Page 30 of Love on the Run

“What is it?” she asked Bruiser, concern in her voice.

Bruiser merely whined at little.

“Sweetie, what’s up?” Callie bent down to pet the dog, wondering what had happened. Bruiser sent one glance toward Jake, his eyes somehow conveying confusion and immense sadness.

“Oh,” said Jake, suddenly understanding.

“What?”

“I forgot to feed him before we left.”

“Oh, no wonder!” Callie laughed and petted Bruiser some more. “Let’s fix that.”

She went into the house with Bruiser on her heels, just as if she did it every day. Jake noticed, as he trailed them in, that Callie knew where Bruiser’s food was, and that the dog seemed to think that she was now a normal fixture in the house. Hell, he was getting used to that notion too, and he knew better.

At that moment, his cell rang again. “Yeah?” He stepped back outside, onto the front porch.

“Me again,” Ty’s voice sounded tinny.“I’m calling from my car. Traffic’s a nightmare. Listen, what did that girl say when you asked about the car?”

“She admitted to taking it, although considering her state at the time, it’s understandable.”

“What do you mean by her state?” Ty asked curiously.

“I didn’t say?”

“No.”

Jake paused, surprised that he had forgotten to mention one of the most important facts about Callie to his friend. “She had been shot in the leg. She’d driven here all the way from LA, and that’s how I found her. She’d pulled over and passed out.”

“Interesting. Because she’s officially a missing person now. Just showed up this morning. From her picture, I can see why you’re so concerned.” Ty laughed.

“That’s not funny.”

“It’s a little funny,” Ty retorted. “Okay, I take it that for some reason you don’t want the world to know where she is yet?”

Jake considered it carefully. He should report her as found instantly. He was obligated to do so. But something in him rebelled against that. He felt like an outside influence was trying to force his hand. “Not yet. Give me a day. She can’t go anywhere, and I know she has a story.”

“Good luck.”

“Thanks. I know I shouldn’t ask you to do this.”

Ty snorted. “Like this is the first time I bent the rules for a friend. Besides, I know you wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.”

* * * *

Going back into the house, Jake found Callie playing with Bruiser on the living room floor. She had one end of a rope toy, and was holding on firmly as the dog growled playfully, jaws clamped down on the other end. Callie laughed as she nearly lost her hold on the toy, and then again when the dog pulled so hard that she skidded forward. Jake watched them both, wondering what Callie knew that kept her from being that carefree all the time. The woman he was watching now had to be the real Callie, the same one that charmed the folks in the diner, and who encouraged Jessica to make her own movies. It was only when she had to think about her life in LA that she grew tense, when the color and life drained out of her.

“You’re good with dogs. You have one?”

“No,” Callie looked over, startled at seeing him there. “I like them, though.” She caught something in his expression. “What’s up?”

“Well, you’re on the missing persons list. So I really should do something about that.”

Callie paled instantly. “Please don’t. You didn’t tell anyone, did you?”

“Would it be so bad if I did?”

“Yes! If Mal knew where I was, he’d…”

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