Dean Milton, known throughout Seaview as Doctor Dean, shouldered through the doors to the Prime Roast Café. He towed his recently acquired dog through the crowded café and flung himself into the seat opposite Steve. Laptop crawled under the table and lay down, resting her chin on his boots.
“Hiya, girl.” Steve bent to scratch the dog behind the ears. He caught the waitress’s attention and placed his own order plus Dean’s usual double espresso. “Anything new?”
Dean shook his head. Neither man had heard from Rowan since her abrupt disappearance a month ago. And after some digging. both had discovered the disturbing fact that Rowan was at least the second woman to vanish from Seaview without trace. Maybe even the third.
Around forty years ago, a blind woman named Hope Delamore had disappeared. There was also a mystery surrounding the woman’s daughter—Romana. Local gossips claimed when she was just eighteen years old the girl had suddenly jetted off to Switzerland to seek medical treatment, gifting her extensive family home and estate to a trust she’d set up—the Seaview Children’s Home Trust. She’d never returned to her hometown and no one had heard from her since. No one knew what had become of her. Or if they did, no one was saying.
Unlike those phantom women, Rowan Havers was real to Dean. He’d gotten to know Rowan personally. He considered her a friend. Which was why he’d become temporary owner of really big stroppy dog with a ridiculous name. And friends didn’t roll over and do nothing when people they knew upped and vanished. He and Steve had called in a lot of favors to try and track Rowan down. So far they’d turned up zilch. All they knew for sure was she hadn’t been admitted to any hospital in this state.
As disturbing as Rowan’s disappearance was, Dean had another problem. A rather serious one for a doctor. He suspected he was going mad.
“You look like shit,” Steve told him. “Been having weird dreams too, huh?”
He exhaled a huge shuddering sigh that left him limp. “Thank God for that. Figured I was headed for the nuthouse.”
“Nyuh uh.” Steve shook his head emphatically and leaned forward, lowering his voice. “Wherever that girl’s disappeared to, she’s trying to let us know she’s happy. And she’s with Ryley.”
“Yeah.” He pressed his thumbs into his eye sockets to relieve the tension headache. “That’s the message I get, too. I keep dreaming of Rowan in a fancy dress standing next to Ryley. Lots of smiling people dressed like they’re at a promo for Leathers-R-Us. Speeches, a banquet, toasts to the happy couple—”
“Yup. Seems like a wedding to me.” Steve snorted. “They both seem disgustingly happy and in love. What d’ya make of the surroundings, though? Pretty damn primitive.”
“I guess.” Dean shifted in his chair to toe off his boots and rest his stocking feet on Laptop’s back. The dog huffed at him but didn’t move. She liked it when he used her as a footrest, really she did.
“Looks like a place from the past.” Steve was still fixated on the setting in those dreams. “Way, way back in the past. And did you see the dog those kids had? Thing looked like a damn wolf.”
Dean said nothing to encourage further speculation. Things were weird enough already given he was dead sure he recognized three of the men at Rowan’s wedding. The same three men who’d visited the pediatric ward where he had been a patient as a boy.
Faint memories of those men had haunted him over the years—as had Ryley’s close resemblance to one of them. Seeing those faces again in his dream raised far too many questions. He blinked owlishly and rubbed his eyes. “What I wouldn’t do for a decent night’s sleep.”
Steve pushed the carton he’d brought with him aside to make room, and leaned back while the waitress placed the orders on the table. “Unfinished business,” he said. “We figure out what it is, Rowan lets us get some sleep.” He heaped food on his fork and stuffed it in his mouth.
“Christ, how can you eat that greasy stuff?”
“Easy. Want some bacon?”
Dean shuddered and drank his espresso. Right now he couldn’t even face the toast and preserves he’d ordered. “Got any ideas what she wants from us?”
Steve tapped the carton. “This, for one.”
“Yeah?”
“It’s a fancy tea service.” He grimaced sourly when Dean raised his eyebrows. “And before you say anything, smartass, I dreamed about the damn thing for a week before I finally got the idea to go to Rowan’s house and look for it. Not my idea of a recurrent dream. I don’t even drink tea, fer Chrissakes. My fantasies run more to busty blonde starlets than tea services.”
“How’d you get inside Rowan’s house?”
Steve tossed him a smug grin. “How’d you think?”
“You did a spot of breaking and entering?”
“No, genius. Rowan told me in my dreams where the spare key was.”
“Nice.” Dean drained his espresso and signaled the waitress to bring him another. That one hadn’t even hit the sides. “But why cart the tea service all the way here? Did she tell you to do that, too?”
Steve stilled, a forkful of food halfway to his mouth. “Laptop!”
“Is perfectly fine. I’ve been taking good care of her and—”
“Shut up for a second. I bet Rowan wants her dog back, too.”
Dean scratched his chin as he considered the idea. “You might have something there.” And then Laptop gave a startled yelp and Dean’s heels abruptly hit the floor. He glanced at Steve and then they both ducked to peer beneath the table. The Malamute had disappeared, leaving behind her collar and lead.
They both sat up, mouths agape. Steve started to say something and then choked. He pointed to the empty space on the table. The carton containing the tea-service had also vanished. “Okaaayyy.” He clicked his fingers at the passing waitress. “I’ll have an espresso, too, please. Double shot.”
Dean reached down again to grab the lead and collar from the floor. He coiled them up and placed them on the bench seat next to him. “I kinda liked having a dog around. Might take a trip to the animal shelter later on.”
“Think we’ll ever know the truth about what happened to her?” Steve asked around another forkful of hotcake and bacon.
“No. But I guess we can stop looking for her. And I’m glad she’s happy, wherever she is. I’ve always been a sucker for a happy ending.”
“Yeah. Me, too. But if you say anything to ruin my hard-assed reputation at the hospital I’ll end you.”
Dean took both the espressos from the waitress and passed one to Steve. “In your dreams.”
~~~
Rowan threw her arms around her dog. “Laptop! I’ve missed you so much, girl.” The Malamute gave a series of short yips then licked her mistress’s face. She raised her gaze to her life-partner. “Thank you for twisting Marc’s arm, Ryley. This means a lot to me.”
His gaze shot past her. “Don’t thank me yet, dearling.”
“Why ever not?” Rowan twisted to see a huge white wolf bounding toward them. “Oh my God!” she said in English, and took a firm grip of her dog’s thick ruff. Laptop jerked easily from her grasp. She bounded off, barking wildly at the newcomer. Rowan held her breath… and then the Malamute flopped onto her side and rolled on her back, paws in the air.
“Laptop, I’d like you to meet Furball,” Ryley announced with a credibly straight face. “Romana’s kids named him, not me.”
“Gods, she is such a flirt,” Rowan said, flushing at the way her dog was wriggling and carrying on.
“Don’t worry, dearling, I’m sure the puppies will be adorable.”
“No fear of that. I’m a responsible dog owner. She’s been spayed.”
Ryley arched an eyebrow. “Have I ever told you that my mother was infertile before she came here?”
She closed her eyes and gave a heartfelt groan while his laughter rang in her ears.
***
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Turn the page for a peek at the first book in The Crystal Warriors series!
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