by Bryce Evans
“We’re here.” Greer looked up. She hadn’t realized they’d traveled all the way to town.
“There’re the girls,” Cosmo said, pointing to the small building that set to the side of Southern Treasures. She’d never noticed it.
“Hey...perfect timing,” Quinn yelled out. “Come over here.”
Greer walked to the small store. It had great potential. If they would highlight the front window area with twinkling lights hooked to branches. Then put whatever they were selling in the window to draw people in.
“You like it?” Quinn asked.
“It’s wonderful.”
“You can put whatever you want in the window.”
What was Quinn up to? Put whatever I want in the window. What would I put in the window? She was the one who was good at this.
“I thought you would think that. But this isn’t exactly what I want to show you. Come with me.” Greer narrowed her eyes at the witch, but like the others, she followed Quinn inside the store. Sitting in the corner sat a blowpipe and a small furnace.
“Oh my gosh. I haven’t seen one of those in a long time.”
“Well, a little birdy told me how you liked it and when we started to remodel this building, I took a peek inside and look at what I found. I knew...well, I knew it was a sign that this building was meant for someone to do this. And I thought about how you were looking for a job and I thought this would be a great business to go along with Southern Treasures. I know it will be a big hit. I remember seeing places like this in other towns and it was always packed and sold its products like crazy. So, what do you think?”
“Uhm...Quinn, I know you mean well, but I don’t know how to do all this.” She hated to say that, but she couldn’t let Quinn do this.
“Well, sista, you can learn. There are a ton of books over there you can read.” Greer hesitated but followed where Quinn was pointing. A large bookshelf was packed with books lining each shelf.
“Plus, I’ve already called someone, and they are willing to teach you all you need to know. Now...what do you say?” Quinn’s eyes widened as she waited for her to answer. When she glanced around the room, it seemed everyone was waiting for her to answer.
She could feel her skin itching. She took in a deep breath and turned away. This was all too much. They would all find out now.
“I...I’m sorry, Quinn.”
Greer rushed out of the store. As the fresh air hit her, she took a deep breath, but it wasn’t helping. Her skin felt like she had fire ants crawling over her. She had to get out of here.
“Greer? It’s okay,” Quinn stood off to the side of her. She could see she had cast a protection spell around her and the others watching from the window.
“I’ve got to get out of here. Please don’t follow me.”
Rushing across the street, Greer made it to the woods before she shifted. Thankfully she had enough control to do that before she hurt someone. Her bear roared as she jumped over logs going farther up the mountain. She couldn’t run a store with people. She would hurt someone. It would be a massacre.
Chapter Seven
Reed leaned against the alpha’s porch, watching Haven and Cosmo get out of the truck at the cabin. He wanted to show Greer what he had completed so far on the treehouse. “Where’s Greer?” Reed asked, looking around Haven and Cosmo.
“There was an incident in town—” Haven said rubbing her forehead.
“Is she okay? Is she hurt? Where is she? Somebody answer me,” Reed demanded. He had started to panic. He knew what they did to shifters who couldn’t control themselves. If they thought Greer couldn’t get control of it, they might have to put her down.
“She ran out of the store and shifted. I think she went to the top of Dixon Mountain. She was okay, but she—”
“She got scared when Quinn offered her a store beside Southern Treasures. It would be a glass blowing store and it already has a furnace and blow pipe. I think it scared her when Quinn showed her all the books and stuff,” Haven answered.
He thought about why that would frighten her. Then he remembered his past. “She can’t read,” Reed muttered.
“What? Are you sure?” Haven asked. “That would explain it then.”
“Bless her heart. Poor Greer. She had it much worse than I ever did. At least they taught me how to read in the coven.”
“Bastards. Don’t even mention them. They don’t deserve anymore of our time. But I agree. I wish you could have seen her eyes light up when she saw the pipe and the furnace. She looked happy. Since the day I met Greer, she’s had sadness about her.”
“She’s lonely,” Reed said, looking up toward the mountain. “Maybe I should check on her.”
“If she doesn’t come home in a few hours then go look for her,” Cosmo said, putting his arm around Haven and walking to the cabin.
He hated that this would be another obstacle in her way. He was trying to break down that barrier she had surrounding her. It wasn’t just magic. She was afraid to let anyone in.
“Hey, Reed, come look.” He would only give her two hours and then go looking for her. She liked to be alone, too, and he would give her that time, but he wouldn’t be able to stay away any longer.
After a couple hours, he couldn’t focus anymore. It was getting dark and he needed to find her. She was probably hungry and thirsty. He ran back to the cabin and put a couple waters and some snacks inside the bag. His stomach was growling too. He stuffed everything he could find and started for the back door. He knew her scent and would be able to follow it. She had to be up on the mountain.
Walking out the backdoor, he zipped his backpack and headed toward the mountain when her scent hit him. She was upset he could tell. He got closer to the river and knew she had to be near for her smell to be this powerful. When he got to the treehouse, he smiled. Greer was sitting on the floor. It was the only part they completed today.
He glanced up at her. “Mind if I join you?”
