by Renee George
Speaking of sexy, he walked back into the kitchen wearing blue sweat pants and a gray T-shirt that hugged his massive chest. I must have had a boinking look on my face because Chav turned to her brother to divert sexy-time to food. “Lasagna is in. Babe, take it out in forty-five minutes. Salad’s in the fridge.”
“Thanks,” I told her. “I appreciate all your help.”
I wouldn’t have made it the past couple weeks without her pitching in. I’d hated feeling like an invalid, but spending a lot of time with Chavvah had made it worth it. I didn’t begrudge her happiness, not one iota. She and Billy Bob couldn’t be more perfect together. Especially with him being a shaman and her being a spirit talker. But it also meant that we saw less and less of each other outside of work. I’d began to really miss her.
“I hope you change your mind about the Halloween party,” she said. “How about going as a fortune teller?”
“Ha ha.”
“I’m serious. You can wear loose, colorful clothes, a scarf on your head, maybe a whacky wig. It’ll be fun.”
“I’ll think about it.”
She patted me on the shoulder. The color in the room drained, everything including Chavvah and Babe went gray, and then…
…The scene is right out The Mummy. The mummy is covered in bandages a contrast to his gray skin and dark eyes. He is surrounded by fierce Egyptian warriors, exotic women, and an archeologist.
The archeologist steps between the mummy and an Egyptian princess. He shouts, “She deserves better than you!”
“Mind your own business,” the mummy says with an Ozark accent that is very unMummy-like.
The archeologist shoves him. The mummy counters with a punch to the archeologist’s jaw.
A woman screams, “Stop it, both of you.”
The mummy’s eyes flash with anger. “You’re a worthless piece of shit.” He grabs his princess by the wrist and begins to drag her away.
Suddenly, I’m no longer outside the scene. I am in it, watching.
No one notices. The archeologist is right. The mummy doesn’t deserve his princess. She is too good for him. Too good for the archeologist, too. When the mummy walks right past me with the princess in tow, and neither of them even acknowledged my presence, and a seething anger takes root inside me.
I looked down at my body, it is flat. No boobs or belly. I wore a light trench coat, dark trousers, and black dress shoes. I hold out my hands. There is nothing. They, like me, are invisible. Unseen. I need to be seen.
So I give the mummy a little push. The monster loses his balance and falls into a hole. He falls and falls. I am tired of being invisible. They won’t ignore me anymore. I’ll make sure of it.
“Sunny. Sunny!”
My eyes flickered open. I gasped for breath.
Babe stared at me, his green eyes tensed with worry. “What happened?”
“I’m calling Billy Bob,” Chavvah said.
“No. Don’t.” I was still in the dining room chair. I couldn’t shake the feeling of being so alone and invisible. “It was just another bad dream.”
“You were wide awake, Sunny. I’ve seen you go into one of your trances when you have a vision.”
“Well, unless The Mummy and the Invisible Man have moved to Peculiar, I think it’s safe to say that was no vision.” I rubbed my belly. “Pregnancy brain, I’m sure.”
Chapter Two
Three days until the Halloween party…
The next morning I drove into town for a few personal items. At this point, I was looking for a change of scenery. Two weeks of staring at the inside walls of my house had me a little stir crazy. It was probably the reason I’d had the daymare about monsters. Ruth’s oldest daughter Michele had come over to watch Jude for me, which meant for a couple glorious hours, I was absolutely free.
It was unseasonably warm, and I planned to enjoy the good weather while it lasted. I hated Missouri winters, almost as much as they hated me. Two words. Winter itch. Yeah, it’s a thing. Dry, flaky, itchy skin brought on by cold weather and dry indoor heat. I never had this problem when I lived in Southern California. But, I also didn’t have Babe, my child, my best friend, and a community of good people, well, therianthropes. Other than the great weather, my life had been crap there.
Birds were in V-formation, flying south for the winter as I pulled into the handicap parking space outside the Johnson’s General Store. Since therians were rarely disabled for any amount of time, I wasn’t taking the space from someone who needed it. Besides, the doc insisted that even though I was off bed rest, I still needed to take it easy.
