Sher and Clark tried to communicate psychically. Woodford ran to the feast of smells in the kitchen. Davis watched his brother keep watch out the little windows at the top of the front door.
Bailey peeked around the wall from the family room. “Mom?”
“Just a minute. Just give us one more minute.” Sher took a deep breath and released it, counting to ten under her breath, getting only to six. “What is that smell?”
“I have no idea.” Clark grinned at the younger Rucker.
Davis grinned back. “Mr. Hillen, you know that cord could be dangerous if you turned on the vacuum.”
“This?” Clark looked down at the vacuum. “I’m just working on the spring cleaning. Since you’re here you could help.”
Parker turned from the door. “Thanks but we’re supposed to deliver the pie, make sure the guy leaves, and go right back home.”
Clark took the pie from Parker. “I’m just thinking of you. You, two football stars, were asking Bailey to throw a ball around earlier. Wouldn’t want you to be bored while you’re home.”
“I appreciate that, sir. Grandma makes sure we’re never bored.”
Davis punched Bailey in the arm. “You keep an eye on things, right? We’ll be working in the yard if that pie is too much for you to handle on your own. Just holler… or whisper. Grandma will hear.”
Sher tried to catch the license plate on the deep blue sedan just pulling past from the drunken trees as the Rucker boys left. “Clark, did you go outside? Did you see the car?” She dashed into the family room to shut the front windows.
Bailey followed her. “Mom.”
Clark unplugged the vacuum and stepped into the dining room to shut the windows there. “I didn’t see the car, Sher. He was inside before I realized you needed help. I didn’t see outside at all. Come on, Bails.” He took Bailey and the pie to the kitchen.
Following them, Sher asked, “Where are all the toys, Bailey? And Laylea’s bed?”
“That’s what I wanted to tell you, Mom.” Bailey turned defensively as Clark stepped into the kitchen. “I didn’t do it.”
Woodford ruled the room. He waded through garbage beside the overturned trashcan. Bailey’s soccer shoes lay nearby.
Sher sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “Bailey. We’re trying to make the house cleaner. You can’t just throw things out of your way.”
“I told you. I didn’t.”
Clark scooped the nearby garbage inside and righted the can, leaving Woodford to the cheese packaging he looked willing to fight for.
“Bailey, all the evidence points to you.” Sher pulled a stack of towels from the drawer. She set most on the counter and began scooping onion peels and butter wrappers into the pail. “Woodford has never gotten into the garbage. Laylea isn’t nearly big enough to knock it over.”
Clark tossed Bailey a towel. “Accidents happen, Bails. It’s no big thing. Mom’s just upset you’re lying about it.”
“I’m not. Dad, believe me. When Mom was talking to that guy, Lee went crazy. You saw her. Something’s wrong.” Bailey wailed with frustration. He turned to his mother. “My shoes were upstairs. Remember? We just put in new laces.”
Sher looked around. She saw Woodford happily chewing on a red cheese rind. Clark scrubbing the floor. Bailey dumping papers in the trash. But no Laylea. “Where is she?”
She didn’t come when they called. Clark searched upstairs where he’d last seen Laylea. Bailey searched under the couches in the family room and called into his mom’s tinkering room and his dad’s radio closet though those doors were always shut. Sher searched the garage and around the house, checking the bells on all the doors and windows as she went.
There was no sign of Laylea. No sign that she had ever existed except for the chewed vacuum cord. All the toys she’d claimed as hers were missing. Her bed was gone from Bailey’s room. Her baby towel wasn’t bunched up under Bailey’s bed. His pajama top which she cuddled against every night in the curve of her brother’s stomach had been pulled from under the pillow. Even her precious teddy lizard was missing from its home on the headboard.
When they reconvened in the kitchen, the family barely held panic at bay. Sher stood at the sink going over the last hour in her mind. Bailey wiped tears from his cheeks. Clark held his breath to keep from chanting in front of his son.
“Every door, every window in this house has bells. She didn’t leave.” Clark reasoned. “No one came in except through the front door. Right? You would have heard the bells.”
“The windows were all open,” Bailey swept the towels off the counter.
