Chapter Thirteen
Cait walked briskly awayfrom the diner with the two chow chows trotting at her side. The wintry breeze fluttered through the dried leaves, and a flock of crows cawed, swooping through the air right above her.
Brian’s behavior had spooked her, and she couldn’t shake off the willies. This entire Brian and Mrs. Thornton thing seemed unnatural and weird. Had Brian had a crush on the teacher?
If so, Mrs. Thornton should have discouraged it, not kept in touch with him and ultimately, bequeathing him an antique fire engine.
As for the dogs, it didn’t require much research to find the owners. All Brian needed to do was find the phone number for the senator’s office and let him know he had them. Simple.
Cait took out her cell phone and asked it for Senator Thornton’s phone number. It instantly appeared on the screen, and all she had to do to call him would be to tap the touchscreen.
She’d let Brian do it, though. He seemed to have put himself in charge of the dog project, when in reality, she was the one who’d found the two.
It was too bad she couldn’t keep them. They were really sweet, and even though they needed a bath and grooming, they were peppier this morning after scarfing down a ton of food.
Sierra dragged behind while Melia pulled and wanted to go faster. Their leashes crisscrossed, almost tripping Cait as they sniffed at the fence posts and monument in the center of the small patch of grass.
“Are those your dogs?” A young woman with a large reddish dog with upright ears walked by.
The three dogs immediately started sniffing each other in greeting.
“I found them yesterday,” Cait said. “It was raining so hard and they were soaked to the bone.”
“That’s how I found my dog, too,” the brunette said, reaching out to shake hands. “I’m Linx Colson, by the way, and this is Cedar.”
“Lynx? Like the wildcat?”
“Minx with an ‘L.’ According to my dad, my mom’s a minx. Since I take after her, I’m a little minx, or Linx.”
“Well, my name’s not that interesting, Cait Hart.” Cait shook Linx’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you and your dog. Is Cedar a chow also?”
“Not quite,” Linx said. “We don’t know what she is. Some say she’s a chow-collie mix, and others think she’s a red Akita.”
“She’s a pretty dog.”
Cedar had a reddish brown overcoat, but her chest was crested with white. One paw was whiter than the other, and her face was more white than red, giving her a clown faced vibe.
“She’s my baby.” Linx chuckled, rubbing Cedar’s fur. “Do you live around these parts?”
“My family has a cabin up the hill. There’s no cell service up there, so we came to town to see if we could find the owners.”
Linx flung her wavy brown hair back from her eyes and leaned over to pet Sierra and Melia. “Are you two the sweeties who ran away from the pound?”
Sierra and Melia licked Linx’s hand and wagged their tails, clearly liking her.
“We think they belong to Senator Thornton,” Cait said. “What did you mean when you asked if they ran away from the pound?”
“If they are who you think they are, then the senator sent his wife’s dogs to the pound after she died.” Linx’s eyes narrowed. “I work for a rescue shelter and was on my way to the pound to save the dogs, when they went missing.”
“How long ago was that?”
“A week or so. Their time was running out, and someone from the pound contacted us. We didn’t have space earlier, or we would have taken them. They were next on the chopping block, and either they ran away, or someone at the pound let them go.”
“Wow, that was a narrow escape,” Cait said. She ran her hand through Sierra’s luxurious mane. “Are you saying the senator didn’t want these dogs?”
“Exactly. I wouldn’t send these two back if I were you.”
“Oh, no!” Cait’s pulse leaped, and adrenaline shot through her heart. “My husband’s back at the diner looking up the senator. He could have contacted him already.”
