“I was coming down to feed them, but I guess you already have?” he asks.
“Yep, I figured it might be easier for him.” Moving around to the other side, I say, “Why don’t you come in the stall and stand next to me? We should start to get him used to you,” I say. Looking over at Mick, I watch as he slowly walks into the stall murmuring. Looking at Storm, I see his ears pinned back.
“Stop it; he’s not going to hurt you, I promise,” I say softly. Mick moves closer to me and stops. Grabbing his hand, I lace our fingers together petting Storm. He tenses for a few minutes then starts to relax. Letting go of Mick’s hand, he continues to stroke Storm’s side, murmuring softly to him. I keep my hand on Storm to calm him.
“That’s a good boy. I’ll see you in the morning, but Mick’s going to feed you.” We walk out of the stall, shutting the door behind us. I stand there for a few minutes watching Storm eating his hay.
“I’ve never gotten to pet him before. You have a way with animals, Spring,” he says.
“You have no idea,” I say, laughing.
“I won’t try and pet him unless you are there. I don’t think he would have let me if it wasn’t for you.”
Walking to the barn doors, we watch as it pours rain—the wind has picked up. Hearing a boom, I jump, and Mick’s hand goes out to steady me, the lights flicker and then go off.
“Shit, well, this sucks. I was going to take a hot bath and eat something,” I say.
“The water will still work and the fridge too. I’ll come and help you light some candles. Let’s go.”
We make a run for it but still get soaked by the time we get to the doors. Running in, we are both laughing by the time we shut the storm outside. Going to the kitchen, I grab two flashlights handing one to Mick. We set out to light candles. He stays in the kitchen to light the ones there while I go and get the ones in the great room. While I’m at it, I put a log on the fire. Turning off the flashlight, I sit on the couch looking at the flames of the fire. It did get chilly out there. The flashing lightning is so bright you can see the pouring rain. I’ve never seen it rain so hard in my life. Mick walks in with a raincoat and a handful of candles.
“I’m heading to the cottage. I’ll see you in the morning. I put my number on the counter if you need anything.”
“Thanks, but I’m sure I will be fine,” I say, walking him to the door.
It’s time for a hot bath. Taking one of the candles, I walk up the stairs slowly, so I don’t trip. On the landing, I set the candle down on the little table—it casts a soft glow up the last of the stairs. Walking down the hall, I open my door and go in. Closing it behind me, I can see around the room. The fire is still glowing. Walking over, I throw another log on and light some candles. Heading into the bathroom, I set the candle down on the side of the rock tub. Whoever thought of this is a genius, I think as I sink into the water.
Chapter 5
The power still hasn’t come on, but it’s getting late, and I need to get to bed. After cleaning up my mess, I make my way into the kitchen and put everything away. Blowing out the candles as I go past, I head out of the dark room.
Hitting the steps, I jog up them to the first landing and blow that candle out. I can see the glow of light coming from my bedroom but still take it slow. Once in there, I shut the door behind me and walk over to the fire and plop another log on. The flames wrap around it like they are starving. Going to the bathroom, I brush my teeth and take my hair down, running a brush through it.
I watch out the balcony doors for a while as the rain comes down. It hasn’t let up. Looking out into the woods, I can see a faint glow. That must be Mick. Walking back to my new bed, I slip under the blankets. The mattress is so soft that it almost molds against me. Moving to my side, I watch the fire until I fall asleep.
###
Chop, chop, chop.
Moaning, I turn over, sticking my head out of the covers. Cracking one eye open, I see the light coming in through the doors. Throwing off the blankets, I sit up in bed then I stand up and throw the glass doors open and let the sun hit me. This weather is sure weird. Man, I better start being able to sleep in, I think after noticing the clock says it’s six in the morning.
Getting dressed, I head downstairs. My bare feet hit the cold tile as I step off the last step. The kitchen doesn’t need any lights as I step into it. I grab a coffee mug and stick it under the Keurig. I plop one of my favorites in—white chocolate and raspberry. When it’s done brewing, I grab the mug and walk to the island to sit down. Looking around the kitchen, I can’t complain. And if I’m honest, this is the house of my dreams. Hearing a door open, I look up to see Mick walking in.
