Home Again

by Lisa Emme

  “Did the wire break or something?” Allie asked. She picked up one end of the line. The plastic cover that prevented the line from rusting and staining the clothes hung to dry on it was cut cleanly through, as was the wire. “Someone has cut this,” she said, shocked.

  Her uncle took the wire from her hand, examining it. “Damn kids again. I guess I know where my cutters went.”

  “Again?” Allie looked at her uncle in surprise. “You mean you’ve had this happen before?”

  “Not this exactly, but there have been a few little things, pranks, and what not.”

  “Like what?” Allie asked, growing concerned.

  “Oh, let’s see…a broken window, the rain barrel tipped over, the chickens let loose…” her uncle paused, scratching his head.

  “How long has this been going on? Have you called the police?”

  “Oh now, it’s just some kids out on a lark.”

  “I don’t know. It seems like more than that. Have any of the neighbours had similar problems? Or, is it just our farm, I wonder?”

  “Mommy,” said Dougie, tugging on the hem of her shorts.

  “Oh hey, little man. I didn’t even notice you sneak up on me.” She smiled down at him. “What’s up?”

  “The cows are ‘ scaping.”

  “Pardon me?”

  “The cows are ‘ scaping down the road.”

  “Escaping? The road? Oh no…” Allie ran back around the house to the drive. Sure enough, the dozen cows they just had pastured out in the buffer zone were meandering across the road. “Well, crap.” She turned to find Dougie standing beside her. “ Dougie, why don’t you go see if Aunt Elaine will get you a snack and you can watch some TV?”

  “Okay Mommy.” He tugged on her hand motioning for her to bend down. “And I won’t tell her you said a bad word,” he whispered.

  Allie laughed. “Thanks Buddy. You’re the best.” She gave him a quick hug and sent him on his way. She looked at her uncle who had come puffing up beside her. “Still think it’s a harmless lark now?” she asked. She brushed past him and stomped to the barn to round up Lily. She had some cows to herd back home.

  ***

  By the time Brian, who happened to be on duty to catch the call, arrived at the farm, Allie was herding the last straggler back into the field on the opposite side of the road from the buffer pasture. They would have to feed the cows hay tonight until they could fix the fence, which had indeed been cut, and return the cows back to graze on the plentiful forage in the buffer. She shooed the last cow home and expertly swung the gate shut behind it, then trotted back along the road and up the drive.

  “Whoo-hee! Look at you. I guess the city didn’t rub too much of the country girl off of you,” Brian teased.

  Allie was astride Lily, riding bareback. By the time Lily and the other horses had come ambling back to the barn in response to the ringing of the bell they used for just that purpose, another ten or so minutes had passed and the wayward cows had spread out farther along the road. Worried that a car would come along and have an accident, she had quickly rewarded the horses for returning with an apple each and then slipped the bridle over Lily’s head and jumped on without bothering to saddle up.

  Dusty and tired, Allie slipped down off Lily and stuck her tongue out at Brian. “Har-dee-har. I don’t think this is very funny, Brian Rogers.” She walked past him and led Lily back to the barn.

  After giving Lily a quick rub down, she turned her back out with the other horses, who were still milling around, hopeful of something more to eat. She smiled at them and then disappeared into the feed room, coming back with a large scoopful of oats. “Okay, I’ll give you all a treat, but no bickering. That means you Oscar.” She walked around the paddock and poured the oats out in four little piles then went back into the barn.

  By the time she returned to the house, her uncle had finished detailing all the little ‘pranks’ that had occurred over the last couple of months.

  “Well, I’m glad you called it in, Mr. Roberts,” Brian said. “This information just adds to a pattern of similar activity we’ve had calls about in the last few weeks.”

  “You mean there have been other people having the same problem?” Allie asked.

  “Yeah. Old man Arnold had his garden hose all cut up and Mrs. Pembrooke had a break-in but they didn’t take anything, just smashed in her TV. Henry Wright had sugar poured into the gas tank of his old truck.”

