by Lila Dubois
“Merl Peterson?”
“Yes, he’d been with the Moosehead Lodge for thirty years.”
“Do you all get naked and beat drums while you pass around a spirit stick?”
“Only on days that end in Y.” Buzz leaned down and kissed my forehead. “I best get going.”
After a brief goodbye, Buzz took off for town. I leaned up against my truck and watched the gray squirrel taunt Smooshie by leaping from branch to branch. She whined and clawed at the trunk. In a few minutes, she gave up and ran to me, her whole butt wagging as she pushed against my leg.
I reached down and petted her between the ears. “Okay, Smoosh, let’s really have a look at this property.” I took my clothes off—shoes and socks first, followed by shirt, pants, bra, and underwear. Smooshie cocked her head sideways, giving me a quizzical look. She always did that when I got undressed. It was as if she were asking, “How come your fur comes off and mine doesn’t?”
“Don’t worry, girl. The fur’s about to really happen now.” I dug her training clicker from my pants pocket and gave her the command to sit while I clicked it. Obediently, she sat, her tail swishing, creating a windshield wiper effect on the driveway gravel.
I knelt down in front of her, willing my cougar forward, exalting as fur rippled along my skin and every bone in my body transformed from human to giant cat. The entire process took seconds. I stared at Smooshie through my predator eyes. The first time I’d changed in front of her, she’d shied away, but she hadn’t tried to attack. Now that she’d seen me go from Lily to cougar and back to Lily many times, she just got excited. Cougar equaled a run, and Smooshie loved to run.
I gazed over at the tree line behind the house. I touched my forehead to Smooshie’s, the signal to go. She practically headbutted me as she jumped up on all fours. I laughed, but it came out as a throaty purring sound.
I detected the scent of decaying leaves where the ground had thawed, new grass, and a myriad of squirrels, raccoons, and deer scents. Smooshie ran like the devil chased her, hopping over fallen logs, ditches, and a small brook like she was a champion show pony. At one point, she face-planted with a yelp. I padded to where she’d fallen, but she was already up and running again.
There was a hole in the ground, a couple of feet deep. Something had dug up the dirt, but it was partially filled in, and grass was beginning to sprout along the upper edges. I leaned down and inhaled. Most likely a gopher had made the hole, but it was old enough now that I couldn’t scent any one type of animal.
After some more exploration, I found there were many depressions in the ground in my woods. They had varying degrees of depth and flora growth, indicating that whatever species had dug these areas, had been doing it for years.
A rustle of sticks stole my attention. Smooshie was digging next to a mossy boulder. I guess she didn’t like having holes on her land unless she’d created them herself.
I flushed with happiness. Smooshie could dig all she wanted out here and no one would get mad at her or me about it. Yay.
Chapter 3
Soft whimpers followed by labored pants woke me up. I peered out of one eye at the giant pink tongue hanging above my face. Smooshie needed a breath mint. A big one.
“What time is it?” I asked, without expecting an answer. I felt around my nightstand and found my phone. The screen was offensively bright. Five-seventeen a.m. Noooo. I had another hour and almost forty-five minutes before I had to get up for work.
I closed my eyes. “Dear, dear, Smoosh,” I said. “You need to get your bladder on my schedule.”
She put her front paws on my stomach.
Umph. “Fine. I’m awake.” As soon as I moved her aside, she jumped down from the bed and wagged at me impatiently. “I’m moving,” I told her and sat up.
I gazed around at the little apartment I’d called home for the past five months. This would be one of the last times I got out of this bed.
I stretched, and my back cracked like a bundle of firecrackers. I would not miss the fold-out couch bed. At all.
Smooshie barked to let me know I was going to be cleaning up a puddle if I didn’t put some urgency into my “moving.”
I wore a tank top and a pair of pajama pants to bed, so I just threw on a sweater and slipped on my galoshes. Parker’s fenced-in backyard had been a bit marshy this week. I didn’t bother brushing my teeth or combing my hair. Smooshie didn’t look as if she’d last much longer.
