Page 134 of Tides That Bind

Caroline pulls out piece of paper from her bag.

“I got this last night, but you had already left Ship-Slapped.”

“What’s this?” I flip to the second page, an entry printed out of a data base.

“Tides.”

I furrow my brow.

Caroline folds her lips together. “Silas. He said he passed by the other day, but you and him kind of got into it.”

Lifting my head to the clouds, I curse under my breath.

Caroline points at the entry. “Tides was initially assigned a new handler, except that handler got transferred to a different town. Since Tides is technically property of Oceanside, he didn’t go and he hasn’t been assigned a new handler. He’s in a kennel.”

I squeeze my eyes shut, because now, I really feel fucking awful.

“Technically,” Caroline continues. “He’s anon-workingpolice K9.”

My eyes shoot open and I turn to my sister. “They’re in violation of contract.”

Caroline presses her lips together and nods.

The dead weight that’s been plaguing my chest finally loosens, and the cloud over my head finally floats away.

“We can win this then.” I turn to Caroline. “We can really win this then.”

My sister smiles. “No, Riley.Youcan.”

I park across from Harper’s studio. Apart from people slowly making their way out the door, the quaint street in Oceanside is quiet.

“Oh. The class just ended,” a woman tells me as she slips through the door I hold open.

I find it funny anyone is thinking I’m here for yoga when I’m wearingjeans. “I’m just dropping in,” I tell her as she walks by.

In the small lobby of the studio I’m met with a light, sweet smell, something clean and airy, just faint enough to tickle my nose’s attention at first and then pull me in for another inhale.

Even Harper’s work smells like…Harper.

“Can I help you?” a woman surrounded by a few lingering yogis at the front desk asks.

“I’m looking for—”

“Riley.”

I turn to the side, finding Harper standing in the doorway. “It’s okay,” she tells the other woman. “He’s here to help me.”

I wrinkle my brow, but follow anyway when Harper tips her head. She shuts the door behind us.

“What are you doing here?”

“You told me I could drop in.” Glancing around, I find a bunch of put-out, well burned candles sitting on a table in the corner.

Harper leans against the wall, giggling. “I meant for aclass.”

“Yeah, well,” I begin, pocketing my hands and rocking on my heels. “I prefer something a little more private.”

Pushing off the wall, Harper takes a step closer. “I could stretch you out in private at home,” she offers coyly as her mouth slides into a tiny grin.

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