Guarded by Mary Behre Read Free Book Online Page B

other hand, still reeked of dog and mud. She pointed to the bathroom door. “If you’re done, I’d like to get cleaned up.”
    “Sure.” He stepped out of her way. She started past him, but he caught her hand. His large, warm hand engulfed hers. “Thanks for the shower. And I’m glad to see you.”
    She couldn’t hold back the smile. He was glad to see her.
    Not half as glad as she was to see him. Maybe, just maybe, he could help her solve the case of the missing animals
and
indulge her in a long-time fantasy, the one of them naked, which she’d had all through college, despite being devoted to Cam. It was the kind of fantasy one might have about a superstar. Only her superstar stood deliciously real in her bedroom.
    Oh, she couldn’t do this to herself. When she’d brought up his girlfriend, he hadn’t said a word about her being gone. Or even his being single. Frack! So her little fantasy was completely out of the realm of possibility.
    She needed to focus. He was here because she needed his help to solve a mystery.
    Extracting her hand from his, she stepped around him.
    “Give me fifteen minutes to shower, and we can drive over to the zoo. I can tell you all about what’s been happening on the way over.”
    *   *   *
    “W AIT, IT’LL BE close to check-in time. Why don’t I drive separately and we can talk at lunch after. There’s someplace to eat over there, right?” Dev said, then wished he hadn’t. Shelley looked slightly crestfallen.
    “Sure, that makes sense. There’s a little café across the street from the zoo. We can grab a bite to eat there. Then you can check into the hotel, it’s just a few blocks up.”
    “How do you know where I’m staying?”
    “It’s Elkridge.” She gave him a look that said she thought he was a complete idiot. “There’s only one hotel in town.”
    “Oh, right.” Way to go, Dev.
    “I’m going to get cleaned up.” Although her voice had lost some of the excitement, she pasted a smile on her face that was nearly believable. “Give me fifteen minutes and I’ll be ready to go. Do you need anything? There’s tea and coffee in the kitchen. Help yourself.”
    “Thanks, but I’m good. I’ve got a few calls to make.” Dev pulled his cell phone out of the pocket of his ruined jacket, shoving the jacket and suit pants into his duffle bag. He zipped it up at the same time the shower turned on.
    Dev stepped into the living room and exhaled a hard sigh. This was pretty damned weird. He hadn’t seen or spoken to her in three years, and within thirty minutes of their reunion, he’d learned Cam had lied
again
, he’d been attacked by a dog
and
a ferret, and he’d gotten the impression his unrequited attraction to Shells wasn’t so unrequited.
    If the afternoon hadn’t been
Twilight Zone
enough, Dev had gotten naked in Shelley’s apartment. Too bad the naked part had been solo and relegated to washing up after said animal attacks.
    Scrubbing a hand down his face, he dialed Seth’s number. He slipped his wristwatch on while the phone rang.
    “English here.” Seth, his partner, formal as always, must not have checked his caller ID.
    “It’s me,” Dev said. “I’ve found her.”
    Seth audibly exhaled. “That’s great. When are you two coming back to Tidewater?”
    “She doesn’t know yet.”
    “Damn it, kid. What are you waiting for?” Seth’s voice carried a mixture of relief and anxiety. “Tell her and come on home. I want to surprise Jules with the good news.”
    Dev rolled his shoulders to release the tension coiling in them again. “Look, it’s been a crazy day. I’ll tell her soon.”
    Silence.
    And more silence.
    Dev let it go on a bit too long because Seth said, “That’s it? ‘It’s been a crazy day, I’ll tell her soon.’ Jones, help me out. Why are you taking so long? Just tell her and get your ass back here. We have a new case. They just found McGivern’s partner, Colbert Rush. In pieces.”
    Pieces. Christ, that’s