by J. B. Hawker
Bunny turned around and looked at her shiny, clean… and empty kitchen. How could she have forgotten to buy food? She urgently needed to make a supermarket run.
All the diet and budget experts warned against grocery shopping on an empty stomach, but her cupboards and her stomach needed to get filled, so she would throw caution to the winds, this time.
Bunny ran a comb through her hair, grabbed a light sweater and was almost at her car when she remembered to go back and arm her new security system. That was going to take some getting used to.
After buying all the staples she would need, plus a cartful of tempting non-essentials, Bunny was finally on her way home. She pulled a crunchy apple out of the reusable shopping bag on the seat next to her and took a big satisfying bite, wiping the juice from her face with the back of her hand as she drove.
Bunny had decided to add a portable Wi-Fi hot spot to her cell phone plan, rather than having a landline and DSL connection installed. After putting away her food she would try it out for the first time and write that email to Max. She still wasn’t sure what she was going to say, though.
While she was eating dinner at the breakfast bar, she heard the chirp of her cell phone and saw that she had a text message from Ellery.
Why did young people prefer texting to real conversations these days? When it came to text messaging, Bunny was all thumbs. She selected Ellery’s number from her contacts list and called her niece, rather than fumbling around with the phone’s tiny keypad.
“Hi Aunt Bunny! Are you all settled in your new place?”
“Yes, dear. It was sweet of you to send me that ‘welcome home’ text. I just called to thank you and see what you are up to.”
“I know you aren’t really settled in, yet, but would it be okay if I come for a visit this weekend? I can bring my sleeping bag and just crash on your floor.”
“Of course, you can. But is anything wrong?”
“I’m okay, I guess. There’s just something I need to talk with you about. Face to face, you know?”
“Well, then, I will look forward to seeing your sweet face soon. When will you get here?”
“I’ll come down after my last class on Friday morning. I should be in Bannoch by mid-afternoon. I’ll call you for directions when I get to town.”
“See you then, dear. Be sure you drive carefully. Bye.”
“Goodbye, Aunt Bunny…and thanks!”
Bunny wondered what that could be all about. Probably boy trouble, she supposed. Whatever was bringing her niece for a visit, Bunny would be happy to have her here for a few days.
My first houseguest, already, she gave a sigh of contentment and loaded the dishwasher.
Now, to get the work area set up and tackle that email to Max.
After a few false starts she had the wireless network set up and was connected to the Internet. Her desktop was arranged to her liking and her files were on hanging racks in the deep drawers of the dresser.
Bunny sat on the over-sized stability ball she used instead of an office chair and stared at her email draft. All she had written, so far, was “Hi Max.” After that her mind lost focus.
Did she want him to come for a visit? Was she ready to put her fledgling independence to the test?
One thing she was certain about; she did not want Max to swoop in and take her back to Texas with him. She was making a life in Bannoch, one molded to her own tastes and values. Although that life wasn’t completely dependent upon her location, she wanted to make it her own before ‘taking her show on the road’ and merging it into Max’s life, or anyone’s. And yet, she was concerned about possibly becoming self-absorbed and solitary. This self-actualization business was a tricky balancing act.
It was ironic that after all her years spent yearning for a life with Max, now that it was within her reach she was reluctant to grasp it.
Hi Max,
It was such a nice surprise to hear from you. I couldn’t reply right away because I was in the middle of moving into my new place.
So much has been happening to me these past months. Why don’t you give me a call, so I can tell you all about it? There’s almost too much to write in an email. It might even make an interesting novella, if it weren’t so unbelievable.
I would like to hear how things are with you, too, so I’ll look forward to your call. My cell phone number is still the same.
Love,
Bunny
Bunny read over what she had written, corrected a couple of typos and hit ‘send’. She felt a twinge of guilt at not addressing the issue of his visit, but stalling like this would give her much needed time to think. At any rate, the ball was in Max’s court, now.
She locked up, set the alarm, turned out the lights and climbed the stairs. She enjoyed a leisurely soak in her new tub, then put on her robe and stepped out onto the balcony.
The sky glistened with stars. No fog blotted them out, and no moon competed for attention. Bunny had concentrated on furnishing the indoor rooms, leaving the little bistro table and chairs and the chaise lounge of her fantasy as yet unrealized, so she leaned on the balcony railing to say her nightly prayer of thanksgiving under the diamond studded canopy.
She slipped inside, locking and activating the French door security, and snuggled between silky soft sheets stretched smooth over her self-indulgent new mattress.
Sleep began almost at once to knit the raveled sleeve of care and sweet dreams soothed her mind and heart.
Bunny was home, at last.
Scott had been restless since dinner time. He couldn’t seem to settle at anything. Reacher sensed his agitation and began to whine softly.
“What’s the matter, boy? Do you want to go for a walk?” Scott grabbed the dog’s leash as he spoke.
“You’re not going out this late, are you?”
“Sure, Rosie. Why not? It’s a beautiful night and my buddy, here, and I need to stretch our legs. We were getting bored sitting around this big, empty old house.”