  Allie frowned as Brian went through the list. All the people he mentioned lived on farms or acreages in the same area as theirs. “So is it just people living out here south of town? Or have there been others elsewhere?”

  Brian rubbed his chin. “It seems to be just this side of town.”

  “Huh.” Allie looked thoughtful. “Do you have any leads?”

  “Nah, hasn’t been much to go on. I’ll head over to the buffer field and take a look, but I doubt if there will be any ‘clues’.” He air quoted on the word ‘clues’. “This isn’t like TV, you know.”

  Allie grimaced. “I know that. Come on. I’ll head over with you, provided you’re not too worried about me contaminating your ‘crime scene’.” She made a face, mimicking Brian by air quoting ‘crime scene’.

  ***

  Allie looked at the damaged fence and cursed. Just what they needed, more work. What bothered her more though, was the wash line. Not that it was such a big deal to replace, it was just that it had happened sometime that afternoon while both she and Dougie were out in the yard. How had she missed someone sneaking into the tool shed and then going through the yard to the back? And what if they had encountered Dougie? Would they have hurt him?

  Brian grimaced when she expressed her concerns. “Yeah, I had thought of all that, but didn’t want to mention it.” He frowned. “Do you think Dougie might have seen something?”

  “I don’t know. I think he would have said something, but it’s hard to tell. Do you want to talk to him?”

  “If you don’t mind.”

  “No, it’s okay.” Allie looked at the fence again and frowned. “You know, there had to have been at least two of them.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Have you ever tried to cut one of these wire fences?” She looked at Brian who shook his head, puzzled. “Well, the wires are strung so tight that if you cut them wrong, they spring back like pieces of a rubber band and you can get sliced to pieces. The best way is to have someone grip the wire in either hand pulling the wire together while the other one cuts the slack formed between the first guy’s hands. Even then, if the first guy doesn’t have a firm grip, the wire can kick back and give you a nasty cut.”

  “So maybe whoever we’re looking for has a cut or two on his arms?” Brian looked impressed. “We’re going to have to start calling you Nancy Drew,” he teased.

  Allie shrugged. “I have my moments.”

  ***

  Brian came back to the house and with Dougie sitting in the front seat of his police car, tried to ascertain if the boy had seen anything that could help. Amazingly enough, it turned out that Dougie had actually seen something that could constitute their first real clue. Two men had gone by on ATVs sometime in the afternoon and, while Dougie hadn’t noticed who was driving them - they were wearing helmets - he did notice the make and model of the ATVs.

  “Honda Rincon. Fuel-injected, 675 cc, 4 cylinder engine,” he said reverentially. “Very cool, but not as cool as Dr. Mike’s Harley Davidson Night Train soft tail.”

  “Right,” said Brian smiling. “And they stopped in front of your place?”

  “Nah, they just went past. They stopped up the road, but I couldn’t really see them, then I went inside for a nap.”

  “You sure seem to know a lot about ATVs. How do you know so much?” Brian asked, ruffling his hair affectionately.

  “Seen ‘em before.” Dougie shrugged.
“Can we turn on the siren?”

  “No, not today. But I promise to come back real soon and take you for a spin, lights and siren all the way if you want.”

  “Cool.”

  “That must have been when they came into the yard,” Allie supplied. “When we were all inside, around one, I think. I was putting Dougie down for his nap and my aunt and uncle were having a late lunch.”

  Brian looked up at Allie. She had stood beside the passenger door to listen to his conversation with Dougie. “So, where would he have seen that type of ATV before?”

  Allie grimaced. “Evan rode one out from Circle D a week or so ago.”

  Brian’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. “Well - ”

  “Yeah, interesting. Don’t you think?”

  “Now don’t go jumping to conclusions. I know you’ve had some problems with Rowdy…but that’s a pretty common make and model. I know for a fact that Nelson Motors sells them here in town.”

  “Still…” Allie shrugged.

  “Yeah, I know. Don’t worry. I’ll pay the Circle D a visit.”

