Page 23 of Puppy Kisses

“Uh, have you been drinking?”

“Not yet,” she admitted with a shaky laugh. “But I may have to before the night is through. What do you sell in there that’ll take the edge off?”

She’d meant it as a joke, a way to wipe the anxious look from the gas-station attendant’s face, but he only frowned deeper.

Which was why she had to resort to the other—darker—truth. “I promise not to linger too long. I’m just not ready to go home yet, you know?”

The frown on the man’s face shifted into a sympathetic smile. “Yeah, honey. I know.” He tapped his hand two times on the window frame. “You stay as long as you want. The name’s Mel, if you need anything.”

He left before she could thank him, which was just as well, because she had no idea how to explain why home held so little appeal.

She knew, down to the exact detail, what would be waiting there for her. Lila had been on puppy duty that afternoon, which meant the kennel would be in perfect order and all the puppies content. There would probably even be a dish of food waiting in the oven for her. None of the Vasquez sisters could cook—and none of them had ever seen the point of learning—so they’d long grown accustomed to takeout and eating at their favorite diner down the street.

Ever since Lila’s marriage, though, those restaurant nights had dwindled from three times a week to one. Lila made up for it by regularly bringing by supplies and leftovers cooked by her husband.

So you won’t starve, she’d say and then give Dawn a breezy kiss on the cheek. The sentiment was nice, but the underlying message wasn’t:Because you’re the last one left. Because you’re all alone.

That was the bare bones of it—of everything, really. Lila would have left the front light on so Dawn wouldn’t have to return to a dark house. There might be a loving note or a quick message about tomorrow’s schedule. There might even be fresh flowers on the counter to cheer the place up a bit.

But there wasn’t anyone who depended on Dawn for their life’s happiness. There wasn’t someone counting down the minutes until her return. It was a horrible thing to admit, but No-Pants Shotgun chasing her down the highway was going to end up being the high point of her night.

At leasthewanted to see her again…even if only to commit murder.

These days, she had to take what she could get.

* * *

Since the idea of going home was depressing in the highest degree, Dawn turned back the way she’d come. After a ten-minute drive, she pulled in to the gravel path leading to a beautiful, old farmhouse currently undergoing repairs. Even though it still needed a lot of work, Dawn loved it, if only because it belonged to one of her favorite people in the entire world.

“Dawn!” Sophie came trotting down the steps, a red bandanna tied around her head and splatters of white paint covering her oversized overalls. She was the smallest of the Vasquez sisters in terms of size, but her personality was more than big enough to make up for it. “Am I expecting you? I don’t think I’m expecting you. I’d have remembered if I was expecting you.”

Dawn laughed and extended her arms for a hug.

“Oh, I’m all painty,” Sophie protested, her nose wrinkled.

“What you mean is, I’m all dirty.” Dawn laughed again. “Life on a ranch is a lot messier than anyone warned me. Would you mind if I showered here before heading back to town? I really need to start bringing a change of clothes.”

It was only partially a lie. Life on a ranchwaspretty messy, and a shower wouldn’t go amiss, but she mostly wanted the company.

“Of course,” Sophie replied, seeing right through her. “In fact, you should stay the night. Harrison left for Chelan yesterday, so I’m all alone for the next two weeks.”

This bit of news wasn’t the least bit surprising. Sophie’s boyfriend, Harrison, was a wildland firefighter. Most of his summers were spent in the wilderness, where he and his valiant service dog—a Pomeranian named Bubbles—did their part to save both human and animal lives. Sophie took it in stride, busying herself restoring the farmhouse while they were away.

“Thanks, but I have to get back to the puppies before too long,” Dawn replied. “They grow antsy if there isn’t someone in the house when it gets dark.”

A flicker of a frown crossed Sophie’s face, though she tried to hide it by weaving her arm through Dawn’s and leading her to the house. The porch appeared to be the current focus of all that white paint, with only a narrow path leading from the steps to the screen door left unpainted.

“I can only paint things on the ground when Bubbles and Harrison are out of town,” Sophie explained. “Otherwise, we get tiny paw prints all over everything.”

Dawn paused on the threshold for a moment, allowing her eyes to adjust to the change in light. Sophie must have misunderstood the silence that accompanied this because the frown came back.

“It’s not fair to you, having to be home every night before dark for the sake of the puppies.”

Dawn laughed, though it felt a little forced around the edges. “You mean, it’s notlikeme, having to be home every night before dark for the sake of the puppies.”

“Well, yes. That too.”

“You’ve been gossiping with Lila.” Dawn stated it as a fact rather than a question, and one with no emotions attached whatsoever. “Did she order you to talk me out of adding a pet on top of everything else?”