Lindsey and Sully both got out of the truck. Heathcliff wrapped his front paws around Lindsey’s leg and hugged her tight. Then he barked and ran around the truck to do the same thing to Sully.

Charlie came around the house at a jog. “Heathcliff, hey!”

“Hi, Charlie,” Lindsey said.

“Oh, it’s you. I might have known. I swear, that dog can sense when you’re a quarter of a mile away.”

Charlie glanced past Lindsey to where Sully was hauling her bike out of the back. He raised his eyebrows at Lindsey. Lindsey gave a quick shake of her head.

Charlie raised his hands in the universal sign of What gives? Lindsey shook her head again and jerked her head toward the house to let him know they would discuss it later.

Lindsey knew Charlie was torn because while they were neighbors and friends, Sully was his boss and a friend, plus the two of them had known each other a lot longer. Charlie had never come out and directly accused Lindsey of breaking Sully’s heart, but she sometimes thought he believed that, even though he knew full well that Sully had been the one to end their relationship.

Charlie shook his head back at her and pointed to the ground as if to say Explain now.

Lindsey bugged her eyes at him and tried to look threatening.

“Are you two done with your sign language now?” Sully asked as he plopped the bike down next to Lindsey.

She jumped and turned to look at him in surprise.

“We weren’t—” Charlie began but Lindsey interrupted him.

“Yes, we’re done,” she said.

Sully gave her a slow smile and she found herself returning it, even though she knew hers was probably hampered by the overwhelming shock and sadness that seemed to weigh her down with all the grace of a cinderblock.

Sully looked at Charlie and said, “We’ve got some bad news. Robbie Vine is dead and it looks like someone killed him.”

“Oh, boss, you didn’t!” Charlie cried.

14

“What?” Sully asked. “No, I didn’t! What would make you even think a thing like that?”

“Well, he was moving in on your girl,” Charlie said.

“Oh, my god, do you not have a filter for that mouth?” Lindsey asked him.

She snatched her bike from Sully and wheeled it through the side door of the garage. When she came back out, Sully was glaring at Charlie, who was looking sheepish.

“It’s just—” Charlie began but Lindsey held up her hand to stop him before he said something even more incredibly stupid.

“Come on, Heathcliff,” Charlie said. “Looks like I’m sharing your doghouse.”

Heathcliff jumped on Sully one more time before following Charlie into the house.

“Sorry about that,” Lindsey said.

“No need for you to be,” Sully said. “Charlie leads with his mouth. That’s what makes him such a good rock singer.”