“The windows all have screens and none of them were disturbed. She’s here,” Clark insisted. “She’s in the house and she is just waiting for us to find her. Okay, buddy? Use your head. Where can she hide?”
“Why was the garbage turned over?” Sher asked from the sink. “The first thing he noticed when he came in the house was the smell.”
Bailey turned, dropped, and yanked open the cabinet under the sink. Only cleaning supplies and the compost bin. Sher opened the pots and pans cabinet beside the stove. No dog but she added an item to next year’s spring cleaning list. Bailey crawled around the counter, past the trash can as Clark reached for the knob on the pantry but Woodford had settled with his cheese rind leaning against the door. Bailey shoved the big dog along the linoleum and scrabbled at the side of the pantry door to help open it from where he knelt.
Inside they found all of Laylea’s toys, her bed, blankets she slept on around the house, her favorite pillow from the couch, her blue baby towel, and Bailey’s pajama top.
“Laylea?” Bailey’s voice cracked.
Clark pulled items out of the pantry and tossed them aside. “It’s okay, little girl.”
Sher joined them. She took Laylea’s towel from Clark. “That man is gone.”
Bailey and Clark both looked at Sher in confusion.
She told them, “He was looking for her. And she hid,” she looked to her son, “right, Bailey? She hid when he showed up?”
Bailey nodded, a boneless golden lion in his hand. “She went crazy right before Dad ran down and turned the vacuum into a weapon.”
A small whimper sounded from behind the potato sack.
“Laylea!” Bailey dragged the vegetables out of the way.
A muffled cry escaped her and she cringed away from the light, curling tighter into the dark corner. Clenched in her teeth, teddy lizard vibrated with Laylea’s uncontrollable shivering. A second cry caught in her throat when she saw Sher.
Sher felt tears well in her own eyes at seeing their little rescue huddled in the very back of the pantry. “You go ahead and cry if it makes you feel better, Lee. Bailey is.” Neither boy noticed but Laylea saw a tear spill down the mom’s cheek.
“It’s okay, little girl. Wanna come out?” Clark took it as assent when Laylea lifted one paw and let whimpers ring deep in her throat.
Bailey stepped aside so the dad could reach in and lift his fearless flying buddy out of her hiding place. Clark folded her into his chest, kissing her head and rubbing her belly. He sat on the floor rocking and murmuring to the tiny dog. Woodford left his cheese remnants to poke her with his nose. Bailey snuggled in close to his dad. He reached into the cave of Clark’s arms and caressed her wounded hip as he did when they read together. He added his reassurances to Clark’s murmurs.
Laylea stared up at Sher. The mom used Laylea’s baby towel to wipe the tears from her face and Laylea gazed in awe at the sight. She forgot to cry herself. When her shivering had subsided in the warmth of her father and brothers’ love, she lifted the lizard in her teeth, asking Sher to join them.
The mom knelt down and put her hand on the side of the puppy’s face. Laylea dropped teddy lizard to lick her. “I didn’t like him either, Lee.”
The family sat cuddling on the floor as they had after Laylea’s first trip with Clark. She licked each of their hands and Woodford’s nose. Gradually the happy scent of out of season
pie overwhelmed the rotting reek of garbage. Laylea took a breath deep into her lungs and relaxed in her dad’s arms.
He freed one hand to touch his wife. “Who was that guy?”
Sher rubbed the light triangle above Laylea’s eyes. “I don’t know. There was something familiar about him.”
“Why does he want Laylea?” Bailey asked, looking between his parents.
“I don’t know.” Sher said. “But he’s not gonna get her.”
Laylea barked at the sharp words. She stretched and climbed from Clark’s lap into Sher’s. Sher held her hands out of the way until Laylea settled with her head on the mom’s knee, nose to nose with Woodford’s muzzle on the dad’s knee. Another sigh and Laylea relaxed, safe. Sher ran a hand from her ears down to her tail.
Clark took that hand, his voice barely audible as he asked, “Do we run?”
“No!” Bailey buried both hands in Woodford’s fur, gripping a little harder than the dog liked. “I heard you, Mom. You told the guy he knows nothing about us. We don’t have to run.”
Clark rested a hand on Bailey’s. “You’re right. I heard it too.”
