“It’s easy when you’re with the right person,” he said. “You still want to see the pups?”

  “Yes, I’m excited,” she said, and she indeed was.

  The sun was setting, the sky a mixture of orange and pink. The temperature had dropped. Emma wished for a sweater when they stepped outside. As soon as she had the thought, Nash placed his jacket around her. He’s almost a mind reader, she thought as they walked to the car. Nash opened her door, waited while she got situated, then closed the door.

  “I should’ve put the hard top on; I didn’t even think to check the weather,” he said as he backed out of the parking lot.

  “I love this,” Emma said, leaning her head back against the seat and letting her hair blow in every direction.

  He shifted gears, then placed his right arm across her shoulders. Emma knew then that she was falling head over heels for this handsome, kind man. She looked at his profile; he was smiling. He squeezed her shoulder, as though he once again knew exactly what she was thinking.

  Emma decided he wasn’t much of a talker. It didn’t bother her because she was pretty comfortable with him. The need to fill the silence with meaningless words that led to nothing wasn’t required with Nash.

  She closed her eyes, enjoying the cool breeze, the briny scent of the Gulf filling the night air. Seagulls sounded like they were laughing, bringing a smile to her face.

  “It’s the Leucophaeus atricilla, more commonly known as the laughing gull,” Nash said.

  She turned to him. “How do you always seem to know what I’m thinking?” It was almost scary.

  “I snuck a glance and saw you laughing. Those birds sound hysterical, don’t they?”

  “We had them when I lived on the beach in Miami. They drove my mom crazy, but my dad always got a kick out of it when she was aggravated. Usually, Mom was as cool as a cucumber.” Emma realized she missed her family. Lydia had taken care of her most of the time because her parents traveled so much, but they were good parents.

  Nash parked the 1956 Thunderbird behind the clinic. He saw Naomi’s beat-up car, and Dr. Mellow’s van was there too. When he shut down the engine, Emma looked up to see where they were.

  “You ready to meet Penny and her brood?” Nash asked her.

  Nodding, Emma opened her door before Nash had a chance. It would take time for her to get used to a guy with manners. “I am,” she told him.

  He took her hand and they went to the back door together. Nash tapped on the window and tried the door, but it was locked. “Let me call Naomi and tell her I’m here,” Nash said. He dialed his phone and then said, “Hey, I’m at the back entrance. I’ve got a friend who wants to see the pups.” The expression on his face went from passive to pissed in seconds. Emma hoped nothing had happened to Penny and her puppies.

  “Are you serious?” Nash asked, his voice firm, angry. “Let me in and I’ll take care of this.”

  Emma heard the door rattle from the inside, then open. A teenage girl with a pierced nose and short black hair stepped aside, her index finger to her lips, indicating they should be quiet.

  “Naomi, you’d better tell me how she managed to get inside here. Aren’t you supposed to lock the doors when you close up?”

  Emma was surprised Nash was so angry at the girl, that he spoke so harshly to her. Maybe his true colors were finally starting to show.

  “I called the doc and he’s talking to her now. She won’t hurt them, Nash.” Naomi sounded frightened.

  Emma had kept quiet long enough. “Can someone please explain what’s going on?”

  Naomi looked at Nash, then back at Emma.

  He raked a hand through his windblown hair. “Em, I’m so sorry you have to witness something I should’ve taken care of long ago.”

  Now she was frightened.

  “Should I leave? I can call an Uber,” Emma said, remembering the date that went whacko in the parking lot at her old condo.

  “No, I want you here with me. Tiffany needs to see this,” he said.

  Who was Tiffany? Why did she need to see whatever Nash thought she needed to see?

  “They’re still in the whelping room,” Naomi offered.

  “Did she drive here?” Nash asked as they followed her down a long hallway.

  “I think she was dropped off. I checked and didn’t see any cars other than mine and Doc’s.”

  “Naomi, tell Doc I’m here,” Nash instructed.

  Naomi tapped on the door to their left, stepped inside, then backed out in seconds. “He says okay.”