“Morning, want a cup? I ask, looking at him over the brim.
“Yeah, sure would.”
“What were you doing out there this morning?”
Looking over his shoulder at me, he shrugs. “Cutting wood. Did I wake you?”
“Yep, but that’s OK, I needed to get up anyways,” I say, rolling my eyes.
Chuckling, he comes over and sits across from me. Getting up, I go to the fridge and grab the cut-up fruit and place it on the island. I grab two bowls and forks.
“Hungry?” I ask him. Not waiting for him to answer, I put fruit in both bowls. “I know, I know, it’s not bacon and eggs. I forgot to get them at the store. Hey, does that grill outside work?”
He looks at me like I’ve lost my mind. “Yep, sure does.” He throws a couple of pieces of fruit into his mouth and chews before saying, “I’ve got to run into town, want to come with?” I do have errands to do in town; I could get dinner for tonight.
Raising my eyebrow, I grin at him. “Buy me lunch?”
“Sure, do you have anywhere that you need to go once we get to town?” he asks, running his hands through his hair.
“Yeah, I want to get salmon for dinner and a few things at the store. Oh, and stop at the post office. I haven’t been there for a few days.”
I haven’t checked my box for almost a week. I doubt anything will be there, but you never know. Finishing up my fruit, I rinse out my bowl and put it in the dishwasher. I must have slept on my arm wrong because it’s bugging me. I shake it out, hoping that will help. Turning, I see that Mick has been watching me with a scowl on his face.
“When we headed out?” Flexing my fingers, I leave my arm down at my side.
“Here in ten minutes. Can you be ready? It doesn’t look like you were planning on going into town.”
“Yeah, well, I was going to try and ride Storm, but I can do that when we get back,” I say, rolling my eyes.
Taking the stairs slowly, so I don’t spill my coffee, I walk down the hallway. Tonight, I will look at the rest of the rooms. I’m sure they need dusted or something. Walking into my bedroom, I set the coffee down before going into the closet. Finding what I want I change quickly.
Jogging down the stairs, I go into the great room and notice a door I haven’t opened before. I’m shocked to see it’s an office with an enormous desk in the middle. Walking around the edges, I look at the shelves of books that line the three walls. They go up to the ceiling. Looking out the huge windows, I can see the side yard into the woods. I bet it will be gorgeous this spring. Hearing a door shut, I turn and walk out of the office closing the door behind me. Mick looks over as he sees me walk into the great room.
“You ready?” he asks, smiling.
“Yep, you want me to drive?” I ask him.
“I’ll drive if you don’t mind a beat-up old pickup truck. Nice hoodie, by the way, I’m sure it will draw attention.”
I look down at my hoodie that proclaims I’m a book whore. “Well, you know me, I love that,” I say, laughing. We walk to the old truck, and he opens the door for me and bows slightly. It was so fast maybe I imagined it.
“Thank you, Mick.” Smiling, I lift myself up, and he shuts the door. Putting my seatbelt on, I wait for him to get in. He hops in and turns it on pulling out of the top of the driveway. We turn left
heading down the mountain.
“Mick, what’s at the top the mountain?” I ask him.
“Nothing. I think people hunt up there. There’s a big waterfall. You know behind my cottage about a half mile up.”
“Really? I love hiking in the woods.”
“Well, if you can ride Storm, it would be a nice ride up there and back.”
###
An hour later, we go over the bridge into town. At flood level from the rain, the river rushes along. The first few houses on either side are almost crumbling down. It’s heartbreaking, West Virginia is a gorgeous state just not a lot of work, and if you do find it, you have to drive a long way to get to it.
“What do we need to get here?” I ask, unbuckling my seatbelt when we park in front of a farm store.
“Some things for the barn. You can look at the tack for Storm while we’re here too.”
