On the Scent: A laugh out loud pet detective rom com!

“It’s not like that.” She frowned. “You don’t even know him.”

“I’m just sayin’ be careful.” Sarah sprang up from the sofa and joined her at the kitchen island. Sarah leaned against it and wiggled her eyebrows. “So, what’s he like in person? I’ve only seen his show a few times.”

“He’s…good. I think he’s good at what he does.”

“Gay?”

“Sarah.” Hannah couldn’t keep the amusement out of her voice.

“What? He was on TV. You have to wonder.”

“I don’t think he’s gay.” Although she didn’t have much to base that on. Wishful thinking probably.

Sarah’s smile grew lascivious. “Is he as hot as he seems on TV?”

Hannah sighed dramatically. “Hotter. Much hotter.”

Sarah snuck some pieces of popcorn from the bowl Hannah had left sitting there…had it been three days ago? Geesh. She really needed to clean. “What about the other bodyguards?”

Hannah gave her a quick run-down of the men she’d met so far, and Sarah released a long breath, picked off one last piece of popcorn and then pinned her with a look. “Promise me you’ll be careful with him.”

“With Zach?”

“You’re beautiful. You have millions of dollars at your disposal.” Sarah lifted her chin. “I don’t want to see you get into another situation like you did with Eric. That’s all.”

Every muscle in Hannah’s body snapped into painful awareness at the name. Sarah had always had a tendency to jump to conclusions that made absolutely no sense, but how she could compare hiring Zachary Collins to protect her with what had happened with Eric was beyond comprehension. “You’re nuts. The two situations are nothing alike.”

Sarah arched a brow. “He’s gorgeous and exactly your type. I don’t want him to take advantage of you because he wants your money. You’ve got to think about things like this now, Hannah. People are going to try to use you.”

Hannah scoffed. She should have never told Sarah that Zach was even hotter in person. “I’m not stupid, you know. I know I have to be careful.” She ticked off points with her finger. “I checked with the Better Business Bureau. No unresolved complaints against them. I had Mr. Russell check to make sure they were properly licensed.” Ellie’s attorney—now her attorney—had been a godsend. “And Brian gave me references from some of their past clients. I called and confirmed that these guys know what they’re doing.”

They stared at each other for several seconds.

“Alright then.” Her friend heaved a reluctant sigh of surrender and reached for her purse. “If you didn’t have a bigger, stronger bodyguard coming to take over for that puny guy on the porch, my rear would be planted on that sofa all night.”

“E.J. is hardly puny.”

Another snort. “He looks like a thug.”

“Sarah.”

Sarah threw up a hand. “Just sayin’. Know what he said to me when I walked up?”

Hannah shrugged.

“He got out of his car, ran over to me and said—” Sarah mimicked a gangsta’s voice and gave Hannah a salacious look up and down her body. “‘How ya doin’, baby? Come ’ere often?’” She returned to her normal voice and stance. “Like I said. He’s how old? Sixteen? My youngest brother doesn’t act that way.”

But Hannah couldn’t conjure up any more defense. Her mind felt fractured. All because it was hanging on one stupid little word: Eric.

Would she ever reach a point where the mere mention of his name didn’t feel like a stab to the heart? She hoped so. It had been almost four years. Why did his memory still have the power to wound her?

Sarah hesitated in the doorway before leaving. “Han?”

She looked at her friend.

“Sorry I mentioned the creep earlier. I’ve been under a lot of stress and I’m PMSing and worried and—” Her expression softened. “That’s still no excuse. I’m sorry.”

A shrug lifted Hannah’s shoulders in response. “It happens.”

They shared a hug. “Call me if you need me.” Sarah drew back and pushed a strand of hair away from Hannah’s face. “Remember. ‘The Bodyguard’ might have been an okay movie, but they didn’t end up together. Know what I’m sayin’?”

“Good grief.” She shoved her friend out the door. “Take your overactive imagination and get out of here.”

As she watched Sarah climb into her car, Hannah’s gaze drifted to the vehicle still sitting in her driveway. Zach’s SUV. Was he out of the hospital yet?

And did he hate her for not listening to him?

“You left her alone?” Zach bit back a painful groan as he slid his arm into his jacket. Every movement of his body seemed to stir the tiny imp that was driving nails into his skull.

