Page 39 of Smoky Mountain K-9

He returned her smile and wave.

“Sorry we’re a bit late. Meredith was a little fussy, and I didn’t want to leave her until she settled,” Gemma said. “Although, it looks like you just got here too.”

Carter nodded.

“Do you know if Brooke and Johnathan are on their way?” Mara stepped up beside him.

“They’re not coming.” Gemma wrinkled her nose, annoyance on her face.

“What?” Mara glanced at Carter, then back to Gemma. “Why?”

“Johnathan had to go out of town at the last minute.” Gemma rolled her eyes, her expression telling Carter she didn’t buy that story.

“Didn’t this happen to you guys one other time?” Mara asked.

“Yep.” Gemma let the last letter pop. “I know she says she’s happy, but sometimes I wonder if she’s lying to herself. They never do anything she wants to do. Something always comes up.”

Carter frowned, not liking the sound of that. “She’s never shown signs of abuse, has she?”

“No. She can be deferential to him, but I don’t think he’s ever hit her. And she’s not afraid of him. Right, Mara?” Gemma’s gaze flicked to her friend.

Mara nodded. “I’ve actually only met him a few times, but they seemed like a normal couple. But I understand what you mean about the way she acts with him. She does tend to do what he wants. It’s more like she’s worried he’ll leave, though, than because she’s scared he’ll hurt her later.”

Carter glanced at Ben, whose face was carefully blank. That alone told Carter the man had his own opinions about Brooke’s fiancé, but didn’t want to rock the boat. Something about Johnathan likely bugged Ben, but it wasn’t rooted in anything except a feeling. Carter vowed to pay attention when he met the man. He owed it to Brooke to make sure she was safe and happy. Without her, he wouldn’t have Mara.

Ben broke eye contact with Carter and put a hand on his wife’s back, ushering her closer to the hostess stand. “Come on. We can’t do anything about Brooke and Johnathan right now. Let’s enjoy our dinner.”

Carter understood the implication in Ben’s words. They’d make sure Brooke wasn’t in any danger.

The hostess returned and motioned for them to follow her. She led them through the restaurant to a round booth in the corner. Carter waited for Mara to slide in, then sat down beside her. Ben did the same with Gemma on the other side. The hostess handed them menus and took their drink orders, then left.

“What are you going to get?” Mara leaned into him, her voice soft.

“I was thinking one of their spicy sushi sampler entrees.” He loved sushi, but only if it had a kick.

She wrinkled her nose. “You better brush your teeth and gargle with mouthwash before you kiss me.”

He chuckled. “What don’t you like? The spice or the sushi?”

“The seaweed. It just tastes like seawater, which is gross. I’ll eat the unwrapped stuff, though.”

“So, what are you going to get?”

“Probably the hibachi plate,” she said with a chuckle.

Their server appeared with their drinks. Carter was about to ask the others if they were ready to order when his phone dinged with the alert tone for his new security system. He glanced at the young woman. “Can you give us a few minutes?”

She nodded and walked away as Carter opened his phone and clicked on the notification. His eyes went wide.

“What?” Ben’s voice held a note of authority.

“Something’s going on at my house. Maverick’s going nuts in his kennel.” He couldn’t see the inside of the house, but he could hear the dog on the exterior camera. Opening the controls, he turned the camera on the corner of the house closest to the dog’s kennel and pointed it toward the window. The curtain fluttered in the breeze through the broken window. “Shit. Someone broke the window.”

Ben had his phone out in an instant and was on the line with dispatch to send a cruiser to his house.

“That doesn’t sound right.” Mara frowned, leaning closer.

A furrow formed between Carter’s eyes. “It doesn’t, no.” Maverick’s barks weren’t what he would expect from someone breaking the window. Instead of deep and holding a note of warning, they were sharp and panicked. “Something’s wrong.” He looked up at Ben. “Tell them to step on it.” He scooted toward the edge of the booth. “We need to go.”