Sher looked around at the fresh paint and hand-crafted stools of her kitchen. She shook her head. “I didn’t reinforce it.”
“Would you trust yourself, woman?”
Her head snapped around to meet Clark’s eyes. “If only you’d seen the car.”
“I didn’t. So we have to trust you.”
“No.” She scoffed. “We don’t have to trust me.”
Clark twisted one of Laylea’s ears around his fingers. He smiled. “And yet I do.”
Sher stood. She lifted Laylea to the crook of one arm and strode to the knife block. She selected an eight inch serrated knife. She set the OLR’s pie on the counter’s rubber trivet and sliced it into six equal portions. She rubbed a cheek against Laylea’s head when her back was turned from the boys. Laylea licked her cheek and the mom rubbed her chest as she stared at the recipes pinned to the wall over the stove.
Clark walked over to her.
“So?” He put a hand on the small of her back. “Do we go?”
Sher turned. “No. But spring cleaning is scrapped. We’re using the rest of the day to create an early warning system around the house, around the neighborhood, and update our run plan.”
“Yes!” Bailey grabbed a handful of kibble from the bucket and scattered it on the floor for Woodford. “I stocked my go bag this morning.”
“Good, Bails.” Sher bent for a small handful of kibble herself. “Now check it again keeping in mind that I’ll change my mind if Walter comes back.” She held the food up for Laylea to eat right from her hand. “Nobody threatens my family.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
“Shhh, Lee. I’m sleeping.” Bailey dragged a hand up and draped it over Laylea’s muzzle, stopping her kisses in his ear.
But it was Bailey’s birthday and Laylea was not easily put off. She wriggled under his palm. To reach his chest, she used his face as a ladder. A paw in the ear was a tried and true method of waking her brother up. Once she pushed off his Adam’s apple she sat crushing his lungs and focusing her thousand yard stare on his face until he gave in.
Bailey peeked at her with one eye. When he shut it again, she growled. Bailey exploded in giggles. He grabbed her close as he sat up but she wriggled out of his arms, leaped to the bed, and bounced down to the floor. Her paws pounded across the books strewn over his carpet as she ran out the door. Bailey lay down again. Laylea raced back into his room and up onto the bed. She licked his nose. Gave him a second to decide to give in. And then jumped on his bladder.
He got up.
Laylea waited for him outside the bathroom door with his Bugs Bunny slippers. She ran up and down the stairs until he put the slippers on and followed her. Downstairs the family room was decorated with streamers and balloons. Two backpacks leaned against the coffee table. One was his Dad’s familiar red pack. The other was a horribly clashing neon orange backpack with a bow on it. And it was stuffed full.
Clark and Sher yelled from the kitchen doorway, “Surprise.”
Bailey danced around the kitchen as they sang happy birthday with Woodford and Laylea barking in counterpoint. Sher held out a spoon and a pan of bread pudding with thirteen candles in it. Bailey blew out the flames and grabbed the spoon from Sher.
“Hold on, beast.” Clark shooed his son away long enough to remove the candles. “As you were.”
Bailey buried his spoon in the steaming dish and promptly burned his tongue.
“Better go change,” Sher suggested. “You can’t wear bunny slippers in the woods.”
Bailey whooped and blasted off, leaving the door flapping behind him.
Clark pulled a spoon from his pocket. “Get some bread pudding while you can. When the walking stomach gets back, it’s gonna be gone.”
“I’ll get some after you leave. You eat.” She kissed him and handed him the pan. “You’re gonna need your strength.”
Sher laughed at her husband as she poured herself a cup of coffee. Clark ate a few spoonfuls as he scooped kibble for the fur babies. They sat at the counter while the dogs ate listening to the whirlwind named Bailey upstairs. When he came down, he grabbed the bread pudding pan out of his father’s hands and flapped back through the door to kneel with it at the family room coffee table. He unzipped the front of his new pack and started rifling through.
“Nope!” Clark launched into the room. He grabbed the bag and zipped it up. “The deal is, you have to have the Talk with me first. Then you get the rest of your presents.”
“Who’s deal is that!?” Bailey demanded.
