Heather Woodhaven - Tracking Secrets

She stared ahead, her face pale. It took only a minute to arrive back at his place.

“Where’d you park?” the young officer asked her.

“The lot at the trailhead. Could you take me there, Jeremy? I’d really rather not walk back alone, if that’s okay.”

“Understandable.” Jeremy nodded. “You still driving that bucket of bolts you call a car?”

She lifted her chin. “Hey. A little respect. It’s a classic.”

“Dream on.” Jeremy shook his head. “Never seen a lawyer drive such a crummy car before.”

Nick’s neck tingled, and he couldn’t place his finger on why. If he hadn’t known better, he’d have wondered if he was jealous that the young cop talked to Alexis in such a friendly manner. “You’re a lawyer?” he asked her. “I’d tell you a lawyer joke, but—”

“—you’re afraid you’d get sued,” she said. Her face reddened, and she pressed her lips together in a firm line. “Trust me, I’ve heard them all. Besides, I wasn’t that kind of lawyer.”

A crackly voice came over the radio. “Possible domestic disturbance called in. Shouting heard next to the burned-out barn on Garrett property.”

The dispatcher’s description was yet another reminder that Nick wasn’t in the big city anymore. The chief shook his head. “We need to get this.”

The car pulled to a stop. “I’ll take her to her car,” Nick said. They hopped out and the cruiser sped away.

Alexis swung her chin from left to right, her eyes darting every which way.

“If they had come back here already, the cops would’ve seen them,” Nick said gently.

Her shoulders sank. “I hope you’re right.”

Nick escorted her and the dog to the garage, where he entered the five-digit access code. The cab of his pickup truck had two rows, so he guided Raven into the back instead of next to Alexis. He pointed in the direction of the trail. “It would’ve taken you a good half hour to get back to the parking lot if you had walked.”

“Theresa said the dog needed a forty-five minute walk. I rounded up.” She flashed a sheepish grin, and they both got situated in the truck. “I hadn’t reached my daily step goal yet, and I needed some time to clear my head.”

He started the ignition and pulled out onto the county highway. “It seems common knowledge that you have a love for dogs.” He hoped his teasing tone would get her to open up.

She groaned. “Why is it that when people say they don’t like cats, it’s okay, but disliking dogs is equivalent to hating babies?” Her eyes widened. “Which I don’t!”

“Good to know.” He smiled in the rearview mirror at Raven, who seemed to be enjoying the conversation. “Dogs make it pretty easy to love them.”

“You mean aside from the presents they leave in the yard, the smell, the drool and the nice things they eat?”

He laughed. “Bad experience?” If she was a lawyer, maybe a dog ate a pair of her expensive shoes.

She stiffened and watched him for a moment, as if considering whether to talk or not. She looked forward. “A rabid dog attacked me when I was little. The scar doesn’t hurt, but when I think about the rabies shots...” She let her voice trail off.

The smile fell off his face at the thought. “That should’ve never happened,” he said softly. “I’m sorry.” It frustrated him to no end that some pet owners neglected treatment of their animals. A simple vaccine would’ve prevented the dog’s disease and Alexis’s pain.

“Not your fault. I’m not scared anymore. I got over it.” She nodded with each phrase, as if reciting a script. “They just aren’t my favorite.”

She pulled her shoulders back and raised her chin. She might have told herself she wasn’t scared anymore, but the way she’d flinched when Raven tried to snuggle proved otherwise. It wasn’t that she disliked dogs, like she tried to infer, but that she was scared.

The mountains served as a backdrop to the rows of trees on either side of the road. If he kept going, the trees on the right side would be replaced by a rock wall. Just before town, all the trees disappeared and a sharp curve provided a gorgeous viewing point for the valley. An unbidden image of having a picnic there with Alexis while enjoying the scenery popped into his head. He’d been so focused on school and career the past several years that he’d saved relationships for later. He never wanted to start one that would only end up in the pain of a long-distance relationship. He’d done that once in college and vowed never to do it again.

“Later” had finally arrived, but he’d yet to find someone in the small town who he could imagine as more than a friend.

She pointed at the black medical bag in between their seats. “So you’re really a vet?”

The question made him laugh. “Why is that so hard to believe?”

She smiled. “I guess it’s not. I just didn’t think our small town could support more than one.”

He made the final turn toward the trailhead. “That’s because it can’t. I bought the practice from Doc Finn so he could retire. He moved to the Oregon coast when I came here.”

Her mouth dropped. “He did? But his office is practically across the street from where I live.”

“My office,” he corrected her.

She pulled her head back in surprise. “But the logo hasn’t changed! Your name isn’t on the building.”

He held back a laugh. She must have prided herself on keeping up to date with all new residents if this bothered her so much. “Barings Animal Hospital had a nicer ring to it than Dr. Nick Kendrick’s Animal Hospital, so I kept it the same.”

She shook her head. “I guess I’ve had tunnel vision.”

“Your law practice staying busy?”

She squinted in confusion. “My what?” Her eyebrows rose and she leaned back. “No. I don’t practice law anymore. I came back to spend some time with my parents. I’ve been working for Theresa’s temp agency until I figure out my next step.”

“Are they ill?”

“Who? My parents? No, they’re doing great. They actually retired to Arizona last month. I’m sticking around until I sell their house. After that...” She looked down at her clasped hands. “Well, I guess time will tell.”

In other words, she wouldn’t be around much longer, so it’d probably be smart to forget the dinner invitation he wanted to extend to her. Now, if she was willing to open up a practice in town that would be another story. He was tempted to ask why she no longer practiced law, but it seemed too soon for what could be a personal question.

The box of Junior Mints he kept in the cup console rattled when he drove over a rock. He spotted her interest. “You want some? I like to have some after work, before I go on a run. It gives me a little extra burst of energy.”

She smiled and almost seemed to be fighting a laugh. “What brought you to Barings? Are you from Idaho?”

“No. I was a city boy, but I wanted my practice to be more than just domestic pets. I like variety and enjoy making house calls for cattle and horses. Barings is a long way from Seattle, but I can make the trip home in one day.”

It could’ve been his imagination, but it seemed she paled. “Seattle, huh?” She pointed to the left. “Turn here.”

The small, dusty lot sat next to a brown outhouse and a bulletin board covered in trail maps. A beat-up, rusted, baby-blue Honda Accord that had to be circa 1980 sat by its lonesome. He gaped. “I see why your cop friend was surprised.”

“Not you, too. The whole town gives me a hard time.” She sighed. “No one sees what I see. This beauty has been faithful to me ever since I bought it cheap in high school. It helped me graduate from law school debt-free.” She eyed him. “Not an easy feat.”