Page 38 of Texas Scandal

“I sure hope so.” Melody needed to speak to her brother in person in order to judge whether or not Coop could possibly have any involvement, and the conversation couldn’t wait.

Chapter Fifteen

“I need to go see Coop right now.” The stern quality to Melody’s voice told Tiernan she wouldn’t be talked out of the idea easily.

“The sheriff might be there right now,” he pointed out. “The last thing we need is to run into him.”

Melody crossed her arms over her chest, ready to defend her argument. “I will be able to tell if my brother is lying. They won’t.”

Tiernan glanced at the clock. “It’s getting late. We need to grab a bite to eat and turn in early. The vet got sidetracked but he’ll be here in a few minutes. Why not take a shower while I make sure Loki is fine?”

Her gaze swung over to the sleeping dog.

“Loki,” she said under her breath. “I got so wrapped up in my own problem that I forgot how much he must be suffering.” The disgust in her voice was misguided at best. She didn’t need to be so hard on herself.

“He’s resting, which is an encouraging sign,” he reassured. “Believe me, if I thought he was in bad shape, he’d already be at an animal hospital and not resting in his own bed. At this point, the vet visit is just to make sure he doesn’t end up with a secondary infection and to dot everyiand cross everyt. I don’t take chances where his health is concerned.”

She nodded and gave a look of respect and appreciation that melted some of Tiernan’s resolve to keep her at arm’s length. He didn’t need a whole lot of encouragement to go there with her.

“I could use a shower,” she said after a thoughtful pause. She knelt down beside Loki and stroked his neck. “You’re going to be just fine.” She said the words quietly. “You are such a brave boy.”

“Go get cleaned up,” Tiernan urged, figuring he hadn’t met a day so awful that a good shower couldn’t wash it off. Watching her there with Loki put an unfamiliar ache in his chest. The twinge had him thinking about marriage and children, despite the promises he’d made to himself not to fall for anyone again after Corinne. His judgment had been so far off with her that he’d missed the target altogether. How could he trust that he wasn’t falling into the same trap here? He’d known Melody Cantor all of a couple of days. Not enough time to really get to know someone. He’d rushed into a relationship with Corinne. Look how that had turned out. She’d tried to break his reputation and destroy him.

Still, when Melody looked up at him with eyes that resembled spun gold, all he could think of was figuring out how to claim those pink lips of hers and walk away with his heart intact.

He moved closer and offered a hand up, ignoring the electricity charging the air when he got within two feet of Melody. At this point, he was getting used to it. Welcoming it?

“The vet is on his way. Take your time in the shower. Once you’re done, I’ll heat food and we’ll be set for the night,” he said, doing his level best not to give in to the urge to kiss her. A place he usually kept locked up. Corinne hadn’t come anywhere close, and he’d foolishly believed he was in love with her at one point in time.

Melody let go of his hand, excused herself and walked toward the guest room as his cell phone buzzed. He walked over to the counter where he’d left it and checked the screen. Outside, he could hear tires on gravel. Dr. Paul Macy was here.

Tiernan headed toward the front door. The vet had the good sense to text rather than ring a doorbell or knock, knowing an injured dog would still likely run to the door and bark at the noise. Tiernan opened the door and waited for Dr. Paul.

“How is he?” Dr. Paul asked after parking near the front porch and exiting his F-150. He had a medical bag in his left hand.

“I don’t think he’s as badly injured as I initially believed,” Tiernan said. “I’d still like you to give him a good once-over just to make sure.”

Loki limped up to Tiernan and the vet.

“Hey, Loki,” Dr. Paul said, bending down to eye level with the black Lab. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a stinky treat. The man always smelled like liver bits, which was probably the reason dogs loved him. “Let’s go inside and have a look at you.”

Tiernan took a step back and held out his hand for the vet to enter. “Where do you want him?”

“Anywhere he will be comfortable is fine,” Dr. Paul said, leading the way to Loki’s bed in the dining room.

“I appreciate you coming on such short notice,” Tiernan said.

Dr. Paul gave a smile and a nod. “What happened to your workshop?”

The burnt smell was still in the air outside, Tiernan had noticed after opening the front door.

“Arson,” Tiernan answered honestly.

“I’m sorry to hear it,” Dr. Paul said as he set down his bag and then made himself comfortable on the floor. Loki complied with lying down, considering there was another treat involved. “Was Loki around when it happened?”

“He was inside the building with us,” Tiernan said, motioning toward the guest room so Dr. Paul wasn’t caught off guard when Melody came out if he was still around. Chances were that he would be. Tiernan hadn’t had anyone over in a long time.

“I’ll check his lungs,” Dr. Paul said with a frown. “It might be a good idea for me to take him into the clinic overnight so I can give him oxygen just to be safe.”

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