“No need to apologize.” The man said. “Your dog is very friendly, but you should be careful because there are animals around here that could harm him.”
“I never have problems with him running off like this, but I will make sure he stays in my yard from now on.” Allison looked up into the man’s eyes, a hazel shade that almost appeared golden. They were beautifully enchanting.
“Are you living next door now?” He asked.
“Yes, we just moved in today.” She petted Tiny.
“We? Are you married?” His tone seemed friendly.
“No. We, as in me and this furry roommate of mine.” She pointed at Tiny and laughed. “It is just the two of us.”
“Well, I am Nate Thomas. I live next door.” He stuck his hand out to her.
“Allison Grant.” She reached for his hand and felt his warmth underneath her palm. His hand was big and strong and engulfed her small fingers as he shook firmly and then let go. “Is it just you who lives there?”
“Yes, but I have family that comes and stays with me. My brothers and cousins visit a lot to help on the farm.”
“You have a farm?” She was curious about this man. There was something so intriguing about him that she suddenly wanted to know as much as she could.
“It’s a small farm, but yeah.” He turned to look at his property and then back at her. “You know maybe you would like to come take a look at it some time. You can get some fresh eggs and vegetables.”
“Yeah, sure. That’d be great. Thanks!” She looked up into his golden eyes once more, taken back by how gorgeous he was. His dark brown hair was wild and unruly around his tanned face. He had a strong jaw and lips that begged to be kissed.
“Good.” He grinned and for the first time she saw his amazing smile. “I guess I will see you around.”
“Yes. See you soon.” She didn’t know what else to say as she took Tiny and headed home.
As she walked away she couldn’t resist the urge to turn back for a glance goodbye. She turned and saw Nate watching her closely as though he could see through her with his haunting eyes. She quickly turned away from his glare, hurrying through the grass while hoping her secrets weren’t as exposed as they felt they were.
Chapter 2
Nate watched Allison walk away and couldn’t make himself turn away. She was more beautiful than any woman he had ever seen. Her green eyes and full lips were perfect. He inhaled deeply. She was unlike any woman he had ever met.
“She looks delicious.” Brett said from behind him.
“Stay away from her.” Nate warned. “She is our neighbor. She is off limits.”
“Are you claiming her?” His cousin asked with a smirk. “We all know that unless claimed, all is fair game.”
“You and my brothers want every woman you see. I am tired of cleaning up your messes. There are plenty of girls in other places, in other towns, in other cities. Why go after our neighbor?” Nate shook his head. “That will only complicate things.”
“I have changed cousin.” Brett said. “I am not the uncontrollable young boy you once knew. I have matured and grown. I have settled down. I no longer play the field like you think.”
“You can play any field you want, except those too close to my own.” Nate no longer saw Allison, and he knew that she would be almost back home; still he waited. Just to make sure that he did not hear her in any danger.
“You have to admit though Nate, she looked sweet as cherry pie.” Brett laughed as he turned to go. “And by the look on your face I can tell you want at least a few slices for yourself.”
Brett continued walking back towards Nate’s house with a grin on his face.
Nate fought the anger inside. He wanted to jump on his cousin and beat his face into the ground, but where was this madness coming from? He had only just met Allison yet he felt himself wanting to fight his own blood for this stranger. This was not a normal reaction for him. Yes, he had grown irritated by both his cousins and brothers stupid decisions, but he was also used to Brett pushing his buttons and saying things to try and get him worked up. He usually never let him get a rise out of him, but this time…
Knowing that Allison must be now safely home, he turned and headed back to where he lived. Pushing all thoughts of her from his head, he focused on his family and why they were here. Having caused enough trouble in their own towns, he had brought them here, to have them stay on the right path. His two brothers were just a few years younger than him. They weren’t bad, they just never had much guidance growing up. Their father had felt himself above the law, teaching them to steal and hurt others to get whatever it was that they wanted. They had all done horrible things, but now they had a chance to redeem themselves and change. Nate had managed to turn his life around seven years before, when he’d moved to Bryansville and started anew. Now in his early thirties he was determined to help his brothers. His father made it hard, but he had eventually got his brothers to move in with him. For the past four years, they had lived here, when they were around. One week they’d be doing well, then the next they’d disappear and not return for months at a time. This time they’d come back with their cousin Brett in tow. Like them, Brett had been raised above the law by their hardnosed uncle. Nate saw good in his brothers, but he was still struggling to find the good in Brett.
“I told you that was my food!” His brother Gavin yelled.
“You left it on the table like you didn’t want it.” Zander, his other brother, yelled back.
“You idiot, why would I leave it on the table if I didn’t want it?” Gavin pushed Zander.
“Touch me again and I’ll…” Zander stepped closer to Gavin.
“And you’ll what?” Gavin shoved Zander out of his face.
Zander swung and punched Gavin in the chin and they both began fighting. Gavin caught Zander with an uppercut as they wrestled to the ground. Nate rushed to pull his brothers apart as Brett stood by and laughed.
“Knock it off you two!” Nate told them. “Get off each other.”
“It’s his fault.” Gavin said as Nate separated them.
