He nodded, but his tone was grim, as he said in a quiet tone, “I haven’t seen Thaddeus. He’s gone missing.”
Her eyes popped open. “What do you mean?”
He shook his head. “Either he’s gone walking or somebody has taken him.”
She stared up at him, her heart already filled with joy at having Mugs and Goliath here, then shifting to panic-stricken mode after realizing that Thaddeus may not be. “That’s not good,” she whispered. Yet something else shifted in her brain. “I didn’t have them with me.” She shrugged and said, “Or maybe I did. I have no idea.”
“Let’s leave that for the moment. Tell me. What are you doing here?” he asked.
She focused on him, but her mind went blank. “What am I doing where?” she asked cautiously.
His eyebrows shot up. “You’re at the cemetery.”
She frowned, as she thought about it. “Oh.” Her gaze caught sight of the crushed lilies beside her. “Oh,” she said. She reached up a hand to her sore head, then realized what happened. “Someone hit me,” she snapped, glaring up at him. “Did you find him?”
He raised his palms. “Of course I didn’t find him,” he said. “We barely found you.”
She stared at the ground, her head twisting to look at the crowd gathered around. “Who found me then?”
He pointed off to the side, where a little boy stood close to his mom. “Well, Mugs technically, but also that little boy did.”
“Wow. How long ago?” she asked, struggling to sit up again. This time Mack helped her, slipping an arm underneath her back and helping her into a sitting position. She shuddered as the pain ricocheted down her back. “Did he see what happened?”
“He said he came here because of Mugs.”
She looked over to see Mugs, snuffling the little boy’s hand, and the boy’s expression of absolute rapture on his face as he petted him. “Mugs does have that effect on some people.”
“Only some,” Mack said gently. “A lot of people have learned to run.”
“He doesn’t attack everybody,” she said indignantly, not liking the way Mack was thinking.
“No, maybe not,” he said, “but he’s certainly attacked enough.”
“Well, you could say the same for Goliath for that matter.”
“Absolutely I would,” he said, with a humorous tone.
Ambulance sirens screamed in the distance.
“Wow, somebody else got hurt too?”
“Nope,” he said, “that ambulance is for you.”
“I’m fine,” she said, with a dismissive wave of her hand.
“No, I don’t think so,” he said gently. “We’ll get you looked over.”
She leaned up against his knee, tilting her head to look up at him. “I’m really okay, you know?”
“Really? The blood dripping down the side of your head disagrees.”
She winced. “Will they cut my hair again?”
“That’s hardly the issue,” he said.
She twisted and then gasped at the pain. “But it’s not far off,” she muttered.
Just then the ambulance arrived. Two men hopped out and raced toward Mack.
“You know what? I only get that kind of attention because you’re here.”
He sighed. “I am the one who called them.”
“You’re overreacting again,” she grumbled.
“Again?” he said in an ominous voice.
She grinned. “Well, maybe. But you guys should be out looking for Thaddeus.”
“Don’t you worry about Thaddeus. We’ll find him,” Mack murmured. “I want you to go to the hospital and to get checked over.”
“But we don’t always get what we want,” she announced, as she struggled to stand. Just the thought of going to the hospital made her ill.
“Oh no, you don’t,” he said, keeping her seated on the ground. “You’re not getting out of it this time.”
She tried to ignore him, but, with the paramedics hurrying toward her, she knew that she couldn’t avoid it. Mugs immediately stood and barked at the two paramedics. She called him over, and he came back to her, wagging his tail happily. She gave him a cuddle.
“It’s okay, buddy. They’re here to help me.” He woofed several times and shoved his face up against her. She hugged him close, and a paramedic crouched in front of her.
“Let’s take a look at the injury.”
She studied his face. “I think I recognize you.”
“You should,” he said. “I been out to look at injuries you’ve received several times now.”
She winced. “It’s not good when the paramedics get to know me by name,” she announced.
“It’s not good when the cops get to know you by sight either,” Mack muttered, as he pointed off to the side, where several policemen were, including Chester and Arnold, holding back the crowd.
“Oh dear,” she said. “Will I owe them more beer and pizza now?”
Chester, who must have been close enough to hear, turned and grinned, giving her a thumbs-up.
Mack burst out laughing.
She sighed. “I am a little tired,” she admitted.
“Well, as long as I know you didn’t do this on purpose.”
She rounded on Mack, then cried out in pain at the sharp movement. “Why did you do that?”
“Why did I do what?”
“Make me turn like that,” she said.
“I didn’t make you turn,” he said, sighing. He moved off to the side, so the paramedic could get a better look at her head. “Besides, why were you outraged at my comment?”
“Do you really think I did this to myself?” she asked in an ominous tone, glaring at him.
“Of course not,” he said, “but you did agree to meet with my brother this weekend.”
“Well, I can’t do it now,” she said, reaching a hand to her head. “I’m hurt.”
He snorted at that. “A minute ago, you were just fine.”
“A minute ago, I forgot about your brother,” she snapped back. At that, one of the paramedics tugged on her, and she cried out in pain.
“I’m so sorry,” he said, “but we’ll need to take you in. Do you want to walk to the ambulance, or shall we bring over a gurney?”
“Oh my,” she said. “I don’t even want to go in the ambulance.”
“Too bad,” Mack announced, as he stood and gently lifted her to her feet. “Now, can you walk on your own, or shall we put you on a gurney and wheel you through the crowd?”
“Now you’re just being mean,” she announced.
“Of course I am,” he said. “I live to bug you and to be mean, apparently.”
She turned to look at him and said, “That’s a failing. You should fix it.” The paramedic looked at her, bemused. She glared at him. “It’s really not nice to knock people when they’re down now, is it?” He immediately nodded, and her eyebrows shot up. “It is?” He shook his head. “Are you confused?” she asked.
“Oh, yeah,” Mack said. “We all are. And I’m taking the decision away from you.” In one smooth movement, he bent and swooped her up into his arms and strode toward the ambulance.