“Thanks for the tea.” I made a silly face at Angeline, and she repaid me with her giggles. “I needed it.”
“I miss her too.” August looked up at me in understanding.
I got back into town later than I wanted and walked in to find Sheriff Martin talking with the new office clerk, Ms. Patty. And by talking, I mean a pathetic attempt at flirting. She was having no part of that. And he should’ve known better. Ms. Patty was happily married to her childhood sweetheart.
But the flirting wasn’t new. He did it the day she came in for an interview, yet somehow she still thought it was a good idea to work here.
I gave her a week before she decided to take one of the positions open at the town hall or the public library. The extra dollar per hour she was getting here was so not worth this.
“How are things going?” I interrupted their little chat.
“It's quiet on this front,” Sheriff Martin said, stepping back. He hadn’t been close enough to be too close or inappropriate in a way I could call him on, but it felt off. Then again, lots of things felt off when it came to him.
“Good.” I gave Ms. Patty a wave. “I like quiet.”
“Yeah, well, I heard Clarence’s place sold, so we're gonna have to keep an eye on that and make sure there's no riff raff moving in.” And by we, he meant me. “We don’t need riff raff coming into town and bringing us down.”
Riff raff. As if Clarence were the epitome of town glory. He was an abusive piece-of-shit drunk. The only reason people put up with him as long as they did was because they loved his wife.
He loved her too, but when cancer stole her, he crumbled even further into horribleness.
Finding out she had been unfaithful over a decade earlier had been his undoing. He should’ve been thrown in jail for the crap he pulled at Angeline’s old place, but I wasn’t in charge. And really, having Xander safe had been enough at the time.
“I'm sure they'll be fine.” And more than sure they would be better than Clarence.
“Heard he got a full-price offer,” Ms. Patty added. She would know. She loved the town rumor mill. Thinking about it, that was probably why she took this job.
“Oh, so he's one of those rich city folks.” Sheriff Martin sneared.
“I didn’t say that.” Patty gave him the eye, the one that dared him to put words in her mouth. Maybe I was worrying about her for nothing. I hoped so.
“Keep an eye on it, Ron. We gotta make sure this town keeps itself up.” He marched off.
Asshat.
“How are things going, Ms. Patty?”
Ms. Patty had taught preschool years ago, and somehow, her teacher name stuck. “Good. I'm learning so much about law enforcement.” She smiled brightly.
“Let me know if there’s anything I can help you with.” She would probably tell Sheriff Martin to kiss her ass by week's end, but for now, the position was filled and she was holding her own.
“Will do. I'm gonna go work on fixing up the mess you two call filing.” Yeah, it was pretty bad. Sheriff Martin and I didn’t know anything about organizing or filing systems. “So, let me know if we get a call.”
“Will do.” I took a seat at my desk and went over the logs from my off time.
“Remember what I said about Clarence’s old place,” Sheriff Martin barked as he walked past my desk and toward the door.
“I won't forget to check him out...after he moves in.” What did he think I should do? Preemptively find the guy? “I'll make sure he’s not riff raff.” Better me than the sheriff checking out the new owners. My boss didn’t make a good first impression. Or a second or third, either.
Three
Leo
I turned my U-Haul truck down the long dirt drive that led to my new house. A house. I wasn’t sure which surprised me more—that I was a homeowner in the middle of nowhere or that I purchased said home sight unseen. Closing the deal via the internet had been much easier than I thought it’d be.
I’d left the city expecting to be second-guessing myself for a while, but as I drove from city to suburb to the middle of nowhere, I found peace. This was where I was meant to be. The land was gorgeous. No, it was beyond gorgeous. The trees..the birds…the lack of traffic...just perfect.
And then it got less perfect.
I started to see a tire here, some empty bottles there… Then the junk started piling up and then more junk. Nothing too terrible, but not a good omen for what was ahead. Around the bend, I avoided holes in the hardpack as the house came into view. The house, or rather the dilapidated shack, that was now my new home.
I pulled to a stop and climbed out of the car, taking a deep breath.
The scent of moss tickled my nose. It had always been a favorite of mine. And in the far-off distance, I could hear the sound of the river.
The building was just a building—it could be fixed. But the scent and sounds of nature surrounding me, that was either there or it wasn’t. And this place had it. My home had it. Inside, my cat purred. He was going to have a grand time exploring this place. For a moment, I was completely happy and content.
And then the staleness of the house hit me.
I walked toward the house, and the closer I got, the worse it smelled and the more cracks and chipped paint came into sight. The first step onto the porch creaked, the second step wobbled, the third step started to sink from the years of neglect and decay.
As is, has potential.
They hadn’t been wrong. But I could do this. I could find the potential and make this house a home.
The door was already unlocked, if the lock even worked, so I pushed it open. The stench filling my senses was like steel alcohol, cigarettes, and...yeah...a dead animal or two.
At least I hoped it was an animal.
As is, has potential. I can do this.
