“Have you actually seen him?”
Raisin shook her head. “I tried to get Gunner to come out and search the woods behind my house once, but he says I’m crazy. But I know what I saw.”
“Gunner, huh?” I pursed my lips, sensing a bit of emotion roiling underneath the girl’s relaxed demeanor. “He’s attractive, isn’t he? Is that why you called him out to your property?”
Raisin’s gaze was withering. “I know what you’re suggesting. “You think I have a crush on him.”
“Don’t you?”
“I ... no ... why would you even ask that?”
Her reaction convinced me even more that I was on the right track. “It’s okay to have a crush on him. I don’t think he minds. In fact, after spending a few hours with him yesterday I’m convinced that he has a whopping crush on himself.”
She snorted. “He likes to look at himself in mirrors.”
“Oh, yeah? How do you know that?”
“Because he’s always staring at himself in the mirror behind Whistler’s bar,” Raisin replied, matter-of-fact. “He does it when he thinks no one is looking. He also mows his yard shirtless and he always spends extra time walking in front of the windows so he can catch his reflection.”
I was amused. “Well ... I guess that’s okay. It’s not as if he’s hurting anyone.”
“No.” Lips pursed, Raisin studied the cabin. “It’s going to take a lot of work to get this place looking how it should.”
“It will,” I agreed.
“Are you going to do the work?”
I knew what she was really asking. I wasn’t sure how to answer. “I’m going to at least start fixing it up,” I replied finally, earning a wide smile from Raisin. “I have to find the lumberyard on the north side of town. I need some supplies ... and to figure out a way to have those supplies delivered.”
“I can show you where the lumberyard is,” she offered, earnest. “I mean ... I’ve been there before and everything. They have guys with trucks who will deliver the supplies for free.”
That was exactly what I wanted to hear. “Okay. That sounds like a plan.” I stood and balled up the granola bar wrapper. “I need to throw this away and grab my coat.” I shifted my eyes to my bike. “Are you allowed to ride on a motorcycle?”
“Oh, yeah.” Raisin bobbed her head so fast I was instantly suspicious. “Motorcycles are my thing. I’m totally getting one as soon as I’m old enough ... and have enough money to buy one.”
I took a moment to eye her clothing. It wasn’t ragged or dirty. It also wasn’t designer. I was fine with that. I never understood the need to spend six-hundred bucks on the same sweater you could buy for thirty. Still, my guess was the girl lived on a tight budget. If she wasn’t below the poverty line she was probably close to it. Money wasn’t important to me, so I didn’t care. That didn’t mean I wasn’t leery of crossing another line.
“Does your mother allow you to ride motorcycles?” I asked, stressing the question this time.
Raisin swallowed hard. “My mother is dead. I live with my father – and he doesn’t care.”
There was a defiance to her stance that I couldn’t quite identify. I wasn’t familiar with fathers or mothers, so I wasn’t sure what to make of the girl’s change in demeanor. Still, she hung around with people who spent all their time on bikes. She’d obviously been on one before.
“I have an extra helmet,” I said finally, resigned. “I’ll grab my coat from inside and get it for you while I’m in there. We’re not going far.”
“Definitely not.” Raisin’s eyes sparkled. “That’s a nice bike, by the way. Did you have to save up long for it?”
Only my whole life, I answered silently. It was the one thing I owned outright. “A good bit of time,” I replied after a beat. “I wanted to wait until I could pay cash.”
Raisin’s mouth dropped open. “Cash?” I didn’t even realize she was calculating until it was already too late. “That’s like, twenty-two thousand dollars without taking in the enhancements.”
Raisin was officially impressed as she moved toward the bike. “You have updated foot pegs, a non-standard windshield, tweaks to the engine. That’s really amazing.”
Because I couldn’t remember ever being quite as young as her — and definitely knew I was never as enthusiastic — I merely smiled. “That’s why I saved up for a really long time.”
