by Erin Marsh
Abby adjusted the pup in her arms and stared down at his sleepy face. “Do you approve, Perseus?” The wolf exhaled contentedly, his little torso expanding with the effort. Abby giggled. “I think you picked the right ones.”
Zach’s shy grin touched Lacey’s heart. In his smile, she could see his confidence battling against a lifetime of insecurity. He didn’t need saving so much as he needed a platform where he could shine. She wondered if his uncle fully understood that. Maybe Clay was trying too hard to change his nephew instead of working to build up his existing character.
Lacey sat in the corner of the room as the two teenagers chatted with the wolf pups sleeping in their laps. Letting her eyes flutter shut, she allowed herself to zone out. Clay was right. She did need to make an appointment with a neurologist. She didn’t feel right, and overall, her symptoms weren’t improving on their own. Luckily, just closing her eyes and disengaging for a few minutes gave her a little boost.
About half an hour later, Abby excused herself to go do homework. Lacey picked herself off the floor and headed over to Zach. He was quiet as he watched the wolf in his lap.
“How are you keeping up with school with working here every evening and on the weekends?” Lacey asked.
Zach lifted his shoulders and let them drop. “I’ve never been a good student.”
“That surprises me.”
Zach’s head whipped up. “Seriously? Me? You think someone like me would get As?”
“I don’t see why not,” Lacey said. “You’re smart and hard-working.”
“That’s not me.”
“Hasn’t anyone ever told you that before?”
Zach gave her a look that informed her that he seriously doubted her intelligence. It was another expression teenagers had perfected for centuries, and Zach was no exception. Luckily, she had plenty of experience dealing with exasperated adolescents being dragged by their families on outdoor vacations when they just wanted to spend their summer playing computer games and watching YouTube.
“I’m sure your uncle has said something similar.”
Zach rolled his eyes. “Yeah,” he said and then deepened his voice. “Zach, you’re too smart for this.”
“He’s probably right,” Lacey said gently. She expected him to glare, but he kept petting the wolf pup. She wondered what expectations he had for himself. “Did you ever think about working with animals when you grow up?”
“You mean be a rancher like my uncle?” Zach asked. “That’s not really my thing.”
“What is your thing?”
Silence. The teenager kept his gaze trained on Theseus, and Lacey had her answer. He didn’t have plans for the future. At fourteen, he shouldn’t have his life planned out, but he should have some vague desires of what adulthood might hold.
“I didn’t necessarily mean ranching,” Lacey said. “There are a lot of careers out there that involve working with critters. There’s mine. I’m an ecologist at the national park. Bowie is another good example, and so is Lou.”
“Yeah, right. Me, a vet.”
“You have a natural affinity with wildlife,” Lacey told him. “I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it.”
Quiet descended. Lacey sensed Zach was at least considering her words. She stopped pushing. She couldn’t expect a breakthrough in one conversation. But she’d planted a seed she hoped would blossom into a dream, because every kid needed one.
To her surprise, it was Zach who broke the stillness. “Did you and my uncle have another fight?”
His insight startled Lacey. “I’m not sure I understand your question.”
“You guys seemed weird in the truck today. I mean, you always seem weird. But you were, I don’t know, weirder.”
“And you say you’re not smart,” Lacey muttered under her breath.
Unfortunately, Zach heard her. His face broke into a triumphant smile. “So I was right.”
“Did anyone ever tell you that your hearing is better than a greater wax moth’s?”
Zach screwed up his face. “Uh, no. Is that a good thing?”
Lacey laughed. “They’re supposed to have the best audition out of all animals.”
“Audition means hearing?”
Lacey nodded.
“What do they loo—” Zach shook his head in the middle of his sentence. “Hey, you’re trying to distract me!”
“That could be the plan,” Lacey said.
“But that’s my trick,” Zach said, giving her a look of newfound respect, “and you almost got me.”
“I’m a professional when it comes to distractions.” She’d had to be for her mother after the deaths of her father and brother.
“So am I, but your technique is subtler.”
