Chapter One
It was just after nine in the morning, and the town of Dahlia was bustling. Nikki had found her way to the newest shop in town, Dahlia’s Pet Boutique, a pet supplies and gift shop. There were still ‘Grand Opening’ signs in the window, but the shop had been open for almost a month. As a dog walker, pet sitter, and general lover of animals, Nikki was drawn to the new shop. But she wasn’t there just to check it out. She was on a mission. One of her favorite clients, Mrs. Whitter, had decided to throw a birthday party for her Chihuahua, Princess. With the party planned for Saturday, Nikki simply had to find the perfect gift. Mrs. Whitter was one of the wealthiest people in town, and although Nikki knew she would appreciate any gift, she wanted to try and impress her.
There were ample clothing choices. All of them served a purpose of either protecting the animals from the sun or keeping them warm. Nikki noticed that several of the pieces had fake gems sewn into them, but only in places that the dog wouldn’t be able to get to them and chew them free. She liked that the designer was safety- minded. She moved on from the clothing, past the toys and bedding, to the ‘Puppy and Me’ section. It contained items for dogs that matched with items that could be worn by their owners.
As Nikki sorted through the collars, she noticed that some were sold in sets with matching key rings. The collars were a solid color, with decorative designs swirled through them. The key rings were silver paw prints, with a jewel the same color as the collar in the center. Clearly the jewel was fake, but it was still pretty. She knew that Mrs. Whitter’s favorite color was green. She decided to search for a green set.
Then Mrs. Whitter and Princess can match. Nikki smiled to herself at the thought. She was sure that Mrs. Whitter would like that idea.
As Nikki brushed back her wavy, light brown hair, she peered at each collar on the rack. She found a green collar that was perfect for Princess’ tiny size, but there was no matching green key ring. There were blue key rings, and yellow ones, even pink ones, but no green. Determined to get the special gift she turned her attention to the front counter.
Behind it the owner of the shop appeared to be busy packing items into boxes. “Hi Bryan.” Nikki smiled as she walked up to the counter with the green collar in her hand. “Do you have the matching key ring that goes with this set? I’d really like to buy it.”
“No, I’m sorry. We’re out of the green.” He turned back towards the boxes that lined a shelf behind the counter.
As she watched, he dropped a key ring with a green gem into the box.
“Well, what about that one?” Nikki smiled as she pointed it out. “That looks like it would match. I’ll take it.”
“No, I’m sorry, these aren’t for sale.” Bryan closed the lid of the box.
“Even if I paid a little extra?” She frowned as she reached into her purse for her wallet.
“No.” His tone became firmer as he turned around to face her. He met her eyes. “Like I said, these aren’t available for purchase.”
“Okay.” Nikki took a step back from the counter, annoyed. She’d finally found the perfect gift for Princess, and Bryan couldn’t be bothered to let her have just one key ring. She decided that she would shop elsewhere. Normally, Bryan was such a friendly and funny man. He always wore a bright smile and was eager to talk about his latest creations. But today it seemed as if he couldn’t get her out of the shop fast enough. Maybe he was just having a rough day, but it bothered her. She didn’t want to give her business to someone that didn’t appreciate it.
With one more look in the direction of the perfect green collar, Nikki walked towards the door. Before she could reach it, it swung open. A woman who looked to be in her twenties pushed her way past her. The collision was harmless, but the attitude of the woman made Nikki pause and watch her.
“You!” The woman shouted and pointed at Bryan. “You almost killed me! Are you insane?”
Drawn in by the intensity of the moment, Nikki continued to linger near the door.
She watched as Bryan turned to face the woman. His cheeks burned crimson in reaction to the woman’s accusation.
“I didn’t kill you, did I?”
“And I’m supposed to feel grateful for that?” She snapped at him. “You were driving like a mad man! You should lose your license before you do kill someone!”
“It was a mistake, you’re fine, I think it’s best if we just move on.” Bryan crossed his arms as he studied her. “Are you going to leave my shop, or do I need to call the police?”
“Oh, go ahead and call them. I’m sure they would love to hear all about you hitting me, and then taking off.”
“You were fine!” He shouted, then started to step around the counter. “I didn’t see the need to call the police over something as trivial as a fender bender.”
“A fender bender that could have taken my life.” She shook her head as she glared at him. “One day soon, buddy someone is going to show you what it’s like to face your own death, and then you will have an idea of what you put me through.
