On the couch, Larry bristled and growled, his nose making little spots of fog on the window.

“It’s all right,” Phoebe told him and reached for her knitting basket, where she kept a ziplock bag of his favorite treats.

But Larry was having none of the liver-flavored morsels this morning. Stiff-bodied, he glared out the window as Sophia slid into her car and backed up quickly, missing Dabrowski by less than a foot.

In a hurry.

As ever.

Finally, the dog took the little snack from between her fingers and settled down on the back of the couch again, still watching, but more relaxed. Phoebe allowed herself a little snack as well from the candy dish she kept on the shelf too high for Larry to reach and popped five M&Ms into her mouth.

As the chocolate began to melt on her tongue, Phoebe recounted her stitches, then began knitting again, yet another baby blanket she was donating to the church, which would distribute it, along with her other finished projects—booties, hats, and sweaters—to the needy. Her hands flew, the needles clicked, the fuzzy pink blanket grew, and still she wondered just what it was about Sophia Russo that bothered her so.

Maybe she would have to do some more checking on the pretty blonde herself. After all, she could easily let herself into the apartment and poke around a bit. Honestly, it wouldn’t be the first time and probably not the last. And she had the handy excuse of checking for frozen pipes if she was found out.

Phoebe considered it part of her job to make certain everything was on the up-and-up at the Cascadia Apartments.

No funny business. Not on Phoebe’s watch.

And something about that Russo girl just wasn’t right.

Phoebe felt it in her bones.

And Larry, bless his little heart, did too.

CHAPTER 30

CHAPTER 30

As he sat behind the wheel of his idling SUV, James Cahill stared across the street at the Main Street Hotel, hoping to catch a glimpse of Rebecca. Like a love-sotted fool.

“Moron,” he muttered as he noted her car was still in the hotel’s lot and contemplated how he could see her again.

It was ridiculous.

Until this moment in time, he’d always known what he wanted.