Chapter 8
Hadley forced her thoughts to focus. “Is Luna eating okay?”
“Some.”
His answers were short, vague, and . . . unusual.
Hadley glanced up briefly, catching him watching her—not the cat, not the exam, but her.
She pushed the unease aside and continued. “We’ll run a couple of basic tests just to be safe. But she seems stable so far.”
“That’s good.” His tone didn’t quite match the words.
With Travis holding the cat, Hadley did a quick blood draw.
“So . . .” Travis leaned back against the counter when she was done. “You’re one of the Kings, right?”
Hadley kept her expression neutral as she looked up. “I’m their cousin.”
“Thought so.” A faint smile tugged at his mouth. “You live out there too?”
Hadley set the cat down, keeping her movements measured. “I help out at the kennel when needed.”
“Must be . . . interesting,” he said. “All those people coming and going.”
Her gaze sharpened just a fraction. “It’s a great kennel.”
“Right.” His smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “That’s what I heard.”
The room suddenly felt smaller.
Hadley turned her attention back to Luna, though her awareness stayed fixed on him now.
“I’ll have Susie schedule a follow-up once we get the test results.” She kept her tone professional and controlled. “In the meantime, keep an eye on her eating and energy levels.”
“Sure thing.”
She eased the cat back into the carrier, closing the latch with a quiet click.
When she straightened, he was still watching her.
“Good to meet you, Doc.” Travis picked up the carrier and headed for the door, pausing just long enough to glance back. “See you around.”
The door closed behind him.
Hadley stood there for a second, listening to the quiet that followed.
Then she exhaled slowly, a faint unease settling in her chest.
She couldn’t explain it and didn’t have anything concrete to point to.
But something about that encounter didn’t sit right.
Max stood in the kitchen with Sheriff Sutherland, Caleb, Naomi, and Millie Anderson—Caleb’s girlfriend who also worked here—to discuss what had happened with Lyndee and how they should proceed. Their dogs all lingered around them, sensing something was wrong—as dogs tended to do.
“One thing’s clear—Lyndee is in danger,” Max stated.
“I agree,” Naomi said, bouncing Grace in her arms. “I wish she’d given me her phone. Then she would have never gotten that message.”
Grace was the three-month-old baby Naomi was taking care of. The baby’s father was Richard—Sarah’s husband, who was now in prison for her murder. The baby’s mother, Sissy Sutton, had asked Naomi to care for the baby while she was also serving time in prison.
The whole setup was a beautiful picture of grace—thus the name. Max knew it had been difficult at times for Naomi, but she’d handled it beautifully.
“We can’t just wait to see how it plays out.” Max took another sip of his coffee. “Who knows what Kenny will do to her?”
“I have one of my deputies looking into Kenny and his background,” Sheriff Sutherland said. “They’re calling the local police in Lyndee’s hometown. We’re also talking to Kenny’s coworkers at the body shop and his family members. Maybe someone knows something.”
There were too many maybes for Max to feel comfortable.
Max glanced out the kitchen window toward the kennel.
Movement caught his attention.
Kendra stood just inside the open doorway, a stack of towels in her hands. She didn’t appear to be working. Instead, her gaze was fixed on the house.
The second he met her eyes, she looked away.
Max’s gut tightened.
She hadn’t taken their breakup well. She’d cried more than he’d expected, and she kept asking him to explain why they couldn’t be together, like maybe there was an answer he hadn’t given her yet that would help things make sense.
He’d tried to be clear, tried to be kind, but nothing he said seemed to give Kendra any peace.
Lately, he’d started to worry it was more than just a hard breakup. Maybe Kendra was slipping into something deeper.
He’d suggested she talk to someone, but she’d brushed off the idea, insisting she was fine. He wasn’t so sure about that.
Sheriff Sutherland’s phone rang and pulled Max from his thoughts.
The sheriff stepped aside to answer it. A few minutes later, he ended the call, slid the phone back into his pocket, and turned toward them.
“Dispatch just got a report,” he told them. “A woman called in from a pay phone at a gas station just east of town.”
“What did she say?” Caleb asked.
“She was crying,” Sheriff Sutherland said. “Said she needed help. But the call cut off before she could give anything else.”
“Was it Lyndee?” Max asked.
“Dispatch couldn’t confirm that,” Sheriff Sutherland said. “But the timing fits. I’m going to check it out.”
“I’d like to go with you.”
Sheriff Sutherland hesitated. “That’s not necessary.”
Max held his gaze. “My aunt and uncle live out that way—remember?”
He knew there was no way Sheriff Sutherland would forget. A showdown had happened there a few weeks ago. No one involved would likely forget any time soon.
“I know the roads,” Max continued. “If Lyndee is out there, I can help find her faster.”
Sheriff Sutherland studied Max as if weighing his response. Then he nodded. “All right. Let’s go.”