Page 36 of The Love Audit
By the time I reached The Mill, I was thoroughly drenched and more than a little cranky. The warm, inviting smell of coffee and cinnamon hit me as soon as I stepped inside, a stark contrast to the chaos outside. For a moment, I just stood there in the doorway, shaking water off my umbrella and dripping onto the floor.
“Hey, Chief,” David called from behind the counter, his ever-present smile faltering as he took in my bedraggled appearance. “What’s wrong?”
“Oh, uh, nothing,” I said, trying and failing to sound casual. My voice came out tight and unconvincing, much like the halfsmile I attempted to plaster onto my face. “I was just wondering if Jasmine and Tora had stopped by here to get out of the rain.”
David’s brows knit together as he set down the coffeepot he’d been holding. “Well, no, I haven’t seen them.” His voice was tinged with concern. “Let me check with Eleanor. Baby?”
“Yes?” Eleanor emerged from the back, wiping her hands on her apron. Her long curly hair was pulled back in a messy bun, and her eyes, sharp and observant, flicked to me immediately.
“Have you seen Jasmine and Tora?” David snaked an arm around her waist as she drew closer.
“Actually, yes,” Eleanor said, her expression thoughtful. My stomach did a little flip. “I saw them near the library before it started raining. I forgot the keys to the storage closet and had to run home to grab them.” She turned to David, who nodded. “But that was hours ago. How long have they been gone?”
“I… I’m not sure,” I admitted, my voice quieter than I intended. My face must have given away just how worried I was, because Eleanor’s expression softened immediately.
“I’m going to make you some coffee,” she said firmly. “David’s going to give you a ride home in case they come back. Then I’m going to make some calls. I’m sure they’re both fine. They’re probably taking shelter from the rain somewhere. No need to worry until there’s something to worry about.”
The ride back to The Derry House was silent. David didn’t press me for details, and I appreciated his restraint. Sitting at home waiting for the phone to ring was the last thing I wanted to do, but Eleanor was right. There was nothing I could do except wait.
By the time an hour that felt like an afternoon had passed, the rain still hadn’t let up, and there was no sign of Jasmine or Tora. The apartment felt oppressive, the ticking of the clock growing louder with every passing minute. I was done waiting. The prospect of losing Tora was terrifying, but what scared me even more was my concern for Jasmine. She drove me crazy, sure, but the thought of something happening to her… I couldn’t even finish the thought. I had every reason in the world to despise her, but no matter how much I’d tried over the course of our time at Miller’s Cove, I couldn’t. The fear and worry clawing at my chest were revealing deeper feelings about Jasmine—feelings that I’d tried to ignore until I was faced with the prospect of never seeing her again.
I’d spent weeks trying to convince myself that my feelings for her were some misguided form of nostalgia. That maybe these emotions were my way of clinging to a version of Jasmine Morgan that no longer existed—or maybe never existed at all. But standing there, staring out at the relentless rain, all I knew was that I needed both of them safe and back home. And I wasn’t going to rest until that happened.
I’d changed into a set of dry clothes and was just about to grab my phone from the charger when it started buzzing. The sound startled me, a jarring intrusion into the tense silence of the apartment. My heart leapt, hoping to see Jasmine’s name on the caller ID, but instead, it was David’s. I fought to hide my annoyance at not hearing Jasmine’s voice and silently prayed that David had some good news for me.
“Hey, David. What’s good?” I wedged the phone between myshoulder and ear, grabbing my keys and wallet as I made my way to the door. David’s next words stopped me in my tracks and almost made me drop the phone.
“Hey, Derek. I’m at the vet’s office with someone you might know.”
“What is Tora doing at the vet’s office? Is he okay? Is Jasmine with him?”
“He’s fine. He’s just getting checked out. No sign of Jasmine, though. I can wait until the doc gives him the all clear and drop him off for you—”
“Nah, that won’t be necessary. I’m on my way.”
I ended the call and tried Jasmine again. I was almost relieved she didn’t pick up because I was too angry to control what I would say. Why the hell would she take my dog out for a walk in the rain and then lose him? Why the hell wasn’t she answering her phone? Where the hell was she?
The horrible possibility that something could have happened to Jasmine flashed in my mind for a split second, but I pushed it away. Anger was easier to handle than fear, for now.
It was still pouring when I arrived at the vet’s office, the rain showing no signs of giving me a break. My umbrella had already given up on its job, flipping inside out twice on the walk in from the cab, so I arrived looking less like a concerned dog owner and more like a soggy blob with anxiety issues. I didn’t even have to give my name before being ushered into an exam room by a receptionistwho probably wanted to save the lobby from my puddle-making abilities.
Inside, David was crouched next to Tora, trying and failing to keep him calm while Roger, the vet—and, as fate would have it, one of my poker buddies—attempted to bribe my dog with treats. Tora, ever the skeptic, looked at the treats like they were poison and glanced back at David, clearly unimpressed by his effort. I was still hoping that Jasmine had magically appeared between my phone call with David and my arrival at the vet’s office, but I was disappointed.
“Hey, buddy,” I said, letting out a quick whistle. Tora’s ears perked up immediately, and in an instant, he slipped out of David’s grasp and bounded toward me with all the enthusiasm of a forty-five-pound wrecking ball. He slammed into me, nearly knocking me over, his tail wagging like a propeller.
“Hey, buddy. Hey, boy,” I murmured, dropping to my knees to hug him. His fur was still damp, but I didn’t care. “You’re okay. You’re okay.” My voice was soft, reassuring, but inside I was feeling a mix of relief and anger. “What were you doin’, huh? What were you doin’, running around in the rain all by yourself? Where’s Jasmine, huh? Where’s Jasmine?”
Tora, being the charming opportunist he was, answered me by wagging his tail harder and licking my face, which I took as his version ofDon’t ask questions you don’t want answers to, which didn’t make sense.
I stood up and turned to face David, who was brushing dog hair off his pants. He must have seen the storm brewing in myexpression because he held up his hands in surrender and started talking before I could.
“One of my buddies found him about a mile outside of town,” David explained. “He recognized the collar from Wakefield’s. Stephanie from Wakefield’s recognized the dog… and you. So she called me, and…” He trailed off with a shrug, as if to say, “you know the rest.”
I turned my attention to Roger, who was jotting something down on a clipboard. “I checked him out as much as he’d let me,” Roger said, his tone professional but friendly. “But he seems fine. He’s a beautiful dog. I think I’ve only seen one other Kai Ken in my life.”
“Yeah,” I said, nodding. “He’s pretty special. Thanks for taking care of him for me. How much do I owe you?”
Roger waved me off with a laugh. “Don’t worry about it. I took enough of your money last week.” He clapped me on the shoulder, the kind of good-natured gesture that was half camaraderie, half subtle reminder of my humiliating poker loss.
