by Laurel Kerr
“There’s Fluffy, the honey badger. I’m the only one he’ll let near.”
“Is he the animal who keeps escaping? The one who gets his picture posted every week?”
“Yes, that’s him,” Abby said.
“What is a honey badger?”
As Abby kept answering questions, June grabbed Katie’s arm and whispered in her ear, “I think our work here is done.”
Katie waved to the group and allowed her friend to drag her away. Only June could make the nerdy girl seem cool rather than pathetic when an adult came to her aid.
Behind them, she heard the kids clamoring for more information. What did honey badgers eat? Did cougar cubs take bottles like real babies? Did any of the animals ever try to bite her?
Clarissa’s voice was curiously absent as Abby fielded the questions. She didn’t babble or trip over her words the way Katie would have at that age. A smile spread across Katie’s face. Maybe Abby would never be the most popular girl, but it didn’t sound as if she’d be relegated to the lowest rung on the social ladder either.
* * *
A few minutes later, Katie and June found Bowie helping the vendors pack up for the day. The main festivities had ended, and the zoo was beginning to clear out. Bowie paused in lifting a crate of warming trays to wave at them. He’d changed out of his Tarzan costume and the cowboy one he’d worn for the Bonnie and Clyde skit. The man could make anything look sexy—even the ugly mohawk wig—but Katie preferred him like this. In jeans. Working hard to keep the zoo running.
“The turnout has been great, Katie. I still can’t believe you managed to get this many people to come,” he said as she and June approached. “We’ve reached our pledge goals to apply for the polar bear grant!”
“That’s great!” Katie said. The deadline for the application was drawing near, and Bowie had been nervous that they wouldn’t be able to meet it. With all the work he’d put into drawing plans for an exhibit and writing a proposal, she was glad he’d at least have a chance to submit them.
“Clarissa and her minions even made an appearance,” June said dryly. “Abby just ran into them.”
Bowie’s mouth flattened. “How’d that go?”
Katie exchanged a look with her friend. “Not well at first. June stepped in and turned things around. When we left, the kids were asking Abby all sorts of questions about the zoo, the boys especially.”
“Boys?” Bowie echoed.
“Umm-hmm,” June teased. “Two cute ones.”
Bowie shook his head. “Abby’s too young for boys. She’s only eleven.”
“She’s going to middle school next year,” Katie pointed out.
“Pluh-eese, I had my first boyfriend in fifth grade,” June said and then dropped her voice dramatically. “We held hands.”
“Not funny,” Bowie said stiffly.
“I’m not joking. Not entirely. His name was Billy Gregson, and he had the most beautiful brown eyes,” June said.
Bowie looked at Katie. “Help me out here.”
She shrugged. “Hey, my first crush was the summer between fifth and sixth grade.” It had actually been him, but she wasn’t about to reveal that tidbit.
“Abby’s too down-to-earth to be interested in boys already,” Bowie said stubbornly.
Katie couldn’t help it. She exchanged a look with June, and the two of them broke into laughter.
Before Bowie could respond, Abby dashed up to them, a broad smile on her face. “That was the best day ever! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!”
Without warning, Abby launched herself at Katie. Before Katie knew what was happening, she found herself wrapped in a tight hug. Just as with the last unexpected embrace, Katie’s arms reflexively circled around the young girl.
Abby beamed up at her, and Katie’s heart melted. She remembered Bowie’s words about how important she was becoming to Abby. She hadn’t realized how much until just this moment. As for herself, well, she was really starting to care for the kid. What would happen to their relationship when she moved to the West Coast? Sure, she’d keep in touch, but it wouldn’t be the same.
And Abby wasn’t the only reason that Katie was beginning to wonder if she should stay in Sagebrush and focus on establishing her own business. The girl’s father was playing a major role in her reconsideration of her career plan. And that concerned Katie.
A lot.
* * *
“You’re awfully quiet, sweetheart,” Katie’s mom said as Katie drove them home from the festival.