“You hit me first.” Zander sat back on the ground and wiped his bloody lip.
“You fools are fighting over food? Come on, you are brothers.” Nate shook his head. “Get it together. This is ridiculous.”
“He’s right.” Gavin said. “I shouldn’t have pushed you.”
“Yeah, well… I should never have eaten your food.” Zander smiled. “Nice right hook though.”
“Yours ain’t so bad either.” Gavin rubbed his jaw and grinned.
Nate’s younger brothers were soon buddies again, nothing like the enemies that had just been fighting over a meal. This was the way his family worked. They could fight like angry dogs, and then minutes later walk off together, wagging their tails like nothing ever happened. This was normal. When Nate first moved here, seven years before, he’d actually been lonely, missing the constant fighting and aggressive behavior. His father and Nate hadn’t always been so distant. At one point in his life, his father had been his best friend. Still, sometimes he would lie in bed at night and wish things had gone differently. Maybe if he had just been able to find the middle ground with his father, a balance where they could both be happy, then they would still have a relationship. But that was all impossible now. Now his father refused to speak to him and he honestly thought it was for the best. His father lived under a different code then he wanted to, a code where nothing mattered but his own satisfaction. If someone got in his way, he would remove them. This led to suspicion and a whole lot of trouble that Nate steered clear of.
Leaving his brothers to it Nate went inside, remembering Allison and her deep green stare. There was something familiar about the look in her eyes. As though using them as a veil, like she had secrets to hide. He knew the look all too well, but on her it was a beautiful expression, on him a terrible weakness. She may well have a past she was hiding, but he had a past that he wasn’t able to escape, because no matter
what he did or where he ran it was still inside of him and never completely gone.
Chapter 3
The three days since she’d arrived had flown by and Allison couldn’t believe how nice it felt. The birds would wake her with their morning chorus and the moon would watch her fall asleep through the window at night. She felt at home. It was strange, everything going so well, and she was determined that she wasn’t going to curse herself by believing her bad luck had followed her to this town. Not this time. She had even begun painting the large room’s walls and working on the garden out front.
Already Monday she was on her way to meet Theresa Jackson to talk about a job at her store. Rain had started falling a few hours earlier, but it didn’t keep her from having a good day. She actually liked the way it sounded when it hit her bedroom window and she couldn’t wait to go home and curl up in bed with a good book in her hands and Tiny by her feet.
“I forgot you were coming.” Theresa said as she walked into the store right at noon. “Sometimes I get so busy and forget what I need to do.”
The older woman shook her head and threw her hands up in the air.
“If this is a bad time I can come back.” Allison told her.
“No, no. I told you to stop by, so I can’t send you off now can I?” She said with a smile. “Follow me.” The gray haired woman walked from around the counter, over to a nearby door. “Come on in and have a seat.”
“Are you sure this is a good time? I mean, I don’t want your customers waiting because of me.” Allison said as she sat down.
“With the rain there isn’t much business to be honest. Hell, we never have much business. But we stay busy enough to keep going.” The woman placed herself across from Allison. “I used to have a woman working for me but she moved away last month. I can run the store myself but to tell you the truth, I am too old to be on my feet all day and half the time I can barely think straight.”
“You seem to do just fine to me.” Allison smiled as she looked at the aging woman.
“Be that as it may, I don’t want to.” Theresa smiled back. “Now, I can’t pay much, just minimum wage, and we aren’t open every day or even long hours, so it’s only part-time work. Also, it’s boring as hell at times and busy as hell at others, you just never know. So, what I am saying is that it’s neither rewarding nor glorious.”
“I’ll take it.” Allison said quickly.
“Alright. Well here is the application. Fill it out and bring it back. As soon as I run a background check you can start.” Theresa stood up and handed her a paper.
“A background check?” Allison mumbled.
“Yeah, it won’t take long. No offense, but if it’s one thing my ex-husband taught me it’s that you can’t trust anyone too much. I always run a background check, but I am sure you are fine.”
“Yes, oh yeah. I was just wondering.” Allison stood up from her chair and followed Theresa out of the room and back into the open store. “I will just take it home and bring it back soon. Thanks.”
“Sure thing. See you soon.” The woman waved goodbye.
Allison left the store with a sick feeling in her stomach. Her past was always threatening to pull her back, and no matter how hard she fought to stay above water, it was there hanging onto her ankles, weighing her down. She crumpled the paper and threw it away. So much for new beginnings.
She drove back home in silence, not even turning the radio on. The ride wasn’t quick enough and she wanted nothing more than to just jump into bed and call it a day. Money wasn’t an issue, she had plenty. The only reason she wanted to take the job was to have some sort of life and carry on like an average person. That is why she didn’t mind the low pay or small amount of hours. Once again, her past was a black shadow hovering over her like a storm, ruining her sunshine, mocking her intentions. This was her life now, whether she wanted to deny it or not, she would never know “normal” again.
When she saw her run-down mailbox up ahead she couldn’t help but a let a tear fall down her cheek. The only reason the property company had agreed to waive her background check was because of the large deposit she’d put down, and the fact that no one else wanted to live there after someone had apparently been killed there seven years before. Now, as she drove down her long driveway, she couldn’t help but feel connected to the unwanted house. Like her, it was judged, unwanted.
