Page 18 of Chasing Shelter (Sparrow Falls #5)

TRACE

Apparently, my inner asshole came out when I was worried.

I’d barked at Ellie as if she’d done something wrong.

But why in the hell was she crouched in front of a dumpster?

She could’ve been hit by a car coming through the alley or jumped by someone from behind.

But as she straightened, waves of her multi-colored hair shifted, revealing the why .

My jaw went slack as I stared at the…creature in her arms.

I was fairly certain it was a dog, but I wasn’t a hundred percent sure. It could’ve been one of those gremlins after it got wet. What if it bit Ellie?

“El, put the dog down.”

Those pale green eyes flashed. “He needs help.”

“And I can call in our K9 unit so he gets it, but you could get hurt.”

She rolled her eyes, and I had the sudden urge to take her over my knee. “He might not smell the greatest, but he’s sweet as can be.” The dog licked her chin as if to punctuate the point, and I couldn’t help but grimace .

“Ellie.”

“Chief.”

“Stop calling me that,” I growled.

Her lips twitched. “Want to give me a ride home so I can get my car?”

“Are you taking him to the shelter?”

Ellie looked at me as if I’d suggested running the furry little critter over with my SUV. “I would never take him there.”

“It’s a no-kill shelter,” I defended. “One of the best in the state.” I wasn’t a monster.

She rocked the dog against her. “He’s been alone for far too long. I’m not about to abandon him all over again.”

Ellie’s eyes glistened in the late-afternoon light, and I wanted to curse. “Get in.”

“Are you taking us to the shelter?” She sniffed.

“No, I’m taking you to the feed store. They’ve got tubs there where you can wash your dog, and we can get you all the supplies you need.”

Ellie stilled for a long moment. “Really?”

“Come on, you and the gremlin get in.”

“Gremlin?” she asked as she climbed into my SUV.

“You’re telling me you don’t see the resemblance? Look at those ears.”

Ellie smiled as she ran a finger over the pup’s ear. “Gremlin. Kind of fitting. Cute and fierce.”

Like someone else I knew. I reached over to give the dog a little scratch, and his head swiveled around as he snapped and snarled. I yanked my hand back. “Jesus.”

Ellie sent me an apologetic smile. “Maybe he doesn’t like men.”

“Whatever,” I grumbled, pointing my vehicle in the direction of the feed store on the edge of town.

But my head was on a swivel, looking for any signs of Jasper.

I’d given the school and Leah a heads-up so they could be vigilant.

The school had been concerned, and Leah had been pissed.

At least I knew they’d both be careful. But I was on edge, knowing things with him were far from over .

“You okay, Chief?” Ellie asked, breaking into the silence.

“It’s Sheriff.”

I could feel her smile without looking. That subtle shift in energy warming the space between us. “You’re extra growly. Are you all right?”

I was as far from all right as you could get, but I wasn’t about to tell her that. “Had a long and frustrating day, and now I’ve got a tiny but vicious mongrel stinking up my SUV and a neighbor whose heart is too big for her own good.”

“Gremlin isn’t a mongrel.”

My gaze flicked over to Ellie. The dog had burrowed into her lap, making himself at home. “No, he’s smart. Found the best person possible to take him in.”

Ellie beamed at me. “You don’t hate me?”

I reared back. “Why would I hate you?”

She shrugged, turning to face the road in front of us. “I don’t know. Since I got here, every time I’m around you, you seem…mad.”

Hell.

“I’m not mad.”

“Okay, supremely grumpy, then.”

“I saw your bruise. That made me mad.” I’d never forget the night she’d shown up at the hospital, worried out of her mind for her brother and Arden and trying desperately to conceal the shiner peeking out from beneath her makeup.

I felt Ellie tense in the same way I’d felt her smile, the energy shifting yet again. But not for the better.

“Oh.” That was all she said. One syllable, no explanation.

Ellie had told Linc she’d hit herself in the face with her suitcase in a hurry to get it down, but I couldn’t help but wonder if it had happened at the hands of her father.

I’d done the math and figured Ellie had lived alone with him for thirteen years while Linc was on the other side of the country.

Who knew what Philip Pierce had put her through in that time?

And I knew what it was like to live in fear of the people who were supposed to care for you .

But I didn’t push. Didn’t demand to know Ellie’s secrets. I didn’t have a right to them.

Instead, we sat in silence until I pulled into the store’s parking lot.

Sparrow Falls Feed & Friends was a town staple.

We loved our animals around here, and they aided the practical and extra pet and livestock owner alike, carrying everything from the staples to dog food that cost more than dinner for Keely and me.

Ellie didn’t jump out right away. Instead, she turned to look at me. “Thanks for bringing me, Chief.”

