Page 6 of Maverick
That was actually thoughtful, but my mind was racing with so many things at the moment, it was hard to keep track. I should ask more questions, make sure they weren’t taking advantage of Dad. But maybe tomorrow.
“And you feed his pigs, too?” Not that I was complaining. That sounded like a pretty good deal, and one less thing I had to worry about.
He smirked. “Yeah. Like composting. It keeps stuff from filling up the landfills. We’re real Earth-friendly.” There was a gleam in his eye I chose to ignore. As long as I didn’t have to feed them, I didn’t care what was in that bucket.
My energy was fading fast. I could probably go for a nap too, now that I’d found Noodle. “I’ve been worried this property was too much for Dad to handle on his own. It’s good to know he has some guys nearby to help out.”
Maverick smiled, and the taut lines of his face relaxed. “He’s a good man. We wouldn’t let him come to harm.”
Noodle finally noticed me and jumped on her hind legs to say hi. “Oof! Down girl. It’s nice to see you too, but I can’t have you mucking up my clothes.” I ruffled her head as she licked my hands and face. Maybe I had missed her. A little bit. “Thanks for bringing her back. Dad will be relieved to know she’s okay. Or he will when he wakes up.”
Maverick scratched the dark stubble along his angular jaw. “Do you know how she got out?”
I shrugged. “I assume he left her out when he went to see the doctor. It wasn’t supposed to be a three-day affair.”
Maverick shook his head. “Nah, that doesn’t sound like Larry. He’s very protective of that dog. If she’s not with him when he leaves, he always puts her inside. He’s too worried about her running into the road or getting attacked by a bobcat.”
“A bobcat?” I glanced around, suddenly feeling very awake. “Is that a new thing?” I didn’t remember anything about bobcats during my teenage visits.
“I’ve never seen one, just the tracks. But we’re in the country,darlin’.”His accent thickened, as if I needed a further reminder of where I was. “There’s also cougars, coyotes, and angry bucks.”
My eyes widened. Definitely time to go back inside.
“Not trying to scare you, but if Larry left her inside like he normally would, that means either she found a way out, or someone let her out. The area is fairly safe, especially with us on the other side of the property line, but I wouldn’t rule out the occasional opportunist taking a shot at an empty house.”
My heart dropped. “You think someone might have broken in? The doors were locked when I brought him home. Well, the front and back were. I didn’t go out to the garage yet. But maybe he did leave her out. It seems he hasn’t been quite himself lately.”
His eyes softened. “Yeah, we’ve noticed that. If you like, I can come take a look and make sure nothing’s been tampered with.”
I nibbled my bottom lip, considering his offer. Bringing home a complete stranger I’d met in the woods seemed like asking to star in aDatelinespecial. But on the other hand, Noodle clearly knew who he was. And he almost knew my name.
I rubbed my forehead. Give me a spreadsheet of data and I could come back with a ten-year strategic plan with goals and financial projections across five departments. But this shit? Peopling? Caregiving? Landownering? I was in way over my head.
“Babe.” Maverick’s deep voice pulled me back to the present situation. “You’re thinking so loud it’s hurting my eardrums. I just want to make sure you and your dad are safe. That’s all. You can say no, and I’ll head back to the clubhouse. No harm, no foul.”
I chewed my lower lip. Maverick did seem genuine, and surely he wouldn’t be feeding Dad’s pigs unless they were friends. I couldn’t imagine any scenario where I would feed random pigs in the middle of the woods. That had to be upper-level friendship. Dad was cranky enough that I knew he wouldn’t let just anyone over to hunt or fish on his property. I looked over at Noodle. She liked the guy well enough, and he had a point about how she’d gotten out. Now that the idea of a burglar being in Dad’s house had entered my mind, I wouldn’t be able to sleep until I was certain there was no secret entry.
I took a deep breath, hoping I wouldn’t regret this decision about the sexy biker. “Okay, yes, thank you. I would like your help.”
5
Maverick
Ileft the bucket by the pen and texted the prospect Dan to come and collect it. He was still in his probationary period where he had to prove his loyalty to the club. Dan had been with us for almost a year, but due to a prospect disaster beyond his control, his time had been extended.
The bucket was empty now, but no sense drawing attention to it. I was lucky Kat hadn’t come up a few minutes sooner. All those frozen limbs and discombobulated body parts would have been quite the shock. I’d let the guys know to avoid this disposal area for a while. This wasn’t our only method for getting rid of bodies, though it was an easy one.
Larry was a great neighbor. He had a bit of a wild past himself, so he didn’t ask questions. He also appreciated the heavy discount he received at my gun shop.
We reached the house and Kat opened the door to let me in. The unlocked door. Noodle bounded inside, running across theopen floor plan, through the living area and kitchen and down the hall to Larry’s bedroom.
“Hush! He needs his rest!” Kat shook her head. “I don’t know how he puts up with her. Maybe while I’m here I can get her into obedience classes.”
“Noodle!” I commanded and her head whipped back. “Settle.” She whimpered but quickly lay down next to the closed door.
Kat’s gorgeous blue eyes turned toward mine. “How did you do that?”
I shrugged, my mouth curling. “Let’s just say I have a way with women.”