“I’m just thinking about something, Mom,” Katie said as she turned onto the long drive that led to the ranch.
A pleased smile stretched across Helen Underwood’s face. “Or someone.”
She was right, but Katie wasn’t about to divulge that. She was having enough trouble sorting through her feelings without her mother’s perpetual optimism. If Katie tried talking this over with her, she knew her mom couldn’t help but steer her toward dating Bowie and staying in Sagebrush Flats.
“It’s the potential job openings in the Bay Area.”
“Oh,” her mom said, and Katie couldn’t miss the disappointment in her voice. Katie turned to look at her.
“Mom, you know even if I go, it doesn’t mean I haven’t enjoyed my time here this spring and summer. I love being close to you and Dad, but I can’t give up on my dreams either.”
If they still were her dreams.
Her mother’s smile had a tinge of sadness. “I just wish they wouldn’t take you away from Sagebrush.”
“I know, Mom. I know,” Katie said as she pulled up to the ranch and parked her car. When she and her mom entered the house, they found Katie’s father reading a book on naval ships as he reclined in his armchair.
“Dad?”
“What, kiddo?”
“Do you feel up for a walk…just a little one?” Katie asked. Her dad’s physical therapist allowed him light exercise. Although Chief Underwood wasn’t ready to scale the rock formations surrounding the ranch, he could handle a short stroll.
“Sure, Katie,” her dad said, giving her a penetrating look before he placed his book on the end table. He rose a little stiffly, but he no longer needed any assistance.
“Be careful, John,” her mother warned. “There’ve been reports of Eddie Driver in the area.”
“I’ll take my old service revolver, Helen. We’ll be fine. I’m not going to let the man get a jump on me a second time.”
As they headed outside, Katie let her father set the pace. When they were beyond hearing distance from the old homestead, Katie turned in his direction.
“I’ve been thinking lately about what you said. About how you didn’t want to be a big-city cop, you just wanted to say you were.”
Her father nodded solemnly to show that he remembered, and Katie continued. “You know how Josh will be helping me line up interviews on the West Coast?”
“Are you thinking about not going now?”
“Someone mentioned to me that maybe I could use that opportunity to drum up freelance work instead.”
“Your mother?”
Katie shook her head. “No. Someone else.”
“Ah,” her father said meaningfully. “I see. And what do you think of the idea?”
Katie sighed and kicked at a piece of tumbleweed that had blown in her direction. “I don’t know. I think…I think I might like the idea, but I’m not sure if I like it for the right reasons.”
“And what would those be?”
Katie shoved her hands in her pockets as she stared at a distant rock formation. “It’s safe here, familiar.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that, kiddo, if that’s what makes you happy. Some people work their whole lives to find a bit of peace. It’s fine to hold on to it once you find it.”
“And there’s this guy.”
<
br /> “Ah,” her father said in the same tone he’d used before. “The someone else?”
Katie bobbed her head. “I’m not sure if it’s serious…or if I even want it to be. But there’s something there, and I don’t want to be the girl who makes a major life choice because of a boy.”
She thought about the night she’d had sex with Bowie right after they finished the cougar exhibit. She’d felt a connection. And it had scared her. But as much as she didn’t wish to make a bad decision chasing after love, she didn’t want to base her career on running away from it either.
Her dad puffed out another breath of air that had nothing to do with exerting himself. “You always did ask the tough ones, Katie.”
She managed a half smile. “Sorry, Dad.”
He was silent for a while, his gaze trailing over the landscape as he thought. His great-grandparents had helped settle Sagebrush Flats, along with his wife’s relatives. The land was in his blood, her blood too. Katie felt its draw and wondered if she should leave it again.
“What would this freelance business of yours be like?”
“If I could land a big customer or two, it could be pretty awesome,” Katie said. “Josh said his clients have enjoyed the cartoons that I do for his website, so there’s a chance they might hire me. I’d be cheaper—a lot cheaper—than the big advertising firms.”