Why did that make me feel like I’d won a gold medal, the Nobel Prize, and the presidency all at once? “It’s nothing.”

“Not to me. To me, it’s everything.” And with that, she slid out of the SUV.

I hurried to catch up with her, trying not to think about all the ways Ellie slayed me to the bone. I jogged ahead to open the door. One corner of her mouth tugged up. “Such a gentleman.”

That was far from the truth, but I’d let her believe the lie. “After you, madam.”

Ellie giggled as she passed, and that sound hit me square in the chest. I was so completely screwed.

“Hello, and welcome to Sparrow Falls Feed & Friends. How can I serve you and your pet today?” Curtis, an overly cheery twenty-something, greeted us.

“Hi,” Ellie said with a warm smile. “I just found this little guy. We wanted to give him a bath and get some essentials.”

Curtis glanced from Ellie and the dog to me, his eyes widening. “Sheriff. You’re getting a dog?”

I tried not to let the shock of his words annoy me.

Keely had been begging for a pet for as long as she could speak, primarily a dog or a horse.

But with how much I worked, it wasn’t fair for us to get a dog, and we didn’t exactly have space for a horse right now.

But she had plenty of access to them at Colson Ranch and Arden’s place.

Only that didn’t stop her from dragging me into the feed store every other week to look at the bunnies and chickens and God knew what else.

“It’s hers,” I ground out .

Ellie patted me on the shoulder. “Mr. Grumpy Pants isn’t the dog dad, fear not.”

Curtis chuckled. “Good to know. I’ll get you set up. Looks like his fur could use a little help. We’ve got some naturally soothing oatmeal products I’d recommend.”

“That’d be great,” Ellie said. “Thank you so much.”

“No problem. Here’s your stall with some towels, and this is the shampoo and conditioner.”

“Since when do dogs need conditioner?” I asked, raising a brow.

“Hey,” Ellie clipped. “Gremlin deserves a spa day after all he’s been through.”

I lifted both hands in surrender. “Okay. Want me to get some cucumbers for his eyes?”

Ellie stuck out her tongue at me before lowering Gremlin into the tub. “Okay, pal. I’m not sure how you feel about water, but I’ll try to make this quick.”

Gremlin looked up at her with baleful eyes, but Ellie moved swiftly and gently, warming the water before shampooing and conditioning. She had the kind of tenderness you couldn’t teach, and it had the contents of my chest cavity shifting uncomfortably.

“Watch him while I grab a towel,” Ellie ordered, already shifting to grab one from the stack Curtis had left.

The tub was deep enough that I doubted the tiny dog could escape, but I still stepped forward. And that was a mistake.

Gremlin shook his body like he was trying to get rid of every water droplet that had ever come into contact with him. You wouldn’t think so much could cling to his patchy fur, but you’d be wrong. Water flew at me like a firehose unleashed, soaking my uniform and making it cling to my chest.

Ellie let out a strangled sound of surprise, her hand flying to her mouth.

I slowly turned toward her. “What were you saying about him not being a mongrel?”

She laughed silently and lifted the item in her hands to me. “Towel? ”

I took it from her, wiping my face and then my chest. “I don’t even want to think about what diseases I could be contracting at this moment.”

“Hey, I washed him really well.” Ellie grabbed another towel, wrapping the pup in it and lifting him into her arms.

Curtis rushed over, concern written all over his face. “Sorry about that, Sheriff. Those pups can get you. But don’t you worry, we’ve got emergency shirts for just this situation.”

“Emergency shirts?” I parroted.

Curtis nodded far too enthusiastically. “Yup. Here you go. I think this is the only one in your size.”

In my size, and so bright it hurt my eyeballs. It was a pink Hawaiian print with floofy dog heads where the center of the flower blooms should’ve been.

“No,” I bit out.

Curtis’s face fell. “You don’t like it?”

I opened my mouth to agree, but Ellie moved right in. “He loves it. He’s just not sure about how he’ll look in pink. But you don’t need to worry, Chief. It’s going to do amazing things for your eyes.”

Ellie pressed her lips together to keep from bursting out laughing, and I glared at her. “Seriously?”

“Buck up, buttercup. We don’t want you catching a cold.”

I kept right on glaring at her as I unbuttoned my uniform shirt and slid it off.

My white tee beneath was completely soaked, too.

I grabbed the back of the collar and pulled it off in one swift tug, but it was only to find Ellie staring at me.

Not at my face, but at my chest. Her gaze roamed over my pecs and down my abs.

Oh, hell no.

I cleared my throat, and her eyes flew to mine, her face flaming. “Sorry, you put on quite a show, Chief.”