tails wagging. They sat and waited patiently.
“Good pups.” Risa opened the door and froze at the sight before her. “Blimey.”
Her mum parked the ugliest car on the planet behind Risa’s SUV. Ugh. The Beast. Once upon a time, back around nineteen eighty, it had been avocado green. Now it had faded to the color of something she’d seen in a baby’s diaper. Why? Why her? What had she done that was so heinous, life would punish her this way?
Maybe they were leaving her the Honda and taking the Beast to the junkyard? One could hope… even in vain.
Her dad bent down to inspect the rear tire on the Santa Fe, looked to the front, then made his way around the vehicle. He didn’t say a word when he finished, but took his time scanning the house and property.
Mum kissed her cheek and turned to look at what caught her dad’s attention. “What the hell have you done to your car this time?”
“Miranda,” her dad warned.
“What? It’s a perfectly acceptable question, given the current situation. Not to mention Risa’s history of forgetting simple maintenance.”
Her dad wrapped her in a bear hug, crushing her a little. “Have you called the police, Pumpkin?”
“Police?” Her mum’s voice changed to concern as her hand flew to her heart. She looked around.
“Those flat tires weren’t an accident or an act of carelessness. Was anything else damaged?” he asked.
“Yes, I called the police first thing. They’ve been by, for whatever good that’ll do. And no, the damage is limited to my tires.” She turned back to the house, where two wet noses were pressed against the glass, waiting for love from their favorite people. “Mum, Dad, why don’t you come in and we can talk. The pups are being patient and I’ve made Patriot Popovers.”
“Huh, you mean bastardized popovers,” Mum grumbled. “I don’t know why you feel the need to mess with a perfectly good recipe and add all that fattening stuff.”
“Because everything is better with bacon and cheese, Mum,” she called over her shoulder as she entered the house.
Her mum made another disgusted sound, and her dad chuckled. The dogs remained sitting until she gave them the release sign, then they ran and greeted the grandparents. Risa got out mugs for tea and plates for the popovers. Mum might complain about her modifications, but she’d no doubt eat at least two.
Once breakfast had been served and the dogs settled down, her dad turned to her.
“When did this happen?”
“I’m not sure. Sometime after it got dark last night and before I woke up this morning.”
“Didn’t the dogs bark?” her mum asked.
“Well, they did last night, but I didn’t think—”
“… that it was anything because you were singing in the shower again,” her dad finished.
“Yes. To be fair, they bark when other people sing, too.”
“Name one person on the radio they bark at,” Mum said around a bite of food.
Her dad chuckled. It wasn’t a secret that neither Risa nor her mother couldn't carry a tune to save their lives, but Mum would never admit they barked at her singing.
“What time was that? Did they bark at any other time?” he asked while slathering honey butter on his roll.
“Last night around ten. It’d been a long day at work, and Dr. Lagasse is still gone. I got off around seven, ran to the grocery store, and by the time I finished everything around here, I was hot and exhausted. I took a quick shower and fell asleep in seconds.”
Her mum dusted off her fingers and turned to her dad. “She needs a security system. Living out here in the woods, all alone. I told you both this was a bad idea.” She sat back, arms crossed around her stomach. “Prime target for murders and ruffians.”
“Mum, I have an alarm system. Two, as a matter of fact. And no one uses the word ‘ruffian’ anymore.”
“Bollocks. It’s a perfectly acceptable word. And those two love bugs wouldn’t hurt anyone.”
Her mum was wrong. While both dogs were friendly and well-behaved, Risa had seen them in protective mode when her ex had decided to be a jerk. However, she had a point about her being out in the middle of nowhere, making her and her home the perfect spot for unsavory types. She had her animals to think of and should look into how she could increase the security. She’d look into that later. Right then she needed to put her parents at ease and get to work.
“So Mum, Dad, what are you going to do with the rest of your day? And please don’t tell me, ‘Go home and have a bit off of the other.’”
She rolled her eyes at her mum’s blush and her dad’s grin. As if they haven’t told her that before. No child, no matter how old, wanted to hear about her parents’ sex life.
“Your dad’s going to take me for a proper breakfast and then we’re going to our travel agent’s and plan our holiday,” Mum said.
“I didn’t know travel agents still existed. Where are you going this time?”
“Biking through the French countryside.” Mum sat up, her eyes glittering with excitement. Risa looked at her warily. “You should come with us, darling. Think of all that lovely fresh air and exercise. Plus, you never know whom you might meet, like a French veterinarian. I’ve always adored the French. Such great fashion sense.”
Oh boy, just what she wanted: Being the third wheel on her parents’ romantic holiday. Watching them wander off on moonlit walks. Seeing their sleepy, relaxed, satisfied smiles over morning pastries. And let’s not forget suffering through Mum’s matchmaking attempts.
“I would love nothing more than to spend my holiday with you both, but there’s a good chance I’ll be promoted to head veterinarian before next summer. I wouldn’t want to be so far away, in case anything happened. Probably wouldn’t look very professional of me, so thank you, but I’ll pass.” She was rambling and not doing a very good job of hiding her true thoughts, given the knowing smiles on both parents’ faces.
“Suit yourself, darling.” Mum stood and smoothed out her sundress. “Your father and I really should be going. Thank you for the, um, snack. And please do take care of my car.”
Risa walked them to the door, then kissed her mum and hugged her dad.
“Call me if you notice or hear anything, and I’ll stop by on our way home this afternoon to check on the animals for you. Oh, and careful with the Beast. Wouldn’t want to wreck her perfect paint job.” He whispered the last part, and Risa had to bite her lip to keep from laughing.
“Thanks, Dad. You’re the best.”
* * * *
The days were ticking down on the calendar. Tired of waiting for his dream job, Jax made a plan. He sat back and scanned the information entered into the online application. The NSA wasn’t his first choice, but it beat Diego Garcia. Next up, Homeland Security. Hell, at this point, he’d be happy to deal with cranky travelers checking carry-on bags, if it meant not sleeping in his truck or going to an island in the middle of nowhere.
Unable to stare at the computer for another minute, he got up and strolled to the window. He told himself that it wasn’t because he had the perfect view of the base veterinary clinic, but he’d found himself in that particular spot several times since Bella’s accident. The good doc wasn’t hard to miss. She was tall, all legs, long blond hair and, best of all, warm caramel-brown eyes.
He could argue that what caught his attention the most had been her smile. It was genuine and playful. But he was a guy, and that smile was only one of many traits he admired on the lady.
Risa tended to come in to work