Greer looked defeated. He hated that. Climbing up the ladder, he could see how red and blotchy her face was. She had been crying. His heart broke as he got closer. She sat, without moving.
“I figured you would be hungry,” Reed said, opening the bag beside her.
When she didn’t even acknowledge him, he set everything out and sat beside her. He took out a piece of cheese and crackers and crossed his legs in front of him. “I couldn’t read until I was a senior in high school.” Greer looked at him like he was lying. “No, I’m serious. I cheated like crazy and the teachers never knew until I got to Mrs. Busby’s class.
“She knew the moment I made a wise crack when it was my time to read. But the teacher everyone hated the most became my favorite. You see, I have dyslexia and nobody in all those years noticed it. To be honest, I don’t think they cared. They were so ready to get rid of me that they just passed me to the next grade. I have to admit, I was a terrible child.”
Reed put the cracker in his mouth and made another and laid it on her leg. Then he made him another one. “She told me that if I came by her classroom after school that she would teach me to read. But here’s the kicker, if I didn’t, she was going to make sure I flunked my senior year. I would have been the laughing stock of my clan or at least I thought I would. Crazy thoughts go through your head when you're embarrassed.” He motioned for her to eat the cracker. She hesitated but when her stomach growled, she picked the cracker up and put it in her mouth. Her eyes closed as she chewed. She was hungry but too distraught to admit it.
“Anyway, I did what she said, and she started to teach me to read. Boy, I gave that woman hell. But she stuck it out and I did too. Eventually, I started to like her. I found out that she was a widow and she had two kids who she had a fight with and now neither of them call or come to see her. So, I became like her adopted son. I cut her grass, and trust me, she needed it.”
“How did she teach you to read?” Greer asked.
“It wasn’t easy because, at first, I was just a smart-ass kid who wa
s too embarrassed to make it work, but she didn’t give up on me. Finally, I listened to what she was saying and started to read. I read about two books a week. Once I learned, I couldn’t stop.”
“I’m sure your parents were proud of you.”
Reed looked away then made her another cracker and handed it to her before he explained further. “Greer, my parents were dead. My dad was killed by a hunter and my mom gave up and died shortly after. I went to live with my uncle, but it wasn’t the same. I had no interest in anything, especially school.”
“I’m sorry, Reed. I didn’t know. You always look so together. Happy.”
He scooted across the floor and sat closer to her. “I choose to be happy, Greer. I take the things out of my life that don’t make me happy and keep the ones that do. I want to be happy. I love the Death Hunters and where we live now. We help a lot of people and I like that. I get to make a beautiful woman a treehouse where she, too, will be happy.”
Greer bit her lip, looking away, she whispered, “I can’t read.”
“I thought so, but like me, you can learn. I can teach you.”
“But I’m twenty-six years old.”
“So?”
“Reed, you make it sound so easy.”
“Easy? No, but you can do it.” He needed her to believe this.
She leaned her head back against the tree and exhaled loudly. “Do I have a choice?”
“Sure, you do, if you want to stay in the dark for the rest of your life, or you can accept my offer and learn. Nobody will have to know unless you tell them.”
“I do want to learn, Reed. I do. I’m tired of not knowing what words mean. I want to read those books Quinn showed me. I want to be able to make a living and provide for myself.”
“Okay, tomorrow after I finish here, we can sit up here and start. I already have the books.”
Greer nodded. He could tell she was anxious as she scratched her arm. “Thank you.”
Smiling, Reed pushed the pile of food toward her. “Now, let’s eat and you can tell me about glass blowing.”
She didn’t know what to think about this man. He was too good to be true. He wanted to teach her to read. And she wanted to learn. She wanted to know more about glass blowing. The question that kept riding around in her head was could she do all this and not kill someone with her magic.
“A dime for your thoughts.” Greer opened her eyes and Reed had a dime in his hand this time.
“If you keep adding money to my thoughts, I will be able to buy me something special with it,” Greer said, chuckling. She sat for a few minutes and wondered if she should share this with him. She felt like she could trust him. “I need to work with Scarlett. I’m ready to learn how to control this inside me. After yesterday, I need to know what to do. That was too close, and I could have hurt someone.”
“You will master your magic. Scarlett came by today, but you were on the mountain. She said she would be over in the morning. I think she was worried about you.”
“I’m worried about myself.” Greer wrapped her arms around herself. “Reed, I’m scared that I will hurt someone. I could kill you with what’s inside me.”
He reached out and touched her arm. “You won’t. I know.”
Greer snorted. “You’re crazy, man. How do you know for sure?”
“Nobody knows anything for sure. There are no guarantees in life, but…” Reed picked up her hand and placed it over his heart. “In here I know. You won’t hurt me. You can and will control this magic. It wants to be controlled.”
“I want that too,” Greer whispered.
“And you will. Tell me what you want to read first and why.”
“I don’t really know. I’ve never read anything...all I see is scribbles on paper and then I get frustrated and run.”
“But if you could read something what would it be?”
“The newspaper. I could only look at the pictures. I picked up conversations here and there, but I never knew what was going on in the world. All I knew to do was to hide and run, hide and run.”