“Oh, for goodness sakes! This house was never too “big and empty” before. Don’t tell me you miss that Bunny. I was just enjoying the peace and quiet without her, now that we have our home to ourselves, again. Finally.”
“Well, you just wallow in the solitude to your heart’s content. Reacher and I are going for a run on the beach. Let’s go, boy.”
A prowler had been lurking outside the screen porch and heard enough of the conversation to learn that the woman he sought was no longer staying here. How was he going to find her, now? Hearing that Scott was coming out with the dog, Grgur returned to his car as quickly as possible and drove up the block before pulling over to the curb to think.
Scott and Reacher passed the dark car on the opposite side of the street on their way to the beach. Grgur decided to follow and see if they might possibly lead him to Bunny.
Max read Bunny’s email for the third time and was still puzzled. What was she up to, now? He had expected her to tell him to get himself to Oregon as soon as she read his email. This cryptic note was not Bunny’s style at all. She was stalling for some reason.
Two could play that little game. He would call her as she suggested, but he was going to take his own sweet time to do it.
Too bad, though. He missed her.
Scott called Reacher back from the surf and reattached his lead. The walk had been good for them both. He thought he could settle down, now, and work on his sermon before bed.
Reacher’s nails made clicking sounds as he stepped onto the boardwalk and Scott made a mental note to get him to the vet to have them clipped. He was long overdue for his regular visit.
Rosamund was right about one thing; having Bunny with them had disrupted their usual routine. But, he was reluctant, somehow, to slip back into that comfortable rut.
In the first few years after he lost his family in that terrible accident the calm and steady routine had allowed him to heal. He shook his head, ruefully, to think about how many years had passed without any alteration in the me
thodical pattern he and Rosie had settled into.
They had both been relatively young when they had joined forces during his bereavement and Scott had assumed at the time that it was a temporary arrangement.
He remembered that maxim, “life is what happens when you are making other plans.” It was certainly true in this case.
For just a moment he was tempted to walk to Bunny’s new place and see if she might still be up. If she was, he could stop, just to see how she was settling in. It would be a perfectly normal thing for her pastor to make such a call…if it weren’t approaching midnight.
He chuckled to himself, and said, “Come on Reachie-boy. Let’s go home before the night air goes to my head.”
Chapter Nineteen
For we are God’s handiwork – Ephesians 2:10
Bunny had gotten behind on her writing assignments during the move and while playing hide-and-seek with those two thugs. She was just sitting down to her computer, hoping to get back into her morning routine, when she was startled to hear the still unfamiliar sound of her doorbell.
Reluctantly setting her coffee cup down on its little warming tray, she went to the door and peered through the peephole to get a glimpse of this first visitor to her new home.
She was a little uneasy, knowing her tormentors were still at large, but reasoned that this early morning caller was likely just a door-to-door solicitor, until she recognized the smiling face outside.
“Naidenne!” Bunny threw the door wide and welcomed her friend. “What a nice surprise. Come on in. Would you like a cup of coffee?”
“No thanks, Bunny, I can’t stay. I don’t want to bother you when you are still getting moved in, and all, but I had to stop by on my way to the office to thank you for introducing me to Shirley.”
“You’re very welcome, I’m sure. But, what do you mean?”
“Her arts and crafts, of course! They are the perfect start for my little consignment area at work. And they look great on the shelves and hanging on the walls. I liked her stuff so much that I took what she let me have straight to my office to set them up last night. When you get a chance, come on down and see them.”
“That’s wonderful. As soon as I finish working this morning I’ll come by. Maybe we can have lunch together.”
Naidenne gave Bunny a quick hug and trotted happily back to her car and drove off with a wave.
Bunny was beginning to get into a rhythm on the instruction manual she was working on when her doorbell interrupted her, again.
Hmm, perhaps living in town has disadvantages I hadn’t considered, she thought as she quickly saved her work before answering the bell’s summons.
“Scott, this is a nice surprise. Come on in,” Bunny stepped back to allow the pastor to enter.
“Say, I like what you are doing with this place. It is already even better than when we first came to see it.”
“Thanks. Can I offer you some coffee or tea?”
“No, I can see that you were working. I just stopped by on my way to the church to see how you are getting along. I thought you might like to come to the Prayer & Share brownbag lunch time today. It’s a friendly little group that meets on Monday’s in the social hall.”
“I’m sorry, Scott, but I already have a lunch date today. Maybe some other time. Thanks for inviting me.”
“Sure. Well, enjoy your new home and I guess I’ll see you Sunday.”
“Thanks again for stopping by.”
Scott hurried back to his car, embarrassed and annoyed with himself. That certainly went well…not! Had he forgotten how to act with a woman, except in his pastoral persona?
Praying for peace of mind and a greater portion of wisdom, he drove off to work without noticing the man slumped down in the car parked across the street.
Grgur’s decision to follow this guy had paid off. It was worth his uncomfortable night waiting in the car outside the parsonage, now that he knew where the woman had gone. He could go back to his room, now, and get some sleep, and then make a final plan when he was fresh. Soon the woman would tell him everything she knew about the contents of the flash drive and he could return to Koslov in victory, not slinking back for punishment like that fool, Ljuto.