“I don’t like drama,” Lacey said. “Simpler is easier.”
The teenager shrugged. “I don’t know. Sometimes you have to create a little trouble to avoid bigger shit.”
“Language, Zach. Language.”
“So are you and my uncle fighting about the wolf pack again? I heard there were some on his property.”
It didn’t escape Lacey’s notice that Zach referred to the ranch as only Clay’s instead of using the pronoun our like most kids would when describing where they lived. It told Lacey that either Zach didn’t consider Valhalla his home…or he expected Clay would kick him out sooner or later. She decided not to touch the issue for now.
“Are you trying to distract me from your swearing?”
“Not really,” Zach said. “I’m just trying to get the conversation back to where I want it.”
Lacey sighed, realizing Zach wouldn’t give up easily. “Your uncle and I aren’t currently arguing over the lobos. The situation between us is complicated.”
“Because of what my grandfather did to this town?”
“You know about it?” Lacey asked. Zach would have been fairly young at the time of the scandal. She didn’t know how much his family had shielded him from his grandfather’s arrest and subsequent imprisonment.
“A little. Your grandfather mentioned it the other day at your house, and I’d heard other shit—” Zach broke off at her sharp look and started over. “I’d heard stuff growing up, but I didn’t know he’d screwed over an entire town until I moved here. It didn’t take me long to figure it out. Kids kept picking fights, and the teachers didn’t give a sh—crap and blamed me. Which I guess wasn’t too different from my old school, but they seemed smug about it. Uncle Clay doesn’t get punched in the face, but you can tell everybody wants to slug him.”
“I’m sorry about that, Zach. That isn’t fair to you or your uncle.”
Again, Zach lifted his shoulders and let them drop. He’d returned his attention back to the lobo in his lap. “When your whole family’s been in and out of prison, you get used to it.”
Lacey didn’t know exactly why Zach had chosen to open up to her. He seemed like a bivalve mollusk, keeping his shell tightly shut and sealing off his hurts with a multitude of protective layers. But the teen needed someone, and from the little Clay had said, she didn’t think Zach confided in his uncle. The boy was smart enough to realize Lacey had saved him from a long stint in juvenile detention. Whatever the reason, she knew she couldn’t follow through with her natural instincts and push him away. He deserved to find an adult he could trust. If he chose her, she wouldn’t abandon him.
“How much did your family lose in my grandfather’s con?” Zach asked quietly, his attention still focused on the wolf in his arms.
Lacey paused, unsure of how much she should burden the teenager with the old, unhealed hurts.
Zach looked up, his blue eyes dark. “You can tell me the truth. It’s funny when adults try to protect me when I’ve seen shit most of them never will.”
The kid had voluntarily revealed himself to her. She wouldn’t insult him by not doing the same
. “My family owns the Prairie Dog Café.”
“Yeah, I know it. I’ve been there once or twice. People kinda looked at me funny, so I stopped going. I asked Clay about it, and he said it was probably best if I didn’t go there anymore. He wasn’t real clear, but he mumbled something about my grandfather.”
“Years ago, your grandparents owned a big house close to the ski resort. They’d fly in during the winter for a couple weeks, but they mostly lived in New York.”
“Yeah, they were loaded. My grandmother still is. She married some wealthy guy when my grandfather went to jail. She doesn’t want anything to do with me. My other grandmother is poor, like really poor. After her house got foreclosed on, we kept getting evicted from our rentals.”
“How did your parents meet?”
“Some party in New York. My mom ran away from home to be a model. She found more drugs instead. When she got knocked up with me, we lived in shitty apartments in New York for a while. Then when my dad went to jail for the first time, she moved back to Ohio.”
“That must have been hard for you.”
Zach’s mouth twitched, but he didn’t comment. Instead, he changed the subject. “So what shit did my grandfather pull?”
“Stuff,” Lacey corrected gently.
“Huh?”
“What stuff did he pull.”
Zach rolled his eyes, and he said with an exaggerated tone, “Okay, what stuff did he pull?”