She bowed to me at the door, stretching her own back as I clipped her leash on. “Soon,” I told her, “I’ll be able to just open the door and let you out when you have to go. The whole place will be your personal potty paradise.”
I opened the door, and she dragged me down the steps to the gate between the garage and Parker’s house. I could hear Parker and Elvis out back and wondered if that’s why Smooshie had suddenly needed to pee at this unhealthy hour.
I tried to smooth down my frizzy bed hair, but I knew without a brush and some water, my actions were futile. When we rounded the corner, Parker tossed a ball toward the back fence, and Elvis took off after it. He saw Smooshie and me about the time Elvis returned with his prize.
Smooshie tugged hard toward them. She totally wanted in on the action. Parker grabbed another ball from his back porch. I unclipped my anxious pit bull, and she started running toward the back end of the property before Parker even lobbed the toy.
He laughed as he gave it a hard toss past her. “Morning. You’re up early.”
“True story,” I said. Self-consciously, I tried smoothing my hair again.
Parker smiled. “You look fine.”
“I know,” I said a tad defensive. “I’m still waking up is all.” I didn’t want him to think I cared what he thought about my appearance. Even though I did care. “You’re up early too.”
“Elvis was restless.” Parker threw Elvis’ ball again then retrieved the other from Smoosh and threw it for her. “I think Elvis knows Smooshie’s leaving.”
I raised a brow. “And that’s made him sad?”
“Well, he’s gotten used to having her around.” He shrugged. “Even if she’s a little disruptive.”
“Uh-huh.” I was pretty sure it wasn’t Elvis who felt restless.
“You want to come in for coffee? These two can stretch their legs for a few minutes without us.”
“Sure.” Oh, how I wished I’d have brushed my teeth!
Parker’s kitchen smelled like freshly made toast and rich Columbian coffee. A medium-dark roast, which I knew was his favorite. He poured me a cup and set it down on the small circular table that filled the floor space. I took a seat in front of it.
“I can put you some bread in the toaster if you’re hungry. Theresa brought some Irish butter over this week, and it’s really good.”
“Coffee’s perfect.” The Irish butter sounded tasty, but eating before I’d even had a chance to pee seemed somehow wrong. Parker sat across the table from me.
“I still can’t believe you’re moving out.” He tapped is fingers on the table. “I was just getting used to having you around.”
“You’ll see me almost every day. It’s not like I’m quitting my job here.” I sipped the hot brew. Parker didn’t respond, and the silence was deafening. I didn’t want our friendship to be awkward. I wanted us to be easy with each other, but it had become a tug-of-war between my conflicting emotions for him. It wasn’t Parker’s fault. Other than the one time we almost kissed, he hadn’t tried to put any pressure on me to be more than a friend, even though his scent and body language said he wanted more.
I filled the quiet between us with small talk. “You think we’ll get another frost before the end of March?”
“Usually do,” Parker said. “But it’s been warming up fast. The thunderstorms will be rolling in soon.”
“They get pretty bad around here?” It had rained a few times in February, but nothing terrible.
“Yeah, but not like the flatter areas of the state. We get the occasion
al tornado warning, but I’ve never seen anything come from it. The weatherman is calling for some severe storms this week.” He shook his head. “In school, they would put us through these drills where we had to sit against the wall in the hallway and put our heads between our knees. We used to joke it was so we could kiss our ass goodbye.”
I smiled. We had witches who urged harsh weather patterns to miss our town, so I’d never experienced what Parker was talking about. I wondered what my life would have been like growing up in a place like this, with its beautiful simplicity. “Speaking of school, I ran into a couple former classmates of yours, a Jeff Callahan and Mark Stephens.”
Parker’s expression changed to curious. “I played ball with Mark. I didn’t realize he was back in town.”
“He said he lived here in Moonrise. Two years now, apparently. Oh, and Nick Newton asked if you were going to be at some retirement party this weekend.”
