Andrew didn’t want to talk. He wanted to keep his ears zeroed in on their stalker. “Not now,” he hissed, motioning for her to quiet down.

The footsteps came toward the front again. Yes, they were definitely closer this time around. He moved his ear from the door, feeling that the wood wasn’t thick enough to protect him any longer.

But protect him from what?

One thing he was sure of – whoever or whatever was out there, there was only one. With him and Ryker covering both ends of the cottage, they would have heard if there were more than that.

One against the two of us, he thought. I have the rifle. Maybe Ryker and I should run out there and put the fear of God and gunpowder in him.

You’re not going to kill someone.

Just give him a damn good scare.

Yeah, like the one you thought you gave him before? All that seemed to do was piss him off and scare myself.

Piss it off.

Not an it. It’s someone walking on two legs. Two legs and one damaged brain.

Through everything, he hadn’t taken notice of Buttons. The dog had been nonchalant about their visitor in the past, and tonight was no different. He was in the kitchen now, slurping from his water bowl.

Andrew watched his tail wag lazily, a dog without a care in the world.

Should we be taking our cues from Buttons? If he’s not worried, why are we?

Dogs had far keener senses than people. While Andrew could only hear the stalker, Buttons could smell him, scent out the man’s intentions. Andrew remembered the day he’d taken Buttons to the new dog park a mile from their house. It was just after dinner and the place was mostly empty. Buttons did a little butt-sniffing on a Pomeranian while Andrew talked to the couple walking the yapping little dog. It turned out the woman had gone to the same school where Andrew’s mother had worked as a secretary. They’d been chatting for a while, the dogs getting along nicely, when a man walked by, wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase. There was a townhouse development at one end of the park and several glass office buildings at the other. Andrew had assumed the man was simply walking home after a long day at work.

Buttons took one look at the man and went berserk. He tugged on the leash so hard, Andrew nearly fell trying to keep him heeled. The man jumped away from the snarling beagle, holding his briefcase in front of him like a shield. Andrew apologized profusely, all while his normally amiable dog did everything in his power to get at the man.

“Dogs usually like me,” the man said, casting furtive looks behind him as he walked away.

Two weeks later, Andrew saw the man again.