I stepped inside, and the room was completely full. No one had bothered to move a single thing. From the ashtray on the table to the empty beer bottles on the floor to the three-quarters-empty bottle of gin sitting next to the recliner… It was like the previous owner went out for the mail and never came back. I felt like I had walked into an episode of one of those hoarding shows, only this one was a time capsule of hoarding grossness.
I walked through each room, opening all the windows. If I was going to work in there without puking, I needed to get the stench out.
I also needed a dumpster, possibly two. Not only would I have all the trash to remove, but also the construction debris.
There was a shit ton of things to do after the mess was hauled away. New windows, a new roof, new flooring, and new walls. The place needed just about everything. But it was all doable, and all stuff I had the skill set to handle. Growing up in the pride, I learned a great deal of hands-on skills. I could work on an engine, build a house from the ground up, and mend a quilt. It was the way of the lion to work together while still being self-sufficient.
At least until a domestic house cat came into the picture. We were a team for others. If someone’s car broke down, people all pitched in to help. If their roof sprung a leak, it was the same. But when it came to me and my truck losing its power steering, the help was not exactly forthcoming.
I shook that memory away and started to make a mental list of all the things I needed. I just hoped the lumber yards delivered this far out.
When I finally made it back outside, I was grateful for the fresh air to clear my lungs. That was when a couple of outbuildings caught my eye. They hadn’t been on the listing, and by the looks of them, they weren't up to code so I could understand why. The first one was filled with junk, and not the good kind with some hidden antique treasures that could make me a few bucks. Unfortunately, it was mostly bags of trash, boxes of broken windows and doors from who knew when, and a junk car.
The second was mostly empty, which was good because I needed a place to put all my furniture. It sure as shit wasn't going in the house until I got it cleaned up.
I drove up to the building and spent the rest
of the afternoon unpacking the trailer. There really wasn’t much in it, thankfully. I still had to return the trailer to the closest city, as they called it. It was more like a town, but much larger than where I would be calling home.
“I look like a college kid.” I laughed at myself because it was true.
After everything was unpacked, I drove back down the dirt driveway and returned my trailer. The drive there wasn’t too bad. Short enough that if I wanted to go to bigger stores, it wouldn’t be a big deal, but far enough away that I’d at least think twice about it.
I missed my turn and ended up in a little cul-de-sac neighborhood and went to turn around in a driveway. I didn’t know if it was fate or what, but sitting in that driveway was a For Sale by Owner sign on a camper, and a lightbulb in my head went off. I could buy a camper and use it for my home while I fixed up the main house. Afterward, I could sell it or keep it—whatever. It was better than sleeping in that stench or driving to a hotel each day. That was for sure.
I knocked on the door and out came the owner who was more than happy to show me his pride and joy. The pride and joy his new wife told him he needed to get rid of.
She wasn't going to “pay his debts,” as he explained it. We worked out a quick deal then drove to the nearest bank. As soon as he had the cash in his hands, I drove off with my new camper in tow.
I ended the long day by cleaning out the dusty trailer enough to get some sleep. Tomorrow, I’d order a dumpster and begin creating my new life.
It was gonna be a good one. I could feel it. As awful as that house was, I felt like I was home for the first time in a very long time.
Four
Ron
“Did you take care of that?” Sheriff Martin stood over me as I was typing up a report for the town council. I had no idea what he was talking about. “It’s been a week since the papers were signed.”
Oh, right. He wanted me to pester the new guy in town for no other reason than we could.
“I have it on my list for today.” Now I did, anyway. It was better for me to go out there and introduce our new resident to the local law enforcement. At least I would be cordial, unlike the sheriff, unless he took a shine to the owner. Honestly, I was surprised he wanted me to go instead of him. The one thing the man did love above all else was meeting new people he could intimidate by throwing around his power.
“I’ll go as soon as I finish typing this up,” I promised.
“Ms. Patty can do it.” And she could. It was just copying the financial data that was easy enough for her to take care of.
“I sure can.” She jumped up and waved me away. “Go pester those poor new owners for us.” She smirked. Somehow the sheriff didn’t notice her sarcasm. “It must be hard moving here from the city.”
She was right. It had to be. We had none of the amenities they’d be used to. I wasn’t even sure if they could get a decent satelite out there for the internet with all the trees and hills. And there was no fancy takeaway here. We didn’t even have a Chinese restaurant.
He was in for a rude awakening before he saw how bad the house was. That blasted thing needed to be razed. It was a shack long before it was vacant, and being vacant never did anything to improve a place.
I left the office, stopping at the diner for a quick sandwich before driving up to Clarence’s old place. Not once had I been up there for something good. At least this time wouldn’t involve suspected violence. Although, the new guy was probably seeing red over having bought the house in the first place.
As I pulled up in front of the house, I wasn’t surprised when a dumpster came into view.
The bank had decided it would be cheaper in the long run to just sell it exactly as it was— complete with all the crap inside. And I could see their point. They could fix it up and sell it, but in this location, they’d spend more time and money on it than they’d get in return.
What did surprise me as I pulled to a stop was the camper trailer set in between the house and the outbuildings. Whoever bought the house was clever. It had to be easier to live in a trailer than the house.
