“A word of warning,” she called out to his back. “That is a gay man’s dog, so if you want to stay in the closet…”

“I’m turning you in to the P.C. police.”

At least the mangy little yipper had taken Dean’s mind off the drama at the house, and Blue kept up the distraction by bickering with him until they reached the front yard.

The trucks that should have been clogging the lane were nowhere in sight. No din of hammers or scream of power drills disturbed the sound of the birds. He frowned. “I wonder what’s going on.”

April emerged from the house, her cell in hand. The dog greeted her with furious yelps. “Quiet!” Dean said. The animal recognized leadership and fell silent. Dean surveyed the yard. “Where is everybody?”

April came off the porch. “It seems they’ve fallen mysteriously ill.”

“All of them?”

“Apparently.”

Blue started putting the pieces together and didn’t like what she saw. “It’s not because…No, I’m sure it isn’t.”

“We’ve been boycotted.” April threw up one hand. “How did you make that woman so mad?”

“Blue did what she needed to,” Dean said sharply.

Riley flew out onto the porch. “I hear a dog!” The mutt went bonkers at the sight of her. She hurried down the steps but slowed as she got closer. Kneeling, she extended her hand just as Dean had. “Hey, doggie.”

The filthy fur ball regarded her suspiciously but condescended to be petted. Riley looked up at Dean, her perpetual worry line digging deeper into her forehead. “Is she yours?”

He thought it over for a moment. “Why not? There’ll be a caretaker around when I’m not here.”

“What’s its name?”

“She’s a stray. She doesn’t have a name.”

“Can I like…call her…” She studied the dog. “…maybe Puffy?”

“I, uh, was thinking something on the order of Killer.”

Riley studied the dog. “She looks more like a Puffy.”

Blue couldn’t harden her heart against the stray a moment longer. “Let’s go find Puffy something to eat.”

“Get the contractor on the phone,” Dean said to April. “I want to talk to him.”

“I’ve been trying. He’s not picking up.”

“Then maybe I’d better pay him a personal visit.”

April wanted Puffy defleaed by a vet, and she somehow convinced Jack to take the dog with him when he and Riley left for Nashville. Blue secretly doubted having the dog in the house would ever be a problem. Regardless of what Jack had promised, Blue didn’t believe he’d keep his word and bring Riley back. She gave the eleven-year-old an extra hug before she left. “Don’t take any crap from anybody, okay?”

“I’ll try?” Riley answered with a question mark.