by Carolina Mac
“I was happy to see her, believe me. She untied me and gave me water and food and got me back on my feet. I was telling your boyfriend all about it.”
“While Misty was helping Jody,” said Farrell, “she was also recruiting him for your team.”
“What? I’m not sure I need anybody else. I’m not even sure I’m going to work anymore. Right now, I’m burnt out.”
“The Chief and I have been talking,” said Farrell. “I think he’s reconsidering your status, Gilly. One more little push and he’s going to let you come back to work.”
My heart pounded thinking about getting the job I loved back. “Do you think he’ll let me come back? He thinks I’m nuts.”
“We both know you’re not nuts, baby girl.” Farrell held me tighter and I had never felt so safe.
“Hey, Farrell.” Ardal stepped onto the patio with a Coors in his hand. “We finally made it home.” Pete trailed along behind Ardal and went for a run around our two acres of paradise.
Moonbeam was next to appear with a glass of wine in her hand. “Nice to see you again, Jody.”
“Thank you ma’am. I’m happy to be alive and kicking.”
After another round of drinks, I was sleepy and ready for bed. Moonbeam finished her wine and said goodnight to all of us and Jody took that as his cue to wander back to his house next door.
“I’m sleeping in the truck,” growled Pete.
Farrell jumped hearing the dog talk.
“Sonny is possessing Pete for the time being,” I said. “He’s calm and happy with his new status. That’s what I wanted to tell you.”
“I’ll put Pete in the truck,” said Ardal, “then I’m hitting the sack.”
Farrell and I were alone on the patio and he pulled me closer to him. “Does that mean I can move in here like we planned, Gilly?”
“It does, sugar, as long as you’re okay with the Pete/Sonny thing.”
“I have been such a mess since our plan went down the toilet. This is a huge step forward for us and I can’t tell you how happy I am at this moment.”
Farrell picked me up and carried me into the house and down the hall to my room. He laid me on the bed and locked the door.
“Finally, our honeymoon night in our new house, little girl.”
“We waited months for this, Farrell. Let’s make it super special.”
“For sure we will, Gilly. I love you, little girl.”
“I love you, Farrell.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Sunday, November 8th.
Nine Hemlock Way. Elgin.
Waking up in Farrell’s arms was a dream come true. I couldn’t believe we finally had a chance for a future together after all the terrible things that had happened to keep us apart.
I kissed his sweet face and cuddled closer to my man, not wanting to wake him up. I failed miserably in that endeavor.
He opened his blue eyes and smiled at me. “I can’t believe we’re going to make it, Gilly. I love you so much. I’ve been such a mess since this whole thing started, I can barely focus on work.”
“It’s over now. Sonny is living inside Pete and that’s the only choice he has. He has to stay in the dog or his spirit will fade away completely. He knows it and he has accepted it. If he does come out at all, it’s only for a brief period and only for a true emergency.”
“If he sleeps in his own bed in the rig, I can’t see him causing too much trouble for us. I’m okay with him living here as long as we have private time in our own room.”
“We will. I’ll set down some rules for him. Are you thinking about moving here now that things have changed for us? You must know how badly I want you to. It was our plan when we bought the property together.”
“I’ll talk to Blacky and run it by him. He won’t be in favor because he likes his family close to him. And I’d have to drive to the Agency every night to run my crew meeting and my shift with the Night Vipers.”
“There are details to work out,” I said, “but it will be worth it if we can be together.”
“I love this place,” said Farrell. “Our house and our property. I do want to live here with you, Gilly. I’d rather live in the country than in the city.”
“I told Ardal if he moved here permanently, he could bring his horse and it could live in our empty barn.”
“Ardal is thinking about leaving Coulter-Ross? I can’t picture him doing that. The kid loves the ranch and his job with the horses.”
“He hasn’t had enough time to know what he wants to do. He’s my brother and I’m the only family he has. If he wants to live here, that’s what I want, but if he’d rather stay at the ranch, I’m okay with that.”