I put the car in park and climbed out. A motion on the porch caught my eye. Not a person. It was a cat. And not just any cat, the most beautiful cat I’d ever seen. Its calico fur paired perfectly with its bright green eyes.
Not that I’d ever admit to Lux that I found a more beautiful cat. Lux would hold it against me forever. Cats were like that. They were strong-willed, independent, and didn't care about impressing you. It was what made them awesome.
Dogs were fine and all, but I was definitely a cat man.
As if it could tell, the cat pranced over to me.
“You’re a sweet baby,” I called out, and the prancing became more of a run. I squatted and held my hand out.
His fur was shiny with no mats. He wasn’t exactly what I’d call plump, but he was definitely well-fed.
He rubbed his chin against me, and I picked him up. The only thing I didn’t like about my place was the inability to have a cat.
“Aren’t you a good boy.”
He rolled in my arm for me to pet his belly, and that was when I noticed that he was in fact a boy, and he was intact.
Why did people do that? “Looks like I need to have a talk with your owner.” We had enough feral cats in these woods without adding more to the population. “I think he forgot to have you snipped.”
The cat froze in my arms as if he knew what I was saying, and he jumped down.
“Is your papa home?” I asked, not expecting the cat to do anything, but hoping the owner might hear me and come on out.
The cat looked up at me, did a weird bob thing with his head, and then shot off towards the house.
”I’ll take that as a yes.” I brushed off the fur from my uniform and closed the distance between me and the house, climbing up to the steps while being sure to skip the one I knew was about to cave.
I'd been at this place too many times over the years and knew which steps, floorboards, and chairs to avoid.
At first, I was sad Xander didn’t get the place. It had been his home for much of his life, but then I saw him after only being with Doc a few months. He was so filled with joy, and all the fear that had always been just below the surface was finally gone. He was better off without this place...and those memories.
I hated that I couldn’t have done anything sooner, but I just didn’t have enough ammunition to get Xander into a better place without making his life worse.
He was happy now. I just had to keep reminding myself that. “Hello,” I called into the open door. “Anybody home?”
“Just a second.” A man came into view wearing only his jeans with a shirt in his hands.
My eyes were drawn to his bare chest, every single muscle of it defined so clearly. I wanted to run my fingers across each plane. No, that was a lie. I wanted to trace a path with my tongue.
I closed my eyes and shook my head once, trying to get the sudden burst of lust cleared from it as I ignored the tightening of my uniform slacks. Do not look at his chest.
I shouldn’t have to remind myself to be professional, but I did. There was just something about this man, and if I didn’t get myself under control soon, he was going to think I was a perv. What was wrong with me?
When I opened my eyes again, he was pulling the hem of his shirt down.
“Sorry about that.” He didn’t hide the smirk on his face. At least he wasn’t offended by my bout of unprofessionalism. “What can I do for you, Officer?”
“You can call me Ron.” For some reason, I didn't want him to be formal with me. “I was just being neighborly.” I smiled and cleared my throat. “Neighborly and nosy, I guess. My friend August said he sold this place, so I wanted to stop by and give you a proper River’s Edge welcome.”
He held out his hand to shake mine. “I’m Leo. I guess there's no hiding in small towns, is there?”
“I suppose there's not.” No supposing to it. There wasn’t.
“No
t that I have anything to hide,” he quickly added on.
“Yeah, I wasn't worried about that.” Certainly not as much as I was worried about him noticing my attraction to him. Which was insane. I’d never been drawn to a stranger like this. Sure, I saw guys and thought they looked yum. But this? This was different, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. “How’re things going in the house? It was kind of left a shithole.” A complete shithole.
“It's...going.” He shrugged. “I'm just mostly spending my time hauling stuff out of here.” He signalled for me to step inside. The living room was almost empty, so I could tell he’d been working hard.
“After that’s done, I'll start demolition and throw even more stuff in the dumpster. My guess is as big as that dumpster is, it’s gonna need to be emptied again.” Again? How much shit did Clarence have packed in here?
“The camper working out for you?” I asked cautiously. The idea was genius, but I didn’t see any power hook-ups, and an irrational need to protect him had me oddly worried about his well-being.
“Yeah, I figured that was easier than trying to get any of this disaster clean enough to use or driving to a hotel since there's not really a hotel in town.”
“We’ve got a few rooms to rent, but yeah, no real hotel. I guess it’s not the same, and with your pet cat, your options are a bit limited.”
“He’d be fine here for the night, but no, it’s not the same as a hotel. But that’s okay. I knew when I left the city that this place would take some adjusting to.”
“Disappointed in the house?” Because I sure as hell would be.
“The house...could be better. I really do love this property, though. It just feels like home.”
I wasn't sure what home felt like, and seeing the glimmer of happiness in his eyes as he said it, I wanted to so badly. I liked my place well enough, and this town was where I belonged, but home was something entirely different.
Feline The Love: An M/M MPreg Shifter Romance (River’s Edge Shifters Book 2) Page 2
