She sat here, mulling it all over, when she heard an odd sound in the bushes to the left. She looked around the side of the house. The covered deck came out almost like an outdoor alcove. As she looked around the side, the bushes moved again. She figured it was a raccoon or possum. She had a few animal visitors like that, so sat and waited, hoping to see it.
When she heard or saw nothing further, she settled into the past again, back in her chair, wondering at how suddenly she had an evening free, two afternoons free, and how quickly her life had been flipped. When the noise came again, she smiled and peered around the corner, wondering what critter was visiting her.
And her shocked gaze landed on a man, standing half hidden in the bushes. He studied the side of her house, but, at the sound of her movements, he turned and melted backward into the shadows. She hadn’t seen enough of his face to recognize who it was. She snatched up her phone, stepped back into the house, locked the glass door, then the front door, and immediately called Kurt. When he answered, she said, “Somebody is in my backyard.”
“Who?” he asked immediately.
“I don’t know,” she said, “just a man.”
“Did you see what he was doing?”
She closed her eyes, tried to focus. “He was looking up at the side of the house. I was out on the back deck,” she said.
“What’s up there?”
She sucked in her breath. “My bedroom,” she said.
“Is there anything on the outside wall there?”
“A trellis,” she said, her voice rising in horror. “A latticework trellis is there.”
“I’ll be there in a few minutes,” he said.
“Are you sure?” She didn’t know what to say about the dog.
“Don’t even ask that,” he said. “I need to at least come and make sure, to see just what’s going on.”
And, with that, he hung up, leaving her sitting midway inside, where she could see both the rear glass door and the front door. There was still the garage door, and, dammit, she was terrified enough that she immediately raced toward the garage and locked that door too. Then she sat inside the house, a bit calmer, at least not hyperventilating like she’d been on the verge of a few minutes ago.
Why had he been looking up at her bedroom, and what difference did the lattice make? Unless he was looking to climb it? At that thought, her throat choked because it was all too possible. The last thing she wanted was to contemplate somebody breaking into the house. But her mind wouldn’t let it go.
Why would anyone care? And then her mind went back to the gang scenario earlier today, where the five kids had been after her. She sent the detective a text, asking if all the teens were still locked up. He sent back a negative. Three young men were released, and the one was in the hospital.
She sat here for a long moment, thinking about that. Because, if they were free, and they were still in the same ugly mind-set as before, there was a good chance that tonight they were looking to attack her again. It’s a good thing Jeremy wasn’t here; she didn’t want him involved in any way. This could get beyond ugly, and she didn’t have a clue what to do about it. She sent him a message to just make sure he was okay. Then she texted the detective. I had a man in the backyard tonight. Worried now.
But she didn’t expect the cop to do anything. What could he do? It’s not like she had an intruder in her house; she just had somebody in the backyard, and that could have meant anything.
Did you recognize him?
I didn’t get a chance to see his face.
Let me know if you see him again.
She snorted at that, tossed down her phone. “Sure,” she said out loud. “I’ll let you know. And it’ll probably be too damn late.”
And, with that, she got up and paced the house. Surely she could do something to protect yourself. But what?
It’s not like she had any martial arts training, and it was a horrible feeling to realize that she felt completely vulnerable to the world around her right now. She could call her sister, and then her sister would come racing over, and that would put her in danger. Which would not solve anything and she could get hurt herself. Laurie Ann’s mind continued to loop in endless circles, until she heard a truck drive up. She raced to the front window and peered through the side of the curtains to see it was Kurt.
He hopped out, and, with the driver’s door open, he stood facing the inside of the truck. And slowly, as if almost painfully, a shepherd jumped down beside him. Laurie Ann gasped in shock. He got the War Dog on a leash.
She raced to the front door and opened it.
He expected her and held up a hand and said, “Don’t rush, please.”
She stopped and nodded. “Can I come forward?”
The shepherd looked at Laurie Ann curiously, but no aggression was in her eyes.
Kurt nodded. “That you can do,” he said. “Come stand beside me.”
She walked a few steps and called out, “Hello, girl.”
The shepherd’s tail wagged.
“She’s so skinny,” she said to Kurt. “How can anybody mistreat a dog?”
“I don’t know that she was mistreated as much as abandoned by a society that doesn’t take care of its animals or its war heroes. It’s sad. She deserves better.”
“I’ve always loved animals,” she murmured.
“As you know, I have too, but it was never something that worked into my life before.”
“And yet apparently that’s changed,” she said with a laugh.
He bent down in front of the shepherd, gently stroking the side of her head and neck. “And you’ve got to remember how this is all new to Sabine, so she has to decide as to whether each human being can be trusted or not.”
“And you think she’s at the point where she knows most aren’t?” She desperately wanted to crouch down and cuddle the poor dog, but it was too early.
“From the way I’ve seen her today, I would assume so,” he said. “But animals can be very trusting, even after the fact. So, while she has been abused, that doesn’t mean she’ll remain in that same wounded-warrior mentality.”
“I just want to hug her,” she said, as she crouched down beside him and gently reached out a hand.
“Her name is Sabine,” he said gently. He placed a hand on hers and nudged her hand closer to the shepherd, who leaned closer and sniffed fingers and then let her muzzle nudge Laurie Ann’s fingertips. Delighted, Laurie Ann gently stroked the skinny dog. “We need to get her some food,” she said.
“I’ve got a little in the truck, just not enough for very many days.”
“Well, I have leftovers. Or I could order in a delivery,” she said. “Or, if you want to be here with the dog, I can go collect some.”
“We won’t leave you alone for a while,” he said quietly. “At least not until I know what’s going on.”
“On that note,” she said, “good luck with trying to figure it out because it doesn’t make sense.”
“Show me where you saw the guy.” She nodded and led the way around the back through the gate, the shepherd coming with them. Laurie Ann watched as the shepherd approached the back of the house with her ears up and her tail casually moving around. “She seems to be interested in everything around her,” she said.