Sealed With A Kiss: Boys of the Bayou Gone Wild, page 28
“We can get out through that slot in the fence over there,” Sophia said pointing to the far corner of the yard where the fence was missing a board. “He won’t even know we were here.”
That made Naomi feel better. Of course Denny would know someone had been here when he saw the shelter, new leash, and blanket, but she suspected that Zander had left messages on Denny’s phone as well as with a couple of friends at least. She also assumed that Zander would be showing up at Denny’s as soon as he had any indication the man was back in town.
“Okay, but don’t get into any trouble. You can use this to freshen her water before you leave,” Naomi said, setting her bottle of water down next to Samuel. “Then you let me check on her tonight.”
“We’ll come back tomorrow,” Katie said, looking at her two friends.
The other kids nodded.
“Fine, but keep checking to see if Denny is home first,” Naomi sighed. “Officer Landry is going to be keeping track of this. I promise that we’re going to be sure that she is treated well from here on.”
It might be true that Zander’s hands were somewhat tied when it came to intervening with Denny’s ownership, but Naomi was going to stay on top of this and do what she could to pressure Zander to keep an eye on Denny. Was that heavy-handed? Maybe. But the wild animals around Autre were not the only ones that needed a savior, apparently.
Naomi headed home, resisting the urge to call Donovan and tell him how sweet she thought the blanket and dog toy were. He still needed to understand that they were going to disagree from time to time and there would simply be moments when they argued and didn’t see eye to eye. If he wanted a woman who was just going to praise him and dote on him and swoon over his heroics…well, she understood why he’d thought that was her initially. But no more. He was an amazing man and she wanted him, for the long-term, for better or worse.
But he had to want her for better or worse too.
* * *
By the time the sun went down and Naomi was preparing to go back to check on Brinkley, she was antsy, and restless. It just felt wrong to leave the dog over there by herself. Not so much because she was alone and it was dark, but because Naomi didn’t know when Denny might be back. And what might happen to the dog when he did return.
Fletcher had said that he didn’t think Denny was abusive, but she wondered if his opinion had changed now that he’d been over to Denny’s place and met Brinkley.
She didn’t understand why people who didn’t want to be pet owners got pets in the first place.
She changed into leggings and a light hoodie and was pulling on her tennis shoes, preparing to head to Brinkley’s when it occurred to her that she was going to have a hard time leaving the dog over there alone, not knowing when Denny might come home.
She paused in the midst of tying one of her shoes. Dammit. The kids couldn’t camp out over there. First, they couldn’t lie to their parents. Second, they couldn’t be over there unsupervised. Third, they really could get in trouble if Denny came home in the night while they were there.
But Naomi could stay over there.
Was it ridiculous to think that she should camp out over at Denny’s house to keep Brinkley company?
Maybe.
But she could not shake the pit in her stomach that had settled there when they’d walked into the yard and first seen the dog. She’d been miserable. Scared, hungry, hurting.
No living being should be any of those things, and certainly not when people who could fix it knew about the situation.
Okay so, Zander and Donovan had their hands tied. Zander was law enforcement and had procedures he had to follow. Donovan was a certified wildlife rehabber and also had certain rules he had to follow or risk losing his certification.
But she was neither one. She had more leeway here.
The worst she would be doing was trespassing.
And that was if she got caught.
Before she could think about it any further, Naomi went to her closet and pulled her sleeping bag from the top shelf. She hadn’t camped out in years and when she had, it had not been her favorite experience. She wasn’t an outdoorsy girl. At least, she hadn’t been until Donovan had come into her life. But one thing he’d showed her for certain over the past several weeks, was that sometimes a little discomfort was worth it.
She grabbed a pillow off her bed, stowed a flashlight, bottle of water, and can of bug spray into her backpack, and said a prayer that snakes and other nocturnal things would stay away from a German shepherd.
Denny’s house was still dark and there were no additional vehicles parked in the driveway or at the curb. Naomi left her truck two blocks over just in case Denny came home and she had a chance to sneak out without being seen, but she was relieved that the house still seemed unoccupied.
As she let herself in through the gate to Brinkley’s yard again, she heard whispers. She froze. Then heard a giggle, more whispers, and the sound of a wooden board slapping against another.
She narrowed her eyes. Apparently, at least two of the kids had decided to come over and check on Brinkley in the dark anyway.
That was it. She definitely needed to stay here overnight. The kids would come back if she didn’t. She would feel much worse if their parents found out they had lied, if Denny came home and found them here, or even if one of them ended up with a snake or spider bite from camping out in the yard.
Naomi shuddered. She really didn’t want to end up with a snake or spider bite. But better her than a ten-year-old.
“Hey, girl,” she said softly to the dog as she approached.
Brinkley lifted her head, and Naomi could hear her tail thumping against the side of the kennel.
“You’re so sweet,” Naomi told her. She sat down next to the dog and stroked her head. “How can anyone just forget about you?”
Brinkley was lying on her new blanket and her food and water dish were both nice and full.