  “I don’t think I need to be here for whatever this is, Nash. I don’t feel comfortable,” Emma said. “I’ll see the puppies another time.” Before he could stop her, she hurried back down the hallway and out the door. She’d brought her cell phone. She’d call for a ride.

  Outside in the parking lot, it dawned on Emma that she had no one to call. She didn’t have the Uber app on her new phone, or Wi-Fi so she could download it. Scrolling through her contacts, she saw Lisa and Jack’s numbers. Would they think she was out of her mind if she called and asked for a ride home? As she’d learned, news in the Cove spread fast. She didn’t want to be the subject of gossip, so she debated what to do. Sure that her new friends would help her, Emma decided she would explain how the evening had turned out and why she needed a ride, even though she wasn’t quite sure herself.

  “Emma. Wait!” Nash called from behind her.

  She whirled around, almost afraid to confront him. Emma didn’t want to talk to him, though he owed her an explanation. “I am so sorry you had to see . . . this.” He waved his long arms around.

  “I’m getting a lift home, Nash.” She didn’t see anything per se. She had just been in a hallway with a girl she didn’t know while Nash went from calm to angry in seconds.

  “Please, Emma, I can explain. This is beyond weird, I know.”

  She hadn’t hit the green Call button yet. She’d hear him out, then leave. “Go on, tell me whatever it is.” She used her courtroom voice. Succinct, to the point.

  He shook his head. “This is embarrassing. No, it’s more than that. It’s disgusting.”

  She tipped her head to the side, hoping he would pick up on her impatience because he seemed to be able to pick up on so many of her thoughts. “I’m waiting.”

  “Tiffany, the woman inside. She’s got a screw loose. I’m being kind when I say this. I dated her in high school. We went out twice.” He paused, shaking his head. “I was prom king; she wanted to go as my date. I took a good friend instead. She’s never let me live it down. She was a spoiled brat then. She’s a crazy, nut job now.”

  “I don’t see how this has anything to do with your puppies.”

  “I was here earlier to check on them. As I said, news travels fast around town. She was in the waiting room when I got here. She already knew about the pups and where they were and used them as an excuse to see me. She told me she wanted to be the first in line to get pick of the litter. As I said, the woman has a screw loose. Her family enables her, Emma. She’s been obsessed with me for too long. As much as I hate to do it, I’m calling the police. She’s refusing to leave the whelping room. She’s holding Penny, won’t let her nurse the puppies.”

  “Are you serious?” Emma asked, all thoughts of leaving gone. “Let me inside. I’ll tell her the legal ramifications of what could happen to her.”

  “You’d do that for me?” Nash asked.

  “Now that I know you aren’t out of your mind, yes. I thought . . . never mind what I thought. Let’s get Penny. You can give me the full story later.”

  Emma followed Nash inside, then down the hallway a second time. It’d been a while since she’d read the Florida statutes, but she knew her state had strict laws where animals were concerned. “Nash, give me a minute. I need to look something up.” Now that she was inside she could use the vet office’s Wi-Fi to search on her cell for the information she needed. Nash stood next to her.

  “I’m ready,” Emma said, gripping her cell phone. She kept the browser open in case she needed to refer to it later.

  Nash tapped on the door to the whelping room, then pushed it open. “Doc, can you give me a few minutes?”

  Doc Mellow was in his late fifties, with curly gray hair and round, wire-framed glasses. He was as tall as Nash but skinny. “Are you sure?” Doc Mellow asked, glancing at Tiffany, who sat on the floor holding Penny.

  “Yes,” Nash said. “Come in, Emma.”

  “Who is Emma?” Tiffany screeched, sounding like a seagull.

  Emma stood next to Nash, shocked when she saw how Tiffany was holding the new mommy. “I’m Emma Swan, Nash’s attorney. It would be best if you put the dog down, Tiffany. You’re violating several state laws right now. I think Penny needs to feed her pups.” She was being too kind. What she wanted to do was take Penny away from the other woman, then yank her up by her overly bleached blond hair and drag her to the police station.

  Tiffany gripped Penny closer to her chest. “Nash? She’s lying, right? I told you I wanted to see the puppies. I’m just looking,” she said in her fake little-girl, high-pitched voice.

