Page 51 of Wag More Bark Less

“You could try leaving the house with a coat next time.”

“I could, but what fun would that be?”

I could just picture a future of being permanently chilly while Maggie stole all my flannels.

No. Not going there.

“Who’s Vi?” I asked, crossing the street toward the bookstore.

“My baby sister, Violet.”

“Magnolia and Violet,” I mused.

“Like I said, my mom really loves flowers.” She took a couple of steps forward, and I reached for her elbow to redirect her. “Where are we going?”

“Side quest.”

“Do I get any hints, or do I have to piece this together myself?”

“Brenda’s Book Nook,” I said, nodding at the bookstore as we headed toward the alley behind it. “Brenda’s my mom. My sister owns it now, but it was my mom’s first. She opened it when I was still in diapers.”

Grief circled my chest, guilt quickly behind, but I pressed on despite the discomfort.

“Mom passed away about four years ago. The store stayed open. It’s a ritual at this point, checking the back door to make sure it’s locked.”

“Why are we doing this all Batman style, then?” Maggie asked.

“Batman style?”

“You know, moving in the shadows?”

“The back door’s in the alley,” I said, confused by her question.

“But we’re on foot. And”—she motioned at the pavement in front of us, half illuminated by light, the other half cloaked in darkness—“in the shadows.”

I scrubbed a hand over the back of my neck. “Yeah, I’m not supposed to be here.”

“Are you and your sister in some kind of feud?”

“What?” I laughed at that, because at the beginning of the summer, the answer would’ve been a resounding yes. “No. Not anymore. But I’m supposed to be on leave.”

“Ah, that’s what they meant when they said you have time for the parade float,” Maggie mused.

“Don’t remind me.”

“So you get in trouble for checking on your family’s bookstore unless you’re wearing a uniform?”

“Security checks on our local businesses fall under the responsibilities of the officer on duty.” I glanced up then down the alley, searching for signs of a patrol car before I stepped out of the shadows and into the light cast above the back door to Brenda’s Book Nook. “So, technically, I’m overstepping my role.” Rosalyn would see it that way, anyway.

I rattled the knob, satisfied when it didn’t give, and moved on.

Placing my hand at the small of her back, I guided Maggie back the way we came. Just as we dipped beneath the wooden awning at the west side of the bookstore, she tripped at the transition from pavement to wood plank and stumbled forward.

“Shit! Maggie!”

I leapt in front of her, breaking her fall and nearly tumbling myself. But I twisted my body at the last second, and the log exterior caught my back. I yanked Maggie tightly against my chest, holding her there until everything finally stilled.

“Thanks for that,” she said, her fingers gripping my arms.