I grab a cart, and he does the same thing. He goes over to the fencing stuff. Frowning, I shake my head and head over to the boots. I need to find a pair for riding. Grabbing some, I sit down to try them on. Tying them up, I walk around. Satisfied, I put them in the cart and look for muck boots. It’s sure going to get muddy soon if this weird weather would stop. Finding a pair in my size, I grab them. I almost laugh out loud at the pink color.
Hearing whining and little squeaky barks, I walk over to see what’s making all the fuss. In a small, pen, shaped like a circle, there are five tiny pit bull puppies. Bending down, I stick my hand inside the enclosure, and they all run over to get petted. Some of them want to play so they nip at my hands.
“Aren’t they cute?” A woman asks.
“They are. How much are the puppies?” I ask her. She walks over to me and looks down at them.
“Oh, for you just a donation to the animal shelter here in town. What do you think?” The woman asks, smiling at me. Looking down at the puppies, I sit on the ground, letting them nuzzle my hand. Closing my eyes, I wait for that feeling to come over me. When I know it’s there, I open my eyes and look at the puppies. My head turns a little, and I zero in on the small one in the back. Hey there, little guy. Why don’t you come over and see me?
I wait for him to make up his mind. He has to want this bond too, just not me. He trots over and sits, looking at me, studying me. He cocks his little head to the side. I will protect you always if you will consistently play with me and love me.
Deal. I reach for the puppy and hold him close.
“I will take this one, please,” I tell her. I pull out three one-hundred-dollar bills and try to hand them to her. She shakes her head.
“Lady, I don’t know what it is, but we never thought anyone would want that pup. He’s a little thing and never plays with the others. You can just have him.”
“Thank you, but no. Keep the money for the shelter, just put it to good use. Do you have the pups shot records?” She puts the money in the jar and walks over to some files she has. Finding the one that she wants she walks over and hands it to me. The puppy growls at her.
“Hey there, little one. That’s not nice,” I scold.
“Here, you go. There are bags of food right here you can buy, that’s what we had the puppies eating.”
Walking over to the food with my new puppy in my hand, I go to grab the bag. Hands reach out and lift the bag up and into my cart.
“So, what do we have here, Spring?” Mick asks, shaking his head with a smile on his face.
“I just got a puppy, isn’t he cute?”
“You know he’s going to get big, right? And that he’s a pit bull?”
“Yeah and yeah, his breed doesn’t matter to me. Does it bother you?” I look at him with a frown.
“If it were anyone other than you getting that pup, I would say yes. But I’ve seen you do things with mean animals, and I can’t—” Mick stops what he’s saying, looking at me. “You’ll need him. I’m going over to the lawn department. I’ll meet you up front?” Looking at him, I want to know what he was about to say. But he’s walked away. There’s no way he knows that I can talk to animals. There just isn’t. Setting the puppy in the cart next to my purse we head to the dog aisle. Grabbing a few things, I have one more isle to go.
Making my way to the horse stuff, I look at the bridles and pick out one along with two new halters and lead lines. Looking at the saddles, I find one that I love. It has a pink skirt with rhinestones on it. Grabbing it, I set it on top of all my stuff. I have no more room in the cart, and I want to get two horse blankets. Grabbing the sizes I need, I stuff them underneath. Looking over my shoulder, I see Mick walking up to me with a little black leather studded collar. Holding it out to me, I take it.
“That’s so cute, thank you.”
“Well, I think it fits him, seeing what kind of pup he is. And he can use it for a while.”
Pulling my cart, he picks up the pup. Watching the two together the pup isn’t growling at him, like he did with the lady. Mick ruffs him up a little, and the puppy bites his finger making Mick laughing he hands him to me, so that he can push the cart. The puppy snuggles in close and falls asleep.
We get to the checkout, and I unload all my goodies. I throw all of Mick’s things up there as well. He goes to protest, but I just shake my head.
After paying for everything, we head to the truck. I watch as Mick jumps in the back. Catching on I place the puppy in the truck, and start to hand Mick our things. Once were done, I push the carts to the return and hop up into the truck.
