Willow (The Willow Series Book 1)

by Cheri Lewis

  When he finally gets out of his truck I walk with him to the front porch and take the steps up to formally introduce Deloris to Corky.

  “Mrs. Deloris, this is Corky Bronson. He’s the pet detective that is going to help you find your missing cats.”

  She eyes him from head to toe before responding, “This is my son, Jon, and he’s going to go with us and show you where the cats stay and which ones we know are missing.”

  I get the feeling Deloris would like me to stick around a few minutes even though they have a conversation of pleasantries. Joe continues to sniff around marking his territory for the tenth time before Deloris nods to her son. Jon stands from the rocking chair and walks with a limp back inside the house. “You have a beautiful place out here,” Corky says.

  “Thank you. We think so,” Deloris replies.

  “The possibilities are endless of what kind of wildlife you have,” Corky says and he seems to be in awe of his surroundings.

  I smile not because I’m making fun of him but he is definitely a unique individual and seems totally fascinated with nature and wildlife. The rumbling of a motor interrupts the conversation as Jon comes around the house on a large ATV that will hold six people. Deloris folds her walker and hands it to me. I take it as she holds on to the railing coming slowly down the steps.

  “Just sit that in the back,” she states as she motions to the back of the ATV.

  Corky kicks his foot on the graveled dirt ground bending over to pick up what looks like a small rock and places it in his pocket. Deloris eyes me and I give her a reassuring smile as he jumps into the very back seat of the ATV causing it to bounce.

  I’m able to get a good look at Jon as he helps his mother get situated in her seat. On his right side he’s either had a stroke or has been mauled by something. I can’t tell by the way his hand is bent backwards into itself. I climb into the middle seat placing the walker in the floorboard beside me. Joe doesn’t hesitate and jumps into my lap. His right paw digs into my thigh. I grab it trying to pull it up for some relief, he jumps into the empty seat beside me. The walker leaning against the seat works to help keep Joe in one place.

  It’s a short distance to a barn and it’s not long before I start spotting cats. A cat in the bushes. A cat sunning on the seat of a small tractor. Two cats chasing something across the dirt in front of the barn. The more I look the more I find. Jon turns the key and the engine cuts dead. He pulls the walker out and before I know it Joe is out and running wide open barking and chasing a cat. Nope not a cat. I know it’s a chicken once it squawks and flaps its wings trying to get away.

  I stand to yell at him nailing my head on the roof of the ATV. I grab my head and jump out after Joe yelling at him, “Joe, quit that and get back here!”

  A few seconds later Joe turns running for his life with the biggest rooster I’ve ever seen right after him with its spurs in the air. Joe runs behind me and the rooster doesn’t seem to care I’m between them. I throw my arms up to block my face. I can feel the wind of the rooster’s wings then it disappears just as quickly. I peek out as I hear an upset rooster. Corky has the rooster by the neck in one hand and using his other he wraps his arm around the flapping wings tucking then safely under his arm against his side.

  “Now there, Mr. Rooster, I couldn’t have you attack Willer. How about we’s go around the corner where you can do more fun things like hang out with them there pretty hens,” Corky says as he takes the rooster around the corner of the barn and, I kid you not, he plants a kiss on the side of the rooster’s head.

  I turn to Deloris with my heart beating a thousand miles a minute, “Sorry about that. I didn’t even consider him chasing the chickens.”

  She gives me a funny look about Corky then lets out a chuckle. “I think he learned his lesson.”

  “Animals just being animals,” Corky adds joining us again.

  She shuffles to the barn and pulls on the door. Several meows can be heard from around. I squint my eyes once inside trying to get them to adjust coming in from the bright sun. Deloris begins to baby talk to the cats that are inside near the cages and there are rows and rows of cages. All the cage doors are open and the large double doors at the back of the barn are too.

  “How many cats do you have?” Corky asks.

  “We had seventy three.”

