Page 5 of Shephard

She wagged her tail hard enough it thumped against the door and the seat, and just about everything else inside the cab.

“What is it?” She never acted this way unless she had something to tell me. I glanced out the rearview mirror, half laughing. “A motel. Here? In the middle of nowhere?” Maybe God was looking out for me after all. “I guess my choice has been made. Huh?” I didn’t want to die here today and a hundred extra miles wasn’t doable. Even as stubborn as I was, I wasn’t stupid.

I only hoped I hadn’t damaged the car in my creative spurt of driving. “Say a little prayer, girl.” At least I only had to crawl about two hundred yards.

Fortunately, the old sturdy Jeep roared to life. She just kept on ticking. I rolled into the parking lot, holding my breath. There were at least six motorcycles positioned in front of a bar and grill, which could mean nothing or could spell trouble dependingon the crew. There were other vehicles as well, which meant the place was likely the only spot to take respite for a long stretch of the road.

I’d come a different route, but I knew the area well enough. Small towns were nestled here and there, a few touristy spots in between and little else. I was lucky I’d had divine intervention.

The hotel appeared old and a little like something from a horror flick given the horrific rainstorm, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. At least the open sign was partially lit and there were other vehicles parked in front of a few of the rooms.

“Well, girl. Let’s grab a room. Maybe after we check in, I’ll head over to the grill and grab us both a hamburger. Would you like that?”

Pepper was one particular pooch. She cocked her head and I rolled my eyes. “Okay. Cheeseburger it is. I know. And fries.” After all the dangerous work she’d engaged in for years, she deserved as many burgers as she wanted.

I groaned again as I glanced out the window at the torrential rain. At least it wasn’t snowing like it was in the mountains.

I hadn’t brought much with me, keeping my visit to two days only. Still, it had been two days too long. At least I had a clean shirt. “Come on, girl. It’s pouring.”

My baby girl responded to my commands without hesitation. Fortunately, Pepper only had to pee, doing that quickly so I wouldn’t look even more like a drowned rat.

Together, we raced into the small motel office, Pepper immediately shaking off excess water.

Onto the floor.

The grumpy-looking dude who entered the tiny space behind the old jewelry store counter eyed me cautiously, but the way he glanced at my pup was positively repulsive. I knew some folks were terrified of this breed in particular, but I knew instinctively the man behind the counter just hated all living creatures.

Pepper gave a slight woof, the sound more like she was huffing. At least her partial verbal okay meant the guy wasn’t a really bad dude or I might wrestle him to the floor for sheer fun.

“What can I do for you?” he asked, doing his best to regroup.

“I need a room for the night.”

“That I can do, but we don’t take dogs. It will need to stay in your vehicle.”

I moved closer to the counter, immediately reaching for my credentials. I could have handled this situation one of two ways. My preferred method would entail unnecessary violence, or so my sergeant had accused me of more than once. I chose the less violent of the two methods by pulling out my park ranger card.

In this part of the country, we were considered as important if not more so than a sheriff of any department. We not only could handle reconnaissance for search and rescue, but were damn good trackers of criminals believing they could escape into the mountains. Our department’s record and reputation were stellar.

We could also arrest lowlife assholes when necessary.

I leaned over the counter, shoving my ID in his face. “This dog is not just a dog. She’s a silver star recipient, expert bomb and drug sniffer who in her spare time has run into burning buildings to save lives after collaring a murderer and arsonist. I think ashighly trained as she is that she will do just dandy sleeping next to me on one of your shitty little beds. Don’t you?”

To me, there was nothing like the sight of making a man sweat. Call me one of ‘those’ women, the bitter kind with an ax to grind. The truth was, I did. I hated all men. Sure, they were pretty to look at and even taste occasionally, but they weren’t necessary in the scheme of life. My favorite saying was that all a successful woman needed was red wine and her dog.

Even his lower lip was trembling. “Sure. Sure. I’ll give you our deluxe room too.”

I wanted to laugh. Deluxe in this roadside shithole? Not possible.

The jerk was quick with checking us in, his shyness at handing me the old-fashioned key allowing a smile to cross my face. I was one mean girl. After reaching the exterior door, I stopped and shot the man a look. “Tell me the cheeseburgers are at least edible at the dive next door.”

Nothing shocked me any longer. His face lit up. I could tell he’d had one too many of the burgers with a glance at his big belly. “They are perfectly charred with the right amount of melting cheese. Add a pickle and some onions, a touch of mayo, and you have the perfect burger. And the fries are deep fried twice to give them an extra crispy coating. Perfection. Don’t forget to add on your favorite beverage. The beer is always ice cold.”

The man was a walking, talking advertisement, but his animation was amusing. “You sold me. My baby is hungry and she gets exactly what she wants.”

A little shock factor never hurt anyone.

We headed to the deluxe room, the dark interior causing a different kind of laugh. At least the bed was king-sized. Maybe that was the deluxe part. I tossed my bag onto the dresser, taking out the second bag carrying two additional handguns and immediately placing it under the bed. Assholes liked to steal from empty hotel rooms, although Pepper would feast on a thief’s arm. Still, I was a safety girl. That much I’d learned in my former life.

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