Very soon!” She turned and pushed past Nikki again to get back out of the shop. Nikki stared after her, curious about the details of the woman’s encounter with
Bryan. When she glanced back at him, he had already stepped back behind the counter. His back was to her, as he continued to pack boxes. Whatever had happened between him and the woman, he didn’t seem terribly concerned about it. However, the woman’s words echoed through Nikki’s mind. Clearly, she had been traumatized by the accident, and she had a lot of anger towards Bryan. But that didn’t give her the right to threaten him. Nikki stepped out through the door of the shop and did her best to shake off the experience. She didn’t want it to ruin the rest of her day.
As Nikki tried to get back into a positive mindset she wondered where she would find a gift for Princess. As one of her favorite clients, she wanted to make sure that both Mrs. Whitter and Princess knew how much she valued them. However, her dog walker and pet sitting salary was modest at best, and she always had to keep her budget in mind. Luckily, Dahlia had quite a few shops to choose from. Most were individual businesses, and many featured local artists, and designers. The shops were packed full of unique creations. As she started down the street towards the next row of shops, she heard a motorcycle roar to life. It bolted out from behind a building, and right past her, so loud that she winced.
As Nikki continued down the sidewalk she paused to look through the window of one of the shops. There were several different pairs of boots, as well as purses to match. She looked them over without much interest. Several of her friends insisted the shop sold the latest and hottest designs in footwear. She tried to blend in by pretending to be interested, but she still didn’t understand why it mattered so much what she wore on her feet. Now, if they were little puppy boots, she might feel differently. She laughed a little as she continued on to the next shop. Large paintings filled the front window. She knew that the artist who owned the shop offered to create custom paintings for people off a photograph, but she doubted that could be done in the two days before the party. She was also fairly certain it would be out of her price range.
As Nikki moved on to the next shop, she waved to a few familiar people across the street. She’d grown up in Dahlia, and knew most of the people that lived there. It made her feel fairly secure as she strolled along the sidewalk. The next shop featured an assortment of gifts in the window. She decided to step in and take a look. Maybe her gift would be more for Mrs. Whitter.
As Nikki browsed, the owner of the shop sat behind the counter with a magazine in her hands. Nellie Cooper had owned Cooper’s Gifts and More for at least ten years. However, she never kept the same products in her shop for longer than a few months. The variety made a trip to her shop a treasure hunt, every time. As Nikki wandered through the shelves and looked over each item, several things seemed good enough, but nothing was that one perfect gift. After a few more minutes, she waved goodbye to Nellie, and headed back outside. A little frustrated with her shopping trip, she decided to stop at the café that her friend Gina owned. Their conversations always left her feeling good. As she pushed the door open and stepped inside, she noticed that the café was fairly empty. She must have missed the breakfast rush.
“Hi Nikki.” Gina smiled from behind the counter. “I just made some fresh coffee, want a cup?”
“Sure, thanks.” Nikki smiled as she took a stool at the counter. “And some rye toast, please. I had a big group of dogs for the early morning walk, so I didn’t have time for breakfast.”
“Mm, good choice.” Gina winked at her as she turned to pour the coffee. “How is your morning going?”
“It would be better if I could find a gift for Princess’ birthday.” Nikki sighed, then smiled as she accepted the cup of coffee. “Thanks.”
“Ah yes, the elusive perfect gift for a canine.” Gina raised an eyebrow. “A bone comes to mind?”
“Are you kidding?” Nikki laughed and shook her head. “Mrs. Whitter has Princess on such a special diet, she would never dream of letting her have a bone, or any other treats that aren’t on her approved list.”
“Wow!” Gina grinned. “Never mind about the bone then. I’ll be right back with your toast, hon.” She disappeared into the kitchen.
Nikki stirred some cream into her coffee and savored the aroma that wafted up from the hot liquid. As moments slipped by, she began to relax. It was a little silly to be so wound up over a gift for a dog, she realized that. She knew that Mrs. Whitter would appreciate anything that she gave her.
“So, what kind of gift are you looking for? Maybe I can help you figure something out.” Gina set down Nikki’s plate of toast in front of her.
“I thought I’d found the perfect gift.” Nikki frowned as she recounted her experience with Bryan that morning. “Usually he’s such a nice guy, at least the times I’ve interacted with him before, he has been.”
“I agree. I really like his ideas, and the colors he uses in his designs. It’s strange that he wouldn’t sell you the key ring. But that isn’t the only strange behavior he’s had lately.”