“This is the kind of bike I want when it’s my turn to join the team,” she volunteered. “It’s lower so it’s not difficult for shorter individuals to climb on, and you can actually modify it shorter if you want.”
“You know a lot about bikes,” I noted. “Who taught you, your father?”
Raisin immediately started shaking her head. “No. My father doesn’t have time for things like that. He works hard ... has to stay late at the office a lot of the time. He doesn’t have time for motorcycles.”
It sounded like a rehearsed response. “Well ... .”
“Gunner taught me,” Raisin added hurriedly. “He lets me watch him when he’s in the garage. You haven’t seen the garage yet. It’s awesome. Rooster has all the tools and he’s real good at fixing things.”
“Then I can’t wait to see the garage,” I said. The girl was an enigma, excitable and happy one moment, worried and skittish the next. I couldn’t get a firm read on her, which vexed me. I was used to knowing more about people than they were willing to reveal. Raisin was something else entirely. “Let me drop this wrapper in the garbage and grab my coat. We’ll head to the lumberyard and you can tell me all about Rooster’s garage.”
Raisin’s smile was so wide it threatened to split her entire face. “Okay. That sounds fun. Did I mention I’m good at fixing houses, too? I can totally help you get this place up to snuff. I’m great at following directions and I can do almost anything.”
Now she was getting ahead of herself. “Let me look around the lumberyard. I don’t even know what I need yet.”
“Sure, sure, sure. Did I mention I can help with shingles? I’m good with shingles. Whistler taught me last summer when he needed to patch his roof.”
It sounded as though Raisin spent a lot of time with the group, so much so I couldn’t help wondering if someone wasn’t missing her at home. Of course, that wasn’t my business ... and yet I was worried all the same.
“Five minutes and I’ll be ready to go,” I promised. “Don’t touch anything while you’re waiting.”
“Hey, I’m not new.” She rolled her eyes. “I know exactly how to respect a bike. Gunner taught me that first thing.”
“Well ... good for him.”
“He’s a great guy.”
“He’s ... something.”
Five
The Hawthorne Hollow Lumberyard wasn’t what I expected. Since everything else in the town was old and rundown, I thought the lumberyard would be more of the same.
I was wrong.
“Wow!” I hung my helmet from the handlebars of my bike and unzipped my leather coat. “This is ... wow!”
Raisin, who was all wide eyes and giggles, took off her helmet and did a hip-wiggling dance. “That was awesome!”
Confused, I glanced over my shoulder to see if I’d somehow missed something. The parking lot was busy with people loading their vehicles, but nobody stood out. “What was awesome?”
“That ride,” Raisin replied, not missing a beat. “I knew it would be cool, but ... that was, like, the best thing ever.”
“What ride? The ride you were just on with me. I ... .” Lost, I turned forward again and internally cringed when I noticed a familiar figure detaching from the group of workers standing by the front door of the office and heading in our direction. “Oh, geez. What is he doing here?”
Gunner was too far away to hear the question, but the look on his face told me I was about to hear an earful. I decided to head him off before he could start bellowing, although I wasn’t sure what he had to gripe about.
“Are you following me?”
Caught off guard, I slid a suspicious look to the girl. I’d forgotten about school. When I was her age I rarely went, so I should’ve realized she was up to something. “You didn’t skip school, did you?”
“Of course not,” Gunner answered dryly. “There’s no way a teenager would figure out a way to skip school two days in a row. I’m shocked you would even ask anything of the sort. In fact, I’m more shocked that you didn’t ask.”
I felt like an idiot. To buy time before responding — and saying something I might regret because I rarely think before I speak — I pressed the tip of my tongue to the back of my teeth.
“I’m not missing anything important,” Raisin said earnestly, batting her eyelashes at Gunner in a manner that made me think she’d done it before. “I swear. I’m all caught up on everything ... including the algebra you’ve been working on with me.”