The store was located directly across from Sunny’s Outlook, the restaurant that Chavvah and I owned together. It was a Monday, and lunch was in full swing. I’d stop over later when it calmed down.
I waddled inside the store. It was old-fashioned with real hardwood floors and four rows about fifteen feet long. The walls on either side were covered in shelves that went from floor to ceiling. The twins kept a step ladder handy for items that needed to be pulled down from the shelf. It always smelled like wood polish and rubbing alcohol in here, but I liked it.
“Hey, Sunny,” Delbert Johnson said. While he restocked shampoos and conditioners, his twin, Elbert, worked the cash register. Delbert grabbed two more bottles from an open box at his feet. “Land sake’s woman, you’re resembling Pop-n-Fresh oven biscuits.”
“And you resemble Santa Claus,” I said. “But in a month or two, I’ll look like my old self again, and you’ll be getting fitted for the red suit.”
Elbert, at the back of the store, laughed so hard he snorted. “What can we do for you today, Sunny?”
“The hemorrhoid medicine is over on the far wall,” Delbert said with a twinkle of mischief.
“Ha ha.” As it happened, I did need some butt luggage medicine, but there was no way in hell I’d get it from the Johnson twins now. I’d rather order it from Wonderzin.com. Or make Chavvah buy it for me. “I’m assuming it’s next to the adult diapers. That’s why you’re so familiar with the location.”
Delbert laughed. He walked over to me. “You look great, kid. Are you doing okay?”
“Other than the second coming of puberty,” and a whole slew of really gross body stuff, “I’m doing splendid.”
Elbert joined us out on the store floor. “We heard you had to be off your feet for a couple of weeks. You sure you should be out and about now?”
Even though the twins looked alike, Delbert had a slimmer face and Elbert had a small freckle by his eye. However, the worry on their faces was identical. “I really am good,” I assured them. “Billy Bob gave me the thumbs up to get out of bed. As long as I’m not overdoing it, I’ll be fine.”
Delbert put his hand on my shoulder. “Well, we have a brand new wheelbarrow can lend Babe if you need to be pushed around.”
“Like a feed sack,” Elbert added, a sly grin crinkling the corner of his eyes.
“You both should take the act on the road, but until then, I need some pimple cream.”
“For your butt?”
I glared at Delbert. “You have an unhealthy obsession with my ass.”
The door jingled and opened. Mark Smart, the local mortician and a wereopossum like the Johnsons walked inside. “Nice day,” he said to all of us.
“Morning, Mark.” I smiled. Mark owned Smart and Son Funeral Home. He was also the elected coroner for Peculiar.
“Morning, Mrs. Trimmel.” He smiled, his white teeth gleaming brighter than his white hair. Typical characteristics for opossums. “You are looking well.”
“I look like a giant ham,” I told him. “But I appreciate the lie. How’s Jackson doing?”
“Okay. You know how boys are.”
I didn’t actually, but as Jude got older, I was sure going to find out. “Staying out of trouble I hope.”
“Yes, Ma’am. Jackson’s a good kid. He was accepted to Southwest University in the fall.”
“Oh yeah, what’s he studying.”
“Science,
believe it or not. My kid’s got a head for numbers and formulas and such.”
I knew Mark wanted to pass his business down to Jackson. I was both happy and sad for him. “It’s great seeing you. And I’m thrilled for Jackson.”
“Sunny.” Elbert had walked the next aisle over and brought me some maximum strength acne meds. “I’ll put it on the mayor’s tab.”
“Thanks, El.” I gave his beard a quick crinkle then I wagged my finger at Delbert. “I’ll see you both later.”
The baby kicked, I farted, and truthfully, I peed myself a little. Both opossum shifters turned red before they both burst out giggling.
“I hate you both.”
With as much indignation I could muster, I turned on my heel and stormed out. Their raucous laughter followed behind me, and I didn’t need super-shifter ears to hear them even after the door closed behind me.
“Sunny!” I heard someone call. I looked up and saw Evelyn Meyers running across the road from Sunny’s Outlook. I groaned. Babe told me she was angry because Sheriff Taylor had cited her for a street violation for parking in front of her store, Banded Collectables and Antiques. She’d only recently opened the store and had a truck deliver a bunch of inventory in a no loading zone. Unfortunately, it was wider than the parking space and encroached on the road.