“Is Rufin coming back on your team?”
“I don’t think so. That’s what took me so long in New Orleans. His mother was murdered and I had to help Misty find the killer. It took time.”
“You have to figure out what you’re going to do if Chief Calhoun reinstates you, little girl.”
“Uh huh. I’ll have to give that a lot of thought. I miss the Night Vipers so much but then there’s Misty’s work. She wants me to be on her team too. I don’t want to choose one over the other. I’d be happiest if I could sort of combine the two.”
“Maybe you can,” said Farrell.
“How would I do that?”
“If you had your deputy status and you took cases the Chief thought were suited to your talents, maybe that would work out.”
“I can’t see Calhoun taking me back on those terms,” I said. “He has Misty for all of his cases requiring a psychic consultant. I would be extra baggage.”
“What if you only assisted me and the Night Vipers? You could work your magick on my cases and nobody would be the wiser.” Farrell grinned liking his idea. “We could spend more time together that way.”
“Mmm…I love that idea. I don’t want to be separated from you ever again. My heart can’t take it.”
“Okay then.” Farrell stretched and got out of bed. “We’ll talk more about it over coffee. I’m going into the yard for a smoke.”
“I’m trying to quit,” I mumbled.
“Now you’re making me feel bad. I should quit too.”
I started the coffee while Farrell smoked on the patio. With the coffee maker humming, I ran out to the big rig parked around the side of the house and let Pete out of the sleeper to do his business.
“How did you sleep, Pete?”
“Fantastic. That is the world’s best bed in the sleeper. I never want to sleep anywhere else.”
“I hope I don’t forget to let you out of the truck every morning.” I laughed and Pete wasn’t amused.
He growled at me. “You won’t forget. I can bark pretty loud when I need to.”
Caw. Caw.
Zing flew down from her tree and landed on my arm.
“Are you hungry?”
“No. There’s lots to eat in our lovely yard. I love it here in Texas.”
“I’ll introduce you to Farrell. He’s family and you can trust him not to hurt you.”
“Some people don’t like crows,” said Zing.
“I don’t think Farrell is one of those people.” I strolled around to the back of the house with Zing perched on my shoulder and it felt natural. She was a sweet bird.
“Where did you get that crow, little girl?”
“She was a gift. This is Zing and she can talk. Say hello to her.”
Farrell grinned. “Never talked to a crow before. Hi, Zing.”
“Hello, Farrell.”
“She can talk. I thought you were kidding me.”
“She’ll be helpful to us in our cases. I can tell that already.” I transferred Zing to the back of one of the patio chairs and headed inside to get coffee. Moonbeam was up and dressed and bacon was sizzling in the pan.
“Morning, Moon. I was just introducing Zing to Farrell.”
“I like her,” said Moonbeam. “She has a sweet personality.”
At breakfast, Farrell and
I decided to work on the yard and spend the day outdoors. The first week of November was cool but not cold. The sun shone brightly and it was a gorgeous day for a fall cleanup. The grass was long overdue for a cut and a trim, the flower beds were weedy and the windows needed to be cleaned.
“I want to check out the garage again,” said Farrell. “I had some ideas for storage and shelving when we first bought the place and now I can’t remember what I was going to do.”
“It will be a fun relaxing day,” I said. “I’ll finish the unpacking and get rid of all the boxes.”
“I’ll make a grocery list,” said Moonbeam, “and stock the fridge and pantry.”
“That’s a job that definitely needs to be done.”
“While I’m at the store, I’ll check the pet section and see if they have any treats for birds,” said Moon. “It would be nice if we had something to offer Zing.”
I smiled. “She is sweet, isn’t she?”
Farrell rolled his eyes. “I’m more of a horse and dog guy myself.”
Sitting in the shade on the patio, enjoying our second cup of coffee, the day was shaping up to be quiet and relaxing. Just what I needed to recharge my powers and reorganize my life.