“He and his wife never spent much time in town during their visits, but suddenly, he became a fixture. He frequented the Prairie Dog a lot. My dad was thinking about expanding our operations. He’d grown up on a ranch next to your uncle’s, and he thought maybe our family could run a chuckwagon-style restaurant in the summers. But he didn’t have a lot of capital, and he didn’t like the idea of taking out a loan since he needed to educate my brother and me. So when Trent Stevens started talking about a sure investment that could double or triple in value, my dad listened.”
Zach’s eyes widened. “Crap. How much did he invest?”
“All of my parents’ savings. Trent didn’t give him a lot of time to think, so my dad didn’t check with my mom. When the pyramid scheme collapsed, we were the hardest hit in Sagebrush. We lost everything but the Prairie Dog, and back then, we didn’t even know if we’d manage to hold onto it.”
Zach winced. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault,” Lacey said. “I don’t want you to feel bad, but you wanted the truth, and since you’ve faced some of the fallout, I think you deserve to know.”
“How did your dad handle it? Did your mom get real mad at him?”
Lacey paused. This was the hard part. “My dad died of a heart attack right after he received the news.”
Zach’s eyes widened. “Fuck.”
“Word choice.”
“You can’t tell me that doesn’t warrant a fuck.”
It did, but she wouldn’t concede that point. She gave the teenager a hard stare.
He sighed and said, “That had to suck for your family.”
“It was a difficult time,” Lacey said. Zach’s words might not be poetic, but they were heartfelt.
“So that’s why things are off between you and my uncle?”
“Not exactly,” Lacey said. “Like I said, I don’t blame you or your uncle for your past.”
Triumphant understanding zapped across Zach’s face. “But your family does. You’re fu—freaking Romeo and Juliet.”
Lacey knew she shouldn’t encourage the reference to star-crossed lovers, but she couldn’t stop the soft smile stretching across her face. “Zach, I think you’re more well read than you let on.”
“Everyone knows that reference. It’s not like I said Tristan and Isolde.” He gave her a cocky teenage grin. Unlike when he’d mentioned Greek mythology, the second literary reference hadn’t been a mistake. He wanted her to know she’d been right about his intelligence, but he wasn’t completely ready to admit it aloud.
“Okay. You’re right. Our families are a bit like the Montagues and the Capulets.” Lacey didn’t want to tell the kid he was more accurate than he knew with his references to the Bard’s tragedies. Their families’ intertwined past did contain one other death. But she didn’t want to dump her brother’s increasingly risky behavior and fatal accident on an already vulnerable fourteen-year-old.
“But you’re not angry at me?” Zach asked. He said the words quietly. Although she’d already made the point clear, she knew he wanted reassurance.
“No, Zach, not at all.”
Clay didn’t deserve being coupled to his father’s crimes either, but in the opinion of her mother and grandfather, he was just another link welded to the Stevens family chain—a chain that had choked and nearly suffocated the town of Sagebrush Flats. And even without that unbreakable connection, she doubted a relationship between the two of them would work.
True, Clay cared about his land. He might even have a soft spot for birds and smaller mammals. But he’d never understand, never accept, her love for wolves. And how could she ever form a lasting relationship with a man who actively fought against her life’s work?
* * *
Scamp would’ve chittered happily as the Blue-Eyed One chased him, but his mouth was full of a shiny, slippery substance. The silvery flash had first attracted Scamp’s attention as he’d watched the Blue-Eyed One shovel pieces of bread and a hunk of meat into his mouth. The unopened bag had sat beside the biped on the bench where he’d been taking a break from digging fence holes. Scamp had seized the opportunity. He’d given the object one quick shake to attract notice before he’d scurried away. He’d selected wisely. Although hard to grip, the material crunched most delightfully.
“Hey, that’s part of my dinner!”
Scamp ignored the human’s distressed cry. He could hear the Blue-Eyed One’s footsteps pound behind him. For a biped, he could run fast. Not quick enough to catch Scamp, but speedy enough to make things interesting.
