Chapter Five
Tiffany pounded the snooze button on her alarm for the second time that morning. How many times would it sound before giving up and accepting she wasn’t getting out of bed.
She yawned and rubbed her temples. Staying in bed wasn’t an option, unfortunately, no matter how much she wished she could this morning. Even if she didn’t have a job to go to, she had a puppy to take care of.
An adorable, sweet, gentle, puppy that also insisted on barking the entire night. For two nights in a row. At some point last night, out of sheer desperation, she’d layered several towels on her bed and laid Lilly on top of them in case she had an accident.
While she’d never imagined herself as a dog-in-the-bed person, she also wasn’t a get-by-with-no-sleep person either. So it was that Lilly ended up in bed with her, snug as a bug in a rug and quiet as a church mouse once she was once again near her new owner.
Tiffany propped herself on one elbow and watched Lilly sleep. Her little tongue hung out just a bit, and she slept soundly. “It’s hard work crying all night, isn’t it little one?”
Who could blame the pup? She’d been pulled from the only life she’d known. It would take time to adjust. Taking advantage of the dog’s slumber, Tiffany quietly slid out of bed with as little movement as possible. She shuffled to the kitchen and put a pot of coffee brewing, then jumped in the shower.
Lilly was stirring when Tiffany left the bathroom. She leashed the dog and took her outside. The house training was going wonderfully so far, and there had only been one accident in two days, for which Tiffany was grateful.
Upon returning inside, she poured a cup of coffee, not bothering to add sugar or milk. She needed it strong this morning, with nothing to cut it down. While it cooled enough to drink, she fed and watered Lilly.
“Ready to meet more new people?”
Lilly gave her a passing glance before lowering her head in the bowl to eat. She’d grab a morsel of food in her mouth, looking at Tiffany, then eat it. Every feeding time was the same. When Lilly finished, she would run to Tiffany with a smile until she acknowledged the empty bowl. The process made Tiffany giggle now, although, initially, she’d been worried that she hadn’t been giving Lilly enough food.
She finished getting ready for work, then put Lilly’s blanket in the carrier. She’d called Rachel yesterday for permission to bring Lilly to work for a few days while the pup adjusted. Lilly came to her and didn’t fuss about being put in the carrier. Other than at night when she cried, Lilly seemed to trust Tiffany. That made her happy.
The drive into work went smoothly and quietly, for which Tiffany was grateful. It wasn’t so much that the crying bothered her as much as it was that if Lilly was crying, she was upset, and Tiffany wanted her happy.
The good mood she’d managed to find despite lack of sleep crashed to pieces when she pulled into work and saw a marked police unit with lights flashing. Her stomach muscles clenched as she imagined what could have brought them to Hope House.
Police visits weren’t unheard of, but neither were they common. Carl, head of security, did an amazing job ensuring all residents and employees remained safe. Unfortunately, there were rare times when it became necessary to call law enforcement.
She glanced at the carrier. She had no choice but to take Lilly in with her, regardless of what was happening inside. Gathering her belongings, she said a prayer for whatever the situation was. As she stepped out of her car, an ambulance sped into the parking lot, followed by two more marked and one unmarked police vehicle, all with lights flashing.
The situation must be fluid and still happening, which explained why she hadn’t yet heard from Rachel. She waited a minute in case any other first responders came. She didn’t want to be in their way.
Each step toward the building ignited dread deep in her gut. Something was very bad.
The lobby was eerily quiet. She poked her head into Rachel’s office but didn’t see anyone. The double doors leading to the cafeteria opened, and an officer walked out with his phone on his ear.
When he saw her, he held the phone to his side. “Ma’am, no one is allowed back there right now.”
“I work here. Children will be waiting for me at the daycare.” She set down the carrier so she could show him her badge.
A moment of indecision flashed in his eyes. “Another officer will stay with them until the scene is clear.”
“What happened?”
“I’m not at liberty to say. I’m sorry.”
She understood protocols, but it didn’t mean she liked it. With little choice, she waited by the doors for any word, silently praying.
Footsteps sounded, and she backed away from the doors to escape being hit.
Rachel stepped through with tear-stained cheeks.
A detective closely followed. It took Tiffany several seconds to realize that detective was Connor.
He shifted his gaze from her to the carrier. Glared at her. “You live here? I should have known. You told me you’ve been clean for five years.”
Too stunned to respond, she blinked back tears.