“Would you like the work?”
Katie debated. “I think. It’s hard to say what I would get.”
“How about compared to working for a big company?”
“Well, for starters, as a freelancer, I’d be in charge. I wouldn’t be subject to a project manager or supervisor, just the client.”
Her dad smiled. “You always did like being in control, kiddo.”
“That’s true,” Katie agreed.
“I know you’ve always wanted the big-city life, but what do you like about Sagebrush? Is it just that you’ve got roots here, or is there something more? Besides that ‘someone else’?”
Katie chuckled before she turned sober and mulled over her father’s words. When she was ready, she answered slowly. “I enjoy living in Sagebrush. It’s nice being able to talk with June in her kitchen instead of texting her, and there’s something special about walking into the Prairie Dog Café and knowing everyone there. And as much as they annoy me, I like being closer to my brothers. Then there are Luke’s children and you and Mom.”
“Seems like you might have some reasons to stay that have nothing to do with a man,” her dad said. “But you don’t need to make a decision now. You aren’t planning on starting to interview until the end of summer. Take time and think about it, and if you need to talk to someone, I’m here.”
Katie snaked her arm around her father’s waist, and he pulled her close, just like he’d done when she was a little girl.
“Thanks, Dad. You’re a good sounding board.”
“Any time, kiddo. Any time.”
* * *
Fluffy was not happy. At all.
Scores of loud, noisy, boisterous bipeds had invaded the zoo during his prime sleeping time. True, a couple of boys had thrown empty popcorn cartons into his enclosure. Not only had he enjoyed licking the buttery residue, but the Black-Haired One had not noticed the debris. The empty containers had made excellent building material. But even the salty yumminess of the leftovers didn’t make up for the extreme annoyance of the day. Children had continually stood at his fence, yelling for him to come out of his den.
Fluffy had not capitulated but the shouting had disrupted his sleep. This, he did not appreciate. At all.
He had escaped his enclosure once during the festival, but too many people had spotted him. They had raised odd devices and pointed them in his direction like the redheaded female did. The Black-Haired One had not needed to call the Wee One to coax Fluffy back to his den. He’d returned on his own.
Now that the interlopers had left, Fluffy could reemerge. Finally. After he harried Frida, he planned on paying the Black-Haired One back by tipping over the garbage cans. All of them.
But before Fluffy reached the grizzly’s home, he heard it. Stealthy footsteps. In his zoo. At night.
Irritated at this new interloper, Fluffy scurried to investigate. Sure enough, another biped lurked in the darkness. He did not belong to the zoo. He smelled different—and quite pungent for a human. There was also something about him that Fluffy did not like. Something off. Something mean. Something cruel.
He reminded Fluffy of a poisonous snake. And Fluffy knew what to do with serpents. You bit them. Hard.
So Fluffy crouched in the shadows, waiting for his opportunity. It came when the man had his back turned to peer into the windows of the zoo office. Fluffy moved fast, sinking his teeth into the fleshy part of the man’s calf. The human tasted awful, but there was something satisfying about chomping down on a biped.
The man howled in pain. Fluffy would have smiled, but that would have meant releasing his hold.
The man made strained grunting noises, and Fluffy realized the human was trying to hold back screams. Interesting. Why was the snake being so stealthy?
The man shook his leg. Fluffy didn’t care. He held on fast. This was the most excitement he’d experienced in years. He could get used to this.
Then, the snake struck Fluffy with something solid. It hurt, quite a bit, but Fluffy still didn’t care. The pain just made him angrier and more determined. He sank his teeth deeper into the man’s flesh.
Another blow came. Then another. The third knocked Fluffy off. That, Fluffy did not appreciate. However, he remained undeterred. He lurched toward the man again. The snake yelped and dashed away. Fluffy gave chase.
