Legend Of The Sparks
Ophelia Dickerson
This is a work of fiction. The characters and events in this book are a product of the author’s imagination and should not be construed otherwise. Any similarities to persons living or dead are coincidental and not intended by the author.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior consent of the author.
Copyright 2020 Ophelia Dickerson
ISBN: 9798698864196
Other books by Ophelia Dickerson:
The Secret Life of Mom
Sucker for Blondes
Bombshell in Blue
Angel of No Mercy
She-Devil is Disguise
Acknowledgements:
No book is complete without its beta readers and other eyes that find the tiny points that I over look. I appreciate each and every one of my beta readers. Every one of them has made me a better writer. And then, of course, the ever insightful S.N. Thanks!
Prologue
11 years earlier
“You’re such a slut, Becky Sue,” Lucy jeered from her perch on the porch railing as she flicked her long dark hair back over her shoulder.
“Whatever. You’re just jealous because Jed didn’t ask you to prom.” This was only the fourth time a similar insult had been hurled in as many days since their Jr. Prom. Becky Sue had tried to avoid Lucy, but no matter how hard she tried, it was impossible. They were in all the same classes, not to mention neighbors.
Tonight she’d given up trying and came over to hang out with Ray, Lucy’s brother, like she always done. They’d all been neighbors and friends since she’d been old enough to walk.
But then Lucy had started to blossom out faster than Becky Sue and had continually flaunted it in her face. Becky Sue didn’t care. She’d grown up under the teaching that brains were better than beauty. Her hometown only made it all the more clear. A majority of the women stayed home and raised babies. That was their life’s work. But not Becky Sue. After she graduated next year she was going to college, from there the world was at her doorstep. Lucy’s pettiness would be a thing of the past. Jed would be a thing of the past. She would be her own woman. She’d make her own future with no limitations.
“Would you two stop your caterwauling?” Ray asked as he unfolded his lanky frame from the steps of the porch and brushed his finger length hair back with his hands. “Jed ain’t gonna marry neither one of you so I don’t know what the fuss is even all about.”
“Thank goodness,” Becky Sue muttered under her breath. Jed may’ve been the hottest item in their class, but he had shit for brains and thought he was God’s gift to women. Yes, she’d gone to Jr. Prom with him, she still wasn’t sure what had prompted that bad decision, and everything she’d suspected he’d proven to be true. Luckily she’d been smart enough to see the signs coming and take the first ticket out. Lucy remained unconvinced that Becky Sue had not succumbed to his charms and ended on his long list of broken hearts and broke in bed.
“Come on Becky Sue, how about we go for a walk?” Ray offered Becky Sue his hand.
“Slut,” Lucy spit as Becky Sue exited the porch.
“Bitch.” This was how it was going to be. She’d been Lucy’s friend once upon a time too, but somewhere in middle school, Lucy had become bitter towards her and as much as she’d tried to be nice, it seemed that Lucy was always looking for ways to put her down and best her. Lately Lucy’d been flat out vicious. This fluke with Jed was evidently the last straw. She was done with trying. Done with nice. From now on Lucy could kiss Becky Sue’s ass. Lucy had already cast enough doubt on Becky Sue’s reputation since prom, she knew being nice wasn’t going to get her anywhere.
Letting out a frustrated breath, Becky Sue tried to let it go as she allowed Ray to lead her along. She looked up into the clear night sky where a full moon drifted lazily. It was as if thousands of twinkling diamonds were scattered across a black velvet cloth, shimmering and sparkling light. She swatted a mosquito away from her face. This was the down side of the warming weather, mosquitoes, always mosquitoes and every biting bug that had ever been placed on the planet lived in these hills.
They walked in silence as Ray led her to his dad’s barn behind the house where they’d often played as kids and now used as a sort of a hang out away from the house. It was then she noticed the warmth radiating from his touch. He’d always been like a brother to her, but lately she’d felt like something had shifted between them. Maybe it was the moon’s phase. Maybe it was hallucinations from her woman’s cycle nearing. Maybe it was raging teenage hormones. She didn’t know. She just hoped that maybe Ray felt a little of the same because somewhere along the way she’d stopped seeing him fully as a brother figure and more as an attractive male.
Ray pulled out a key, unlocked the small barn door, and expertly flicked on a flashlight that was kept on a shelf nearby as he pulled her inside. They walked to their usual corner, the part partially blocked off from the rest of the barn where the hay was stored, and sunk down into the sweet smelling softness.
“You can’t let Lucy get to you,” Ray said, still holding her hand.
Becky Sue glanced down at their clasp hands wondering if she should take it to mean something or if it was nothing. She found she was over thinking everything these days. It was awful. She was as uncertain as she was certain. “I know. I try not to, but you see how she needles me. I try to drop the subject, change it, anything, but she always finds a way to circle around.”
“I know. I just don’t think she’s ever accepted the fact that you’re prettier and smarter than she is. I figure she despises you for it.”
“I think the word you’re looking for there is hate. She hates me, Ray. Wait, did you just say I was pretty.”
