cj Sez: It’s true, books make great gifts, and here’s why:
Schneider’s Tree Service had dumped
a face cord of wood on the ground near the pines and was following the power
company truck out of the drive when Bradley Warner’s red Dodge Ram 1500 pickup
drove in. Merrill waved him in. Timing is
everything. The pickup is a surprise though. She was sure he’d be driving a
fancy sport utility vehicle or some big butt import sedan.
“Hey there! Welcome to Hobbes
House.”
“Any relation to Calvin and?”
“One and the same. My favorite
cartoon. Well, that and Charlie Brown.”
Trey dropped down out of the pickup
pointing in the direction of the pine trees. “Look. A wolf.”
Merrill saw the bushy tail of a fox
disappear into the grove of pines. “It’s a fox, Trey. He’s looking for
something to eat. Probably a field mouse in the woodpile.”
Bradley walked up with a suitcase
in each hand. “Don’t try to get too close to him, Trey. He’s a wild animal and might
bite you.”
“Your father’s right.” She took a
longer look at Bradley. Almost black hair. Clear blue eyes. A warm, broad smile
that revealed a slightly crooked front tooth. Close to six-feet tall. My gosh. I’m looking at Prince Charming.
“Foxes usually run away if you make some loud noises, but you never know for
sure. Did you have any trouble finding the place?”
“Not at all. Your good directions
and a GPS made it easy. MapQuest showed gravel and dirt roads so I brought the
pickup just in case.”
Of course, he’d have more than one
car. “Great. Let me show you around.”
“Grab your backpack, Trey.”
The boy was walking toward the
pier. “Aw, Dad. I want to see the lake.”
“We will in a minute. Let’s get our
stuff in the house first.” He turned to Merrill and spoke quietly. “It’s his
first Christmas without his mother. She’s in Atlanta. Said she wanted to spend
some alone time with her next victim.” He paused a moment. “Sorry, that was personal
pity-party shot,” he said.
Merrill’s lips parted in a little
“O,” and she hoped he didn’t notice her surprise. “Sounds like hurt to me.”
“Not for myself. For Trey.”
“A first Christmas without someone
you love is hard. Very hard.” I
understand more than you know.
Merrill walked her renters through
the cabin and saw to it that Bradley knew how to start and bank the fireplace.
“If the temperature is forecast to drop into the twenties, leave the cabinet
doors under the sinks open. Keeps the pipes from freezing. Any questions?”
“Nope, I think we’re all set.”
“I left my cell phone number on the
kitchen table if you need anything.”
“Wait, there is one thing. Is there
some place we can get a small Christmas tree and decorations to go with those
pretty lights you strung on the porch? Nice touch, by the way.”
Her face warmed at the compliment.
“There’s a Grab ’n Go Market about five minutes from here. They carry a bit of
everything you need. Go to the blacktop and turn left. You can’t miss it.” She
slipped on her green barn coat. “I’ll stack the firewood while you’re gone and
then get out of here,” she said as she pulled a pair of tan, deer-hide gloves
out of her coat pocket.
“Got a pair of gloves for me?”
After a moment’s hesitation,
Merrill smiled. “I think I can find a pair.”
He shrugged on his coat, helped
Trey into his, and followed her out. She opened the trunk of the Honda and
pulled out a pair of her father’s work gloves. “These should fit.”
Fifteen minutes into the task,
Bradley noticed Trey was no longer in sight. “Trey,” he called then blew a
shrill whistle through his teeth and frowned at the silence that followed. “He
always answers.” He whistled again.
Merrill dropped the log she was
carrying and tore off her gloves. “Maybe he’s exploring that little patch of
trees, but he couldn’t have gotten far. Do you think he might be hiding from
you?” In the back of her mind, though, the thought that the boy might be
looking for the fox put her on high alert.
Brad jogged across the drive toward
the trees with Merrill right behind him. Merrill kept yelling “Trey? Trey?” and
Brad alternated between yelling the boy’s name and whistling.
After they had searched the small
copse without finding Trey, Merrill remembered the boy’s fascination with the
lake and dread squeezed her heart with a cold hand. “Let’s check the pier.”
Then they heard the boy scream and started
running. When they rounded the corner of the house, she stopped and grabbed
Brad’s arm. “Wait!”
Crouching at the end of the pier,
teeth bared and growling, the normally shy fox looked ready to attack. Trey was
standing between the fox and the animal’s escape route.
§§
I’m a subscriber to Jane Friedman’s blog, and the following
post arrived in my email recently. If you haven’t seen it, you might find it
interesting reading.
§§
Promo courtesy of Carrie Dalby Author
And when you’ve
finished reading an anthology, we all would sure appreciate it if you’d take a
few moments to leave a brief review. Please and thank you!
§§
cj
P.S. TO ORDER a book by any
author on-line and support an indie bookstore, contact The Haunted Bookshop
here: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us
p.p.s. All of my
stories are author-graphed and waiting.
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