“Coach Thompson, my high school football coach. I’m still thinking about whether to go or not.” His expression held a melancholy I hadn’t noted before but he shook it off. “Mark’s really back in town? Two years now? Wow. I had no idea. We lost touch after he moved. Jeff used to be a friend too. I haven’t really talked to him in years either. Where did you meet them at?”
“They all came out and helped Buzz bring the trailer out to the new property. Him and Nick Newton, Mark Stephens, Paul Simmons, and Nick’s nephew, Addison.” Jeff didn’t look athletic. At all. “Jeff played football?”
Parker grinned. “He rode the bench mostly, but he was part of the team. That’s all that mattered.” He shrugged. “Small town.”
I liked that in Moonrise, even geeks could be jocks. Still, it surprised me. All of Buzz’s lodge brothers had seemed like decent guys. I still wondered about Paul, though. “Is Paul Simmons related to Theresa’s husband?”
“He and Jock are cousins, I think. Why?”
“No reason. Curious is all.”
“I don’t know him well.” He sipped more from his cup, his blue eyes flashing on me briefly. “Jeff’s an accountant.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Apparently, he makes a killing during tax season.” Parker sighed. “It seems like all my high school teammates are doing well for themselves.”
Did Parker think because Jeff had a degree that it meant he was better somehow? I hoped not. Parker was the best man I knew. “If it makes you feel better, he’s a total pot head,” I blurted out.
Parker’s eyes widened, and he scootched forward. “Seriously?”
“Totally.” I grinned. “I could smell it when he stood by me.”
“You know he’s an instructor out at the college.”
“He works at the college too?”
“According to his bio.” Parker turned in his chair, opened a cabinet drawer, and pulled out a flyer and set it on the table.
“What’s that?”
“It came with the invitation. It’s the 2009 3A State Football Champions. The whole team is listed, along with their accomplishments.”
I skimmed down until I landed on Parker’s name. “Parker Knowles. After an honorable discharge from the Army, Parker settled back home in Moonrise, where he runs a rescue shelter for American Pit Bulls and Pit Bull Breeds. He is currently single.”
“That’s me in a nutshell,” Parker said.
I scanned the brochure and saw a few names a recognized, including Jeff’s and Mark’s. Bridgette Jones’ name was at the very end with two others, Michael Duffy and Travis Mount, on the “Deceased” list. My heart pinched. She’d been Parker’s high school sweetheart, but she’d been nuts.
“Why are there female names on here? Did you all have girls on the team?” It seemed very progressive for the area.
Parker laughed. “No. The cheerleaders were invited as special guests as well. They supported us all the way to state.”
“Go team,” I muttered as I stared down at Bridgette’s name. She had taken her own life after she’d tried to kill me and failed. I was surprised they’d included her. I figured the town of Moonrise would just as soon forget that they’d born a murderess into the world. Especially after it made the national news.
The press had made Parker out to be a local hero who took down a husband and wife murder team despite the incompetence of the county police. Yet another reason Sheriff Avery hated my guts. It hadn’t happened that way, exactly, but I was more than okay with not landing in the spotlight.
I read a few other biographies, a nurse, a human resources manager, a pharmacist, a safety engineer, physical therapist, and the list went on. Parker’s class only had thirty-nine students. I couldn’t believe how many of them had gone on to complete college degrees.
“Oh, look.” I pointed toward the end of the bio list. “Ryan’s in here. He played too?” I didn’t wait for Parker to answer. “Ryan Petry. Degree in Veterinarian Medicine from Missouri State University. Ryan has a successful practice in Moonrise, where he treats both domestic and farm animals. He teaches introduction to veterinarian medicine at Two Hills Community College. He is currently single.”
“He’s a catch,” Parker muttered. He and Ryan were friends, but he was jealous of my friendship with the handsome vet.
I’d had lunch and a couple of dinners with Ryan over the past several months, but our relationship was not a romantic one. I’d told Parker before that Ryan and I weren’t dating, but he didn’t seem to believe me. If Parker had been a Shifter like me, he’d be able to scent my lack of attraction to Ryan. Hell, he’d be able to smell, like I could, Ryan’s lack of attraction to me.
