“Jacob has a friend that can tow it.”
Of course he has. But to be honest Eli wasn’t sure it was worth it. Rust and sheer dumb luck had held it together for the last eight months, but then he couldn’t just leave it here either. Eli nodded, and Daniel got on the phone.
“I’m just going to the restroom.” It looked quiet enough. He didn’t like stopping in these places because of the looks he got, but not knowing how long he was gonna have to wait for the tow truck, he had little choice. He noticed a big semi turn on its engine as he went inside. There was just a guy finishing up that barely glanced his way, and Eli was out and walking back to the cars in a moment.
“They’ll be about an hour,” Daniel confirmed as Eli returned.
“Then you go back.” It was pointless Daniel waiting.
Daniel shook his head. “They’ll take it to his garage. We can go…” But Eli wasn’t listening; he’d heard something, and he swung around staring into the trees past a wire fence.
“What is it?” Daniel asked, his hand going to his gun.
Eli held a hand up and shook his head for Daniel to be quiet. He took a couple of steps near the fence and heard it again. A whine. He managed to bend and get through the wire fence without snagging his clothes. Daniel bent as well, but Eli shook his head again. “Give me a minute.” Eli took a step into the undergrowth and heard another whine. He dropped lower and smiled at what he saw. “Hey, buddy,” he crooned and held his hand out.
The black-and-white dog took a wary step toward him. “Come on, fella,” Eli said softly and kept his hand extended until the dog had reached the tip of his fingers. “That’s a good boy—girl,” he amended as he felt a tentative lick. Surer of its welcome, the dog limped-hopped from out from the bushes and practically thrust her nose into Eli’s hand. She looked like she’d been in there some time. Eli noted the limp was due to a missing hind leg. An old injury. Maybe she wasn’t pretty enough now.
“Is he injured?” Daniel said from behind the fence.
“Nothing recently, but her back leg’s missing.” Eli ran his hand over a very dusty coat. “She has a few battle scars, and she’s way too thin.” Eli glanced back at Daniel. He couldn’t leave her here, and he couldn’t exactly take her to Daniel’s fancy apartment. “Could we maybe drop her at a shelter? Or better still, I’ll wait with her until the tow truck gets here.” But a shelter might have to put her down. Dogs this old and battered didn’t get forever homes.
His breath hitched.
“Or why don’t you get her in the car and see if she wants some water?” Daniel asked in a practical voice.
Eli eyed the dog, who had wedged herself as close to Eli as she could get. “She’s filthy. Probably has fleas.”
Daniel nodded. “Then it’s a good job I have a rental,” he added dryly. “You’re gonna have to pick her up and pass her over the fence to me.”
Eli eyed Daniel’s suit.
Daniel just arched a brow and extended his arms. Eli stood up and gently lifted the little girl into his arms. She wasn’t big. Smaller than a Labrador, but her short coat reminded him of one. Her tail was docked, but he had no idea whether that was another injury or intentional. She was still trying to burrow her head into Eli’s chest, and Eli’s heart thumped in response. Eli handed her very carefully over to Daniel, and the dog looked at him woefully like Eli had given her up already.
“Go get in the car, and I’ll hand her back,” Daniel said, and Eli slid through the fence, heading to the car. “There’s a sports bag in the trunk with a towel in there. Use that for her to lie on.”
Eli got the towel and scooted over, draping the towel on the seat next to him. Daniel passed her over. He closed the door and got back in the driver’s side, reaching for the small cooler Eli had seen with water bottles in. “I haven’t got any sort of a bowl, but I can rinse out my coffee cup.”
The dog lapped it up eagerly as soon as she realized what Daniel was holding out. Daniel smiled. “I guess we’ll go back home first.”
Eli stroked the dog’s head as it lay on his knee and wondered what to do. Daniel pressed a button on his phone as they set off, and a voice filled the car. “Son?”
Eli held his breath. It was the lieutenant. “Dad, you’re on speaker with Eli. Do you know any veterinarians?”
The lieutenant chuckled. “That’s a bit harsh, Daniel. Don’t you have any human doctors at that fancy FBI office of yours. Eli? You gonna let your partner get away with that?”
Eli gaped. The lieutenant was making a joke. “We rescued a stray, sir.”
“Really?” the lieutenant sounded interested. “Any injuries?” Daniel briefly explained about the dog.
“Have you called Jacob?”
Daniel groaned. “No.”
“Well seen as your brother has a mini zoo in his back yard I’m thinking he might know someone.” Daniel thanked his dad and before the lieutenant hung up cautioned them both they were expected for supper that night, but if things had changed because of the dog, just to give them a call.
“I should have thought of Jacob,” Daniel said ruefully. “Let’s get her home and call him.”
“Home?” Eli clarified.
Daniel met his gaze in the mirror. “You found her, and you’re living at mine.”
Eli gazed down at the dog and felt another small lick to his finger. A dog? A home? He didn’t have a home himself. How could he shelter something else?
“Unless it’s really not what you want,” Daniel said quietly. “Say if you think she should be dropped off at the shelter.”
Eli’s fingers smoothed down the dog’s fur, and he was rewarded with another lick. The dog would be better off without him. Some of the shelters were nice. He would have to make sure it wasn’t a kill shelter though. Eli opened his mouth to tell Daniel exactly that, but then he got another lick of a wet tongue and a cold nose was pressed against his fingers.
“Maybe someone lost her,” he offered.
Daniel looked doubtful, and she did look like she’d been on her own for a long time. “It’s easy to see if she has a microchip.”
Eli nodded but couldn’t bring himself to say anything else, and just carried on stroking the dog’s head. He would see. The dog might have a family. Just because he didn’t, didn’t mean that was usual. Look at Daniel. Hell, maybe Jacob would want her. Daniel smiled and turned back around to drive just as if Eli had answered him. But he guessed he really had.
He didn’t move his hand though, even when Daniel stopped briefly at a store and came back out carrying what looked like enough supplies for another five dogs. Eli had to smile at that. The man was nuts, but then it seemed like it was that sort of day.
Or maybe Daniel was just that sort of man.
Chapter Seventeen
Jacob met them at the apartment. He was just getting out of his car as they drove into Daniel’s reserved spot. Daniel had called the tow company for Eli’s car and just left the keys under the seat. If anyone took it, they might just be doing him a favor. Eli picked up the dog as Jacob met him.