  “And now twenty six are gone,” Jon adds speaking for the first time. He turns leaving me alone with Deloris because Corky follows after Jon asking questions. I watch as Jon takes a watering can that you use to water plants and pours water into trays in each cage. A symphony of meows follow him as he walks further down the row stopping all along to water and pet the cats. Deloris is right, though. They all look well fed, happy and healthy.

  “Do you adopt them out?” I hear Corky ask Jon but Deloris answers.

  “Our cats our older. Most people want kittens. If we get a cat that’s pregnant before we’re able to get her fixed then we’ll call the vets office and they hang a sign for us. Most of the time they’re gone within a week of hanging the sign,” he nods then bends over to pet several of the cats that are at his and Jon’s feet.

  “Can I ask how you can afford to do this? Joe cost me over three hundred dollars when I first got him.”

  “Everything I own is paid for and my late husband was a frugal man. Jon got a big payout when he got caught in the pressing machine at the paper mill.” My face instantly contorts thinking of him being caught in a machine mangling his body. “I do it for him. Don’t get me wrong I love a cat but he brought one home after his accident.” She lowers her voice. “He’s not slow or anything but after the accident he’s different. He was a good looking man with a good paying job until then, never short of female callers. Now he doesn’t even try and if cats make him happy…”

  “Gotcha. Do you have any idea where they might be going? I mean what direction? I’m wondering if a neighbor might be carrying them off or doing target practice.” Deloris’ mouth falls open then she raises up on her tippy toes reminding me of a prairie dog as she looks around to see where Jon is. Damn it to hell, Willow! “I’m sorry. I spoke before I thought through what I was saying.”

  She shakes her head frowning at me then points out the back doors of the barn. “Jon swears the cats go into the woods near a little pond we have. I don’t like him to go down there because it’s steep and rocky. His knee will buckle in a heartbeat. The ATV won’t make it down there and if he falls I can’t help him up. We’d have to call somebody.”

  “Well, I’ll pass that information along to Corky. He seems like a nice man, Mrs. Deloris, but if you’re not comfortable I can hang out a while.”

  She looks back over to where the men are both are apparently working on a cage. “No. No. You go ahead. Jon seems to be comfortable with him and that’s what this is really about. He seems a little strange but I suppose owning seventy three cats seems strange to other people who don’t understand. He appears to really love animals. I think he’ll do just fine.”

  “Look, if it doesn’t work out or you need me for anything else, you give me a call. Okay?”

  “Please bill me for your time. I know you’re a busy woman and you just don’t know how much I truly appreciate your help.”

  Her sincere and kind words stir an emotion inside me and to me her bill is paid in full, but I know she won’t accept that so I put her off for a little while. “How about we make sure he’s going to work out first.”

  She reaches out and takes my hand squeezing it. I walk over to the guys and tell Corky I’m leaving and pass along the information about the pond down the hill. His eyes seem a little crazy at the moment but not in a bad crazy. In a way that he’s thinking and already planning out how to solve the mystery of the missing cats.

  Joe and I leave and pick up hamburgers for us on our way back to the office. I have lots I need to get done so I start a list and first thing on the list is to call, Chuck, with the litter patrol. It’s pretty straight forward. I have to be at the sanita
tion department Friday morning at seven thirty. It’s my responsibility to get him to sign off on my paperwork after each eight hour shift I complete. They supply gloves, supplies, and a few other things he called off and I’m to wear comfortable work boots. So I mark that off my list and go on to the next, paying bills and balancing the books.

  After I’m done I check my email and there isn’t anything new yet from my insurance companies. Janice, from my lawyer’s office, mentioned they needed me to do some recon on a cheating spouse but they’re waiting on court papers. So, I have that coming up. That means Joe and I have the rest of the afternoon completely free. We go home and spend the evening hanging out and I’m very surprised I haven’t heard from Heath but not surprised enough to feel the need to call him.

  The next morning I wake up staring at the ceiling already thinking about my shooting date with Wade. Well, it’s not really a date, but it is… maybe? I don’t know. So what do I wear to a possible date to go shoot? I roll off the bed and let Joe out the back door to do his business and start a pot of coffee. My front door opens and Heath walks in. “You’re up early.”