“It isn’t?” Nikki took a bite of her toast, then met Gina’s eyes.
“No, he was in here the other day, and I actually had to ask him and another man to leave.” She leaned against the counter and lowered her voice. “Bryan was in here with Royce Blake. Do you know Royce?”
“No, I don’t think so.” Nikki took another bite of her toast, her interest piqued. “He’s fairly new to town. He’s trying to get his business off the ground. He’s confided in me a few times over his morning coffee. Anyway, everything seemed to be fine at first, then all of a sudden the two were arguing. It got so heated that I had to ask them both to leave. Honestly, I thought I was going to have to call the police.”
“What were they arguing about?” Nikki tried to picture Bryan being so irate that Gina had to ask him to leave. The man was usually cheerful, if not a bit over the top with his joy. What could upset him so much?
“From what I could gather, it had to do with the shop. I guess somehow Bryan stole the rental space out from under Royce. At least, that was how Royce saw it. But that’s not what made it come close to blows. It got personal. Royce said something about Bryan’s brother, I don’t know exactly what, but that’s when Bryan really lost it. It was terrible.” She frowned. “I was glad when they both left.”
“Do you know Bryan’s brother?” Nikki raised an eyebrow.
“No, I didn’t even know he had one. You know Bryan doesn’t live in town, he just runs his shop here. It’s only been about a month since he opened. I haven’t gotten to know him that well.” Gina shrugged as she grabbed the coffee pot. When she freshened up Nikki’s coffee, she glanced past her towards two men that walked into the café. “Oops excuse me, I actually have work to do.” She winked at Nikki, then walked off to greet the two men.
As Nikki finished her toast she wondered if Bryan might be in some kind of trouble. It sounded like his temper had gotten short, and his personality had changed quite a bit. She left a nice tip for Gina, along with payment for her meal, then headed to the door. As she walked past the two men who had just been seated, she heard a snippet of their conversation.
“If he knows what’s good for him, then he’ll fall in line. If not, then we’ll have to take care of the problem.”
Nikki glanced in the direction of the men, as she thought the comment was a little unusual. One was older, perhaps in his forties, he had short, curly, dark brown hair that was receding slightly, and he wore a sleek trench coat. The other looked to be in his twenties, around her age, he had blond hair that fell over his eyes, and he wore a motorcycle jacket. The younger man caught her eye, and she realized that her attention had been spotted. She glanced away and hurried towards the door. It was just about time to take Princess for her walk. She was almost out the door, when a shoulder brushed against hers. She looked up, and spotted Quinn. Or Detective Quinn Grant, she reminded herself.
“Hi there.” He smiled, an expression that showed off the dimples she’d fallen in love with when she was just a teen. Before their paths had crossed again, she thought she’d never see him again. Now it seemed she was always running into him.
“Hi.” She stepped through the door as she realized he couldn’t get past. “What are you up to today?” He stepped back through the door as well.
“Oh, just shopping for Princess’ birthday party.” Nikki smiled as she met his eyes. “I’m sorry, a dog is having a birthday party?” Quinn laughed. “You’re not serious,
are you?”
“I sure am. Princess is like Mrs. Whitter’s baby.” She shrugged. “Many people have pets they feel that way about.”
“You’re right, I guess I’ve just never been that attached to an animal before.” He held her gaze. “It’s sweet, really.”
“You should come.” The words jumped out of Nikki’s mouth. After she spoke them, she had no idea why she did. Of course, Quinn wouldn’t be interested in attending a dog’s birthday party.
“You don’t think Mrs. Whitter would mind?” Quinn crossed his arms. “I wasn’t exactly invited.”
“No, she wouldn’t mind at all. She’d love to see you.” Nikki’s heartbeat quickened as she realized he was actually interested. “It’s Saturday, at one.”
“Sure, I’ll be there.” He smiled again. “Too bad we missed each other for breakfast.”
“Yes, too bad.” Nikki was tempted to claim she hadn’t eaten yet, but she didn’t want to be late for Princess. “Enjoy your meal.”
“Thanks.” He opened the door to the café and stepped through it.
Nikki lingered for just a moment outside the door. Nothing had changed. Each time she saw him, all of those old feelings she had for him were stirred. But that didn’t matter. It had been a high school crush, and it had never been mutual. To distract herself, she began to head in the direction of Mrs. Whitter’s house.
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