“Mine.” Sher sat on the arm of the brown couch with her coffee. “You and your dad can have the Talk in the air and when you land you pretend nothing ever happened. I have acceded to your wishes to have the Talk with the non-medical professional. But there are a few items that I’ve made your father swear to cover and I promise you,” she smiled sweetly, “I will know if he hasn’t.”
“Mom!” Bailey turned to Laylea to keep from saying anything that might get the whole trip canceled. He scratched her ears and rubbed her down and up again. She stood up on his knees to lick his nose. He reached over and massaged Woodford’s old hips. Then he grabbed the backpacks and took them out to the car.
Clark sidled over to his wife. “What are these items I’m supposed to cover?”
“You know what I want him to know. The really gross stuff about how to be honest with a woman and ask questions. He got the physical how-to from school three years ago.” She pulled him in with her legs. “You know what to say.” She pulled his head down to hers and kissed him deeply. “Fair winds.”
Clark caught his breath, “I love you.”
“Oh gross!” Laylea barked at Bailey’s quiet entrance. “You don’t have to demonstrate!”
“Get out!” Sher imperiously gestured them on their way. “This house is a testosterone free zone for the next five days. No boys welcome.”
Clark pet Woodford as he grabbed his flight bag from the coffee table. “Sorry, buddy. She doesn’t mean it.”
Laylea stood up on Clark’s leg and he almost lost the bag bending over to say goodbye. Then the boys were gone. And it was just Laylea, Woodford, and Sher for the rest of the week.
At ten that night Sher took Laylea and Woodford out for last walk. They didn’t see any neighbors and within half an hour they were back home.
Laylea went to the bowl and lapped up enough water to get her through the night. She started up the stairs on Woodford’s heels. The sound of the TV turning on stopped them. Sher crossed from the family room into the kitchen. Laylea sat on the stairs. A few minutes later Sher crossed from the kitchen to the family room with a glass of wine. Laylea and Woodford heard the microwave and both got up and trotted into the kitchen when they smelled popcorn. Sher came into the kitchen and poured the popcorn into a large bowl. Several pieces fell to the floor. Neither of them foodies, Woodford and Lay
lea were content to divvy the popcorn equally. A bratwurst on the floor might have been a different story.
They followed Sher out of the kitchen and she held the swinging door for them. Instead of turning out the lights and climbing the stairs, the mom turned out the lights and settled on the couch. Wine glass in front of her. Popcorn on her lap.
Woodford scampered straight to his bed which often garnered a treat. Laylea wanted to jump on the couch but she wasn’t sure of the rules governing a popcorn/couch/Mom scenario. She was not allowed on the couch if the family was eating there. But the rule was not enforced by either Bailey or Clark when they were eating popcorn.
To be safe, Laylea went to her blanket. But she didn’t get a treat for it so she detoured to her third favorite spot in the family room and curled up in Woodford’s bed with him. They both stared at Sher for a while but no popcorn was forthcoming. Woodford kicked Laylea a couple times, shut his eyes, and went to sleep.
Laylea circled seven times to get comfortable. She perked up when she saw James Garner on the TV screen. Her head tilted as it did when she was thinking hard and after a moment she recognized The Great Escape. She circled four or five more times and settled in to watch the movie.
It was already past Bailey’s bedtime and she soon fell asleep dreaming of tunneling out with Hilts and Ives. In her dream the sickly sweet man was behind them in the tunnel and gaining on them. She twitched and dug and ran and bit Bayard on the nose because he whimpered. Her hip hurt and it was getting cold and loud in the tunnel. Sirens everywhere pierced her ears.
Then the mom was there, picking her up, careful as always of her left side. “It’s okay, Lee. When the boys aren’t here, we don’t watch the end. They all got out. They all escaped Germany and are happy and safe with their families and procedural crime drama gigs.”
Sher nudged old Woodford with her stocking foot. She carried Laylea as she put the wine glass and popcorn bowl in the sink. She checked the windows and doors and then she snuggled Laylea down onto Bailey’s bed, wrapping the comforter around her and tucking his bear, Casey in beside her.
WereHuman - The Witch's Daughter: Consortium Battle book 1 (Wyrdos) Page 17