  ***

  After Brian left, Allie sent Dougie back inside to finish watching his video and then went out to check on the cows. She was worried that the loose wire from the fence may have cut them. Sure enough, a couple had scratches on their legs and hindquarters. Luckily, they weren’t deep and she was able to apply an antiseptic cream and doctor them up herself. Or was that unlucky? Too bad she hadn’t needed to call the vet.

  ***

  When she came downstairs later that evening after putting Dougie to bed, she was surprised to see Tommy Bell’s truck pull up the drive, followed by Mike’s Harley.

  “Hey guys,” Allie said, as Tommy and Brian, no longer in uniform, climbed out of the truck. “What’s up?”

  “Well, I was talking to Tommy and Mike, and happened to mention that you had a fence that needed mending.” Brian shrugged.

  “Oh, you did, did you?” Allie replied. Distracted, she watched Mike as he parked his bike and pulled off his helmet. He was wearing worn black jeans and a deep blue t-shirt that stretched across his broad chest and arms. He looked positively delicious.

  “Allie, are you listening to me?” Brian asked.

  “Huh? What?” Allie blushed and looked back at Tommy and Brian. The two men were grinning obnoxiously. “Shut up.” Allie whacked Brian on the arm then looked back at Mike as he approached. “Hey Mike,” she said as casually as she could.

  “Allie,” Mike said, stepping over and giving her a peck on the cheek, which only made her blush even more. She threw a glare at Tommy and Brian, who stifled their mirth behind fake coughs. “Heard you had a bit of trouble,” Mike continued.

  “Yeah, a bit. Could have been worse, if Dougie hadn’t noticed the loose cows when he did.”

  “Well, as I was saying,” said Brian. “Since none of us know much about wire fences, I was wondering if your uncle wanted to provide the expertise and we could provide the muscle?”

  “That would be great. Thanks guys.” Allie beamed at them. It was a relief to have that job taken off her hands.

  ***

  With three strong men and her uncle’s expert advice, mending the fence didn’t take long at all. Allie was busy in the kitchen when they came in with her uncle.

  “Wow, that was quick work,” she said.

  “Did a fine job too,” replied her uncle. “Still got time to catch my show.” He grabbed a beer from the fridge. “You boys want one?”

  “Not for me thanks,” said Brian. “I should get home to Becky and the boys.”

  “None for me either,” added Tommy. “I want to get home in time to help put Michelle to bed.”

  “Well alright then. Thanks again boys, for your help.” Her uncle ambled out of the kitchen and into the living room.

  “What about you Mike? Stay for a beer?” Allie asked casually.

  “Sure, I’m not in a rush.”

  Tommy and Brian gave Allie cheeky grins. Allie scooped up a couple of white pie boxes, tied off with string, and shoved them at the two grinning men. “Well, thanks again you two. Take these fresh pies home to your wives.” She started hustling them out of the kitchen towards the veranda.

  After she said her goodbyes to Brian and Tommy, she returned to the kitchen to find Mike waiting, seated on a stool at the kitchen island surveying her work. The counter and island were lined with cooling cheesecake tarts and pies. Thanks to the double oven her aunt had installed in the kitchen a few years ago, she was able to get a lot done in a short time.

  “You’ve been busy,” Mike said, obviously impressed.

  “Yeah, it’s been a busy day. I have to get this order done for the café for tomorrow.”

  “It smells like heaven in here,” Mike replied. “Those tarts sure look fancy.” He gestured to the dozen or so finished tarts Allie had waiting on the far counter.

  “Thanks. Do you want one? I’ve got extras, as long as you don’t mind one of the rejects.” Allie showed him a plate of half a dozen, less than perfect tarts. “Although, I don’t know how well they’ll go with beer. But we’ve got ice cold milk too.”

  “Sure, milk would be great.” Mike smiled at her, grabbing a tart from the plate. “With a tart of course.”

  Allie grabbed a couple of glasses from the cupboard and poured herself and Mike a nice tall glass of milk. She handed Mike a napkin, then grabbed a tart and pulled up a stool beside him.