He shrugged, the beams of the flashlights danced on the wooden walls. “Well, you know in a girl-next-door kinda way.”
“You dummy. I am the girl next door.”
“Yeah, but you’re not just a girl next door, you’re the girl next door.”
“What’s the difference?” Becky Sue felt the heat rising from their clasped hands trickle into her heart that was beginning to skip a beat.
“The difference is one I’m comfortable with because I’ve known her all my life. I know her inside and out. Her faults, her goodness. The other is a mystery. She’s not a kid anymore and suddenly I’m seeing it.” He finally turned to her, the look in his eyes making her hold her breath, afraid to breath, afraid he’d meant it as a joke, afraid she’d wake up and it’d be another one of her crazy, vivid dreams she’d been having more and more.
His hand touched her face, tracing her jaw line. Her heart beat so loudly she was sure he could hear it too. She was transfixed by his blue eyes. Could this be real? Was this really about to happen? He tipped his head down to her, his hand sliding back into her hair holding her head, and touched his lips to hers.
Instant heat spread across her body. It took a second for her brain to catch up with her body, but as soon as it did, she kissed him back. It was everything the books and movies had portrayed it to be. There were fireworks, there was the foot popping, there were angels singing, everything all at once, as her senses were flooded with such powerful emotion and hunger that she moaned against the intensity of it.
Ray pulled back long enough to look into her eyes once more, searching. “Holy shit Becky Sue.” And without hesitation came back with a hunger and need of his own that needed to be satiated and filled.
The night was warm, but the heat radiating between their entwined bodies was different. It was hunger and fire, earnest and longing.
Becky Sue thought she hear
d crackling, and opened her eyes, pulling away from Ray’s kisses. If Lucy had followed them in there to spy on them she was going to kill her.
“What is it?” Ray whispered against her hair as he nuzzled her neck.
“I thought I heard something.”
“It was probably just something shifting in Dad’s shop.”
She didn’t mention her theory to him. It would completely destroy the moment. She tried to relax back into Ray as he kissed up her neck, his hands gaining confidence as he began to explore her body, but this time a flash of light reverberated from behind her eyelids pulling her back again.
“Becky Sue? Are you okay?” He mumbled against her neck.
Not really, but she couldn’t tell him that. He’d misunderstand. He’d think it was him, but it wasn’t. Was she afraid of something changing between them and this was her imaginations way of conjuring things that weren’t there to distract her and pull her away?
“I’m fine. I think my imagination is playing tricks on me.”
He quirked an eyebrow at her. But instead of answering, she responded by roughly kissing him, showing her mind she was in control and nothing it could do would prevent her from exploring this new road.
And it happened again. The spark of light, a quick flash and it was gone. She pulled back panting and grabbed the flashlight from where Ray had propped it. Before Ray could pull her back she strode to the single small window and shone the light out looking for Lucy. It had to be her, prowling around trying to find a way to ruin her evening. Nothing moved in the still night.
Ray came to stand beside her. “What’s going on?”
“Haven’t you noticed the flashes of light? I think your sister is out there prowling around trying to find a way to make trouble.”
He peered out the window with her. “I don’t see anything.”
Becky Sue sighed. “Me neither.”
“Maybe it’s just the effects of my kisses on you.” He grinned mischievously.
“I’ll concede. Because if it’s not I don’t want to know what it is.” She smiled back and ran her hands down his chest. He was fit and lean. Pleasing to the touch.
His mouth closed over hers, as he pushed her away from the window and up against the barn wall. She drank in his kisses. Again the light flashed. Her eyes popped open as a speck of light fell to the ground. She flinched in surprise. Was that a spark or was she seeing spots?
She forced herself to keep her eyes open as Ray kissed her. Another flash of light. This time she was sure it was a spark. It was nearby. Like…like it’d came from them. That was impossible. There had to be fire somewhere. But the barn was pitch black, minus the moonlight spilling in the window and the flashlight that Ray had subtly turned off, finally.
Could it be as the legends had said? Was it possible that Sparkers were real? Images from her youth filled her head from the stories she’d heard over the years. Blue rings of fire. Flamethrowers and animal shifters. No, that was impossible, wasn’t it? She kissed Ray distractedly, but he hadn’t seemed to notice her wandering mind.
Another flash of light caught the corner of her eyes. She tried to turn to look, but Ray caught her movement and pushed her in the opposite direction laying her down in the hay, half his weight on her. Parts of his body were crying out for her, swaying her mind from the flashes of light.
Ray was reaching for her shirt, when she caught the first whiff of something burning. She froze.
“What’s that?”
“Huh?” Ray mumbled sounding perturbed she’d called a halt again to their make out session.
“I smell something burning.”
He rolled to his side.
They saw it at the same time. A small fire had started near the spot they’d left moments before. It was gobbling up the hay and scratching at the walls.
“Shit!” They scrambled to their feet. Ray grabbed the flashlight, guiding them out of the barn, and didn’t stop as he ran to the house to call for help.
