Heat of the Moment by Lori Handeland Read Free Book Online Page B

really,” Becca interjected. “Jeremy said we should leave it as undisturbed as possible.”
    Owen had to force himself to unclench his teeth, which had automatically ground together the instant she said Jeremy again. He indicated his trashed house. “I think that ship sailed a long time ago.”
    â€œNevertheless…” Chief Deb shooed him again.
    Though he didn’t want to stay here, not with that there, Owen refused to be shooed. He’d taken great pains not to be seen walking today; he wasn’t going to ruin that now.
    â€œYou’ll have to stay somewhere else, Owen,” Deb said.
    â€œI don’t have anywhere else.”
    The silence that followed that statement made him wish it back even before Becca spoke.
    â€œYou can—”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œYou don’t even know what I was going to say.”
    â€œI’m not staying at your place.”
    â€œI didn’t ask you to.”
    â€œShe can barely fit in her place.” Deb eyed Owen. “You never would.”
    â€œWhere do you live?” he asked.
    â€œAbove the clinic.”
    â€œIn Doc Brady’s room?”
    Owen had been there once with Becca when they’d brought him a bird with a broken leg. Oddly, by the time they got there, the creature was hopping around on it pretty well, and it had flown off as soon as Doc Brady held it out the upstairs window of his teeny-tiny abode.
    There wouldn’t be room for him and Reggie in Doc Brady’s—make that Doc Becca’s—place, even if he were willing to go there.
    â€œI can stay at a bed-and-breakfast. There must be a hundred of them.”
    More like a dozen, and at this time of year, just after prime leaf viewing, they should be pretty empty.
    â€œUnfortunately none of them accept pets,” Becca said.
    â€œReggie’s better behaved than most of their clientele.”
    â€œNo doubt,” she agreed. “But their clientele doesn’t drool and shed.”
    â€œI bet some of them do.”
    â€œWhat about Stone Lake?” At Owen’s confused expression Chief Deb continued. “Big-city lawyer got sick of lawyering and bought Stone Lake Tavern. Built some cottages on the water.”
    â€œHe lets dogs stay in them?” Owen asked.
    â€œOnly when they bring along their duck-hunting owners to pay the bill.”
    Stone Lake was more of a pond than a lake but ducks still floated on it.
    â€œSounds perfect. I’ll just pack up and be on my way. Don’t feel you have to wait for me. I promise not to touch—” He waved at the altar.
    â€œNot so fast.” Chief Deb held up her hand like a crossing guard stopping traffic. “I have questions for you that I want answered before you go anywhere.”
    Her shoulder mike squawked static. “Say again,” she ordered, moving into the kitchen, nearer to both an open window and town.

 
    Chapter 5
    Owen was acting strangely. Not that finding dead things in your house wouldn’t make anyone kind of off, but—
    â€œWhy is it your house?” I blurted. “I thought it was your mother’s.”
    â€œShe signed everything over.” Owen’s gaze went to the mess and stuck there. “Lucky me.”
    â€œI’m sorry.”
    â€œYou didn’t trash the place.” His eyes came back to mine. “Did you?”
    â€œOnce upon a time, I might have.” I’d been hurt, angry, young, but I also hadn’t been here. By the time I’d returned to Three Harbors for good I was Dr. Carstairs, and I had better things to do.
    â€œDoubtful,” he said. “You were always a Goody Two-shoes.”
    He was right. The one rebellion I’d ever made was him. That had worked out so well, I hadn’t bothered with rebellion, or men, since. Animals were more my speed. They were honest about their feelings. If a dog loved you, you knew it. If it hated you, you knew that too. Pretty damn