  Allie watched as Mike bit into the tart. His eyes widened, then closed for a second or two as he savoured the sweet, creamy treat. “Oh, wow. This is so good.” Mike grinned and licked the corner of his mouth to get a bit of strawberry topping that was stuck there, before taking another bite. Allie stared, mesmerized by his sensual mouth. When he paused to take a swig of his milk, his eyes grinning at her, Allie blinked and looked away, embarrassed at getting caught daydreaming. It was just that even his mouth was sexy. She rushed and took a bite of her own tart.

  When she dared to look at Mike again, his grin widened. “Uh, you’ve got a little something…” He gestured at the corner of his own mouth.

  Allie licked her lips, smacking them together. “That better?”

  “No,” replied Mike. With a frown, Allie reached up to wipe the corner of her mouth with her finger. She moved to suck her finger clean when Mike grabbed her wrist. Their eyes met and Mike smiled mischievously. He guided her hand to his mouth and delicately sucked the tip of her strawberry covered finger, caressing it with his tongue. Allie’s breath caught in her throat as a shiver ran down her spine. “Delicious,” Mike said with a grin. “The tart was good too.”

  Just then, the oven timer dinged. Literally saved by the bell, Allie reclaimed her hand from Mike and hopped down from her stool to get the pies out of the oven.

  “Mmm, is that a pecan pie I see?” asked Mike. “I know where I’m going for lunch tomorrow, if that pie is going to the café.

  Allie grinned. “Yes, it is. I think you must have a bit of sweet tooth, Mike Finn.”

  “Guilty as charged.” Mike put his hands up in surrender. “Although the real sweet thing I want, isn’t a pie.” He winked at Allie, who blushed and busied herself with the other pies.

  Mike watched her intently, enjoying the view. She was dressed in the short, low riding denim cut-offs she seemed to favour and a skimpy little, white v-necked t-shirt. She had a white, bib-front apron hanging from her neck and tied around her waist. Her hair was pulled back from her face and held in place with a hair band and she had flour on her cheek. She looked good enough to eat. “You know, you never did give me an answer to my question the other day,” he said.

  “Your question?” Allie looked puzzled.

  “You know, the other day in the tree house,” he replied. He watched as her eyes widened for a second and he knew she had remembered their conversation.

  “Uh, well
...you know, I should really get these tarts finished.” She abruptly turned and busied herself at the sink preparing to wash some more strawberries.

  Mike slid off his stool and came around the island to stand behind her. “You don’t have to be afraid of me, you know.” He took a step closer.

  Even though he wasn’t touching her, Allie could feel him behind her. The heat coming off him seared into her, stoking her own fires. “I…I’m not afraid of you.” Allie continued to wash the berries, not turning around.

  Mike leaned in close, his breath tickling her ear. “Then what are you afraid of?”

  “Me,” she blurted. “I’m afraid of me.”

  “What?” Mike took a step back, a confused look on his face.

  Allie turned, drying her hands on her apron, and then leaned back against the sink. “What if Rowdy is right? What if I’m a big jinx? I really like you Mike, you’re a great guy. I don’t want you to get hurt or worse.” Her words were rushed and she wrung her hands together as she said them, taking pains not to look at him. She turned back to the sink.

  Mike stood with an incredulous look on his face then burst into laughter. Allie spun back to face him, fire in her eye. “Don’t you laugh at me!”

  “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Mike put up a placating hand. “It’s just, let me get this straight. You think that you’re cursed or something and if we start dating, I’ll end up dead?”

  “Well…yeah. It sounds silly when you put it like that.” Allie grimaced and folded her arms across her chest defensively.

  Mike stepped up close and put a hand on her arm. “Allie, look at me.” He tilted her chin up. “I know you’ve had a lot of heartbreak in your life, but none of it was your fault. You aren’t responsible for the accident that took your parents, or Dougie’s father.” Allie shook her head, trying to look away to hide the moisture forming in her eyes, but Mike held her firm, his eyes fixed on hers. “I’m not making a forever promise here,” Mike continued. “I can’t see the future. But I’d like a chance to see what kind of future we could have.” He gently wiped the single tear that had escaped to trickle down her cheek. “Will you give us a chance?”