A growl came from Pete who was stretched out on the patio slabs in the sun. “What did you hear, sugar?”
Pete jumped to his feet and took off on the run around the side of the house.
I stood up, and Farrell motioned me to wait. “I’ll go see. Stay put.” He returned a couple of minutes later with Jody. Farrell pointed to a chair and offered our neighbor a cup of coffee.
“Hi, Jody. We didn’t get to discuss it last night, but I wanted to talk to you about the conversation you and Misty had about joining my team. She must have had a reason for asking you.”
He gave me his infections grin, the one with the dimple in his oh-too-cute face and said, “I have certain talents I bring to the table.”
“Which are?”
Farrell returned with the coffee and set a mug in front of Jody.
“Umm…I don’t like to talk about my private life in front of…” he tilted his head at Farrell… “mundanes.”
“Farrell realizes I have gifts that aren’t ordinary,” I said. “It’s okay to talk in front of him. He won’t rat you out.”
“Let’s just say I live alone for a reason. Not many people around here would keep my secret. That’s why I had to move from the last place I lived in Mississippi.”
“I thought you had a Mississippi accent,” I said. “I’m from West Virginia myself.”
“Lots of witches in the mountains,” said Jody. “Some more powerful than others.”
“Do you know any witches in West Virginia?”
He shook his head. “Nope. Never been there. Just a rumor I heard.”
Farrell leaned back in his chair and listened to the conversation. “What did Misty want you to do to help Gilly?” asked Farrell. “Specifically.”
“No specifics were discussed,” said Jody. “Only the team in general. Misty didn’t tell me much about what y’all were doing, only gave me a sketchy outline.”
“Okay. Every job we’ve had so far has been different from the last and we’ve had to adapt.”
“That’s one of my talents,” said Jody. “Adapting.” He laughed and took a big slurp of his coffee.
We aren’t getting anywhere.
Farrell finished his coffee and stood up. “Time for me to cut the grass. I’ve been neglecting my man chores with Gilly away for so long. I should have driven out here and done the yard work.”
“It’s November. The grass isn’t growing too fast.”
Farrell headed to the garage to get the lawnmower and Jody leaned in closer to unburden himself and tell me his deep dark secret. “I’m a shifter,” he whispered. “Not comfortable with it, but there it is. Just happens when I least expect it sometimes. Other times, stress or danger will make it happen. I live alone. I try to stay calm and let nothing rile me up.”
“Sure. I understand. It’s just part of you. The way you were born. Do you work? Have a job?”
“I was laid off from my last job and now I’m looking for work. I soon won’t be able to pay my rent and the landlord will kick me out of my house.”
“Sad story,” I said. “What else are you doing on the down-low, Jody? I’m a cop. I can tell when citizens are dirty.”
“Just making a little Mississippi shine in my basement. Not a big production. Enough to buy groceries. You ain’t gonna turn me in, are you?”
“Nope. My Daddy runs shine in the mountains. I’m not a snitch, Jody. You keep the shine business under control and you don’t have to worry about me.”
“Uh huh. I intend to.”
“I’m on a week of down time between jobs,” I said. “We’ll talk more next time Misty comes to visit me.”
He smiled. “I’d like that. She didn’t mention how much the job pays.”
“Depends on the job. I’ll let you discuss it with her.”
As soon as Jody wandered back home, I untangled the garden hose and watered the flower beds. Farrell cutting the grass and me watering the flowers was a scenario I never thought I’d see, and it made my heart pound. I was ecstatically happy. So simple, and yet it was everything I wanted.
Farrell took a break to wipe the sweat from his forehead. A blue bandana held his long blond hair back from his face, but his hair was damp and curling a little.
He walked across the grass and gave me a hug. “I’m going to talk to Blacky today and tell him I’m moving to Elgin.”
I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. “You decided?”
“Yep. I love it here and it feels like my home. We decided to buy this place together, Gilly, because we both love it. I’m going to do it.”
