Pastor's Assignment by Kim O'Brien Page B

Angel launch himself at the detective. The papillon rolled on his back and shamelessly begged for attention. Ty sighed as if this were the last thing he wanted but knelt and rubbed the dog’s belly.
    Angel certainly likes Ty Steele, Laney thought. And the feeling seemed mutual for him. Maybe he should get a dog of his own instead of a guinea pig. Maybe she would let him borrow Angel for a few days.
    Straightening, Ty tried to ignore the small dog that stood on his hind feet demanding attention. The detective looked bigger in the doorway, and she had to tilt her chin to look up at him.
    She wasn’t wearing heels. That was it. That’s why he seemed so tall.
    â€œMay I come in?”
    â€œThis really isn’t a good time,” Laney replied. She touched her soaking wet hair. Uh-oh. She felt something foamy. Was that shampoo?
    â€œI’ll just be a moment. All I want is the note.”
    â€œThe note,” Laney repeated. She frowned. “You were supposed to come to the pet store.” With Rock due any moment, Ty couldn’t have chosen a worse time.
    â€œSomething came up,” Ty said. “Something that makes it even more important you and I talk about the note you found.”
    Wondering what might have happened, Laney pulled the door open wider. Ty walked inside the apartment as Angel raced ahead barking with happiness.
    Laney looked around for her purse. The room was so clean it looked vaguely foreign. For her special evening with Rock, she’d wanted everything perfect. Sighing, she put her hands on her hips and tried to remember where her purse might be. She didn’t see it, which confirmed in her mind that putting things away only led to trouble in the long run.
    Her hair dripped, leaving a big wet patch on the back of her T-shirt. She could only imagine how she must look. Barefoot, no makeup, and a big gob of soap still in her hair.
    â€œThe note,” Ty Steele repeated.
    â€œOkay, okay,” Laney said. “I’m getting it. Stop glaring at me.”
    â€œI’m not glaring at you,” Ty said. “I have a lot on my mind.”
    Laney checked behind the couch cushions. If she had more time, she would have explained that women didn’t like to be looked at as if they were about to be arrested. No wonder he was so lonely. And then she remembered where she’d put the note.
    She put her hand inside the umbrella stand and pulled out her purse. Her hand trembled slightly as she carefully unfolded the worn paper. She smiled a bit wistfully at the odd tug of her heart and wondered if any other words would move her as much.
    Sighing, she gave in to the urge to press the note to her heart. Returning to the living room, she saw Ty staring at a photograph of her and Rock in a twin, heart-shaped frame.
    â€œI’ll give you the note,” Laney said. “But I’m going to ask you to do one last thing for me.”
    Ty scowled. “It depends.”
    â€œRead the note aloud, once.”
    Ty shrugged and reached out his hand. Reluctantly Laney gave him the yellow paper. Ty cleared his throat and began to read.
    My Forever Regret
    Our two hearts beat as one,
    But suddenly you were gone.
    To see your sweet face
    would be my saving grace.
    You were my moon, sun, and stars
    When I held you in my arms.
    I thought you would be mine forever;
    From this mistake I’ll never recover.
    I put my work first and left you alone,
    Neglected you shamelessly; your needs went unknown.
    You heard me say I loved another.
    Didn’t you know I spoke of my brother?
    You slipped out of my life
    And out of my heart took a slice.
    Now when I look at the washing machine,
    It looks like something obscene.
    An instrument of death, a monster to hate,
    Not even when I smashed it did my grief abate.
    Depression is my companion, aloneness my friend.
    Oh, please, someone, tell me how to make it end.
    Ty looked up. His mouth twisted in horror. “You think I wrote that? That