  “No I’m… Oh shit I guess I am,” I say after looking at the time on the microwave and it’s not even six thirty yet.

  “You’re off early, aren’t you?”

  “Yeah. I had to discharge my gun and the damn paperwork is so annoying and frustrating. Anyway, only forty five minutes ‘til my shift was over so Sarge said I could go on and go.”

  “Did you kill them?”

  “No, but I wanted to.” He raises his shirt and on his left side is an odd shape bruise. “Cowboy boot,” he says as he scowls then releases his shirt and it falls back into place.

  I grimace because once he says what it is I can see it perfectly. My attention gets yanked away from Heath and is now focused on the back door where Joe’s scratching to get back in. “He knows you’re here.”

  Heath smiles on his way to open the back door. They roll around on the floor together and I watch in amazement as Heath wallows around and Joe growls playfully as they wrestle.

  “It must not hurt too bad the way you’re rolling around on the floor.”

  “Pain medicine. The ambulance came and checked me out. Shadow spotted me a couple pills.”

  “Hope they aren’t narcotics.”

  He stands from the floor walking to the sink to wash his hands. “No, Mom, I’m not stupid. I know the saying, ‘just say no’.”

  “I’m just saying. Never mind. Sorry I care.”

  “No, it’s not that. I just know I can’t take them and stay on patrol. I’ll be benched. Besides tonight was my last night on third.”

  “I bet you’re glad.”

  “Yeah, three days off to get acclimated and I’m back on days.”

  “I was thinking about you yesterday not having heard from you in a while. And no offense, but why are you here so early this morning?”

  “Bored. I was going to crash on your couch ‘til you got up and see if you wanted to get some breakfast.”

  “Adrenaline still pumping?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Sure, let’s go get some breakfast.”

  “I’d put some clothes on first and maybe comb your hair. Oh, you know what, never mind. Go like that and they’ll give you the meal for free.”

  “Sometimes I wonder why we’re friends.”

  I take a sip of my coffee as I walk down the hall and Heath yells, “You’d be miserable without me.”

  *****

  Heath and I have breakfast and while we do I catch him up on everything that’s been going on including the disappearing cats and Corky Bronson. He finds it hilarious that I had to inspect raccoon shit.

  “It’s sad really. I get why the mother is doing this but her poor son. She says he was caught in some machine at the paper mill.”

  “Oh man. Was that about five years ago?”

  “I don’t know. I didn’t ask.”

  “If it was I’ve seen pictures. It smashed half his body and it wasn’t his fault. The guardrail that protects workers from falling failed. Luckily that jammed the machine because it went first. He’d have died if it hadn’t of went in first.”

  I relax my flinched face and shake my head. “I can’t imagine. But she did mention they got a big payout from them because of the accident. So that might be the one you’re thinking of.”

  I watch as Heath eats another two plates from the breakfast buffet at Shoney’s. I nurse my glass of orange juice as we finish catching each other up on what’s going on in our lives. I’m forced to hear about Stacey and her upcoming marriage. I tune most of that out because I really dislike even hearing her name.

  Once we’re done Heath leaves to go get acclimated and I head home to get ready to meet Wade. I send him a quick text – Is today still a good day to shoot? I know it’s early but I’m done with what I had to do.

  Wade – I’m ready when you are.

  Me – I’ll head that way in an hour or two. Can you send me your address please?

  Wade – 6798 Private Road 30.

  Me – I’ll text you when I’m on my way.

  I take a shower and do all the normal date prepping even though I’m not convinced what type of date this really is yet but I’m going to be prepared. I slide on a pair of fancy jeans I bought last year. I hardly ever wear jeans but I liked all the bling they had on the butt and pockets. The sales girl said they looked great. I don’t normally spend much time looking at my own butt but that day I had to agree with her it did look pretty good. I stare at my closet not sure what shoes or shirt to wear. T-shirt is pretty casual but I don’t want to wear a blouse. I can’t wear flip-flops or heels to shoot. So do I wear boots? Why does this have to be so complicated? Willow pick out some damn clothes and be done with it. Being a girl sucks sometimes.