He ran back to finish mowing and I rushed over to the patio to tell Moonbeam. “Farrell decided to move here, Moon. I’m so happy.”
“I’m thrilled for you, Gillette. You’ve waited long enough to have a man in your life after Sonny.”
Sonny growled from under the umbrella table, “I don’t want another guy living with my wife. No way Farrell is moving in here.”
“Yes, he is, Sonny. You and Pete have a life and I deserve one too. I’m going to have a life with Farrell whether you agree with it or not.”
Snarling, Pete pounced out from under the table and snapped at my hand.
Startled, I squealed and jerked my hand back. I whacked Pete away with a swat across his muzzle. “You do that again and I’ll send you to the pound, Pete. You watch yourself.”
Moonbeam intervened. “Be reasonable, son. Let Gillette have some happiness.”
Still growling, Pete slunk away around the side of the house.
Farrell put the lawnmower away when he finished the grass and grabbed a beer from the fridge in the kitchen. Sweating, he plopped down in the shade on the patio. “That was a lot of work. I think I’ll buy a John Deere riding mower.”
“That sounds like fun. We do have two acres of grass to mow.” I inhaled a lungful of the fresh cut grass aroma. “Smells wonderful and you did a perfect job.”
Farrell glanced around at his handiwork. “Does look beautiful, doesn’t it?”
I hopped up and fetched him another Shiners.
“Thanks, babe. I have to head back to the Agency soon. I should grab a couple hours sleep before my shift tonight.”
“Definitely, you should. I don’t want you having an accident with your bike because you’re too tired to work.”
“An accident is the last thing I want now that we’re back together. Our new life is about to begin.” He finished his beer and I walked him to his truck.
Farrell held me in his arms and kissed me. A long gentle kiss. “I’m so happy we’re together, Gilly. I never gave up on us for a minute, but I admit I was pretty down and depressed the whole time you were gone.”
“I have this week off, so if you want help with anything, I’m available.”
“
I’ll see how tonight goes. Sunday nights are usually quiet in Austin.”
“Call me tomorrow when you get up.”
Farrell backed out the drive and I waved to him with tears in my eyes. This was an emotional time for me, coming home and starting fresh with the man I loved more than life. My heart was so full, I felt like flying up into Zing’s favorite tree and cawing like a crow.
Yep. I’d lost it over Farrell.
I closed the garage door and turned to go when a woman called to me from Carter’s house. “Hello, neighbor. I’m Cynthia. We just moved in next door to y’all.”
“Oh, hi. Did you rent the house from Mister Davison?”
“Yes. We moved in on the first of November.”
“Welcome to the neighborhood,” I said.
Cynthia was a tall woman—a lot taller than my five foot two—red curly hair a little on the frizzy side and a pale complexion. She was thin to the point of skinny.
“Do you live here with your parents?” she asked me.
“No. This is my house. I own it.”
She shook the red frizz at me. “That’s impossible. You’re a teenager.”
“Uh huh, my house. Gotta go.”
Zing flew down from the roof and landed on my shoulder.
Cynthia screamed. “That’s a crow. I hate crows. Crows are evil.”
“Not true. Don’t listen to her, Zing. She has no idea what she’s saying.”
I left the woman standing on the other side of the row of peony bushes that separated our two properties and ran to my own front door.
“Why are you running, dear?” I startled Moonbeam as I tore into the house and almost knocked her over.
“I met the new tenant in Carter’s house and I don’t like her, Moon. She isn’t nice and she screamed at Zing.”
“If she’s not a nice person, we won’t associate with her. This week is all about peace and quiet. I want to stock up for the future and prepare the remedies we might need. This is not the time to let negative energy interfere with our forward momentum.”
Moonbeam took a quick peek outside and locked the front door. “We’ll lock the doors and have a quiet dinner, just the two of us. Tomorrow we’ll shop and start fresh and put our lives in order.”