Chapter 1
Ray
This was the worst possible idea the chief had ever had. How could he possibly expect him to go back to his home town and stay under the radar? Even the damn trees had ears and would spread gossip. And going back as a dejected, unemployed bum? It was nothing short of degrading. Was this the treatment he got for his latest promotion? Shit work?
When he’d called his mother, Mary Beth, to ask her if he could move back home for a while until he could get his life figured out, she’d been overjoyed. It made him feel a little shitty inside lying to her like that, but what could he do? And it wasn’t like he was just lying to her he’d be lying to the whole damn town.
Ray turned down the winding driveway to his parents hoping that this wasn’t a fruitless endeavor. He needed a way to blend back into the local population. Prodigal son returns home. He could hear Preacher Cooper already declaring that the Lord had brought another errant child home and when he left his mother would tell him Preacher Cooper’s sermon the next week was how the devil had lured him away again.
A trio of hounds came bounding around from the back of the house baying as he put his truck in park. Nothing had changed. The house, the yard, the hounds. Nothing. Mary Beth bustled out of the house hushing the dogs. They quieted but danced close to his door. He opened it slowly as to not hit one. By the time it was opened his mom was there practically dragging him out of the truck.
“You’re home! It’s so good to see you.” She wrapped her arms around him in what would’ve been a crushing hug had she been bigger than a mouse.
He hadn’t been home since his divorce. Every holiday it was work, no matter if it really was or not.
“Hi Mom.”
She felt his biceps and torso. “At least you’ve been eating good.” He grinned down at her. They had no concept of gym rats here. “Bring your stuff on inside. I got your old room set up for you.”
He’d had to make it look believable so had packed extra useless things. He grabbed two bags of clothes and followed her inside while the mutts danced around his feet nearly tripping him.
His old room hadn’t changed a bit. The twin bed on the rickety frame was covered it the same sheets and quilt that had been on it when he left. He was reasonably sure his mom had washed it since then. He dropped the bags he was carrying in the floor and went out for more.
“Where’s Dad? Or did you finally get tired of that ol’ coot and throw him out?” He teased. That was one thing they had right, their marriage. He’d never heard an ill word against the other and as far as he knew neither had looked at any other since they started dating in high school.
“He’s out in the barn. And you better watch that smart mouth or he’ll lay a whipping on you.
Ray kissed her on the cheek. “It’s good to be back.” And to his surprise he meant it. Maybe it was the fact that nothing had changed. Literally, nothing. The only thing that was new was the newspapers piled on the coffee table, some of them were dated recently.
“Who’s that fine fellar in here kissing on my woman?”
“Hey Dad.” His dad walked up and shook his hand, pulled him up, and hugged him with the other hand. Chester wasn’t much shorter than his son, but was barely half the girth, his chest was no comparison.
“It’s good to have you back son.” He grabbed his son’s arm. “You haven’t been laying ‘round gettin’ weak neither. That’s good.”
There was calculative look in his dad’s eyes which probably spelled trouble for him. He’d be the hardest one to fool if Chester didn’t make it a point to over look anything.
“I try not too.”
“Here let me come help you get yer stuff in.” He shifted the wad of tobacco in his mouth. Nope nothing had changed. Ray walked out the door followed by his dad. “So tell me what you’ve been up to out there in the big city? What’s it like? Are the people as stuck up as I ‘member?”
Ray smiled and shook his head. Good ol’ Pop. He rarely made it off the mountain. His version of a “big ci
ty” was nothing compared to a real big city, but to him anything with a population of more than 1,000 people was too big and city for him. And so began the first fabricated lie laying the ground work for his stay.
His parents had wandered off after he had all his stuff unloaded from his truck leaving him to begin setting up his old room. The dresser he’d had as a kid was still there, but empty. He pulled at a drawer to fill in with his things. The knob came off in his hand. He spun the knob between his fingers wondering who was smart enough to get out of this town and who was still left.
He’d come across a couple guys he knew from here in Harrison, where he currently lived and worked. They’d grabbed opportunity when it came knocking just like he had. His sister, Lucy, was still living around here somewhere popping out babies left and right. They got along like oil and water, especially after she’d burned down the barn when he and Becky Sue had been inside. He’d never forgiven her for that and had barely talked to her since. Whatever had happened to Becky Sue anyway? She’d left for college before he left home. He thought he remembered a rumor once that something had happened to her mom and she came home, but she’d mostly stayed off his mom’s radar, or maybe he hadn’t really paid much attention to the gossip his mom shared when they talked occasionally on the phone.
Putting the knob back together, he tried to tighten it the best he could to be able to use it. He was still puttering around when Mary Beth called him for supper.
A pot of chicken-n-dumplings graced the table. His mouth watered. When was the last time he’d had his mom’s cooking? Man had he missed this. He dove in like a man starved.
“Now that’s what I like to see. A man eat. Makes him strong,” said Chester.
“I’ve forgotten how good this is. I’ve been at the mercy of my own cooking for a while and frankly I just don’t have the skill set to make anything like this.”
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