“Her friend was there,” Brian said, reaching awkwardly to help his partner stand from the hospital bed. “And E.J. is keeping an eye on her. I figured the kid could handle that.”

“What about the cops?”

Detective Ryan with the Atlanta Police Department had stopped by earlier to ask Zach some questions. It had been a humiliating experience, starting with the detective’s comment, “Hey, weren’t you the P.I. that was involved in that Kirkwood case—what?—about six months ago?”

Brian had stepped in before Zach could respond, which had pissed him the hell off. He was a big boy and capable of responding on his own, dammit.

“Nasty business. Sorry for the way it ended.” The detective had given Zach a curious look before moving on to Hannah’s situation.

He hadn’t instilled much confidence with his departing words. "We'll have a patrol go by Miss Dawson’s more often. In the meantime, we’ve advised her to consider an alarm system and maintain her private security."

Brian opened the door. “You know how it is, Zach. The APD is overloaded with cases. Sure, they take robbery seriously, but they give priority to cases they have leads on.”

“You mean the fact someone tried to kill me inside her house didn’t give them proper cause to station a patrol there twenty-four seven?” Damn cops.

The idea of Hannah being left unprotected made him feel edgy.

When he’d been parked in front of her house all night, keeping an eye out for trouble, Zach had spent half that time thinking about her. Why had she sought him out, only to turn him away the next day? His gut told him she was keeping something from him. But what, and why? He’d also noticed the way she looked at him when she didn’t think he was watching. Maybe he was arrogant, but he could tell when a woman found him attractive.

At least they were even on that score.

This woman posed a serious threat to his vow never to fall for a client.

“The cops are doing what they can,” Brian said, bringing him back to the conversation.

Zach took a few steps, felt the room spin around him, used the wall as a guide, and forced himself to keep moving. As he’d hoped, the weird sensation faded as quickly as it had come. Concussion. Wasn’t the first time he’d had one, but it was definitely the worst.

“The cops advised her to leave the house. We arranged a hotel for her last night.” Brian opened the door to the hospital room. “Do you know how damned hard it is to find a hotel willing to take both a cat and a dog? It’s ridiculous.”

Zach could only imagine.

“So she’s at a hotel? Good.”

“Was at a hotel,” Brian corrected. “When I called her earlier, she’d already checked out and was back home.”

Zach swore beneath his breath. She was going to have to learn to listen to them if she wanted to stay safe.

“As soon as I get you home, I’m going to head back over there. She’ll be fine.” Brian squeezed Zach’s shoulder.

“Does that mean you convinced her to keep her contract with us?”

Brian smiled a bit sheepish. “I didn’t have to do much convincing. I think she feels guilty about you getting hurt. Plus, she’s scared. Can’t say I blame her.”

Zach shook his head. “Why would someone try so damn hard to kidnap a cat and a dog?”

“Ten million dollars isn’t motive enough for you?”

Not really.

Zach had a feeling the reason went deeper than that. He had no idea why he felt that way. He just did.

“No. Call it a hunch.” He reached for the keys he’d put in his pocket, then realized he didn’t have his car.

“No driving for at least another twenty-four hours,” Brian chided, guiding him toward the parking lot. He waited until Zach was seated in his truck to say, “Maybe you were right. Maybe it’s too soon for you to take another case.”

“I’m fine,” Zach growled.

Brian held up his hands. “I know she hired us, but we do need to consider another possibility here.” He gave Zach a sideways look as he buckled his seatbelt. “What happens to the money if the cat and dog get killed? Does it all go to Hannah, and if so, that’s one helluva motive right there.”

The jolt of anger he felt at that suggestion was immediate. “She wouldn’t do that.”

“How do you know? I mean, what the hell do we really know about her? You have to admit. Greed makes people do some crazy shit. She could think hiring us gives her a cover.”

Zach glared at Brian until he realized his friend hadn’t intended the comment as a jab against Zach’s own character. He tugged at his seatbelt and buckled up. “I already asked E.J. to do some digging on that front. Don’t worry. I still remember how to do my job.”

Besides, Hannah could get rid of the cat and dog easy enough. There were no other heirs to hold her accountable.