  He took his cell phone out of his pocket. “I’m calling the police. It would be best if you put down my dog now. I’m sick of your crap. You’re a grown woman, Tiffany. You think you can get away with anything. Daddy isn’t going to help you now.”

  “Says who?” Tiffany countered.

  Emma couldn’t let the woman continue this insane behavior. She glanced at her phone as she recited, “Says Florida Statute 828.12. ‘A person who intentionally commits an act to any animal, or a person who owns or has the custody or control of any animal and fails to act, which results in the cruel death or excessive or repeated infliction of unnecessary pain or suffering, or causes the same to be done, commits aggravated animal cruelty. It’s a felony of the third degree, punishable by jail time, a fine of not more than $10,000 or both.’ I can go on if you’d like.”

  The puppies started making crying noises, scooting around as they searched for their mother. Nash took three giant steps, grabbed Tiffany’s arm, and lifted her into a standing position, taking hold of Penny with his other hand. “Emma, take her to her pups,” Nash asked.

  Emma took Penny from Nash and carried the new mom over to her babies. “Here you go, precious, right where you belong, with your tiny blessings.” As she put Penny in the whelping area, Penny positioned herself so the puppies could nurse.

  “Let me go! You’re hurting me,” Tiffany cried out.

  “No. Not until the police arrive.” Nash dialed 911 and explained the situation. The Cove had a small police force. He’d gone to school with the chief of police, Roberto Rodriguez. Rob knew Tiffany, knew how erratic her behavior was. Naomi and Dr. Mellow silently slipped out of the room and headed to the reception area to wait for the police to arrive.

  Emma stayed beside the animals in case Tiffany broke away from Nash; he didn’t have a strong hold on her.

  “We’re going to walk out of here and you are going with Rob. No questions,” Nash ordered.

  “You wait, Nash Kendrick. I will see that you lose your job and your teaching license. When I get through with you, you’ll wish you’d given me all of those stinky pups.”

  Emma had to speak up. “If they’re so stinky, why in the world would you want one?”

  “Shut up, okay?” Tiffany snapped.

  Emma did not normally have a temper. But she was so ticked off that she wanted to smack Tiffany across her smug, overly made-up face. “No, I will not shut up. Nash, give me a dollar,” she said, fury in her words.

  “What?” Nash asked.

  “Just give me a dollar,” Emma ordered.

  Nash reached into his pocket and pulled out a wrinkled one-dollar bill.

  “Okay, now I am officially your legal representative. Do you want to file charges against her?”

  “You can do that?”

  “I can get the ball rolling in a matter of minutes,” Emma said, her eyes never leaving Tiffany.

  “Then yes, I do. Maybe it will teach her a lesson.” Nash wrapped his arm around Tiffany, firmly leading her to the front of the clinic. Emma trailed behind. If Tiffany tried to break loose, she would stop her.

  Flashing red and blue lights filled the front room as two police cars pulled up to the entrance. Emma had never had a date end like this. A first time for everything, she thought, as Nash walked Tiffany outside while she spewed all kinds of profanities at him.

  Naomi spoke up. “She scared me. I didn’t know what to do, so I called Doc.”

  “You did the right thing,” Doc Mellow said. “When an animal is in danger in this office, always call me and we’ll take care of the matter.”

  “He’s right,” Emma said.

  “Are you really an attorney?” Naomi asked her.

  “Yep, I am,” Emma answered.

  “That was so cool when you told Tiffany she could go to jail,” Naomi said. “Could she really?”

  “Yes. Animal abuse of any kind is a crime. Holding Penny hostage and not allowing her to care for the puppies is against the law. Under these circumstances, Tiffany can be prosecuted.”

  Emma waited while Nash explained the situation to the police. If she were being honest with herself—and she was—another date with Nash probably would not happen.

  Chapter Eleven

  Nash had never been so mortified in his life. He explained the situation to Rob and told him he wanted to press charges. Maybe if Tiffany were held accountable, she would stop these childish games.