She’d had more visitors today than she probably had in her life, and that made Naomi’s heart ache even as she smiled and felt warmer thinking about those humans. Small and large.
“Okay, we’re going to have a little slumber party. We’ll figure out what to do about everything else tomorrow.”
Naomi had just unrolled her sleeping bag and was telling herself that lizards—from geckos to gators—definitely didn’t like German shepherds when she heard a rumble.
A rumble that sounded very much like thunder.
She frowned and looked up at the dark sky. No way. It wasn’t supposed to rain tonight. Was it?
It was probably a truck rumbling along the road in the distance.
But then she heard it again.
Dammit. No.
She hadn’t checked the weather. Which was also very unlike her. She was much more prepared than this typically. But everything in her life had been very topsy-turvy lately. She honestly couldn’t remember the last time she had checked the weather. Or the news that wasn’t related to a certain hot wildlife rescuer and the other guys of Boys of the Bayou being heroic. And shirtless.
With a sigh she pulled her phone out and opened the app.
Dammit.
Sure enough, rain. And not just rain, a full-blown thunderstorm was headed her way.
She looked at Brinkley. “Well, this isn’t exactly awesome.”
The dog gave her little woof.
Well, now what was she supposed to do? She wasn’t really the sleep-outside type in good weather, and she definitely wasn’t the type to do it in the rain. She also wasn’t about to leave Brinkley out here. Sure, she had a basic shelter now, but it was more for shade from the sun and maybe a light sprinkle rather than an actual storm.
The thunder rumbled overhead again, and a big fat raindrop hit Naomi in the cheek.
Only one solution came to mind. She lifted her phone again and typed out a text.
Meet me at the corner of Maple and Sixth. Wear all black.
She sent the message to the only two people she really could.
A moment later she got back exactly the responses she’d expected.
On my way.
Be there in a second.
It hadn’t even been forty-eight hours, but as Donovan made his way to the big table at the back of Ellie’s and saw Naomi having breakfast with the rest of the Landrys and the gang from Iowa, he realized it felt like four months since he’d seen her and talked to her. And touched her.
She was avoiding him. At least it seemed that way. He’d called her about a raccoon rescue yesterday and she’d said she had some other things she needed to take care of. He’d texted and asked if she wanted to come help him with the bear cubs and the baby seal last night and she’d said she was busy.
She’d answered, she just hadn’t shown up to be with him. She’d had other things going on that were more important than what he needed. Which was fine. That was normal. Adults had things they had to take care of and sometimes those things needed to be prioritized and he didn’t need a babysitter, after all.
But this was the first time since he’d come to Louisiana that she’d felt that was true.
Even Rachel calling and cajoling her about them needing both Naomi and Donovan together in what they were filming for the show wasn’t enough to get her to show up.
As he approached the table, she looked up and their eyes met.
He felt the connection streak through him. She even gave him a smile.
She looked a little sad as she turned her attention back to her breakfast and whatever Jill was talking about from across the table, but at least there had been a smile.
Fuck, he missed her.
They needed to talk. He assumed.
He didn’t really do this part of relationships. Because his relationships never got to this part.
And he wasn’t going to apologize for his actions about the dog. He’d been right about that. It had killed him to leave the dog there like that and it had killed him that she didn’t know that, but he’d been right. But he could tell her that he understood what she was feeling and that he appreciated it and explain how they could be on the same side about an issue but just approach the solution differently.
She laughed at something Zeke said and Donovan felt his gut clench.
Or maybe he’d just kiss her.
Or at least he’d start with the kissing. Because he really fucking missed kissing her. He’d realized over the past day and a half that her being mad at him was okay, as long as he could still kiss her. Eventually.
Not just because of the kissing. The kissing was amazing and he’d never get enough. But he knew her kissing him meant more than just…kissing.
He pulled out a chair, gave Ellie a grin as she put cheesy grits and eggs in front of him, and looked around the table.
Naomi spent time with all of these people. They knew her. She took care of them. She laughed with them. She probably got mad at them and maybe even argued with them. But she didn’t let any of these guys kiss her. She kept her kissing relationships separate from these closer, warmer, more personal relationships.
Until him.
So yeah, he knew that if they could work together, and argue, and then kiss again, it would really mean something.
She was five seats down on the other side of the huge table with a bunch of loud Cajuns between them, but Donovan leaned in, determined to catch her attention.
“Nae—”
“I want someone arrested!”
Everyone at the table looked over at the man who’d just come storming into the building.
Well, dammit.
“Denny,” Zander said, coming up out of his seat. “Where the hell have you been? I’ve been calling you since Wednesday.”
Ah, so this was Denny. The owner of the dog. The dog that Zander had assured him was in someone else’s custody when Donovan had inquired about Zander’s authority to take possession of the animal after looking up the state laws.
“Three people snuck into my yard two nights ago and stole my dog. I have it on video,” Denny said. “And I want you to find them.”
Wait, someone had stolen the dog?
Donovan’s attention immediately went to Naomi.
