“I know, Momma.”
“Come give me a hug and get going. I’m sure you have lots to do today.”
Becky Sue gave her a hug and kissed her cheek. “Bye Mom, love you.”
“Love you, too.”
***
“Help! Help!” Ray’s voice greeted her ears at she reached for the door to her house, mixed with angry, growling cat noises. “Get off me you tub of lard cat. No, Don’t scratch my face. No. Help!”
Becky Sue rushed inside. Two grey striped fur balls were rolling around on the floor. One was clearly attacking the other.
As soon as the door opened, the cat, presumably Sherlock, disengaged himself from the fight and shot out the room.
“Thank goodness your back. What took so long?” Ray the cat asked, rolling over onto all fours. “Are you okay? You look a little shaken.”
“I’m fine. It’s nothing. Just my mom being Mom. What’s with the cat attack?”
“You were taking forever and I was getting really hungry and thirsty. I tried getting a drink of water out of the sink, but I couldn’t even jump up on the counter. I was really thirsty. I looked all over trying to find a place to get a drink other than Sherlock’s water bowl, because let’s face it, that’s just gross. I couldn’t find anything! I finally gave in and took a drink out of his water bowl and he attacked me! I’m still working on this whole four legged thing and couldn’t figure out how to defend myself.”
Becky Sue choked back a giggle, but the more she tried to hold it in the harder she laughed.
“It’s not funny.”
She could barely catch her breath she was laughing so hard. “It is from where I’m standing.”
“Ha, ha, ha.”
When she finally caught her breath she asked, “are you ready to go to work with me now?”
“As long as he’s not coming with, yes.” He pointed a dainty grey paw in the direction Sherlock had disappeared.
“No, you’re safe.”
A short while later they pulled into the side parking area to Becky Sue’s shop. After Ray refused to be walked down the road like a cat, she agreed to take her truck. If Cindy saw her sneaking in the back with cat in hand, there were bound to be more questions and more lies to cover them up.
“Here, start reading Uncle Melvin’s book and see if you can find anything helpful, while I duck over to the library.” She picked a book off the shelf and put it in front of the Ray the cat, who she’d set on the counter.
She was half way to the door when he called to her. “Uh, I hate to tell you this, but I’m not very dexterous with these paws. I can’t get this book opened.”
Doing an about face, she walked back. Ray was pawing at the side of the book with no success.
“I can see how helpful, you’re going to be.” She took him off the counter and put the book away. “Just look after the shop while I’m out.”
“Now that, I can do. Nobody will get out of here stealing anything without having to deal with the claws of fury.” An exorcism didn’t look as strange as Ray trying to do a ninja cat in a cat’s body.
“Just don’t talk to anybody, alright?”
“You’re taking all the fun out of this.”
Becky Sue didn’t bother to reply, but unlocked the front door and let herself out. She crossed the street cattycorner to her shop where the tiny town library shared a building with Lydia’s bakery.
**
Ray watched Becky Sue walk out the door. Being a cat wasn’t so bad. There were all kinds of advantages that were inappropriate for a human to do. Like following Becky Sue to her bedroom and watching her undress. His cat body began to purr at the thought of her naked body. It was a good thing she wasn’t in here. This would be hard to explain. At least when he got a boner he could hide it better than this purring sound.
He was walking around trying to figure out how to make it quit when the door bells jangled. He stopped instantly on alert. The purring stopped too. Huh, interesting. Backing into the corner he watched as Cindy from next door bustled in.
“Becky Sue,” she called out. She looked around sneaky like, like maybe she suspected no one was here when there was no answer.
Cindy walked around the counter and scanned through a stack of papers before putting them back. She quickly searched through other loose papers before turning away to take a quick peek into the closet before leaving.
At first he’d thought to ask her what she was doing here, but he didn’t really want anyone to know about his secret weapon, well if he could ever figure out how to shape shift again. Being stuck as a cat forever would put a real drain on his life right now. He pattered to the window and jumped up into the sill to see what she’d do next.
**
“Good morning, Mrs. Collin’s,” Becky Sue greeted the lady behind the desk with long white hair, glasses perched at the tip of her nose and dressed in calico. She’d been the town historian and librarian for as long as Becky Sue could remember.
“Good morning Becky Sue. What can I do for you today? I have some medical books on pregnancy and a newer one, What to Expect When You’re Expecting.”
“What?” She was momentarily thrown off track. There was nothing this town didn’t know. She was sure word of Ray staying over had covered most the town by now. “No, no, no. I’m not pregnant.” The look Mrs. Collins gave her was skeptical like maybe she just didn’t know yet. “I’ve actually been a little bored and started reading Uncle Melvin’s book about the Sparkers. I was wondering if you have any more information about them.”
After one more look at Becky Sue’s waistline, she said, “I have a diary from the mayor’s wife, you know the one who burned down his house when she caught him cheating. She was supposedly a Spark. I think that’s probably it. There’s not much written about the Sparkers. Most of it is urban legend.”
“That’s what I figured too, but I’ve been finding it entertaining.”
