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Authors: Tamra Rose
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sat down, taking her trembling hands into his own. "It's certainly understandable."
Shelley felt herself relax a bit, her hands now steady in Matt's strong grip. "Matt, who in the world is doing this?"
He sighed, clenching his jaw in frustration. "I don't know, Shelley, but I'm going to find out. I promise you that."
"The thing I'm most worried about right now isn't me, but my pets. It’s almost as if whoever is doing this knows that my pets are like my kids, and I’d be devastated if they were harmed."
"Maybe you should have your pets stay somewhere else for now if you're worried about them while you're away during the day."
It sounded like an easy enough solution, but Shelley knew how attached animals became to their home. Still, their ultimate safety had to be her chief concern at this point. "My sister can probably take my cats. I can probably keep Floppy here." As she noted Matt's quizzical expression, she added, "My rabbit."
He smirked. "Of course."
"But I'm not sure about my dogs." She looked up at him, her eyes anxious.
"Refresh my memory. How many dogs do you have?"
"Only three."
Matt sighed, then smiled and shook his head. "All right. I'll watch them for you. Bring them over tonight."
"Are you serious? Do you have room? What about Carly?"
"I have a good-sized, fenced-in area for them to run around in. Right now Carly's staying upstairs in my bedroom, so the other dogs can stay downstairs."
"It will only be for a short time," Shelley insisted, hoping she was right.
"I was thinking the longer, the better," Matt replied to Shelley's surprise. "I know you can't go more than a day without seeing your dogs, so as long as they're staying with me, I'll get to see you as much as they do."
Shelley looked down at the floor and smiled. When she looked back up, her eyes met Matt's and she felt something stir deep inside of her. "This is such a nice thing for you to do.”
"Don't think anything of it. I know how I'd want Carly to be safe if I was in a similar situation."
"Still, what you're doing is definitely above and beyond the call of duty."
He tenderly brushed her cheek. "Maybe if you were just someone who filed a complaint with the police. But you're more than that to me."
Whatever had stirred inside of Shelley earlier was now tightening up. As much as she wanted to hear these words from Matt, it frightened her as well. Was she becoming too attached to someone who she ultimately couldn't allow into her life? After Ted had died, she knew with every fiber of her being that she could never be involved in a situation that left her feeling constantly insecure. And that's how she would feel with Matt. Not because she couldn't trust him or depend on him, but because she couldn't trust the people and situations he would encounter on a daily basis as a police officer. Everyone was trying to convince her that Fairfax was too small a town for her to worry about Matt's safety. But he had inadvertently admitted his vulnerability to risk the other night by telling her that there was still an active, armed robbery ring that was ready to strike again.
"Hey," Matt said gently, lifting Shelley's chin with his hand. "What's wrong? You look a million miles away."
"I'm sorry. I was just thinking, that's all."
"Still don't trust that I'm a good dog-sitter?"
She smiled. "I know you will be. It's just ... I don't know. Part of me is still shocked that this is all happening. Who could I have angered enough to do this to me?”
"It's nothing you did, Shelley. It usually isn't in cases like this." He paused, looking slightly exasperated. "Look, you've worked out a way to keep your pets safe, but what about yourself? I don't like the idea of you being out in the middle of nowhere all alone every night."
"I'll be okay."
"You mentioned the other night that you’re close to your sister and she doesn’t live far from here. Why don’t you stay with her until this situation is straightened out?”
"I don't want to leave my
Shelley felt herself relax a bit, her hands now steady in Matt's strong grip. "Matt, who in the world is doing this?"
He sighed, clenching his jaw in frustration. "I don't know, Shelley, but I'm going to find out. I promise you that."
"The thing I'm most worried about right now isn't me, but my pets. It’s almost as if whoever is doing this knows that my pets are like my kids, and I’d be devastated if they were harmed."
"Maybe you should have your pets stay somewhere else for now if you're worried about them while you're away during the day."
It sounded like an easy enough solution, but Shelley knew how attached animals became to their home. Still, their ultimate safety had to be her chief concern at this point. "My sister can probably take my cats. I can probably keep Floppy here." As she noted Matt's quizzical expression, she added, "My rabbit."
He smirked. "Of course."
"But I'm not sure about my dogs." She looked up at him, her eyes anxious.
"Refresh my memory. How many dogs do you have?"
"Only three."
Matt sighed, then smiled and shook his head. "All right. I'll watch them for you. Bring them over tonight."
"Are you serious? Do you have room? What about Carly?"
"I have a good-sized, fenced-in area for them to run around in. Right now Carly's staying upstairs in my bedroom, so the other dogs can stay downstairs."
"It will only be for a short time," Shelley insisted, hoping she was right.
"I was thinking the longer, the better," Matt replied to Shelley's surprise. "I know you can't go more than a day without seeing your dogs, so as long as they're staying with me, I'll get to see you as much as they do."
Shelley looked down at the floor and smiled. When she looked back up, her eyes met Matt's and she felt something stir deep inside of her. "This is such a nice thing for you to do.”
"Don't think anything of it. I know how I'd want Carly to be safe if I was in a similar situation."
"Still, what you're doing is definitely above and beyond the call of duty."
He tenderly brushed her cheek. "Maybe if you were just someone who filed a complaint with the police. But you're more than that to me."
Whatever had stirred inside of Shelley earlier was now tightening up. As much as she wanted to hear these words from Matt, it frightened her as well. Was she becoming too attached to someone who she ultimately couldn't allow into her life? After Ted had died, she knew with every fiber of her being that she could never be involved in a situation that left her feeling constantly insecure. And that's how she would feel with Matt. Not because she couldn't trust him or depend on him, but because she couldn't trust the people and situations he would encounter on a daily basis as a police officer. Everyone was trying to convince her that Fairfax was too small a town for her to worry about Matt's safety. But he had inadvertently admitted his vulnerability to risk the other night by telling her that there was still an active, armed robbery ring that was ready to strike again.
"Hey," Matt said gently, lifting Shelley's chin with his hand. "What's wrong? You look a million miles away."
"I'm sorry. I was just thinking, that's all."
"Still don't trust that I'm a good dog-sitter?"
She smiled. "I know you will be. It's just ... I don't know. Part of me is still shocked that this is all happening. Who could I have angered enough to do this to me?”
"It's nothing you did, Shelley. It usually isn't in cases like this." He paused, looking slightly exasperated. "Look, you've worked out a way to keep your pets safe, but what about yourself? I don't like the idea of you being out in the middle of nowhere all alone every night."
"I'll be okay."
"You mentioned the other night that you’re close to your sister and she doesn’t live far from here. Why don’t you stay with her until this situation is straightened out?”
"I don't want to leave my
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