Nick of Time (A Bug Man Novel) by Tim Downs

retriever. He’s not a house dog—it’s just not in his blood.”
    “Now stop that. You’re overreacting.”
    “I know a working dog when I see one, Gunner—I train them, remember? I can spot the temperament a mile away, and I should have spotted it in Nick. What was I thinking? The guy was born to run, and he’s not about to stop for me.”
    “ Stop .” Gunner took her by the shoulders and gave her a gentle shake. “Look—you know that I love you like a daughter.”
    Alena rolled her emerald eyes. “Here it comes. Every time you remind me you love me, it means you’re about to kick me in the pants.”
    “That’s not true and you know it.”
    “Just get on with it.”
    Gunner looked at her sternly. “I know you, kiddo—I’ve known you since you were a little girl. And I think I know Nick pretty well too—well, as much as anybody does. You know what your problem is? You talk about Nick like he’s one of your dogs—somebody you can train to do what you want; somebody who won’t disappoint you once he learns to obey; somebody you won’t have to explain things to because he’ll know what you want just by snapping your fingers. But Nick’s not one of your dogs, Alena—he’s a lot more complicated than that. You can’t just train him, and he won’t always obey you, and I can absolutely guarantee that a man will disappoint you from time to time—if you don’t believe me, just ask Rose.”
    “I know,” she said. “Rose tells me what a big disappointment you are.”
    “I’m serious. Maybe a working dog only lives to work, but a human being is different. Nick can do two things at once—he can love to work and he can love you at the same time.”
    “Well, I’m only seeing half of it.”
    “Did he ask you to marry him?”
    She kicked at the dirt. “I guess so.”
    “Then what are you whining about?”
    She winced. “You think I’m whining?”
    “The man forgets to call and you think he doesn’t love you; he has an errand to do and you think he’s never coming back. What would you call it?”
    Alena felt her frustration gradually giving way to embarrassment and shame. “Well, what am I supposed to do while he’s gone? I’m going crazy just sitting around here.”
    “You’re supposed to get back to work and trust your man. If you don’t trust him, it’s going to be a long marriage.”
    “Okay, I get the message. Are you done with the ‘tough love’ routine now?”
    “If I don’t tell you these things, who will?”
    “Rose will.”
    “That’s right—because we’re married and we always think the same way.”
    “That’ll be the day.” They both grinned, and Alena wrapped her arms around Gunner’s thick waist and hugged him tight. She held out her left hand and looked at her engagement ring. “I guess a man is like a diamond,” she said. “You want a good one, but the better it is, the more you worry about losing it.”
    Gunner kissed her on the top of her shining black hair. “Nick said to tell you he promises to call you tonight at exactly nine o’clock.”
    “When will he come home?”
    “Ask him yourself. He’ll call at nine.”
    “Like he did last night?”
    “Like he meant to.”
    “Terrific,” she said. “That means I have to go down to Endor again.”
    “Send one of your dogs,” Gunner said. “They can use a cell phone, can’t they?”
    “I wish.” She continued to hold on to him with her head resting against his chest. “Then you think Nick really loves me?”
    “If I didn’t think so, I wouldn’t have agreed to marry the two of you.”
    She gave him one final squeeze, then released him and looked up into his eyes. “Pine Summit,” she said. “What the heck is he doing in Pine Summit?”

11
     
    PINE SUMMIT, PENNSYLVANIA
     
    W hen Nick opened the door to the Pine Summit Sherriff’s Office, he heard a tiny tinkling sound above his head. He looked up at the doorframe and saw an old-fashioned brass bell dangling from a curling metal strip.