Chapter 6
“So where to next, Mick?”
“We can hit the post office; it’s just down the road. Then Walmart so I can pick up some salt for this winter. If you want to start stocking now, that would be a good idea. I think it’s going to be an atrocious winter. And we will be trapped up there with no way really into town.” He looks over at me with a wicked grin. “Unless you want to ride all the way into town on snowmobiles.”
“OK sounds good. You think it’s going to be that bad out?”
“I do watch The Weather Channel; we got a lot of rain coming on Tuesday they’re saying it will rain a week straight then freeze and turn into ice and snow. I honestly haven’t seen it that bad.”
“You think the little guy will be OK in the truck while we are at Walmart?” I ask him.
“Sure will, but to make you feel better, we’ll lock the doors and park up front.”
“You’re not worried about the stuff in the back?”
“Nope, I know you came from a big city, but things are different here,” he says. I leave it alone; he knows the town a lot better than I do. We pull into the post office, and it’s just as busy as the feed store. Gently, I put the puppy on the seat next to me. He looks up at me with those cute blue eyes. It’s OK, little guy, we’re just going in the post office, you will be fine, and we will return. He licks my hand and lies back down closing his eyes.
“The doors are locked; he really will be fine, Spring,” Mick says.
“I know, thank you,” I say, smiling. We walk over to the door, and Mick opens it for me. Walking in, I go to the left where the P.O. boxes are and go to 2247. Reaching into my purse, I grab the keys and put it in the lock turning it. I wasn’t prepared to see a package in there. I look to see who it’s from—my mom. That’s weird she never sends me anything. Looking back into the box, it’s empty. Closing it back up, I lock it and head to find Mick. He’s waiting in line to see the postmaster. Walking up to him, he looks down at the package.
“From my mother, it’s kinda weird that she sent me anything,” I grumble.
“You two are not close?”
“No, we are I mean nothing has happened between us, it’s just that she never sends me anything.”
Mick is next in line, so we proceed to the counter. I move a little to the left so that he can take care of his business. The clerk walks back with a letter that he needs a signature before he can give it to him. After getting it, we walk back to the door and out to the truck. He unlocks my side, and I get i
n only to be greeted with whining and a bunch of kisses. Hugging on the puppy, I let him give me a bunch of kisses. I love puppy breath.
Mick makes a right out of the parking lot. Looking around, I see a lot of the stores have opened up. We drive for two hours heading outside of town, so I know we are going to Walmart. Mick makes a pit stop so I can let the puppy out to pee. It doesn’t take long, and we are going to Walmart once again.
Pulling into the parking lot, Mick drives around the lot to find a close parking space to the door. Once he parks the truck, we get out and walk inside.
“I’ll meet you up front in say an hour?” I ask, smiling at him.
“Sounds good. Remember to stock up, Spring,” he says, and with that, he heads to the back of the store.
Over an hour later, I have two carts full of everything I think I will need to tough this out. I think it’s overkill, but I’ve also never had to brave a brutal winter, either.
When I get to the checkout, Mick is there talking with another man. It seems like a heated conversation, but I try to act like I’m not listening. Suddenly, a hand is on my shoulder, and I jump.
“Sorry didn’t mean to scare you,” Mick says, grinning.
“That’s OK, I wasn’t paying attention, I was eavesdropping,” I say, blushing. Mick grabs the cart with the more substantial stuff in it and heads out the door with me in tow. Getting to the vehicle, he pulls the tailgate down.
“So, what did you hear?” he asks, smiling.
“About the weather, and how bad it’s going to get,” I murmur.
He hops up and looks at me expectantly. I start handing him the salt bags. Emptying that cart, I start on the other, and after twenty minutes we have everything packed. Mick jumps off the truck and pushes up the tailgate. Walking over to the window, I see the pup wagging his tail as I go to get in. The little one greets me with a wagging tail and puppy kisses. Laughing, I watch as he stumbles over to Mick and does the same thing.
“You know they will be here by Sunday afternoon, right?”.
Spring's Destiny Page 4