She swallowed her bite of grits and put her spoon down, wiping her mouth with a napkin. She shot Jordan and Charlie a glance. Both women looked like they were working to keep their composure as well.
Yep, Naomi knew exactly where the dog was. Well… fuck. With a sigh he sat back in his chair, waiting to see how this was going to play out now.
“I been out of town working,” Denny told Zander. “I couldn’t get back because of the storm. My brother needed my help cleaning up and a goddamn tree fell on my truck and I had to replace the windshield.”
“What happened to your phone?” Zander asked him. “You couldn’t call me back?”
“Well, believe it or not, you weren’t my first priority.”
“Well, believe it or not, I’m your first priority now,” Zander told him, coming around the end of the table. “I have some questions for you.”
“That’s just great. I have something to talk to you about too. Three women broke into my backyard and stole my dog.”
Zander cast a glance in Naomi’s direction.
So Zander suspected her too. Donovan shook his head. But he was torn. He was frustrated with her but the fact that she’d rescued that dog, in spite of everything—in spite of him—also turned him on. Sure, he’d love for her to think he always knew best and to just follow his lead. But a gorgeous woman who would risk everything for an animal in need? Yeah, that was always going to do it for him.
Naomi pretended not to notice both Donovan and Zander looking at her. She reached for her purse, pulled out a tube of lipstick and a compact mirror, and started applying it as if she had not a care in the world.
Watching her turning her lips his favorite berry color made Donovan have to shift on his chair to get more comfortable even as he wondered if she had a plan here now that Denny was home and looking for his dog.
“You mean the dog that I’ve been calling you about since Wednesday?” Zander asked. “The dog you left without food or water or shelter when you went out of town?”
“She had water and she can get under the truck. I secured her to the truck so that she would be safe from the storm.”
That finally fully pulled Donovan’s attention from Naomi.
“Instead of fucking putting her inside your house?” Donovan shoved his chair back and stood. “You have to be kidding.” He’d been wound tight ever since he’d gone over to check on the dog and left her a blanket and toy. The sweet thing had wanted love so badly. After leaving there for the second time, he’d gone straight to Zander, demanding to know what he was doing about the situation. Zander had assured him it was being handled and he was getting a warrant that would allow him to take custody of the dog.
But if Naomi had taken the dog, that meant Zander hadn’t been in a hurry to get back over there. So Naomi had risked sneaking back over and taking the dog. What if she’d run into Denny? What if he’d been home when she’d gotten there?
“If I left her inside the house, she would’ve shit all over.”
“Which is why you don’t leave dogs all alone for days.” Donovan advanced on the man. “It’s illegal to tie up an animal in inclement weather in Louisiana. Did you know that?”
Zander’s arm shot out, his palm flat against Donovan’s chest, restraining him. “Hold on.”
Donovan glowered at Denny. “And the chain around her neck was too tight and too heavy for her. The wounds that I examined clearly indicated it had been on her longer than just a couple of days.”
“Yes, I have that in your report,” Zander said, dropping his hand as he apparently decided Donovan wasn’t going to go after the other man physically.
At least not at the moment.
“Report? Who the fuck are you?” Denny shot back. “You’re not a veterinarian.”
“No, but I am.” Griffin rose from the table. “And I agree with everything Donovan reported.”
Donovan felt a wave of surprise and gratitude and something he couldn’t quite name go through him. Griffin hadn’t examined the dog. He hadn’t even known about the dog until this moment as far as Donovan knew. But his brother had his back.
“She was underweight too. She clearly hasn’t been fed adequately in some time,” Donovan added. “She was dirty and she didn’t have enough room to move.”
“Yes, I know,” Zander said. “I—”
Griffin nodded. “I concur.”
“All right!” Zander put his hands on his hips and faced Denny squarely. “You probably don’t want all of this aired out in public though, right, Denny? How about we go downtown and talk about it?”
“Fuck that. Three people snuck into my backyard and took something of mine. I expect you to do something about it. Do I need to go higher?”
“Define ‘go higher’,” Zander said, with one brow up.
“Would you like to talk to the mayor about it?” Knox asked. “I can set up a meeting.”
“She’s free right now as a matter of fact,” Kennedy said, spreading her arms wide. “What would you like to talk about, Denny?”
“That your cousin isn’t doing his damned job.”
“You mean our Chief of Police?” Kennedy asked. “Because it sounds to me like he’s looking into a report of animal abuse.”
“This is all bullshit!” Denny exclaimed. “Someone stole my fucking dog. And I’m going to find out who. If you won’t take care of it, then when I figure out who it is, I will.”
Zander took a step forward. “Not smart, Denny. If you think you know who did it, you tell me. You’re not going to take care of anything on your own.”
“Why? You won’t do anything.”
“Denny, I strongly encourage you—”
“I did it.”
Donovan internally groaned as Naomi spoke above the two men.
She pushed her chair back and stood, almost regally, turning to face Denny.
Zander shook his head. “Naomi—”
“You bitch.”
Denny took a step forward, but Donovan moved in front of him. “I don’t think so.”