The fact that Gunner helped an annoying teenager with her homework was enough to dull the cutting edge of my agitation. What kind of guy helps with algebra? A nice one, that’s what kind. Sure, he hadn’t been overly nice to me. He clearly had a soft spot for Raisin, though.
“I didn’t think about school,” I admitted after a beat, feeling foolish. “I should have, but ... she came out of nowhere. I was sitting on the front porch. I’d been cleaning for hours. I ... didn’t think about it.”
He slowly slid his eyes to me. “You didn’t think about a teenager not being in school during the middle of the week?”
The truth was, I rarely thought about school. I hadn’t finished high school. When I interviewed for the job with Spells Angels, they granted my application with the stipulation that I pass my GED. After three weeks of hardcore studying — and rampant terror — I managed to pass. I still wasn’t sure how it happened.
“It was a mistake.” I’m not often wrong, but when I am I admit it. “I didn’t think. I just ... wasn’t expecting her to show up the way she did. Besides, it’s spring. I thought maybe school was already out.”
“Not for another month,” Gunner replied, irritation causing his nostrils to flare. “If you had questions, you should’ve asked.”
“Who?” My temper flared. “I was out there alone when she showed up. I was up late last night cleaning and again this morning because the place needed even more cleaning. I’m sorry I didn’t put it together right away.”
Gunner’s expression was hard to read. If I had to guess, something nasty was sliding over his tongue and he couldn’t wait to spew it in my direction. I didn’t find out, though, because another man had detached from the group of workers and closed the distance between us.
“You must be the new woman in town,” he said, his brown eyes lighting with good humor. “I’m Brandon Masters.” He extended his hand. “Gunner and I went to high school together. She’s even prettier than you said, Gunner. I can’t help but wonder if you played down her looks so you could keep her to yourself.”
I was flabbergasted by the greeting. “I ... what?”
“Brandon Masters,” he repeated, waving his hand to get my attention. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
That sounded frightening. “Whatever he said isn’t true,” I blurted.
“Really?” Brandon’s eyebrows hopped. “How do you know he didn’t say something flattering?”
“Because I don’t think he’s capable of that,” I replied without hesitation.
“Uh-huh.” Brandon’s gaze was heavy as it bounced between us. “Well, he is capable and he said you were helpful to him yesterday when it came to finding Hal’s body. He might not have said that to you, but he said it to me ... and he seemed to mean it.”
“Well ... .” I glanced at Gunner, who steadfastly refused to meet my gaze. “Who is Hal?” I asked, opting to change the subject. It seemed like the safest course of action.
“Hal Crosby,” Gunner replied, collecting himself. “He’s the man we found in the woods.”
“Hal Crosby is dead?” Raisin’s eyes widened until they reminded me of saucers. “Are you serious? How did he die? Why am I just hearing about this? How could you keep this from me?” The look she shot me was accusatory.
“First of all, it’s not her job to keep you updated on Spells Angels business,” Gunner answered for me. “Secondly, she didn’t have any idea who we found.”
“How could she not know?”
“Because ... .” Gunner didn’t immediately answer. I knew why. He didn’t want to frighten a teenage girl.
“Because it was hard to see in the light we had,” I lied smoothly, earning a cocked eyebrow from Gunner. “I also didn’t stick around long enough to hear the information from Chief Stratton. I had to get to the cabin ... and de-louse it.”
For the first time since I’d arrived, Gunner cracked a smile. “I heard you got the place Rain was living in. I’m ... sorry.”
“Was there an option for a different place?” I was suddenly suspicious. This felt like a test they expected me to fail, which only propelled me to want to dig my heels in deeper.
“Rooster owns several cabins,” Gunner shrugged. “I think the other two are inhabited right now. I suggested you hit the hotel until you found something else, but Rooster said you had a certain reputation and you would be fine.”
Yup. Definitely a test. “I will be fine,” I agreed, straightening my shoulders and glancing around the lumberyard. “I just need to find a way to get what I need back to the cabin. I can’t ride with them on the bike.”
