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she was beginning to accept might not have been the smartest one she’d ever made.
    â€œNot everything. I understand Chief Emmett suspended you from the department for a week without pay.”
    Ugh. Small towns! A dog couldn’t pass gas without people talking about it.
    â€œDoes everybody know that too?”
    â€œCade called to tell me personally before the rumors started flying.”
    Of course. McKenzie was the mayor of Haven Point and Cade technically reported to her. Apparently he had been very busy on the phone all afternoon, between her mother and her dear friend.
    â€œI told him that didn’t sound like a good idea to me,” McKenzie said. “I can word my opposition more strongly, if you want.”
    â€œHeavens no! I don’t need my friends fighting my battle for me.”
    â€œYour friend happens to be his boss, in a roundabout way.”
    â€œAll the more reason to keep your mouth shut. Please, Kenz.”
    â€œIt doesn’t seem right to me. You saved the lives of two boys and shouldn’t be punished for that.”
    â€œI’m looking at it as a nice vacation,” she lied. “I’ll finally have the chance to catch up with things around here. Plus, it will give me more time to help Devin with the final plans for your bridal shower.”
    â€œYou two are taking this bridal shower way too seriously. It’s beginning to scare me.”
    â€œDon’t worry. This is just practice. You and I can do the same for Dev and her sexy rancher when they tie the knot.”
    â€œGood point,” McKenzie said and Wynona could hear the smile in her voice. In the background she heard someone else talking to her friend and a moment later, McKenzie came back on the line. “I’ve got to go. Somebody is here to make a special floral order.”
    â€œNo problem. I have to go too. Young Pete needs to go out again.”
    â€œI’m just going to say this again. It’s time you dropped the descriptor. Young Pete has prostate issues, like other dudes of a certain age,” McKenzie muttered.
    She smiled and hung up after exchanging goodbyes, deeply grateful for her friends. Yes, she had been a bridesmaid five times in the last two years—it would be six after Devin’s wedding in a few more months. She was getting a little tired of it, but she would be lost without her friends, who had lifted her through more than they even knew.
    â€œYou might not be young anymore,” she told Pete, “but you’re still worth a dozen puppies.”
    He wagged his tail, still standing by the door, patiently waiting for her to open it.
    â€œYou know what we both need?” she decided on impulse. “A little walk to clear our heads. Somewhere out of cell range, preferably.”
    Pete seemed to be in full agreement, especially when she slipped on her walking shoes and grabbed the little pack she always kept stocked with a flashlight, water bottle and granola bar.
    She decided to head for their favorite walk, along the Mount Solace trail that would take them across the Hell’s Fury River and up into the mountains above town. The bridge that led to the trailhead was just on the other side of Cade’s house so she didn’t bother with Pete’s leash, though she brought it along and stuffed it in the pack.
    The dog stayed by her side as they walked down the street with the sound of the river accompanying them. When they reached the little Craftsman, she saw a slight woman with auburn hair unpacking groceries from the minivan, aided by a little boy of about four and a girl a few years older.
    Pete, ever friendly, wandered over to say hello with his tail wagging a hundred beats a minute. The boy let out a shriek and hid between his mother and the minivan.
    Shoot. She should have used the leash. She forgot there were new people in the neighborhood who didn’t adore him yet like everybody else did.
    â€œPete, get back here,” she