When Bunny stepped into Naidenne’s office she immediately noticed the improved atmosphere. Shirley’s artwork gave the room a homey touch that seemed like a perfect backdrop for house hunting customers. It would have them picturing the decor in their dream home.
Naidenne was with a customer, so Bunny wandered among the items on display, noting the little stickers discreetly attached to each one. The prices seemed to hit a good balance; high enough to move the art out of “homemade” and into the “local artisan crafts” category, yet low enough for impulse buying. Bunny wished her friends success on their combined venture.
Naidenne finished up with her client, switched the door sign to “I’ll be back at…” and locked up before the two friends walked to a nearby sidewalk café, the Crab Shack, for lunch.
“Well, what did you think about our little arts and crafts boutique?” Naidenne asked after the waitress had taken their orders.
“I love it. It really works in that converted Victorian of yours.”
“Shirley stopped by this morning to see how I’d arranged her stuff and to help me price it.”
“I thought the prices were just right. Do you get a percentage, since it is consignment?”
“I suggested ten percent as my commission, but Shirley insisted on giving me at least twenty percent of each sale. She said she wouldn’t ever sell anything if I hadn’t suggested this, so I should have a bigger share of the profits. She really is as nice as you said.”
The food arrived and they busied themselves with the first few bites of their sandwiches.
“I just adore a meatloaf sandwich on sour dough bread. Even though this place specializes in fresh caught seafood, the cook makes meatloaf sandwiches just right; with mustard, mayo and crunchy dill pickles. How’s your salmon salad croissant?”
“Yummy. This is my favorite place to grab a quick lunch; great food and speedy service. I’m so glad it is near my office. Walking here lets me indulge in a rich sandwich, like this one, without too much guilt. So, how was the first night in your new digs?”
“Peaceful. I spent a few moments out on my balcony before bed, just savoring the night, and then my new mattress set was so comfy that I slept better than I have in ages. I didn’t have any of the usual problems of sleeping in a new place. It is a really quiet neighborhood, if last night was typical.”
“Quieter than your cabin in the country?”
“I think the night here actually is quieter. There were none of the loud country sounds of frogs, crickets and other night creatures. The daytime in town is another matter, of course.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I almost never had any visitors at the cabin and here my doorbell already rang twice on my very first morning.”
“Twice? Who else came by?”
“Oh, the pastor just stopped in to invite me to a church prayer meeting. But that still counts.”
“It counts, all right. So, Scott couldn’t be without you for even a day, huh? He just had to have a Bunny-fix,” Naidenne teased.
“You are so bad! It was a pastoral visit. That’s all.”
After lunch, the two friends strolled back to Naidenne’s office where they parted, Naidenne to show a house and Bunny to walk to the post office to take care of her change of address before returning home. She loved being able to walk all over town on her errands instead of driving.
She considered Naidenne’s comment about Scott’s visit. It was nice of him to stop by to check on her. She was pretty sure the prayer meeting was just an excuse, but that he took his pastoral duties very seriously and worried about the welfare of each of his flock. Naidenne’s suggestion was just so much silliness.
Still, being Scott’s wife would be a very different proposition than being married to Eustace had been.
Bunny allowed herself to fantasize about slipping back into the familiar role of pastor’s wife, but only briefly, before giving herself a mental shake. Her new life was not supposed to be dependent upon finding a man.
After the post office Bunny stopped into the hardware store for a broom. In her nomadic life with Eustace she had established a tradition of buying a new broom every time they moved. She bypassed all the gimmicky modern cleaning equipment and purchased a sturdy old-fashioned wooden broom.
She smiled at the picture she must make strolling down the sidewalk with her broom over her shoulder like a grounded witch.
Scott was leaving the church as Bunny walked by and he called out to her.
“Can I hitch a ride on your broomstick, good witch?”
“As you plainly see, I can’t even get the darn thing off the ground these days, let alone carry passengers. I must be losing my magic. How did the prayer lunch go?”
“Oh, fine. You should come sometime. I think you would like the other ladies who attend.”
Bunny responded noncommittally and turned to continue on her way.
“Can I give you a ride, since you’re not flying these days?” he offered, pointing to a beige sedan parked next to the church.
“Did you get a new car?”
“Yeah, a ‘new’ used one. My insurance determined that the old one was totaled in the accident. I managed to drive it home, but when I took it in to my mechanic he noticed extensive damage.”
On the drive Bunny and Scott talked about his new car, Bunny’s new home and the people at the church. There seemed to be a constraint in Scott’s manner that hadn’t been there while Bunny was staying at the parsonage or on their ramble through the wilderness.
Grgur watched as the pastor’s car drove away from the townhouse and Bunny let herself in.
He had decided to keep track of her movements for the next few days, taking note of her routines, so that his next plan would not fail. Ljuto had kept him upset and rushed him too much, that was the trouble before. Now that he was free to take his time, without stupid distractions, it would be a different story. Koslov would see how capable Grgur was when not paired with such an idiot as Ljuto.