“Sure you can,” Raisin countered. She was a bundle of fluttery energy and most of her attention was directed at Gunner. Obviously she had a crush on him — something he didn’t discourage — but she was also interested in me. I was having trouble with the influx of young energy because I never remembered being that bouncy when I was her age. “I’ll hold the lumber while you navigate.”
“You will not,” Gunner shot back before I could find a gentle way to explain that wasn’t going to happen. “You’re not even supposed to be on motorcycles. Your father warned us what would happen if we allowed it.”
My stomach twisted. “Aw, man!” I slapped my hand to my forehead. “I knew that was going to come back to bite me. I just knew it.”
Instead of railing again, Gunner decided to take pity on me. “I’m guessing she didn’t tell you.”
“Nope.”
Suddenly sheepish, Raisin found something on the horizon to stare at. “I’m going to look around and see what you need, Scout,” she said hurriedly. “We should put together a list or something.”
I pressed the heel of my hand to my forehead as she scampered off, a mixture of annoyance and amusement washing over me. “I shouldn’t have let her talk me into giving her a ride.” I had no idea why I was apologizing to Gunner when I should’ve been tracking down Raisin’s father and explaining my actions to him. “She caught me off guard.”
“She’s good at that,” Brandon offered, grinning. “Don’t let Gunner’s big brother act get you down. He’s fallen for more than one of Ruthie’s manipulations. She’s very good at getting what she wants.”
“And still needs to be watched,” Gunner stressed. “She can’t help herself from being drawn to us ... especially you. You have everything she wants, even though she doesn’t know what that is. She was drawn to Rain, too. It was hard on her when ... ,” he trailed off.
“When what?” I racked my memory for information regarding the woman who held the position before me. “What happened to Rain?”
“She went away,” Gunner replied simply. “She’s gone, and it was a hard blow for Raisin. I don’t want to see her go through the same thing if you decide to leave.”
I found the comment insulting. “I haven’t decided to fix anything but my roof.”
“Then find what you need,” Gunner suggested. “I have one of the yard trucks at my disposal. I can deliver the material to you at the ca
bin and take Raisin home at the same time. She’ll put up a fight, but she’s not getting back on the bike.”
All I could do was nod. “Okay. That sounds like a plan.”
THE LUMBERYARD WAS EVEN BIGGER than I estimated upon first glance. There were at least four structures holding already-cut beams, and I lost myself in the vastness of the property before I realized what was happening. In fact, I was so lost that I didn’t even realize I wasn’t alone in one of the sheds until I heard a plaintive cry behind me.
When I turned, I found what had to be the world’s smallest kitten — mostly black with a few white accents — staring at me from the middle of the floor. It was so tiny I briefly wondered how it had managed to get away from its mother.
“What are you doing here?” I crouched down and stared into the doleful eyes of the kitten. “Shouldn’t you be nursing in a lair somewhere?”
The kitten responded by moving closer to me. It seemed to trust me despite the fact that I’d never considered myself an animal person.
“What are you doing?” Gunner asked, walking into the shed behind me. He tilted his head when he saw I was staring at something on the ground and then smiled when he caught sight of the ball of fluff. “Ah, there it is. We knew one got away but couldn’t figure out where it went. We assumed it climbed under the piles and died.”
I wrinkled my forehead, confused. “Where is its mother?”
“Relocated to another barn. The lumberyard isn’t safe for cats because of all the activity. Brandon has dogs that roam the property at night. They’re not bad dogs, but they’ve been known to shred a cat or two ... or eight. When the mother showed up with a litter two weeks ago, we let her stay until we could get close enough to capture them all. I sent her to my Uncle Bill’s farm ... right after I paid to have her fixed.”
“You paid to have a stray fixed?” Every time I wanted to write him off as a jerk I found out something about him that I liked. It was beyond annoying. “Well, I guess you should take this one and move him out with the others.” I grabbed the kitten before it could scamper away and held it up. “He should be with his family.”
Bad to the Crone Page 5
