“Granted, but they might also think you gave me information. I know you didn’t, but they don’t know that. Depending on how much they shared with you while you were under contract to Morgan, they might be worried about it. My understanding is you’re not one of their favorite people. I also suspect I’ve been followed at times. Probably to keep an eye on me, to avoid surprises for them. All I’m saying is, be careful.”
“I’m sorry to sound harsh, but aren’t you overreacting, Daniel? What Morgan might or might not have done, wouldn’t he be better off leaving matters alone? Especially since he was able to quash your article? If what you’re suggesting is true and he gets caught, wouldn’t it make matters worse for him?”
“A valid point, but there’s more at stake here than even I suspected. I’ve reported it to the police, even though there’s not much they can do about it. Just stay alert. If anything odd happens, call the police.”
The police?
“And speaking of the police, they will probably want to talk to you.”
“Me? Why?” She was horrified.
“Because you worked for Morgan at a crucial time. You were part of his inner circle.”
“That’s ridiculous and you know it! I didn’t have any information. That was part of the problem. That he wasn’t transparent with me.”
“I just wanted to give you a heads-up so you wouldn’t be surprised if the police contact you.”
Emma thanked Daniel for the call, although the last thing she was feeling was thankful.
It was late evening when Emma poured herself a glass of wine and took it out to the deck. Max stretched out at her feet as she sat at the table. The sun had dipped below the tree line on the opposite side of the lake, staining the lower sky a blazing crimson, and radiating streaks of vivid color above. The lake’s surface shimmered iridescent red and orange.
The sorrowful call of a loon reverberated across the lake again, this time without response. Emma wondered where his mate was and sipped the last of her wine as the final smudges of color bled from the night sky.
Later still, with only the moon and stars to light her way, she gathered up her things and headed inside, Max trailing behind her.
After cleaning up the dishes, Emma climbed the stairs to the top floor. Her bedroom was a spacious room with a high, peaked ceiling and large, soaring windows overlooking the lake. There were smaller casement windows on each end wall, and she opened these to invite in the cool night air, along with the trilling of the cicadas.
She changed into a sleep shirt and climbed into bed. As she stared out a window, she realized that for the first time in weeks it wasn’t regret, despair or anger she was feeling. Rather, a sense of calm and even hopefulness filled her—despite Daniel’s warning—as she drifted into sleep.
Max’s growl woke her. Groggy with sleep, she glanced at her bedside clock. It was nearing midnight. She spotted Max, his front paws braced on the windowsill, his body tense. She listened intently for what might have disturbed him, but heard only the usual nighttime noises.
“Come on, Max. Go lie down.”
Max ceased his throaty growl and glanced back at her. “Off the windowsill,” Emma instructed, and motioned toward his bed. Max pushed off and turned in a circle, but then rose up to rest his paws on the ledge again.
“Max, it was just an animal. Go back to sleep.”
As Max wouldn’t budge, with a sigh Emma got up and coaxed him back to his bed. Just as she was drifting off again, she thought she heard a car engine start but knew she was imagining it. She’d locked the gate at the foot of the drive and there was no possible reason for someone to have parked along Otter Creek Road in the middle of the night.
IT WAS A glorious fall day, with just a hint of a gentle breeze to flutter flower petals and blades of grass, and sunlight streaming down from a cloudless, clear-blue sky. It emboldened Emma and she took what she considered a daring move—visiting the clinic midday. She’d tried to rationalize it in a number of ways, but if she was honest with herself, it was because she’d hoped to see Josh. She felt an odd mixture of relief and disappointment to learn from Sherri that Josh had been called by another veterinary clinic to assist with a complicated surgery and wasn’t expected back until late afternoon.
Wasn’t that just her luck?
On the plus side, Theo was coming along nicely. Emma suspected, and Sherri agreed, that since they hadn’t already found Theo’s owner, it was unlikely they would.
After her visit with Theo, Emma spent much of the afternoon starting the fall cleanup of her gardens. In the evening, she finished off a speech she was working on for the CEO of a mining company.
The telephone had rung once while she’d been working, but she’d been on a roll and had ignored it. She felt a tremendous sense of accomplishment as she clicked on Save, satisfied with her first draft.
It was near bedtime, but her stomach reminded her that she’d skipped dinner...again. She ate leftovers while standing in the kitchen, her thoughts still on her assignment. When she finally remembered to retrieve the message from her voice mail, a pleasant male voice greeted her. She’d only spoken to Josh on the telephone a couple of times, weeks before, but she recognized his voice immediately.
“Sherri mentioned you asked about me when you visited the clinic today. I’m sorry I missed you. As you could see for yourself, Theo’s recovery continues to progress well. So well, in fact,” his message went on, “he’s ready to leave here and go home. Emma...”
Home? Did they find his owner? Emma’s heart started to beat painfully at the thought of not seeing Theo again.
Then Josh continued. “Why don’t you give me a call and we can discuss your taking him, if you’re still interested.” There was another moment of silence. “Theo’s been through a lot. I want to make sure it’s the right thing—for him and for you.” Emma smiled.
If all went well, Theo could be home with her and Max by tomorrow afternoon. The thought of that made for a positive end to an already good day.
One day at a time, she reminded herself...
* * *
MIDMORNING THE NEXT DAY, Emma spread a blanket in the back of her X5. She and Josh had agreed she should bring Max with her to pick up Theo. Although Max got along well with all creatures—two-or four-legged—both she and Josh wanted to ensure the dogs’ first meeting went smoothly. Neutral territory would help. Calling Max, she patted the back deck of the SUV. Max trotted over and leaped in effortlessly. She got him settled and rewarded him with a dog biscuit.
Emma drove to Josh’s clinic with her window open, enjoying the sunshine and comfortable temperature. She hummed softly with a Tim McGraw song on the radio. She turned into the drive leading to Josh’s house and clinic. A blur of motion to her left had her glancing toward the side yard. She stopped the vehicle and grinned as she watched Josh try to coax Theo into a game of fetch. A yellow Lab was with them, and he was clearly an old master at the game. Emma surmised that the Lab was Josh’s dog rather than a patient, as he appeared to be in excellent health. The little guy did an energetic happy dance as Josh held the ball, bulleting after it when Josh sent it flying.
Theo, by comparison, wasn’t quite certain what was expected. He sniffed the ball as Josh held it, but shied away from taking it. The Lab watched the interplay patiently and raced off as Josh sent the ball soaring once more.
Emma focused her attention on Josh. He wore a faded blue denim shirt, the sleeves rolled to his elbows, navy jeans and well-worn hiking boots. His movements were fluid and agile. A gust of wind swept his