Karly's Wolf (Hollow Hills Book 1) by Maren Smith, Penny Alley

and Game; she recognized his uniform. Swallowing panic, Karly nearly ducked back into the store. Though his back was to her, she recognized Gabe almost instantly, but where was the sharp-eyed and deceptively easy-going Colton?
    Hugging her groceries, Karly watched him warily. He was standing at her open passenger window, talking out loud to himself. No, he had to be on his radio, calling her car in. Karly’s heart slammed inside her chest until she realized again, no, his radio was still clipped to his shirt and his hands were on his hips. If anything, he was talking to Puppy. Which was ridiculous. Almost as ridiculous as her trying to hide between the cart return and the gumball and sticker machines.
    If he saw her like this, he would definitely get suspicious.
    Karly made herself take several deep breaths. There was no place on this planet that she could hide where she would not encounter law enforcement of some kind. Just because Colton and this man, Gabe, were figures of constabulary authority, that did not automatically mean they talked to Dan. So long as she didn’t do something to arouse their suspicions—actively behaving as if she wanted to avoid them, for instance—they would have no reason to go digging into who she really was.
    Swallowing her tightly-rattled nerves and hugging her groceries, she headed for her car. As she drew steadily closer, Gabe suddenly threw back his head and barked with laughter. “Lap dog is a really good look for you.”
    “Shut up. Go away.”
    That was Colton. She’d recognize that deceptively honeyed tone anywhere, but where was he? Karly froze all over again. She ducked down, trying to see if there was another pair of boots on the far side of her car. But if Colton was on the driver’s side, she couldn’t see any sign of him. She crept closer, eyeing Gabe suspiciously.
    Shaking his head, amusement heavy in his tone, Gabe asked, “What are you trying to do?”
    “I’m sitting and I’m staying,” the voice she could have sworn was Colton’s dryly replied.
    Gabe leaned over the window, resting his arm across the top of her car. “Buddy, she’s got one hell of a surprise coming when she asks you to speak.”
    She was almost on them when she must have made a sound. Snapping upright, Gabe turned around and in the front seat of the car, a very human-looking shadow of a head ducked down out of sight. The car bounced. Karly almost dropped her groceries.
    “Where’s my dog?” she demanded, running the rest of the way while Gabe snatched his arm off the roof and quickly backed away. “What did you do with—” Ducking around the trunk, trying to keep the car between herself and Gabe, Karly froze when Puppy’s massive furry head popped back up above the headrests. He looked at her, ears perked forward, tongue lolling.
    Just Puppy. Not a man, like she had first believed. She blinked, confused. She could have sworn she’d seen…Heaven help her, but even knowing she’d find it empty, she still checked the backseat.
    “Problem?” Gabe asked, pasting on a greeting smile.
    “N-no.” She didn’t understand it, but Colton was nowhere in sight. Gabe had to have been on his radio after all. There was simply no other explanation.
    She looked at him even more warily than before.
    “Here,” Gabe said, skirting around the back of the car to come and help her with the dog food. “Let me get that for you.”
    “I’ve got it.” She ducked his outstretched hands and quickly wrenched open the back door to put her groceries on the seat.
    Gabe slipped his hands into his back pockets and tried to affect a more harmless demeanor. “Nice looking dog you’ve got.”
    The knots in her stomach tightened. “Thanks.” Realizing he might know Puppy wasn’t hers and not wanting anyone to think she’d stolen him, she added, “Is he yours?”
    “No, ma’am. These old woods are full of strays. What surprises me is how a wild boy like this would let you handle him.”
    “Puppy’s very