“Time is short, Sheriff.”
“Make amends while there’s time. Take it from me. There are so many things I wish I’d said to Lana, and now I can’t.”
“I understand.”
“Go to your father. Don’t live with regret.”
CHAPTER NINE
Tuesday, August 10th
5:40 p.m.
“You’re becoming quite the chef, LeVar.”
Thomas stabbed his fork into the last bite of salmon, swallowed, and gave a contented sigh. LeVar had pan-fried the salmon in lemon and garlic, garnished the entrée with herbs, and plated it with whole grain rice. LeVar broke off a chunk and tossed it to Jack, the lost dog Thomas had found in the state park last month. Thomas theorized Jack was a Siberian Husky. But the dog seemed too large for a puppy. Jack snapped the fish out of the air and swallowed the treat in one gulp. His tail thumped as he moved his head between LeVar and Thomas, hoping for another handout.
When LeVar grabbed Thomas’s plate, Thomas raised a hand.
“I’ll clean up, LeVar. You did all the cooking.”
“I don’t mind. You let me use the kitchen and hang out in the house. Helping is the least I can do.”
“You’ve been invaluable. The remodeling project on the guest house is almost finished. You helped me put on a new roof, and you’re ten times the cook I’ll ever be.”
“Aight, dawg. Don’t say I didn’t ask.”
“Why don’t you take Jack outside and let him run off some steam. He’s been locked inside all day.”
“I got you covered. Come on, Jack.”
LeVar opened the sliding glass door, and Jack followed him across the deck as Thomas filled the sink with dishwater. Since he’d found Jack, the dog hadn’t needed a leash, unless Thomas took the dog to the veterinarian for a checkup. Remembering caused the corner of his mouth to quirk into a smile. The veterinary technician, a young woman with caramel hair wrapped in a bun, had taken one look at Jack and covered her chest.
“You found this dog in the wild?” she’d asked as she led Jack to the examination room.
“A half-mile from my house.”
“I don’t think this is a Siberian Husky.”
“He has to be. Look at the coat.”
The technician shook her head.
“He’s a crossbreed of some sort. If it didn’t sound crazy, I’d say this dog is a…”
She stopped when the doctor entered the room.
Outside, LeVar tossed a tennis ball across the property. The ball bounced into the Mourning family’s yard, where Jack snapped the ball between his massive jaws and sprinted back to LeVar. As Thomas rinsed the dishes, a knock on the deck door brought his head around. Naomi Mourning waited at the glass. Thomas waved her inside. Last month, Thomas agreed to take over the family business, a project management and collaboration firm that specialized in turning around the fortunes of small businesses. Thomas’s first order of business at Shepherd Systems was hiring Naomi to run daily operations. Before the job offer, Naomi had bounced between part-time jobs, struggling to pay Scout’s medical bills.
“Jack is full of it this afternoon,” Naomi said as she waved to LeVar.
“I should pay someone to walk him while I’m at work. The problem is, I doubt I’ll find anyone willing to take the job.”
“Jack’s a handful.”
“He’s gentle. But nobody would believe it at first glance.”
Naomi rubbed her arm and cast a cautionary glance at the yard.
“May I talk to you about something?”
Thomas hung the dishrag over the faucet and dried his hands on the towel.
“Sure. Have a seat.”
At forty-one, Naomi had the complexion of a woman twenty years younger. Her brunette hair dangled in a ponytail, and she wore red running shorts and a gray tank top that accentuated her fit body.
“Before I say anything, thank you again for offering me the job at Shepherd Systems.”
Thomas swallowed.
“You aren’t leaving, are you?”
“No, I love it there. The people are wonderful, and your mother is warming up to me. Not to mention your generosity saved us from bankruptcy.”
Thomas had worried over his mother accepting Naomi. His parents, Mason and Lindsey Shepherd, had battled Thomas since he returned to Wolf Lake, pressuring him to quit the sheriff’s department and take over the business. Mason’s lung cancer progressed each month, and Thomas accepted his father wouldn’t be around a year from now. The reality pierced his heart.
“So what’s the problem? If you need more time to care for Scout, I’ll see to it.”
Naomi straightened her shirt and set her palms on the table.
“Thomas, there’s a rumor at the office that we’re…” She chewed the corner of her mouth. “Together.”
Thomas coughed. Since his failed reunion with Chelsey, he’d spent more time with Naomi and Scout.
“That we’re dating?”
“Yes. I’m afraid people will get the wrong impression.” Naomi twirled her hair around her finger. “Don’t get me wrong. You’re a terrific person, and under different circumstances…”
“It’s okay, you don’t have to say it. If anyone mentions the rumor to me, I’ll squash the idea. Is everything else all right? You seem distracted.”
Naomi tilted her head.
“I’m talking to Glen again.”
Glen was Naomi’s husband. They’d separated after the collision that left Scout crippled. According to Naomi, Glen blamed himself for the accident, though a tractor trailer had struck their vehicle from behind. Thomas hadn’t met Glen, who worked in Ithaca for the local electric and gas company. He wondered why a father would turn his back on his wife and daughter, no matter how guilty he felt.
“That’s encouraging. Does Scout know?”
“Not yet. I don’t want to get her hopes up. I wanted you to know in case Glen stops by, and you’re worried about the stranger knocking on our door.”
Thomas smiled.
“So you don’t want me to don my sheriff’s hat and grill him.”
Naomi’s shoulders shook with laughter.
“That might be amusing. I just need time to figure things out and see where Glen’s head is at. Until I’m certain he’s ready to be a father
