Not Since You Read Online Free

destructive, horrible…dog. "I hate it," she muttered. She wondered if she'd ever find Ellie, and a part of her hoped she didn't. She never wanted to see the beast again.
                  She slowly dragged her sorry carcass up the driveway to the van. The side door was still open and as she leaned, pulling the door shut, she noticed the card on the front seat. She owed not only big bucks she barely had plus manual labor to replant flowers, but also the cost of one uniform hat and shirt. Zack's hat and shirt.
                  Of all the cops in Narragansett, why did he have to be the one who pulled her over?
                  One short week ago, she'd been home in Texas, making a meager but satisfying living writing freelance articles for the local papers, national periodicals and websites. Then Nana had died out of the blue, and her whole life had turned upside down. Even though Nana had been many states away, she'd been there , a constant, someone who loved her and whom she loved. And now…she was alone.
                  She was terrified.
                  She opened the door and picked up Zack's business card with stiff fingers. She didn't want to look at it, but she couldn't not look at it. He was her last link with the life she'd known.
    Captain Zack Mahoney, Narragansett Police Department. Animal Control Coordinator. And then, in smaller letters in the center of the card: Community dog training classes .
    Zack was the dog officer?
                  Carrie lifted her face toward the sky. "Nana? Did you have something to do with this?" There was no answer, of course. Nana was gone and Carrie was here. Alone. Except for the Hound of Hell.
    Well, maybe. The dog was gone now, too.
    Along with part of her bank account.
    She tucked the card into the torn remains of her shorts’ pocket. She wouldn't call Zack. She'd keep the card, but she wouldn't call him. She wouldn't need to. She'd just make Nana's house fit to sell, and then return to Texas. She had friends there. She had a life, there.

Here, there was nothing but heartache and bad memories. She limped up the steps and into the house.

Chapter Three             
     
    Zack climbed the stairs to Carrie's Nana's porch and knocked on the door. Her big dog tugged on the leash, but one good glare and a firm, "Sit!" and she sat, with a yawn.
    Carrie had called the shelter earlier in the day to see if the wolfhound been found, and considering where the dog turned up, he doubted she belonged to anyone else.
    He knocked again, then began ringing the bell. Bingbongbingbongbingbong…
    The dog lay down and sighed.
    It was dark—around ten-ish, he figured, but there were lights on in the front window. How many more times should he knock and ring the bell?              He'd be damned if he had to keep that dog overnight. She'd already proven she could open a kennel door. She just lifted the latch with her nose. He could've locked it and just gone home, but—Carrie. Carrie was here, and dog or no dog, he wanted to— needed to—see her.
                  He couldn't get her out of his mind. The minute she'd driven off, he'd begun hoping she'd look at that business card and call. He kept checking his messages just to be sure he hadn't missed her. He'd convinced himself that his cell phone was broken and he'd even called home and asked his daughter if a woman had called for him.
                  "A woman, Dad? What woman?" Her voice had been coy. She'd been after him for years to start dating. He wasn't sure why, except he thought she might feel bad leaving him alone in the house after she started college in the fall. A good kid, Samantha. Always very compassionate and thoughtful. Sarah had said Samantha reminded her of him, even though he wasn't her real dad. Not that Samantha knew that. She never would, if he had any choice in the matter.
                  Zack