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“Why do I have to give you all that?” the man grumbled.

“Because I asked for it,” Killian replied sternly, not backing down from his position of authority. The man reluctantly handed over the documents. Killian read the information to Sam so he could run a check on him. When Sam told him nothing came back on him, it only frustratedKillian more because he really wanted an excuse to have Sam arrest the irresponsible owner. With a heavy sigh, he handed the documents back to the man, before tending to the dog once more.

“Who’s going to pay for the window?” the man asked, clearly more concerned about his damaged vehicle than the life of the animal.

Killian clenched his jaw. “Are you fucking kidding me? You are. I have every right to bust a window in a vehicle if I think an animal is in danger of dying because of jackasses like you.” With that, he scooped up the dog and carefully placed it on the backseat of his truck.

“Agent? Can I go?” the woman asked him.

“Yes, ma’am. Thank you.”

“No, thank you. I didn’t know what to do.”

“Find a brick,” Killian said with a grin. The woman smiled, then crossed the street.

“Can I get my dog back?” the man asked.

“Not if I can help it,” Killian snapped.“It is illegal to leave your pet in your vehicle at any time that there is a chance that they will be hurt before you get back. That includes when the temperatures soar to a point that your vehicle turns into an oven. Like this one. I could feel the heat coming from inside when I broke the window. You can’t tell me you’ve never heard not to leave your dog inside a hot vehicle.”

“So, what happens now?” The man dodged the question.

“You’ll be convicted of the offense of cruelty to animals and be fined an amountnot to exceed one thousand dollarsor be imprisoned in the county jail for a term not to exceed one year, or both. People like you shouldn’t be allowed tohave animals. The sheriff will be here shortly. You can ask him if you can get your dog back, but don’t bet on it. I told him I was taking the dog to the vet, who also happens to be his wife, so he’ll probably tell you he will confiscate the dog. You sure as hell do not deserve it.”

“I really didn’t think I’d be that long. I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, you’re sorry, alright.” Killian walked back to his truck, opened the back door to see the dog with its head up, but still panting, so he got a bowl from the back and filled it with water, and held it while the dog drank from it. Killian ran his hand over the dog’s head. “I’m sorry, buddy. I’ll get you taken care of.”

He got his phone from his pocket and called Dr. Tessa Garrett. Once he told her the situation, he drove to the animal hospital.

Chapter Nine

Saturday afternoon, Celine sat in the middle of her living room floor, staring at all the parts lying in front of her. She came home from having lunch with Sydney to find the bookshelf she ordered leaning against the house beside the door. She was going to wait to put it together, but she was never one to let something just sit, and she loved putting things together.

A sharp knock on the door startled her, causing her to jump up from the floor where she had been sitting. She cautiously approached the door, peering through the peephole before opening it to reveal Killian standing there.

“Hi, come in,” Celine said, excited at seeing him again.

Killian removed his cowboy hat and wiped his feet on the mat before stepping into the townhouse.

“I was just heading home and wanted to stop in and say hi.” His piercing dark eyes locked onto hers as he leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips, then slowly raised them. “Hi.” He glanced around. “What are you doing?”

Celine couldn’t help but feel a flutter in her stomach at his unexpected visit. “I’m putting a bookshelf together. I thought you didn’t work weekends,” she commented.

“I’m not working. I had lunch at the diner with Kian, then I saved a dog. I hope it’s alright I stopped without calling first,” he replied, hishand brushing against her cheek.

“You saved a dog?” Celine asked, gesturing to him to have a seat on the couch. “Would you like a cup of coffee?”

“No, thanks, but I will take a glass of water, if that’s okay.”

“Of course. I’ll get it.”

“I can.” He headed toward the kitchen and returned within a few minutes with a glass of ice water in his hand and sat on the sofa. As Killian made himself comfortable, Celine sat beside him.

“Tell me about the dog.” As she listened, he told her about the young dog he rescued. “Where is the dog now?”

“At Tess’s hospital. He needed fluids and she wanted to keep him over the weekend.”

“What’s going to happen to him?”

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