“Speaking of Two Hills Community College,” I said, moving the conversation away from Ryan. “I think I might check it out.”
“For classes? What are you planning to study?”
I wasn’t exactly ashamed to tell Parker that I hadn’t finished high school, or that I needed to take a GED class, but after seeing all the successful biographies of Parker’s classmates, I felt self-conscious. So, I skipped the middle step to my goals and went straight for, “I’ve always wanted to study medicine.”
“You want to be a nurse?”
I did not roll my eyes. I wanted to. But I didn’t. “That would be an honorable profession, but no, I want to be a doctor.” Or at least I had for the past twenty-seven years. Up until my eighth year, I’d wanted to be a pretty, pretty princess.
For the past couple of months, I’d been thinking about practicing a different kind of medicine, though. It was one of the many reasons I enjoyed Ryan’s company. He’d even offered to hire me part time to work in his office and assist him out in the field on occasion. I wasn’t sure how Parker would react, but I was seriously considering the job. Especially now that I had a home that needed a substantial investment for improvements.
Hazel had lent me the ten-thousand dollar down payment and enough scratch to get my utilities hooked up, but I would still have to come up with a five-hundred-dollar mortgage payment every month, pay back my BFF, and find spare money to buy items to fix up the place. Buzz giving me his trailer to stay in was a huge weight off my mind. It meant I could make repairs on my own timetable. Years of poverty had taught me to be an amateur plumber, electrician, and carpenter. I had basic skills, but I knew at some point, I’d have to hire professionals.
“That’s great, Lily,” he said. “You’d be a really good doctor.” He leaned forward and pushed his fingers across the table toward mine. Only inches separated us, and I could see a gentle longing in his expression. One I’m certain matched my own.
“I’m not sure if I’ll do it or not,” I told Parker. “I’ll check out their programs and settle on something, though.”
“Do you need some time off tomorrow to go out to Two Hills?”
“I’ll go on my lunch break.” I turned the handbill over. The back had candid shots of the 2009 Moonrise football teams, and their cheerleaders, of course. I recognized Parker in several group shots and one where he was standing next to a hulking guy who m
ade him look like a dwarf.
“Who is that?”
Parker’s face lit up. “Adam Davis. He was the class clown. Real nice guy off the field, but on the field, watch out.” His eyes stared off into the distance. “Just another friend I lost touch with. You never think that’s going to happen when you’re in school. I really thought we’d all be hanging out forever. I left for basic two weeks after graduation.” He tapped a picture of him, Mark, Jeff, Adam, Ryan, and some guy I didn’t recognize. “When I got home two years ago, I felt like I was wearing the wrong skin. Sometimes I still feel that way.”
He was singing my tune. Only it had been the opposite for me. The whole time I’d been in my hometown, I’d felt like an alien trapped on a hostile planet. Moving to Moonrise changed that for me.
I caught Parker staring at the guy in the picture I didn’t know. “Who’s that?”
“Mike Duffy.”
I recognized his name from the deceased list. “He was a good friend?”
“The best. We’d been best friends since kindergarten. The six of us hung out all the time, but I was closest to Mike. I couldn’t believe it when my dad told me he died. I was still in service at the time.”
“What happened to him?”
“Some farm accident.” His eyes crinkled with a brief wince of pain. He moved the conversation to his other friends. “Adam and Jeff hung out a lot. They were an odd pair, but they had a lot in common. They both liked numbers, for one thing.” He smiled at the memory. “Adam had a good head on his shoulders. He got a concussion his first semester at college. It pretty much ended his football career. Really, he was the only one of us good enough to play at that level. He became an engineer instead.”
“And Ryan and Mark?”
“Yeah, those two palled around. They were inseparable in high school. We all hung out, though. In school, they called us the ‘Big Six.’” He smiled again. It made his face, which had seen too much death and war, appear young.
I looked down at his high school pictures again. I could see the boy in the photos when Parker smiled. The details for the weekend event were centered on the back. “The dinner honoring your coach and team is next Saturday. You need me to work extra here so you can go?”
