Page 3 of K-9 in Pursuit

“Don’t underestimate yourself,” Connor said. “I’d help you with the training. And we’ve got some money in our budget to offset some of the expense. And when you are done, you’d qualify for a pay increase.”

“That’s really generous of you to offer,” Brian said. “Maybe later.”

“Think about it.” He leaned forward and checked the log. “How’s it going?”

“Do you know Sharee Anderson?”

Connor shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

“She’s a blonde, eighteen. Local. Skis here a lot.”

“What about her?”

“She’s got, well, a crush on me, I guess. She keeps following me around. She was here just a minute ago, flirting. It didn’t feel right, being alone with her.”

“You didn’t do anything inappropriate, did you?” Connor asked.

“No! I wouldn’t.” No sense mentioning Sharee’s comment about fooling around with the door locked. “I’ve done my best to discourage her, but she’s not getting the hint.”

“If she corners you again, go outside,” Connor said. “Tell her you need to patrol, or answer a call. Lock the door and leave.”

Brian nodded. Why hadn’t he thought of that? “Thanks. I’ll do that.”

“You might as well get out there and ski a few runs now,” Connor said. “I’ll lock up after you. If I need you, I’ll radio.”

“Did you ever have to deal with anything like this?” Brian asked as he put on his jacket. “A groupie following you around?”

“No,” Connor said. “But I’m not as nice as you are.” He grinned. “We can’t all have that boy-next-door charm.”

Brian growled and headed out the door. His instinct was to slam the door behind him, but of course he didn’t. Polite manners and friendliness were ingrained in his DNA. He was too nice for his own good, apparently.

“HAVE YOU SEEN SHAREE?” Monday afternoon, Chloe Anderson moved among the crowd of teens in the free parking lot off of the main plaza for SkyCrest Ski Resort.

“I saw her just after lunch with one of the ski patrollers,” a young man wearing a Colorado Avalanche jersey said.

“A ski patroller?” Chloe asked. “Was she hurt?”

“Nah. She was riding the lift chair, talking with him and laughing,” a girl in a pink camo jacket said.

Laughing and talking. Sharee never met a person she couldn’t charm. Especially men. She flirted with any male who crossed her path, impervious to Chloe’s warnings that she could end up with the wrong kind of attention.

She left the parking lot and headed up the hill to the plaza, and from there to the base of the lifts. Two more people reported seeing Sharee with a ski patroller. “Which patroller?” Chloe asked.

“The cute blond,” a girl named Jessica said.

“His name is Brian,” a second girl, Charli, said. “He has a really sweet dog named Daisy. She’s an avalanche rescue dog.”

“The dog wasn’t with them when I saw him and Sharee,” Jessica said.

“What were they doing?” Chloe asked. “Sharee and Brian?”

“Oh, Sharee was kind of hanging on his arm.” She grinned. “He didn’t seem to mind.”

He probably wouldn’t, Chloe thought, as she headed for the base area lifts. Sharee was beautiful, and dressed to show off. Men noticed her, and Sharee liked being noticed.

Chloe pushed open the door marked Ski Patrol. Two men, a woman, and three dogs all turned toward her as she stepped inside. “Can I help you?” a redheaded man with a neat goatee asked.

“I’m looking for a patroller named Brian.”