Scamp rounded a corner and saw the young female human walking toward the llama shed. Although the Gray-Eyed One brought him honey-covered larvae, she did not interest him as much as the juvenile male. She did not have enough honey badger in her, but the Blue-Eyed One…he had plenty.
Scamp darted between her legs. She gasped and bent down to catch him, but her fingers didn’t even scrape against his fur. He would have made a sound of triumph, but he didn’t want to risk losing his prize. He continued his forward dash until he heard new sounds…the clatter of spraying gravel, a high-pitched squeal, and a lower ooof.
Turning, Scamp spotted the Blue-Eyed One doubled over the Gray-Eyed One. His arms were wrapped around her middle in a clear attempt to prevent himself from knocking her to the ground. When they both managed to retain their balance, they straightened. The Gray-Eyed One was giggling, but the Blue-Eyed One’s face had turned an interesting shade of red. Scamp tilted his head. He had not known a biped’s skin could change colors.
“Are you okay?” The sounds the Blue-Eyed One made had a huffy quality and a higher pitch than normal. “I’m sorry I almost took you out. I was chasing Scamp.”
The female biped responded with chatter of her own. “I know. He zipped right under me.”
“You’re not hurt? I slammed into you pretty hard.” The biped didn’t take as many gulps of air when he spoke, but his voice still seemed off. It reminded Scamp of how his mother chittered when she had trouble locating him or when he was about to take a dangerous tumble.
“You caught me before my head hit the ground. I’m good.” The female’s lips curled up, and Scamp could see her white teeth. They were not sharp like a honey badger’s. The sight did not impress Scamp, but the dark pink in the Blue-Eyed One’s face had spread to his neck.
“Um, uh, I better try to catch him.” The male rubbed his upper arms. Scamp had never seen a human do
that.
“I’ll help.”
“Okay.”
Both bipeds charged after him. Scamp felt a thrill. This would be fun. As he dashed forward, he looked over his shoulder and saw the Blue-Eyed One glance at the Gray-Eyed One when her head was turned. Something in his expression caused Scamp to slow his pace. When the male dove in his direction, Scamp didn’t dart out of his grasp. Oh, he wriggled his body and twisted his neck, but he didn’t jerk out of the Blue-Eyed One’s hands.
“Wow!” The female made an excited chitter, her gray eyes bright. “I don’t think anyone’s ever caught Scamp before.”
The Blue-Eyed One’s chest puffed out against Scamp. The young male talked a little longer to the female before he carried Scamp back to the enclosure. Before he released him, he made a low, quiet sound. “Thanks, buddy.”
Chapter 6
“You don’t look well, sweetie,” Lacey’s mom said as they walked through the zoo two weeks later. “You’re pale, and the skin around your eyes is pinched like you’re in pain.”
Lacey’s head did ache a little from the bright sun…not that she would admit it. Her mother worried. A lot. Lacey didn’t blame her. After all, she’d lost half her family in less than six soul-crushing months. They’d clung to each other for support during the aftermath of the tragedy. Although Lacey had been daddy’s little girl, she’d always had a great relationship with her mother too. When they’d only had each other, they’d grown closer…but also further apart. Lacey had learned then to hide things from her mother. Not big things. Just small things that would upset her. Like getting a ride from her teenage friends instead of being chauffeured by a parent. Or hiking by herself in Rocky Ridge. Or hiding the extent of her current headaches.
“I’m fine, Mom,” Lacey said.
“I think you should see a doctor.”
Just then, Lulubelle, the camel, came tripping over to see them. As always, she thrust her neck over the fence, eager for a pat. When Lacey’s mom didn’t respond immediately, the animal peeled back her large lips and made raspberry sounds.
Lacey’s mom laughed, bright and easy. A bystander wouldn’t know how hard-earned the sound was. There’d been a stretch when Lacey had worried her mother would never again find a steady, solid happiness. But both of them had found their peace. Lacey’s was Rocky Ridge and the wolf pack. Her mom’s was the Prairie Dog Café and her customers.