Page 34 of Texas Scandal

“He is already involved,” he said. “The person who set the fire was going after Tiernan, as well. This has now become personal for him since the perp brought the fight to his doorstep, twice now.”

She bit her bottom lip rather than mount another argument.

“You can leave him but that doesn’t make him safer, because he’ll go after the perp full throttle,” Prescott said. His logic made more sense than she wanted it to. “If you stay put, it’ll help me contain him so he doesn’t end up in real trouble. As long as you’re there, he won’t take unnecessary risks.”

“You make it sound like he would go rogue and do something stupid,” she said. “If there’s one thing I know about Tiernan it’s that he’s smart.”

“I’m not suggesting otherwise,” Prescott said. “But he could turn reckless in his pursuit of the perp, and everyone involved will be a lot better off if he lets me do my job.”

Before Melody could respond, Prescott redirected the conversation. “The handwriting on the note found on your vehicle and the one in the victim’s pocket match. They have a handwriting expert taking a look at the evidence.”

“It’s creepy but maybe this will help move the investigation in a better direction,” she said.

“We can hope, but I wouldn’t relax just yet,” Prescott warned. “The sheriff is requesting a handwriting sample from you.”

“To clear my name?” she asked.

“Or to prove his case,” Prescott said.

There was no way that would happen because she didn’t write either note.

Melody issued a sharp sigh as a dark figure emerged from the trees. Correction,twofigures were running full force. Her heart would sing if it could hold a note.

“He’s here. Loki’s fine. I’ll call you back,” she said to Prescott as she cut across the lawn, running toward them. As Loki neared, she dropped down to her knees while tears streaked her cheeks.

The Lab bowled her over. She collapsed onto her side as Loki dropped his head down in dog pose. The sight of Tiernan must be what people meant when they described what heaven on earth looked like. Her heart nearly exploded in her chest as the tension she didn’t realize she’d been holding released as though a dam broke and floodgates opened.

By the time Tiernan reached her, she was sitting up and hugging Loki. His fur was slick with—she checked her hands—blood.

Sheer panic replaced calm as Tiernan reached her. A gash on his forehead was pulsing blood. Their gazes locked for a couple of seconds as he took a knee. The worry in his beautiful eyes for Loki while Tiernan was clearly in need of medical assistance himself tugged at her heartstrings.

“What happened?” she asked, studying his gash. “You’re hurt.”

“I’m not worried about me right now,” he said. “It’s probably just a scratch.”

She bit her tongue because Tiernan wouldn’t listen, not right now, not while he was intent on making sure Loki would be okay.

It took a few minutes, but Tiernan was finally able to calm Loki down enough to run his hand over the dog’s head and torso. Loki whimpered when Tiernan’s hand reached his right hindquarter.

“I think I just found the problem,” Tiernan said. In the next few seconds, his T-shirt was off and he was using it to stem Loki’s bleeding while offering quiet reassurances that were working.

Panting on his side, Loki lay flat against the grass. As Tiernan calmed him, Melody found the fireman from a little while ago and asked if he had an emergency medical kit.

“Yes, ma’am,” Jerome said before jogging over to his truck. He followed her over to Tiernan. “That’s a big cut on your forehead, sir. Mind if I take a look?”

Before Tiernan could dismiss the offer, Melody said, “I’ll watch Loki.” She sat near the Lab’s head and stroked him behind the ears.

Jerome hollered at someone to bring a bowl of water for Loki before going to work patching up Tiernan’s forehead. By the time Jerome had cleaned the wound and put antibiotic ointment on it, Loki was lapping up bottled water being poured into another one of the firemen’s hands.

“You’re going to be all right, little buddy,” the fireman said. There was something special about dog lovers. The way they all pitched in to care for strays or dogs belonging to others. She’d seen people stop traffic to help out a lost dog. Restaurants in downtown Austin put bowls in front of their establishments with fresh water for passersby. Dog lovers were a community unto their own.

Before she could give Tiernan an update, an all-black sporty Mercedes-Benz wheeled into the drive, kicking up a dust storm in the process. Through the cloud emerged Prescott, wearing jeans and a hand-tailored black button-down shirt. He walked with purpose straight to the sheriff’s vehicle.

“Our job here is done when the lawyers show up,” Jerome said on a chuckle.

“Thank you for everything,” Melody said, stopping short of giving the man a hug out of gratitude.

“All in a day’s work,” Jerome said before he and his buddy headed back toward their vehicle, stopping off at the sheriff’s SUV first.

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