Mrs. Collins rose and walked down an aisle mumbling something about finding men entertaining too. Maybe she could convince her mom to move to an assisted living facility and get the hell out of this small town. Keys jangled. The old lady retrieved something from the one shelf shielded by glass where all the rare pieces were kept.
“Now, I’m assuming you want to take these with you since your shop is supposed to be open today?”
“That was the plan.”
“Well, technically these books aren’t supposed to leave the library, but I’ll let you borrow them if you promise to bring them back at the end of the day.”
“Okay. If I don’t finish them can I come back tomorrow and pick it up again?”
“I suppose. You’ve always been a reliable girl. Although lately there’s been some rumors to counter that.” Mrs. Collins stared at the old relics. There were three relatively identical books. The outer edges of the pages were yellowed with age. The binding was the color of dirt. Scroll work had been etched around the cover, but now was barely visible.
“I promise I won’t harm a page and I’ll bring it back to you at the end of the day.”
Grudgingly, Mrs. Collins began to log the diaries in to the outgoing books. Becky Sue glanced around. Nothing much had changed since she’d been here last. The display of “new” books were at least ten years old. The same reading chair that she’d sat in as a kid was off to the corner.
“Here you go. Have a good day.” The older lady stretched out her hand with the diaries in it.
She took the books and practically ran back to her shop.
The bells above the door jangled as she entered. “I’m back.”
Ray the cat walked out from behind the counter. “You have nosey neighbors, did you know that?”
“Yeah, what’s new?”
“Cindy was over here looking behind the counter while you were gone. I’m not sure what she was looking for, but whatever it was she didn’t leave with anything.”
“What on earth would she be looking for?”
“You tell me.”
His cat eyes bore into her. Then it hit her. He was thinking like a cop. Did she have anything someone would consider dangerous, like information? Not likely. And Cindy involved in the drug trade? No way. It had to be something unrelated and stupid. Maybe Cindy thought she and Ray had married and was looking for a hidden marriage certificate. That sounded more Cindy’s speed.
She shrugged. With the current exception of Ray the cat walking around her shop she was probably the most boring person in town. Still, less and less was making sense these days.
“Did you figure out how to get me out of this feline fiasco yet?”
“No, but I’m hoping this has some clues.” Becky Sue held up the diaries like a trophy.
“Me too. What’s that?” He was staring intently at her book hand.
Becky Sue flipped her hand over. A bright, different book was at the back. What was this? Double feature: The Complete Guide to Child Birth, How to raise successful children. That sneaky old lady. Oh well, she didn’t have time to go back and return it now. It’d have to go back at the end of the day too. She smacked her forehead with her palm. “Ugh, apparently old Mrs. Collins slipped it to me because the whole town seems to know you stayed at my house last night.”
Ray burst out laughing. It was comical to see a cat laugh with its mouth wide open, but even that wasn’t enough to crack Becky Sue.
“You better watch it or I’ll lock you in a closet, or even better a cage.”
“Lighten up. It’s not every day you get to be the talk of the town.” Ray rubbed his fury body against her leg and purred. She walked past him around the counter and put the books down. “But I sure wish I was a human again to help you and get back to my intel gathering.”
Just then the bells above the door jangled. Cindy waltzed in.
Chapter 8
There was a sharp intake of breath and shuffling sound on the other side of the counter. Becky Sue resisted the urge to see what Ray the cat was doing instead focused on Cindy.
Cindy’s attention was momentarily distracted when she opened her mouth to speak, freezing her orifice in a strange, contorted scowl, before turning back to her. “You got mice in here?”
“Why? Are you having problems with them?”
“Heavens, no. I just saw something move in the corner when I walked in.”
“Oh. I brought Sherlock with me today. He’s been a little out of sorts lately. I wanted to keep an eye on him.”
Cindy turned to the quilt racks where most of Becky Sue’s work hung and cooed. “Here kitty, kitty. Come here Sherlock.”
Becky Sue watched her, wondering what Ray would do, but just as Cindy turned Becky Sue saw a naked foot poking out, before pulling up behind the quilts. Oh shit! Ray was back to human… and naked.
“He probably won’t come out if he’s hiding. He’s not particular to people he doesn’t know, especially since he’s not feeling himself.”
“Hmmph.” Cindy waited another few seconds and when no cat appeared she turned back to Becky Sue. “Have you tried that new soap I brought you yet? It’s great isn’t it?”
Becky Sue felt the little wrapped rectangle on the shelf under the counter and pushed it back further, just in case. Cindy’s soap bar hadn’t left the shop.
“It’s very nice.”
“Have you been getting many sales yet? I think the tourist season is a little slow in coming this year. Does it feel like that to you?” Sometimes that woman could talk without taking a breath.
“I haven’t seen a difference yet.”
“No, I don’t guess you would.” It felt like a jibe, but Cindy waved a hand like it was nothing. “But that’s not why I came over. I came to ask if you knew anything about a strange blue light near your place last night?”
“A blue light?” Her reply was distracted. She had to get Cindy out of here, but the woman wouldn’t shut up. Having a blue light around her house was the least of her problems. She had a naked man hiding in her shop, during business hours no less. Wait, blue light? Oh crap. Someone had noticed.