  I grab a lime green tank top that I bought for Fourth of July last year and dig to the back of my closet for a pair of Converse I know I bought when Heath and I went tubing down the river a few years back. I go to the bathroom and pull up my hair in a tight ponytail. You’re going to shoot guns Willow. This isn’t a date. No expectations and no makeup. I check my teeth then turn out the light.

  It doesn’t take me as long as I thought it would to get to his house. It’s about eight miles past Jimmy’s going out of town. I turn onto the rutted driveway that runs between two fields. A green tractor is in the field on the right with a large cloud of dust billowing behind it. A house is in the distance on the left about a quarter mile down the road. When I arrive Wade is there leaning against the back of an older model red Ford truck. I pull up beside him and roll my window down. “Is it okay to park here?”

  “Sure.”

  I nod and press the button to roll my window back up then turn off my truck. I grab my shooting bag from the floorboard of the back seat and get out.

  His grin is so sweet it makes me grin and I ask, “You enjoying your time off?”

  “I am now.”

  He slaps his hand against the bed of the truck signaling for me to look so I do. He has his guns all loaded. He walks to the driver’s door and I go around to the passenger side. This truck is definitely older than I thought. It has vinyl seats and an am/fm radio that you have to turn the knob to find a radio station. No tape deck or CD player or air conditioning. I roll the window down and enjoy the drive down past the barn around a curve into an open field that’s surrounded by trees on three sides making a giant U.

  Six large hay bales sit in the distance. Four of them still hold old targets with bullseyes in the middle and two look like they’re new. Faded wooden posts are placed sporadically around the field also and I’m assuming he uses those to place objects on to shoot. I grab my bag and follow him as he unloads guns and ammo from the bed of his truck and walks to a covered area with a table on the far side that I didn’t notice when we pulled up. This is newly built. The wood hasn’t a mark on it and the red metal roofing shines bright in the sunlight.

  “Just set your
stuff here and I’ll go get the rest.”

  “I don’t mind helping.”

  “There isn’t much more. I only brought a few. I’m not going to show you all I got the first time,” he says as he wiggles his eyebrows.

  I grin at his playfulness and watch as he walks back over to the truck. His jeans fit really well. The plain blue t-shirt fits snuggly in all the right places and looks damn good against his tan. I’m surprised that it doesn’t have any type of Texas insignia anywhere on it. I’ll have to make sure I tell him he looks really, really good in that color blue. Willow, what in the hell? Have you lost your damn mind? Oh God the ammo is heavy. Look at those arms. Holy fuck I bet he is a fine piece of ass naked. He’s smiling at me… Why is he smiling at me? Oh, for fucks sake, Willow, he knows you’re checking him out. I look away and begin pulling my ear plugs and safety glasses from my bag. He places the bag of ammo beside me and stands really close. Damn does he smell good. Every fiber of my body is awake and I’m doing my best to tame the beast down before I jump him.

  He unzips the zipper on a bag and there it is, the AR-15 automatic. He didn’t lie. My attention has now been distracted until he picks up the gun and holds it up for me to see.

  Oh.

  My.

  Gosh.

  My happy place is H.A.P.P.Y. and wet. I mean soaking wet. What is wrong with me? I want to push him back right now and ride him like a wild bull amongst the guns. I watch as he goes through several motions included pulling the clip making sure it’s full.

  He raises his eyebrows. “Ladies first.”

  I slide my glasses on and place my corded ear plugs in my ears then reach my hand out careful not to touch his as I take the gun from him. I place the butt of the gun against the front of my shoulder and before I pull the trigger I feel the cord of my ear plug tugged and it comes out. Wade’s lips are so close to my ear the vibrations of his voice tickle my ear sending shivers all the way down my body as he whispers, “Hold on tight. She’s got a kick.”