternoon and he had to get some sleep, so in this instance a tail was necessary. He then called his secretary to let her know that he would be in after lunch. He showered first and then lay down on his bed.
Just as he was drifting off, he heard a soft whine. Glancing down, Daisy sat on her hind legs and gave him that so-sad basset face. She looked so cute. “You want to come up?”
The tiny wag in her tail was her only response. He bent down and lifted her up. She walked to the end of the bed, stepping on her long ears more than once due to the uneven surface. Settling at his feet, she yawned.
Jared stretched, yawned and turned to his side, drifting off to sleep.
#
Poe felt a prickling between her shoulder blades and turned around to make sure no one was following her. People moved by on the street. There didn’t seem to be anyone overly interested in her. She wouldn’t put it past Harper to have her Ranger chauffeur tailing her.
She shook her head and relaxed her shoulders. It must be her paranoia getting the best of her. That phone call last night scared the bejesus out of her.
She suddenly didn’t feel safe in her own apartment. After all her I-can-take-care-of-myself blather, she wasn’t so sure she should have turned down Harper’s offer. She hated to admit it, though, because that would make her a baby.
She let herself into the dog park and saw Brooke there with Boxer. He was sniffing around one of the trees. His head shot up when the gate closed. His adorable coloring with that one black eye always made her giggle inside. As soon as he spied The Terrible Two, he gave off one of his rough, bulldog barks and bounded towards them. Her boys danced at the end of their leashes. As soon as Boxer got to them, they jumped around each other in such silly, wild abandonment, Poe was laughing so hard, she thought she’d pee her pants. Both of her leashed dogs had almost tied her up in knots.
Brooke rushed over and released Edgar and Allan so all three could run off to play.
Brooke hugged her and Poe was momentarily taken aback. They didn’t normally hug when they saw each other. But she hugged Brooke back. It was a residual of her mugging that made her friend anxious, and she wasn’t going to make her feel awkward about it.
“How are you?” Brooke asked, her eyes lighting on the black eye.
Poe would be so glad when it faded and the memory of the attack with it.
“I’m fine.”
“That’s good to hear,” Callie said as she entered the park with Tilly and Jack. Father and daughter were magnificent Harlequin Great Danes, and although Tilly’s birth had been touch and go there for a bit, she looked healthy and strong as she raced alongside her sire. She had been part of the litter that had brought Callie and Owen together when his dog, Jill, had run off and mated with her neighbor’s Dane, Jack, without their owners’ knowledge or consent. Both Danes emitted deep-chested doggie greetings and took off as soon as Callie released them. Callie hugged her too, hard.
Luckily this dog park had ample shade, and she and her friends took one of the benches beneath an elm.
Poe spied Harper getting out of her limo, Blue prancing around, eager to get to her doggie pals. Then right behind Harper a big, black and tan Doberman emerged.
Poe nudged Callie. “Did Harper get a new dog?”
Callie shielded her eyes against the bright July sunlight and said, “No, that’s her brother’s dog, Cleatis.”
“Only Harper can pull off a deep red maxi dress with a summer-weight
After Poe emerged from her apartment early Wednesday morning and hailed a cab, Jared drove home, his eyes scratchy from lack of sleep.
As he received the expected phone calls from his staff, he gave them their schedules and when each of them was responsible for tailing Poe. She was expected at the dog park in the afternoon and he had to get some sleep, so in this instance a tail was necessary. He then called his secretary to let her know that he would be in after lunch. He showered first and then lay down on his bed.
Just as he was drifting off, he heard a soft whine. Glancing down, Daisy sat on her hind legs and gave him that so-sad basset face. She looked so cute. “You want to come up?”
The tiny wag in her tail was her only response. He bent down and lifted her up. She walked to the end of the bed, stepping on her long ears more than once due to the uneven surface. Settling at his feet, she yawned.
Jared stretched, yawned and turned to his side, drifting off to sleep.
#
Poe felt a prickling between her shoulder blades and turned around to make sure no one was following her. People moved by on the street. There didn’t seem to be anyone overly interested in her. She wouldn’t put it past Harper to have her Ranger chauffeur tailing her.
She shook her head and relaxed her shoulders. It must be her paranoia getting the best of her. That phone call last night scared the bejesus out of her.
She suddenly didn’t feel safe in her own apartment. After all her I-can-take-care-of-myself blather, she wasn’t so sure she should have turned down Harper’s offer. She hated to admit it, though, because that would make her a baby.
She let herself into the dog park and saw Brooke there with Boxer. He was sniffing around one of the trees. His head shot up when the gate closed. His adorable coloring with that one black eye always made her giggle inside. As soon as he spied The Terrible Two, he gave off one of his rough, bulldog barks and bounded towards them. Her boys danced at the end of their leashes. As soon as Boxer got to them, they jumped around each other in such silly, wild abandonment, Poe was laughing so hard, she thought she’d pee her pants. Both of her leashed dogs had almost tied her up in knots.
Brooke rushed over and released Edgar and Allan so all three could run off to play.
Brooke hugged her and Poe was momentarily taken aback. They didn’t normally hug when they saw each other. But she hugged Brooke back. It was a residual of her mugging that made her friend anxious, and she wasn’t going to make her feel awkward about it.
“How are you?” Brooke asked, her eyes lighting on the black eye.
Poe would be so glad when it faded and the memory of the attack with it.
“I’m fine.”
“That’s good to hear,” Callie said as she entered the park with Tilly and Jack. Father and daughter were magnificent Harlequin Great Danes, and although Tilly’s birth had been touch and go there for a bit, she looked healthy and strong as she raced alongside her sire. She had been part of the litter that had brought Callie and Owen together when his dog, Jill, had run off and mated with her neighbor’s Dane, Jack, without their owners’ knowledge or consent. Both Danes emitted deep-chested doggie greetings and took off as soon as Callie released them. Callie hugged her too, hard.
Luckily this dog park had ample shade, and she and her friends took one of the benches beneath an elm.
Poe spied Harper getting out of her limo, Blue prancing around, eager to get to her doggie pals. Then right behind Harper a big, black and tan Doberman emerged.
Poe nudged Callie. “Did Harper get a new dog?”
Callie shielded her eyes against the bright July sunlight and said, “No, that’s her brother’s dog, Cleatis.”
“Only Harper can pull off a deep red maxi dress with a summer-weight
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