  Rob’s deputy put her in the back seat of his cruiser, and Nash could still hear Tiffany screaming obscenities as they pulled out of the parking lot. Rob assured Nash that Tiffany wasn’t going to be released that night.

  Back inside the clinic, Emma, Naomi, and Doc Mellow spoke in his office, their voices hushed. Nash hovered in the doorway, so embarrassed he was at a loss for words.

  “Nash, I hope we won’t have this problem again. I would hate to have to ban you from the clinic,” Doc said, his tone more serious than Nash had ever heard it before.

  “As you should. I can’t apologize enough. I had no idea she was this . . . insane. How did she manage to get inside afterhours?” Nash asked Doc Mellow and Naomi.

  Naomi looked down at her black high-top sneakers. “It’s my fault. I forgot to lock the front doors when we closed up.”

  “What’s done is done, but we can’t ever let this happen again, Naomi. Let’s all leave this as a lesson learned. Nash, I’m not sure what advice to give you regarding this woman, but whatever you decide, I wouldn’t wait too long.” Doc’s words were stern.

  “Press charges against her,” Emma said. “Sometimes it takes a drastic move to stop obsessive behavior.”

  Nash nodded. “You’re right. There are a dozen instances when she’s hung around the condo and the school. I haven’t told anyone. It’s such odd behavior for a woman her age. I figured she would get the message if I ignored her long enough.”

  “People like Tiffany play on emotions, especially if they believe the person they’re harassing won’t take any action. Legally or otherwise.” Emma was back in legal mode. “If you can prove she’s been stalking you, there are laws against that, Nash. Have you ever documented her behavior? Cell phone pictures? Did you have a friend with you during any of these incidents?” Emma disliked questioning Nash like this, but she didn’t want any harm to come to him just because someone else had a mental issue. There were many ways to address this situation.

  “I never thought of that. It was just Tiffany being Tiffany,” Nash said. “This is all my fault. I’m sorry. I’ll drive you to the condo if you still want to get in the car with me. We can discuss the legalities on the way home.”

  Emma hated to admit it, but she loved how Nash said, “on the way home,” as if they had a shared home.

  “I just need to check on Penny first and make sure she’s okay,” Nash said before heading back to the whelping room.

  Doc nodded. Naomi didn’t say a word. Emma followed him; she was also concerned about the mommy and her pups.

  Inside the whelping room, Penny and her girls were sleeping peacefully.

  Emma noticed how Nash’s expression softened as he watched his dogs. “I’m bringing them home tomorrow,” he told her.

  “Good. I can’t say I know that much about puppies, but I’m a fast learner. Home is probably the safest place for them. I can help look after them while you’re at school,” she offered.

  “I’m taking a few days off, but thanks. I may need your help. But aren’t you signed up for substitute teaching?”

  “I am,” Emma said as they quietly left the room.

  “You may be subbing for me if they can’t cover my scheduled days off.”

  Emma was slightly surprised, but wouldn’t mind stepping into his teaching shoes. “That would be okay by me. I’ve never taught high school.”

  “Then you’re in for a surprise. I have a great group of kids this year.”

  “Good to know,” she said.

  Nash spoke to Dr. Mellow and Naomi before they departed, and then he and Emma returned to his car together. Nash opened her door; she leaned against the seatback, staring at the night sky. The stars seemed excessively bright as the clouds drifted away, along with the evening’s drama.

  Nash drove slowly. When they returned to his condo, he shut the engine down, not bothering to park in the garage. Turning to her, he said, “I don’t know if I can make this evening up to you, but I would like the opportunity if you’ll let me.”

  A dozen thoughts swirled through her head. Despite what had happened at the vet clinic, it had been a wonderful evening. She couldn’t hold Nash fully responsible for Tiffany’s obsession. He was the kind of guy he was, a bit easygoing. Maybe too much so, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. “I would,” she said, knowing she’d regret it if she didn’t.

  He let out a deep breath. “Perfect.”

  He thought I was going to say no! Emma realized.

  “Okay, that’s settled. So, I’ll walk around to my condo and see you tomorrow,” she said, putting her hand on the door and then taking it away when Nash got out of the car to open it for her, ever the gentleman.