The man tore from the zoo and jumped into a van that belched smoke almost as badly as the Black-Haired One’s truck. As Fluffy watched the red taillights disappear, he smirked. He had successfully chased two unwanted visitors from the zoo. As Fluffy limped back to his den, he felt particularly smug. This latest invader had been very dangerous indeed.
Chapter 11
Glancing down at Bowie asleep on the air mattress, Katie debated waking him. The festival had ended three days ago, and Bowie was still exhausted. He’d spent the last thirty-six hours cleaning up and then getting started on the cubs’ permanent exhibit. He’d been hauling rocks and digging fence posts. Katie had pitched in to help his staff feed the animals, and she’d stayed late. Then she and Bowie had crashed together on the old air mattress after a round of hot sex.
Katie didn’t know if it was because he was bone-weary from all the physical labor he’d been doing, but she’d sensed something different tonight. He seemed to hold back a little in their lovemaking. Oh, he’d made sure to send them both crashing into oblivion, but there was an element missing. She wouldn’t quite say the spark, because tonight had been as intensely hot as always. But before she’d drifted to sleep in his arms, she’d felt a subtle shift that left her feeling a little bereft.
She considered staying until morning to talk to Bowie, but she typically left well before dawn. Now that the cougar cubs didn’t require round-the-clock care, she didn’t have an excuse for spending the night, and Bowie didn’t want Abby knowing about their nighttime activities.
Katie stretched and checked the time. It was after midnight, and she knew Bowie would want to walk her to her car. A few days ago, her father’s attacker had been spotted in the area again. It had been all over the local news channels, and Bowie had insisted on making sure she got home safely when she stayed late.
He grunted in his sleep and burrowed deeper under the covers. Katie hated to disturb him. Making her decision, she quietly slipped from the bed. Katie doubted Eddie Driver would be hanging out at the Sagebrush Zoo parking lot in the middle of the night. He was after her father, not her. In fact, he probably didn’t even know she existed.
Pulling on her clothes, Katie gave Bowie
one last glance before leaving the room. She pulled the door shut softly behind her and headed to her car. As she started to cross the parking lot, she thought she heard a sound. Glancing around, she saw nothing.
Katie shook her head. Bowie’s concern was affecting her imagination.
Then she heard more. Footsteps. From behind. She started to whirl around, but something hard and heavy cracked into the side of her skull. White light seared her vision. Katie managed one bloodcurdling scream before her legs collapsed. Her body slammed painfully into the pavement. She cried out once more before darkness descended.
* * *
Katie’s scream jarred Bowie from a deep sleep. He bolted upright, his heart pounding as he scanned the room. He saw no sign of her as he scrambled to his feet. Had he dreamed the sound?
Then he heard it. The second terrified cry. If he wasn’t mistaken, it had come from the direction of the parking lot.
He tore from the room, glad that he always pulled on a pair of pants before falling asleep beside Katie. Between his daughter and the zoo animals, he never knew when he might need to dash off to an emergency. He couldn’t very well do so in his boxers or nothing at all.
When Bowie reached the parking lot, a sharp blade of pure fear sliced his gut. The security lights illuminated a terrifying tableau. Like a crumpled doll, Katie’s motionless body lay on the asphalt. Her red curls spilled onto the blacktop. A hooded figure stood at her side, dragging her body to an open van half-hidden in the shadows.
A hoarse cry must have erupted from Bowie. The figure turned and faced him. The barrel of a gun glinted. A bullet whizzed past Bowie. A warning shot, he realized dimly.
“Fuck off. This isn’t about you. But make another move, and I’ll blow your head right off your fucking shoulders.”
Bowie couldn’t make out the man’s features—not with the hood covering his face—but it didn’t take much deductive reasoning to figure out that this was Eddie Driver, the man who’d attacked Katie’s father.
“This isn’t about Katie either. She’s an innocent in all this,” Bowie said, forcing his voice to remain calm and steady despite the fear pulsing through him.
