I slammed my hands on my hips. “You’re going away with that harpy? She’s trying to ruin me.”
He chuckled. “She is not. You make good copy. Stop it, and the news stops.”
“You said she wasn’t your girlfriend,” I challenged.
“She’s not. We enjoy each other’s company, and right now, I need that.” He set a hand on Zena’s head. “I talked to Aiden, and he thought it’d be a good idea for Zena to stay with you right now, anyway. Something about a case he’s working on.”
I loved the dog and would’ve watched her anytime. Plus, if Quint needed time to spend with Jolene to help his peace of mind, I couldn’t begrudge him that. What if they got married? I hid a shiver.
Quint grinned. “Think of the bright side. If Jolene is up north with me, she won’t be writing articles about you.”
Now that was a very good point. I wouldn’t be able to turn down Zena, anyway. “Fine, but you owe me one.” I already had dog food in my pantry for Zena since I watched her once in a while. “I suppose you want to eat lunch here?” I had some good cold cuts in the fridge.
“No,” he said. “I need to pack and get on the road. We should be back on Tuesday.” He looked at my face. “You have a couple of bruises along your jaw.”
“Multiple fights,” I murmured.
He grasped my shoulder. “What’s up, Anna Banana? Come on. Talk to your tough-guy cousin.”
A smile tempted my mouth. “My tough-guy cousin isn’t here. Vince is up north, I think.”
“Funny. I’m tougher than all of my brothers,” Quint said. “What’s on your mind?”
The truth blew right out of me. Quint had always had that effect on me. “Aiden, his case, and the fact that too many of us know he’s with the ATF,” I said. “He’s going undercover understanding that his cover is possibly blown, but he’s still doing it because it’ll get him closer to the, um, bad guy. It’s a weird game they’re playing.” A game of chess. The one Barensky, the bomber, apparently loved to play.
Quint pulled me in for a hug. “Aiden knows what he’s doing. He’s good at his job, and you have to trust him.”
I leaned back. Quint was exactly the right person to talk to about this. His girlfriend had dumped him because of his smoke-jumping job. “I know. I do trust him. Doesn’t mean I can’t worry.”
Quint gingerly touched one of the bruises on my chin. “Worrying doesn’t help anything, and you have to find a balance for yourself. If you can’t live with his job, let him go. If you can live with it, work on some coping skills. Breathe deep or something.” He grinned. “It’s not like you don’t have enough going on in your own life right now.”
He was not wrong.
“All right. Get going on your vacation,” I said. “Try not to fall in love with that woman.”
“I’ll do my best.” Quint hustled out the door before I could change my mind, shutting it quickly. “Lock this behind me,” he yelled as he headed down the walkway.
I looked at the beautiful brown eyes of the calm black Lab. “He’s lucky to have you.”
Her tail wagged.
“How about some doggie treats?” I locked my door and then followed the dog into my kitchen, where she stopped to wait patiently by my pantry. She knew what was up. So I dug out some goodies and gave them to the sweet puppy.
My doorbell rang, and she jumped up and ran to it, her body on alert.
I followed and looked through the peephole at a man and quickly recognized him as Kurt. His hair was mussed, but his beard full. I opened the door.
“I’m Kurt,” he said, lounging deceptively.
“I’m Anna,” I said. “I’ve never had a bodyguard before.”
Zena barked once in warning.
Kurt dropped to his haunches. “Oh, you’re a pretty one.”
Zena was also well trained. She snarled.
I patted her head. “It’s okay, girl. Kurt’s a friend.”
