Page 1 of Clearly Charmed

Chapter One

Tasty Afternoon Snack

There’s a special place in hell for people who let their dogs go off leash in the woods.

Flora, my Mastiff Doberman mix, loped alongside me as we hiked up the trail leading to the top of Elderberry Ridge. Birdsong echoed through the trees. The lemon-drop sun descended, stretching shadows into shapes that resembled storybook monsters. Goosebumps skidded over my skin as the clouds rolled in and the temperature dipped.

Late August was my favorite time of year in Colorado. Warmer days turned into cooler nights. At dusk, the symphonic chirp of crickets slipped in through open windows. The damp scent of the woods, sometimes falling rain, often lulled my chaotic mind into a dreamless sleep.

Some people took vacations to exotic places with white sand beaches. Turquoise water for as far as the eye could see. When I wanted to escape, I came to these woods and let the precious silence fold over me like a warm blanket.

I gripped Flora’s leash as she pulled me forward. Just as we reached a small rise, a chocolate Labrador retriever with a massive block head shot out of a dense set of trees. Panting hard, the dog circled us twice before he sprawled in front of my feet.

‘Where’d you come from?’

His thick neck was void of a collar. A low simmering heat rose in my veins.

Off leash and no tags. Dammit.

‘Hello,’ I called out, hoping the owner would emerge from the woods. The dog continued to pant at my feet. His pink tongue flopped out of the side of his mouth. Brick-red mud clung to his wet fur and paws.

I yanked off my backpack, shoving aside the collapsible water bowl and the few treats I’d packed for Flora. At the bottom, I found a small length of cord and made a leash. I slid it over the Lab’s head and coaxed him to the side of the trail. As he walked, I clocked his movements. Sturdy body. Normal gait. No visible injuries.

Flora and the Lab sniffed each other while I leaned against a nearby boulder to wait for the owner. Rabbits hopped out of low-lying bushes. Prairie dogs skittered across the tops of jagged rocks. The Lab strained against the leash, eager to chase after the small animals. Flora gave him an annoyed look and settled down onto her belly like she expected a long wait.

She wasn’t wrong.

Ten, fifteen, twenty minutes slid by without a sign of another human.

‘All right, boy,’ I said tugging on the leash. ‘Let’s head down and figure this out.’ Flora jumped up and stayed beside me as we made our way down the trail.

With each and every step, the weight of the day knotted in my shoulders. Pounded inside my temples. I’d been up since four, tending to Mrs Werlin’s pregnant pug, Lola, whose distressed and tiny body required I take her puppies by C-section. Three girls and a boy. Bringing new pups into the world was one of the best parts of being a veterinarian, but by the end of the day I was ready to crash.

Thursdays were my busiest at the clinic, but today was my little sister Aster’s birthday, and she insisted we all meet for dinner at Grandmother Clo’s. That gave me just enough time to watch the sunset from the top of the ridge before I had to head to the party. Now that idea was shot to hell, thanks to some idiot.

When we reached the service road at the edge of the trail, I pulled my phone out of the pocket of my joggers. A thud of heavy footsteps sounded through the woods, followed by a deep voice calling out, ‘Indy! Indy! Here, boy.’

The lab whined and yanked on the leash like he was a bottle rocket ready to ignite. Cracking sticks and breaking branches cut through the air. A man crashed out of the woods, tripped once and hit the hard-packed earth, turning a full somersault before landing with a thud. The dogs both barked, rushing up the trail beside me.

Starfished across the dirt was a guy with long athletic legs and at least two days of reddish-blond scruff covering his chiseled jaw. His eyes were closed, his chest rising and falling with heavy breaths. An odd flutter filled the space below my breastbone like a feather caught on the wind.

‘Hey, are you all right?’ I bent down next to him, quickly scanning him for injuries.

‘Give me a minute.’ He shifted his legs and curled his hands open and closed.

It wasn’t hard to figure out why he’d taken a header onto the ground. I’d seen it too many times on the trails. Weekend warriors who wanted to play in nature for a while without understanding the terrain. Bought boots at some fancy outdoor store, not realizing they’d be stiff to walk in, not to mention causing painful blisters.

The Lab was quickly at the guy’s side, giving his face a slobbery lick. ‘It’s all right, Indy.’

‘Are you hurt?’ I said.

He opened his eyes, which were a shade of deep periwinkle you only saw painted in a late twilight sky. The sense that I knew him somehow washed over me like a gentle rain. I searched his face, examining the sharp curve of his cheekbones and the sturdy set of his jaw, trying to recall if we’d ever met, because I knew every local in Harvest Moon.

‘I’m… fine,’ he stuttered, sitting up slowly, his gaze never leaving my face.

A raw scratch slashed across his cheek. A swatch of what looked like black ink colored the side of his left index finger. ‘Nothing really hurts, except maybe my pride.’ His rough laugh boomeranged through the trees.

Indy kept nuzzling him and he rubbed the scruff on the dog’s neck. ‘Glad I found you, boy.’