He reached for his phone and dialed E.J. They’d taken him in four months ago as a favor to E.J.’s grandfather. The kid had gotten mixed up with a gang but hadn’t been in so deep he couldn’t get out. Brian thought he’d shown potential, and he worked for peanuts. Right now, Zach wasn’t above using him as a spotter on this case.

“Did you find anything on those background checks?” Zach asked when E.J. answered.

“Hey, man, you alright?” E.J. asked. “Brian said somebody put you down good.”

He clenched his jaw, felt a shot of pain at his temple and sighed. “I’m fine. Tell me what you found.”

“Hold on. I got my notes right here. I think I found something good, too.” The sound of papers being rustled filled the slight pause in conversation. “Ellie Parham is the lady who left the money to Hannah, but funny thing is, Ellie Parham didn’t exist before thirty years ago.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean there is no Ellie Parham of that age or race anywhere in the system before 1983. No social security number. No driver’s license. No address. No employment records. Nothing, not even a birth certificate I can find.”

“That’s impossible. Maybe she was married.” Or maybe the kid hadn’t done something right.

“Already checked, and before you start thinking I screwed up, Kellan did a search too and came up empty. The lady didn’t exist, boss. Hannah said Miss Parham told her she’d never been married, and I called the broad’s lawyer. He seemed kind of shifty about it, like he knew more than he was telling, but he swore she hadn’t mentioned being divorced or widowed either.”

Interesting.

“What about her will? Who gets the money if something happens to the cat and dog?”

“Hannah does.”

Zach refused to think that meant anything. “What if something happens to all three of them? Who gets the money then?”

The sound of papers shuffling again filled the line. “It all goes to charity.”

Zach rubbed at his forehead, not liking that answer. That answer left them without another obvious suspect. “What about Hannah? Did you run a background check on her?”

“No criminal record. Never been married. No kids. Went to nursing school at Emory. Worked five years at Saint Joseph’s before going to work for a homecare service. That’s how she met the old lady. She worked as a part-time nurse for a few different clients for about a year before moving in with Parham and working for the old lady full-time.”

“Anything else?”

“Just basic background stuff.” E.J. rattled off details Zach already knew. Hannah’s birth mother had been a college exchange student from Ireland who stayed here after getting pregnant. Father unknown. Hannah had been twelve when her mother died. She was in and out of foster homes after that.

Zach listened. He already knew Hannah’s background, but there was a gap he didn’t know—spanning the last four years.

“Is that all you could find?”

“You want me to dig deeper?”

“Yes.” A nudge at the edge of his conscience almost had Zach taking back the word. Are your reasons for wanting to know personal or professional?

He told his conscience to shut the hell up.

“Find out what her finances were before she got lucky and inherited a rich cat and dog. Find out if there are any ex-boyfriends who might want to cause her trouble and see what you can find on them.” He looked away from Brian and lowered his voice as he lied through his teeth. “She mentioned a guy—Eric Meester. M-E-E-S-T-E-R. See what you can turn up on him.”

Ending his call with E.J., Zach glanced at Brian in the driver’s seat. “Why are we driving toward your place?”

Brian didn’t say a word. His sunglass-covered gaze briefly turned toward him. His mouth was pursed in stubborn conviction.

“Take me to get my car,” Zach ordered.

“You need to rest. You can get your car tomorrow.” Brian’s fingers gripped the steering wheel so tightly it squeaked. “You can help Jenny with Jessica while I’m gone, but you need to rest your head a while longer.”

“I’ve been resting. I want back on this case. Now.”

“Why? Because of the money?”

A rush of frustrated air blew through Zach’s nostrils. He pointed at his face where a nasty bruise had already begun forming. “Because someone made this personal.”

This wasn’t going to be as easy as he’d hoped.

Driving past the police car that had been crawling through the neighborhood at different times over the last 24 hours, the man lifted a hand and waved so as not to seem too suspicious. His skin itched beneath the fake beard, and his head was sweating under the baseball cap. Behind cheap sunglasses, he did a quick survey of the situation.

They’d been so close to getting what they wanted yesterday before that idiot had interrupted them. The cat had been within arm’s reach and everything.

