She answered by licking my open mouth.

I screeched my disapproval and put her back on the floor.

My sister had been watching us through the window from behind the counter. She walked around the end and gave Neely Kate a soft smile. “How are you doin’?”

Neely Kate’s smile faded. “I’m gettin’ by.”

“My offer still stands, okay?” Violet said, holding Neely Kate’s gaze.

She nodded.

What in the world were they talking about? Violet and Neely Kate were usually so antagonistic to each other, it was odd watching them be nice. I looked out the side window at Bruce Wayne. “It looks like he’s makin’ good progress.”

Violet nodded. “He is. Thanks for loanin’ him to me. Joe was gonna come move the bags, but he’s been tied up with sheriff business.”

“Well, we’re slow, so if you have anything else for him to do, let us know. I’m sure he won’t mind. Business is going to be slow for a while at RBW Landscaping, and he gets stir-crazy with nothin’ to do.”

Neely Kate grinned. “And it looks like he likes the company.”

Violet leaned against the counter. “That’s Anna, my new help. It’s only her second day, but she fits right in. In fact, if she weren’t so great at her job, I might be annoyed. But she’s only been out there twice and both times when we had nothing to do. And it is cold, so I can’t begrudge her takin’ him something warm to drink when he’s workin’ so hard.” She grinned. “And I can’t believe I’m sayin’ this, but they’re cute together.”

I smiled at Violet and she gave me a strange look. “What?”

“You said two nice things about Bruce Wayne. In a row.”

“So?” she asked, sounding defensive. “I can admit it when I’m wrong.”

I expected Neely Kate to offer some jab, but she remained surprisingly quiet.

What was goin’ on with this day?

I shook my head. “We just came by to get Muffy.” My little dog stood at my feet, looking up at me expectantly.

“She can hang out here if you like,” Violet said. “Ashley and Mikey have been missing her. I’m sure they’d love to play with her after school.”

I seriously considered letting her stay. It had been a couple of weeks since she’d last seen the kids and she loved them, but given the threat on Mason’s life, I felt better with her by my side. But I didn’t dare tell Violet any of that or she’d get upset. I cocked my head and smiled. “Can we get a rain check on that? I feel like I’ve neglected Muffy sorely these last couple of days and I’d like to spend time with her tonight.”

“Sure.” But Violet looked unconvinced by my explanation. Thankfully, she didn’t press the issue. “Don’t forget I have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow. You said you’d cover for me.”

“Uh…yeah.” I felt bad. I had forgotten, but in my defense, she’d asked the week before. “Ten, right?”

“The appointment’s at ten. Can you be here by 9:40?”

“Sure. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

As we headed for the door, Anna was coming back in. She was pretty, but in a non-made up way. She kept her dark brown eyes downcast before she lifted her gaze to me. She was about my height but thinner, and I couldn’t help thinking that she needed a good home-cooked meal at Maeve’s.

I held out my hand. “You must be Anna. I’m Rose. Violet’s sister.”

She shook it before quickly dropping it. “Nice to meet you.”

“I see you met my partner Bruce Wayne.”

Her cheeks turned pink. “Yeah.”

As I got back into the car, setting Muffy in the back seat, I found myself hoping that something was really kindling between the two of them. Bruce Wayne deserved all the happiness in the world. And while I was rooting for him, I had more pressing matters to attend to.

I had to verify the identity of my birth father.

Chapter Twenty-Three

I parked Maeve’s car behind the house, hoping I could give Mason a believable explanation if he came home before I took Neely Kate back to the office. Muffy took off running to the front of the house and dove for the bushes, rooting around underneath. I unlocked the front door.

“Huh,” I said, looking around the living room from the threshold. The alarm usually beeped as soon as we opened the door. “I could swear Mason set the alarm before he left.”

“Are you sure?” Neely Kate said, walking up the porch steps behind me.

I walked through the living room into the kitchen and studied the keypad. I hated the alarm system and found it confusing, but Mason always got aggravated when I didn’t set it, which happened often enough given the number of times I’d accidentally set it off. “It says it’s ready. Maybe he didn’t.”

“What if someone broke in?” Neely Kate said. “Someone is after Mason.”

I looked around for any sign of a break-in and found none. “How would they know the code? It’s not very likely. It’s half the length of the Encyclopedia Britannica. Which is why I’m always screwing it up.”

“Maybe you should call him and check.”

I shook my head as I continued to look around. “He’s in court. He said he’d call as soon as he’s free.” I realized Muffy was still outside, so I went to the front door and called her.