She got out of the car and ran through the rain to the front porch. As she opened the door Tiny came bounding toward, slobbered everywhere, and ran out to the front yard to relieve himself. She waited for him and sighed, knowing he would be a wet, muddy mess when he came back in. Finished he bee-lined it straight back to the porch and then… stopped. His tail up, alert, he looked as though he had seen or heard something alarming. Suddenly he took off running to the backyard.
“Not again.” Allison said to herself. “Tiny! Get back here Tiny!”
She waited anxiously on the porch for him to return. Growing impatient, she called out to him again, but it did no good. He was gone. The storm got worse as thunder pounded and lighting flashed above her in the sky. Tiny was all she had and it broke her heart to know that he was out there in the storm. Not having an umbrella to use, she just grabbed his leash from inside and took off in search of him. His bark was loud and she could hear him ahead towards the woods. The idea of her dog getting lost in the storm overwhelmed her.
Allison hurried to catch her dog before he got too far ahead. She followed his loud bark into the woods and searched, hard. Another bark echoed through the heavy bushes and big trees, guiding her deeper into the forest. The rain was rushing down now and making it hard to see even a few feet ahead. After what seemed an age of unsuccessfully looking for Tiny in the woods, she stopped to catch her breath and listened for him once more. Unfortunately, she couldn’t see or hear him any longer. Taking a wild guess, she went in a direction she thought he might have gone. The bushes were becoming so thick that she could barely make her way through. Sharp branches scratched her arms and thick mud started to make it impossible for her to maneuver through the woods.
“Tiny!” She called out into the air once more. “Tiny, come back!”
The powerful clap of ear-piercing thunder startled her as it roared above. She jumped and gasped. This was pointless. Her dog was too far away. Leaving him out in the storm worried her but what choice did she have? She was soaking wet, exhausted, and nowhere closer to catching her dog than she was fifteen minutes before. Believing Tiny would come home when he was ready, Allison turned back to go home. As she pushed through the bushes and mud once more, she began to wonder if she was going in the right direction. The trees all looked the same, she felt like she was going in circles, and her footprints on the wet ground proved that she was right.
Lightning struck above, her anxiety pushing up and over any limits she had. She became overwhelmed and started to panic at the thought of being lost in the woods where no one would find her. It felt exactly the same as when she had wandered off from her parents at the mall, and the thought she’d be lost forever grew. It was a quick, heavy, rush of panic and it threatened to suffocate her as she ran through the woods in search of a way out.
Just when she thought that things could not get any worse, she heard a growl beside her. Hoping it was Tiny and not some wild animal, she turned to see what it was stalking her. It was not her beloved pet; instead it was an immense wolf with grey and white fur. His eyes were staring directly into hers. Another growl came from his mouth as he showed his huge sharp teeth.
Allison turned and ran, attempting to flee from the beast. The wolf ran and jumped in front of her but didn’t attack her just yet, he howled into the air and then focused back on her. It was as though he was teasing her, flaunting his power and strength, daring her to test him. She started to run again and this time he jumped on her back and knocked her face forward onto the ground. Frightened, she slowly turned to see the wolf hovering over her, inches away from her face. His eyes were like a winter lake, i
cy and blue, with a haunting fog of gray. She waited to feel his bite, for there was nothing left to do but accept her fate.
Just when she thought her life was over, another wolf came out of nowhere and tackled the first one. The new wolf was brown and just as big, if not bigger than the first. The brown wolf fought with the grey one, pushing him further away from Allison. The grey wolf bit the brown one hard on his neck, causing him to yelp in pain. Allison gasped, fearing that the grey wolf would win and soon be upon her again. But the brown wolf came back hard, tearing and ripping into the grey one with his teeth. The brown one let go of his bite on the other, but continued to guard Allison. The grey one, looking defeated, looked into Allison’s eyes one last time before backing down and retreating off into the woods.
The rain was still falling hard as the brown wolf slowly stepped towards her. He brought his head to her hand. At first she flinched and leaned back into the ground, but when she looked into his gold colored eyes she felt his kindness. She reached her hand out to pet him. He welcomed her touch in his thick fur. After a moment the wolf turned and began to walk away, but he stopped and whined to Allison. Not knowing what he wanted, she got up to her feet and watched him closely. He whined again before taking a few more steps. It was as though he wanted her to follow him. She took a chance and followed.
The brown wolf led her through the woods, stopping every so often to make sure she was keeping up. When they finally reached the edge of the forest and the beginning of her yard, she was amazed.
“Thank you.” She whispered to the wolf who had saved her life and led her to safety.
Allison began walking through the grass to her house. She turned back to see the wolf once more, but he had disappeared just as quickly as he had appeared. Part of her wondered if she imagined it all. Maybe she had hit her head when fell and it had all been some sort of illusion. No matter whether it was real or not, she ran the rest of the way back home and locked the door behind her. Had she lost her mind? Two wolves fighting over her in the woods? That was insane.
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