Zeph Undercover by Jenny Andersen Read Free Book Online Page A

suspect everyone. Not to mention that this is about making it look good. Right?”
    No, this is about me wanting to spend the day with you. “Of course.”
    “All right. Let’s go.” Allie brushed past him to put the CLOSED—MAKING CALLS sign with its emergency number in the window and lock the door. She headed out back to her truck at a business-like pace.
    “Allie, I really—”
    “Forget it.”
    Not in a million years.
    She didn’t pause and he jerked into motion to follow, enjoying the hell out of her trim rear. Something about a well-shaped woman in jeans... And when you actually liked the woman to boot, well…
    Forty minutes later, Betty’s cat had been vaccinated, inoculated, immunized, and protected against things Zeph never knew existed. While Allie packed her gear, he took a quick tour through the house, pausing at Betty’s desk.
    “What are you doing?” Allie stood in the doorway, hands on hips.
    “I’m—”
    “Investigating. I know,” she said with disgust. “Come on.” She motioned him to precede her out of the house. “You don’t even suspect Betty.”
    “Just checking.” He climbed into the truck and dabbed at the scratches on his hand with what had been a pristine handkerchief.
    “Don’t sulk. It’s unattractive,” Allie told him.
    “It hurts.” Not much, but he wouldn’t mind a little womanly sympathy. “And it was a cat. In the house. Animals belong outdoors. Or in the refrigerator.”
    “I advise you not to repeat that. Some people here like their pets.”
    “Cats, dogs, horses. They’re as bad as bears. Wolves. Dinosaurs. I don’t do animals. Especially killer cats.”
    “Big brave detective, remember? This is just a little scratch. What if it had been a bullet?”
    That was last month. It hurt like hell but the hospital gave me drugs and the nurses provided a lot of sympathy. “I’d get you to kiss it and make it well? You owe me. I told you I couldn’t hold the damn thing.”
    “I’ll give you a Band Aid.”
    Zeph looked at the rip across the back of his hand. “So much for womanly sympathy.” At least she’d washed his wounds, and for all her cavalier talk, she’d looked so carefully at the scratches that he’d had to ask if he’d get rabies or some other hideous disease.
    “The bleeding should stop in a few minutes. I’ll put some more salve on it when we get to Monty’s.”
    “Gee, thanks.”
    At Monty’s ranch, she parked by the barn and rummaged in the back of the truck for a box that held animal medications. He hoped they were safe for humans. But her soft hand holding his, her cool fingers smoothing over the back of his hand, made the whole thing worthwhile.
    She capped the tube and put it away. “Okay. Time to go to work,” she said, and led the way into the barn.
    A black and white horse stood in the first stall.
    “You might want to stand out of the way. I’m going to bring him out in the light so I can look him over.”
    Horses. Why did it always have to be horses? He got out of the way while she tied the animal in the doorway. She peered at its eyes and ears and feet, into its mouth and more personal parts, then ran her hands over it.
    “What’s wrong?”
    “Don’t know. Hmm. I wonder...” She pulled out her phone. “Monty? I’m not finding anything wrong with this guy. But I was wondering...he’s usually out in the pasture with that paint mare and I don’t see her here.”
    Zeph could hear Monty’s voice rumbling but couldn’t make out the words.
    “Well, I think that’s your answer. This guy’s missing his friend. He’s lonely.” She listened for a moment, then laughed. “That’s great. He’ll probably start eating as soon as she’s back. I’ll put him out in the pasture to wait for her return.” After she’d done that, she said, “Come on, I’ll show you the other horses.”
    Why? But he followed along. Fortunately there were only four. They all looked alike. Big. Smelly. Dangerous.
    “And this is Dancer,”