Zachary Collins. Yeah, he knew who the guy was. He’d done some research on the private investigator Hannah Dawson had hired yesterday. The guy’s agency had a solid reputation. Might be trouble.

In his rearview, he watched Collins and another guy approach in a SUV and pull into the driveway.

No opportunity. Gonna have to wait a little bit longer.

As if he hadn’t been waiting long enough.

His phone rang, and he answered it. “This is Fox. What do you got for me?” Fox wasn’t his real name, but he’d adopted it after getting out of prison.

“I talked to the buyer and explained you were now in charge. We still have to deliver the product by the third.”

That was three weeks away. Should give them plenty of time.

“Good job,” he told his newest partner. Too bad their partnership would be short-lived. He’d learned his lesson a long time ago. Partners were a liability. He’d disposed of one last night. Taken control since the old man wasn’t doing what needed to be done.

Once he had what he needed to make the drop, he’d tie up the rest of the loose ends, including his new prodigy. Then he’d find another. That’s what the old man had taught him. Take a job. Get the product. Keep moving.

In the meantime, he needed to regroup and come up with another plan.

That cat and dog were his. It was only a matter of time.

Chapter Five

Hannah sank into the chair across from Zach and tried not to stare at the purple bruise beside his right eye. Butterfly bandages kept a gash closed above his eyebrow, reminding her of a boxer who’d fought one too many rounds. Guilt caused her face to warm.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’ll live,” he said, leaning forward. “I was worried about you.”

“You were?” His words induced an irrational, tiny shimmer of pleasure through her chest. Ridiculous. Of course he was worried about her. She was paying him to worry about her. She glanced at the man standing, arms crossed, beside Zach. Geez, Brian certainly could look intimidating. “You shouldn’t have. Brian looked after us—along with E.J.”

She’d been under someone’s supervision since the ambulance had taken Zach away yesterday. She supposed she’d pay for that now that she’d officially hired them all to protect her and the boys. Don’t panic at the cost. Remember. You can afford it now.

She released a slow breath of air at the surreal thought.

Zach glanced up at Brian, and a tense look passed between them before he spoke again. “We would have preferred for you to stay at the hotel a little longer. It’s bound to be safer there until we can determine who broke in here.” His blue gaze met hers again. “Did you see anyone before the police arrived? Maybe they tried to run out the back door after they knocked me out.”

She shook her head. “When I found you, the person was gone. The window was open, so I assumed they left that way.”

“You’re certain nothing was taken?”

“Positive. Brian helped me do an inventory.”

A glimpse of white and black movement alerted her to the fact Abbott had decided to join the conversation. Costello was already lying at Zach’s feet, glancing back and forth as if the dog was following the conversation, too.

Zach’s eyebrows drew together and he glanced down at the approaching cat with a strange expression. “Uh, so you didn’t—” He shifted in his seat. “I’m sorry, did you say something?”

She had to do a mental backtrack. “Only that nothing was missing.”

“Right.” He looked down at the cat again and shook his head. “Sorry.”

Brian stepped over to the window, pressed the curtain aside and glanced out. “The alarm was disabled again. We’re dealing with someone who knows what he’s doing.” He moved back to Zach’s side. “I believe it’s the same person who broke in the first time. Now the question we need to answer is why are they so persistent? What do they want?”

Zach gestured toward Abbott, who was busy licking his paw. “The person was trying to get the cat when I interrupted. I know there was also someone else in the room.” His finger brushed the injured side of his face. “We’re dealing with at least two suspects.”

“We have to assume they’re dangerous, and they’ll try again,” Brian said. “Hannah, I really wish you would take our advice and let us put you somewhere safe.”

Zach suddenly shot to his feet. “Did you hear that?”

She blinked and shrugged. “Yes, I heard what he said.” She took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, but my life has been disrupted enough lately. I don’t want to be relocated. This is my home now, and I—”

“Not that.” Zach held out his hand and glanced around. “Did you hear someone say ‘I want tuna for dinner’?”

A slow smile curved her lips. Was he pulling her leg or what? “I didn’t hear anyone say that.” She looked at the cat who’d decided to sprawl out on the rug and swish his tail. “But tuna is always Abbott’s food of choice.”