“Yes. Ira was telling me this morning that there was some strange blue glow coming from near your house.”
“It was probably her cataracts. You know her eyes have been getting worse again but she refuses to go get her glasses changed or do that cataract surgery her doctor’s been trying to get her to do for the last few years.”
“She didn’t have any trouble identifying Ray’s truck at your house. Are you sure you didn’t see anything?”
Becky Sue shook her head.
“Well I’ll keep my ears open and if I find out what it was I’ll let you know.” With that she turned her bulk and sashayed out the door, the bells jangling a happy tune behind her.
Becky Sue hurried to the window checking for any more people. “It’s safe to come out now.”
Ray crawled out from behind the quilt rack in all his naked glory. Becky Sue struggled to not stare at him. He was a beautiful man, sculpted in all the right places. She turned away.
“I didn’t think she was ever going leave.”
“Me neither. How did you get back to human form?”
“I have no idea. One minute I’m standing there all furry, the bell jangled, the next I’m on hands and knees like this.”
She smirked.
“What’re you laughing at?” Ray asked, not in the least amused. Becky Sue laughed harder. “Go ahead and laugh, but how am I supposed to get out of here like this? I don’t have any clothes here unless you thought to bring them. The whole town will see me and tell on you.”
That brought her up short. “You’re right. Where are your clothes?”
“At your house, I think.” He walked around the counter to hide as best he could from anyone looking in the window.
“That’s great. Just great.” Suddenly Ray’s predicament wasn’t so funny anymore. And to add chaos to trouble, she was having trouble concentrating and figuring out what to do with him so near. He was turning her to mush. Her body called for his. She couldn’t look at him otherwise it’d be her undoing.
Sniffing Becky Sue leaned over close to him. “You smell like a cat.”
“Does the cat smell turn you on?”
“No.”
“You’re not fun. Where’s your sense of excitement and adventure.” He snaked an arm around her, drawing her close to his naked body. She had to look at him now. The heat radiating from his body was hard to ignore. The look in his eye changed from playful to looking like he was contemplating eating her for lunch. She felt him flick against her leg. He leaned in to kiss her. She stiffened.
“I’m not risking burning down my shop for you.”
He froze, his shoulders sunk, and he dropped his hands. “Alright, you win.”
As soon as his hands were no longer touching her body, she felt the emptiness. Why of all people did it have to be Ray? Had their long term friendship been a result of the pull of the Sparkers to each other? Was their sexual attraction a result of the Sparker gene that flowed through them? Or was it the real deal, no magic in play? She pushed the questions to the back of her mind. Right now she had to focus on getting him dressed before someone saw him and ran them both out of town with the scandal.
“Why don’t you stay here? Hide in the closet if you have to. I’ll run to the house and grab your clothes. It shouldn’t take more than a couple minutes.”
“Do I have a choice in the matter?”
“Sure, you could streak down the road to my house and retrieve them yourself.”
“I’ll let you go.”
“Thought so.”
Becky Sue walked out the back door, hoping Cindy wouldn’t see her leave. She returned without incident and gave Ray his clothes.
After a quick discussion on what the next step was, they agreed to let Ray go home and shower before he came back to start helping research their powers and all. Becky Sue made herself comfortable, grabbed the diary off the top, and began to read.
May 6, 1867
After the war ended w
e all knew life would never be the same again, but I don’t think anyone expected it to be like this. Many of the townspeople are struggling to survive. Will this struggle ever end? The few men who made it back seem to be at a loss. No one seems to know what to do. My husband, the great and “honorable” Mayor Cletus T. Buford, has turned into a puppet, dancing and singing to whatever tune he’s told. As long as he’s not having to worry about making decisions he’s free to gallivant around and do whatever he so pleases, which appears to be taking to bed any willing female.
Yes, I’ve mentioned this before, but I have yet to have any proof. I have thought to follow him in one of my animal forms, but he knows I can shape shift so will not make a move unless he does not suspect. I have debated the animal much, but I’m sure that is the only way I will catch him and make him answer. At first I thought to become a horse. I would blend in well with the rest, but then I run the risk of being captured and stolen, or worse, branded. Cletus would also notice an out of place horse among the rest and would suspect me of spying.
I have thought to become a mouse, but it is so small I’m afraid I would have trouble keeping up, or worse, getting trampled. I’ve thought to become a bird, but a singular lone bird watching constantly would put him on alert.
If I knew for sure he would bring them home, I would become a cockroach and watch from the cracks in the wall. But he is crafty. I think he has each harlot in a different place. But mark my words, I will find out and I will destroy him.
Winifred Buford
Bells above the door jangled.
“Becky Sue Hocking, you better show your face. You have some explaining to do.”
Becky Sue grinned as she poked her head over the counter at her best friend, Maggie. “What is it?”
Maggie was 5’4”, skinny as a post, curly brown hair sprung out of her low ponytail giving her a wild look. Two year old, tow headed Tucker sat on her hip, his face dirty from a recent feeding, or possibly eating dirt, it was hard to tell with him.
Legend Of The Sparks Page 7