I personally think that if she hadn’t been the Sheriff’s sister-in-law, he would have let it go with a warning. From what I’d heard from Ruth, Jean and Evelyn had a falling out years ago, and Evelyn took every opportunity to point out Jean’s flaws to her.
I plastered a wide smile on my face and forced it to my eyes. “Hi, Evelyn.”
She gave me an assessing look. “You are getting…round,” she said.
I wondered if Sheriff Taylor could give her a ticket for being a jerk. “Back at you,” I said then added as if it were a mistake, “I mean, you’re looking healthy today. What can I do for you?”
“Your husband is avoiding me, and I want him to take care of the police problem in this town.”
“Babel can’t tell the Sheriff how to do his job.”
She scoffed. “He can so. According to his job description, his duties put him in charge of all forms of town government, including the police, the fire department, and so on. If he wants to keep his job, he’ll take me seriously.”
My ears burned as a slow simmer of anger bubbled up in me. “Are you threatening my husband?” I asked with the quiet calm of a serial killer.
Evelyn opened her mouth. She closed it. Then opened it again. “I should have known I’d got no help from an outsider. Good day, Ms. Haddock.”
“Mrs. Trimmel,” I corrected her, but she was already walking away. Bitch. If I hadn’t been ordered to avoid strenuous activity, I would have tackled her to the ground and shoved my fist right into her snootiness. Well, probably not, but the thought made me feel better.
I ran into Sally Michaels and her daughter Miriam on my way to Dolly’s Beauty Shop. Sally was a coyote shifter like my Babe. She and her daughter were tall with long legs and narrow hips. Sally was a blonde, while Miriam took after her father and had darker almost cinnamon colored locks. Like Babe and Chav, they had angular faces and sharp, straight noses. Sally owned the dress shop, The Formal Invitation. She’d done a beautiful job on my wedding dress in February, but I don’t think she’d forgiven me for ruining her creation before the whole town had gotten a glimpse.
Across the road on the courthouse lawn, an excavator squealed and roared to life. A large area was cordoned off where they’d been digging the day before. A water pipe had cracked open, and the water department had patched it. Babe had told me they’d be closing it in today.
“Hi, Dolly. Miriam,” I yelled to get over the noise and cupped my hands under my belly out of habit. “You having a mother-daughter day.” I smiled, feeling wistful. I couldn’t wait until I had a girl to shop for.
The excavator grew louder. Miriam, who was seventeen now, snorted. “Not.”
Dolly gave her daughter a hard stare, then softened her expression when she looked back to me. “We’re meeting Paul,” that was her husband, “down at the Outlook for lunch.”
Oh, customers. Yay. “Don’t let me stop you then!” Of course, the work stopped across the street, and a loud, angry conversation drew our attention.
Kyle Avery, the young punk and recent high school graduate who had been partially responsible for my failed wedding pushed his best friend, Roger Parks. “Take it back!” he said.
A small crowd, including Dakota Thompson, Karina Wells, Jackson Smart, Brandon Messer and his sister Selena, stood around them. An elderly man I didn’t know, but I had seen around town before stood behind the group. I raised my brow.
“Or you’ll what?” Roger asked. I did not want to intervene. Those two boys could beat each other to a pulp for all I cared, but I was a parent now, and I had an overly developed sense of responsibility.
“She deserves better than you,” Kyle said.
“Mind your own business,” Roger said.
Karina Wells yelled, “Stop it, both of you!”
Kyle shoved Roger. Roger punched Kyle.
I felt woozy with a strong sense of deja vu.
“Hey!” Taylor Thompson walked out of the courthouse. “Take it somewhere else!” He usually wasn’t so direct, not like his twin Tyler, but his seeing his sister must have caused his reaction.
He and Tyler were both tall and blond, but Taylor was slimmer than his brother, and unlike the Johnson twins, Tyler and Taylor were complete opposites. Tyler was right handed. Taylor was left. Tyler was aggressive. Taylor was diplomatic. And so on. Taylor’s temperament is the reason Babe had hired him as the human resource manager for the city positions. That and his degree in business management.