If Zach wanted her to think he was communicating with her animals, he really needed to come up with something more impressive. Sure, he’d spooked her the other night by knowing she had a Charlie Chaplin movie marathon planned. Only Abbott and Costello would have known how often she watched the silent film star’s movies. She tried to meet Zach’s gaze to determine if he was conning her or not, but his face was white and he kept looking around the room.

Brian reached over and put a hand on his friend’s shoulder, and Zach jumped at the contact. “Zach, you okay, man? I told you it was too soon for you to jump back into work.”

Hannah moved to her feet. “Are you dizzy? Nauseated?”

He backed away from her, which caused him to fall back onto the sofa. Costello jumped up and began humping Zach’s left leg. He tried to jiggle the dog away, his eyes wide as he uttered a guttural, “Ahhhhh. No. No. You are not the boss of me. Stop saying that, dammit.”

The dog sat back on its haunches and panted happily in response.

Hannah stood speechless, shifting her attention between the man and the animal. Even Brian seemed at a loss for words, until he cleared his throat and said, “I’m sorry, Hannah. He took quite a hit, and he’s obviously not well enough to be here. I’m gonna take him home, and then I’ll be back.” He reached down to help his friend to his feet.

Zach ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah, I’m sorry. I must be worse off than I thought.” His throat moved against a hard swallow before he met her gaze again. “I’ll be back tomorrow. Brian or E.J. will stand guard until then, alright?”

She nodded and watched as Brian guided him out the door. The shorter of the two men turned and told her, “I’ll be back in about half an hour after I drop Zach off at my place. Lock the door. Call me if you need me.”

Closing the door behind them, Hannah sighed and looked at the two animals at her feet, demanding attention. “Did you guys say something to that man?”

All she got in response was a soft meow and heavy panting.

He was losing his friggin’ mind. That was all there was to it.

Zach splashed his face with water from the bathroom sink and then blinked at himself in the mirror. He’d taken a painkiller and spent the past several hours out cold.

He knew he had a concussion, but seriously? He was nuts to even consider that the weird feelings and voices he’d heard at Hannah’s had belonged to the cat and dog.

He needed to get his head back in the game and get over there. It wouldn’t do him or anyone else any good if he started psyching himself out now.

The mouth-watering aroma of bacon teased his nostrils, and he found Brian’s wife at the stove cooking. A stab of guilt speared his chest when he saw the dark circles under her eyes when she looked up at him. Jenny hadn’t been home from the hospital a day, and here she was, taking care of him and a new baby while her husband was working a case Zach should have been handling.

He hurried to take the spatula from her grip. “What do you think you’re doing, young lady?” He guided her over to a chair and urged her to sit. “You shouldn’t be up and cooking yet.”

Jenny yawned. “What else would I be doing? I’ve got to eat.”

“Resting,” he pointed out, and waved the spatula toward her bedroom. “You could have woken me and I would have gotten you breakfast.”

“I’m not an invalid, Zach.” She rested her elbow on the table and lowered her chin to her hand. “But I am damn tired. How about you? How’s the head?” She eyed his arm. “Oh, Zach, you didn’t hurt your arm, did you?”

He flexed his hand for her benefit. There was usually a dull pain in that arm, but no, he hadn’t injured it yesterday.

“All good.” He flipped the bacon onto a plate and tended to a pan of scrambled eggs. “As soon as I get some food into you, I’ll go get your husband so he can take care of you. Don’t worry. He’ll be home for the next week at least.”

“We can’t afford for him to miss work, Zach.”

He pointed the spatula at her. “Don’t worry about that. I’ve got it covered. He’s got paid leave for as long as he needs it.”

“You sure?” Jenny’s hazel gaze softened with hope. She knew how dire the agency’s finances had been, and like Brian, had probably lost her own fair amount of sleep over the dilemma. But neither of their parents were in the picture to help, financially or otherwise. They were also too damn proud to ask for help from their friends. Zach would have to rally the troops into action. A little help with meals. Some babysitting duties. Clothes and toy donations. Whatever it took.

“Positive.” He arranged a plate full of food in front of her before moving to the fridge to get her some orange juice. “How is my baby niece doing anyway?”

A happy grin tugged the edges of Jenny’s mouth. “She’s amazing. I still can’t believe she’s here.”