“Did you hear that?” Naomi turned toward the sound, her voice squeaking higher.
“I did.” Micah stepped in front of her, putting himself between her and potential danger.
The action didn’t go unnoticed. She liked knowing that someone was watching out for her, protecting her.
She’d been doing things on her own for so long now. Though she liked being independent, sometimes it was nice to know she didn’t have to carry everything alone . . .
She braced herself for whatever trouble might be waiting just out of sight.
The bushes rattled again.
Then something pushed through the undergrowth.
A figure appeared.
A flash of pale fur blurred past.
It wasn’t a person, she realized.
It was . . . a dog.
A yellow lab dashed toward them, ribs faintly visible beneath his coat.
The animal stopped at the edge of the road and looked at them, tail low but wagging and a cautious hope in his eyes.
Naomi’s breath hitched at the sight of the animal. “Hey, buddy. Where did you come from?”
The dog took a tentative step forward.
Micah seemed to relax a fraction. “You know him?”
“No, I don’t. But he looks hungry.” She crouched slowly, palms open. “Hey, it’s okay.”
The lab padded closer and sniffed her fingers.
Naomi ran her hands gently along his neck, checking for a collar or tags. The dog leaned into her touch as if he’d been waiting for permission.
“Nothing,” she murmured. “He’s too skinny. If he had a collar, it could’ve fallen off.”
“I can contact animal control . . .”
“No, don’t do that,” Naomi said. “I’ll take him back to the rescue. Get him checked out. Give him some food and water.” The lab thumped his tail against her leg, as if voting in favor of her plan. “Hadley will be back in town in a few days, so I’ll have her take a look and see if he’s chipped.”
Hadley Chase was not only Naomi’s cousin—she was also a veterinarian. She was in the process of moving to Blue Ridge Hollow from Atlanta.
Micah nodded and straightened. “After I document the scene, I’ll follow you. I was headed to your place anyway.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Headed my way?”
“I have an update—one I’d like to tell both you and Caleb together.”
“An update on what?”
“The situation with Richard and Sissy. I’d prefer not to say anything else right now.”
In other words, she’d have to wait to hear the news. Richard had been her oldest sister’s husband—a man who was now in prison for her murder. Sissy Sutton was the young woman he was now “dating,” a woman who just happened to give birth to his child two days ago. Sissy had also come to the shelter under false pretenses in order to do Richard’s dirty work for him.
Naomi nodded. “Okay then.”