“Hold on.” Reed jumped down from the treehouse instead of using the ladder and ran back into the cabin. She smiled as he returned and climbed the ladder and sat beside her. “Now, here is the news according to The Daily of New Hope.”
She watched as he unfolded the newspaper and turned to the first page. His finger brushed over the first word. “In today’s news, I spoke to store owner, Quinn Dixon, who advised they were going to expand the storefronts on Main Street. She said a new store called To Your Health would be joining Southern Treasures and Gooey Goodness Bakery. This shop would sell essential oils and plant therapy. She explained that the oils would be homemade and obtained from fruits, seeds, roots, and leaves.
“Mrs. Dixon stated one more store would be coming soon but wouldn’t let that one out of the bag yet. She said it was a surprise but knew it would draw more visitors to New Hope.”
Reed glanced up and smiled. “Maybe she’s thinking you will change your mind about opening the glass store. Would you like to do that?”
Greer’s heart was full of hope. She knew she had a shot at this. She had so many people in her corner. “I do. I really do, but I won’t tell you that I’m not scared because I am. I’ve never run a business and I wouldn’t even know where to start. Plus, I would die if I let Quinn down.”
“Hey, you’re going to make mistakes and that’s okay. It’s part of life. I will help you; Haven, Jade, and Quinn are going to help you. Because that’s what friends are for.”
Friends, he said they were just friends. What was she thinking? Of course, that’s all he wanted. Reed was the type of person who was a helper, and honestly, he felt sorry for her.
“Well, it’s getting late and I’ve got to go to town and get some supplies that came in for the treehouse, but I will be here working on your home. We can meet back up after dinner and start our first lesson. How does that sound?”
“Sure.” She heard he only wanted to be friends and that’s exactly what she should want, but it hurt to hear him say that.
“Here, let me help you up.” Reed held his hand out at her. He pulled her up and she fell into his chest. Glancing up, his eyes were like gold fire. His nostrils flared back and forth like he smelled something on the wind.
“Are you okay?” Greer asked.
“Yeah,” Reed said, turning. His hands were moving, but she couldn’t see what he was doing.
“Uhh, Reed, is everything okay with you?”
“Yep,” he said, turning back around. He didn’t say anything else but started picking up the picnic he had made her.
“Did I say something wrong?” Greer asked. He was so quiet. She was worried she had made him mad.
Reed exhaled then looked up at her. “Nothing’s wrong, beautiful. It’s just...when you look up at me sometimes, I get hard as a rock. I’m sorry for being so crude, but you make my body go nuts. I know you’re not ready for anything other than friendship, but I like you...a lot.”
“Ohh...Okay, see you tomorrow.” Greer scaled down the ladder and ran to the cabin. Inside, after closing the door, she giggled, doing a dance going around and around.
“Somebody is a happy girl,” Haven said, smiling. She was sitting at the kitchen table drawing.
Greer smiled and sat beside her friend. “Reed said I make his body go nuts, but in a good way.”
“He did. Well, that was fast. I can’t say I’m not shocked. Cosmo said he figured as much. Question is, do you like Reed?”
“I shouldn’t, Haven. At least not until I get this magic under control. I couldn’t take it if I hurt him or worse. But yes, I like Reed...a lot.”
“Good. I think Reed will help you. He wants to. Hey, Greer, I...I was worried about you today. I wanted to check on you, but Cosmo said to let Reed handle it and if you didn’t come home soon, we would go to get you. Are you...are you okay?”
“Yeah, I guess I made a fool out of myself. I’m sure Quinn is mad at me too.”
“I can’t read, Haven.” Greer lifted her chin to face her friend’s reaction. “I've never been to school and never had time to learn to read either. I was always on the run. There was no time to learn. Now...well, now I’m paying for it. I guess I panicked when she told me that I could read the books. I felt like such a loser. Here I am, a twenty-six-year-old woman who can’t even read the newspaper, much less a book. So, I do what I do best and that’s run.”
“It’s time for both of us to stop running. Me and you, two peas in a pod. Together we can do anything. I will help you to read. We can—”
Holding her hand up stopping her from going further, “Reed already said he would, but I could use the help once we start if you’re willing to do that?”
“Of course. Anytime you want me to help you with anything, all you have to do is ask. I want to help you, Greer. Remember, me and you, two peas in a pod.”
“Thanks, my friend. I’m exhausted and want to take a long hot bath. Reed said that Scarlett stopped by and plans to be here in the morning. Cross your fingers that I don’t kill her tomorrow or Jade.”
Haven snorted. “Greer, you’re not going to hurt anyone. If you want, after your training tomorrow, we can drive into town and look at the furnace to see if it can be used. Did the old woman show you how to do that?”
“Yeah, she showed me, and I got to cut it on and off a lot. She let me make whatever I wanted while I was there. She didn’t touch the pipe, not one time. She said that I had to learn all on my own.” Greer glanced at Haven. “You know, it was the happiest time that I can remember in my life. I stayed there for three weeks. When she told me that I could stay as long as I wanted, I got scared for her. I had to run again so they wouldn’t find her. I haven’t been back since. I sure do miss her too. She was very nice to me.”