Every one of the teenagers stared at him as if he’d turned purple and sprouted horns.
Taylor Thompson gestured to his younger sister. “Dakota,” he said. “Get over here.”
She separated herself from the group.
When Roger grabbed Karina by the arm and tried to pull her away, I dazedly walked right out into traffic. A blaring horn startled me. I yelped and stumbled sideways as Brady Corman, a coyote shifter and the ex-mayor of Peculiar, stared at me from behind the wheel of his black pickup truck.
He got out and ran to me. “Are you all right? What were you thinking just walking out into the road like that?”
Brady was a good man, even if he hadn’t acted like it for a few years. His son Jo Jo was one of my first friends in town, and he worked for Chav and me at Sunny’s outlook. Brady lost his wife, the love of his life ten years ago, and instead of focusing on raising his son, he’d concentrated on the bottom of a bottle. He’d finally pulled his act together, but he and Jo Jo’s relationship was a work in progress. I felt sorry for him most of the time, but it didn’t stop me from getting irritated when he snapped at me.
“You watch your tone, Brady.”
His face reddened, but a cry for help redirected our attention. We both turned toward the courthouse. Karina Wells sobbed. “Someone help him.” The group that had surrounded the earlier fight were scattered and chaotic. Taylor Thompson was ordering the men on the dozer and the excavator to stop.
“Help me,” I told Brady. “Help me get over there.”
“You need to sit down.”
“No,” I told him. “I need to know what’s happened.”
“Babe is going to kill me if anything bad happens to you.”
“Brady! Don’t argue with a pregnant woman.”
Brady put his arm around me, and we walked the rest of the way across the street. Brandon Messer and his sister were closest.
“What’s happened?” I asked Selena since I knew her better than her older brother.
“Roger fell in the hole over there. He’s not moving.” She covered her mouth. “He looked so awful.”
Soon Deputy Farraday and Connelly were on the scene. Thompson must have called them. They were moving everyone back
from the scene. Eldin Farraday, a slender gray fox shifter with gray-green eyes, put barricade tape up in front of me.
I touched his arm. “Is Roger okay?”
“I think he might have broken his leg is all, but we don’t want to move him until the doc gets here.”
Two arms wrapped around me from behind. I looked over at Brady, who stood a few feet away, then turned my head to the man behind me. “Babe,” I said.
“You okay?” he asked.
“The Mummy,” I told him. “Someone pushed The Mummy into the well.”
Chapter Three
Later in the evening, I lounged on my couch, unable to shake the feeling that I should have done something to stop the fight before Roger ended up hurt. Yes, the kid was a grade-A ass, but he was someone’s son. Now that I had a son of my own, it meant something to me.
Doctor Shaman Billy Bob Smith, who stood at six-feet four inches, knelt next to me, stethoscope hanging out of his ears as he pumped the volume up on the blood pressure cuff cutting off the circulation to my bicep. His silvery-gray eyes swirled with concentration as he let out the air slowly.
“Well?” I asked.
His full mouth thinned with irritation. Gosh, he really had the most beautiful skin. It was the color of café au lait and no doubt, was just as delicious. My girl Chav was a lucky, lucky woman. And, since I’d accidentally saw him naked early in the summer, I knew she was lucky in other ways as well. Hubba. Hubba. I dropped my gaze. Sheesh. Slobbering over my best friend’s mate was so not cool. Especially since my own mate was covered in awesome sauce. Or gravy. Gravy. I could really use some gravy. I started to drool.
Literally.
I rubbed my mouth.
“Sunny?” Babe brought me a cold iced herbal tea and set it down on the end table. When he bent over, I couldn’t take my eyes off his rutti tutti booty. Rawr.
When Billy Bob stood up, Chavvah came over, dipped her face to my ear and said, “Greedy.”
“I’d have to be blind, doll.” I smiled. “There is some generous eye candy in this room, and you know mamma’s got a sweet tooth.”
Chav and I giggled. Then she said, “Ew. That’s my brother you’re talking about over there.”
