“Good Morning,” a little voice called out from the cabin to the right. “You must be my new neighbor.”
Shay turned her head to see a small framed woman with unruly white long hair sitting on the porch swing next to her smiling. She looked to be in her mid-sixties and was wearing a pair of jean knicker pants and a white t-shirt. She was holding a newspaper in her hands.
“Good Morning,” Shay said.
“I’m Sue. Susan Adkins.”
“Shay Dawson.” She said walking to the right of her porch to get a better look at the woman.
“Well, it’s very nice to meet you, honey. It’ll be nice to have another woman around to talk to.” She smiled.
“It’s really nice to meet you too Susan.”
“Call me Sue honey. Everyone does. When did you get in?”
“Yesterday, just after supper. I spent most of the night unpacking.” Shay said.
“Oh, I must have missed you. Out at the nightly bingo.” Susan laughed. “It’s going to be a hot one today I think.”
“Yes, I think so.” Shay agreed looking around the wooded area in front of her cabin. She finished her coffee and started walking to the door. “Well, it was nice to meet you. I have to get in my morning run before it gets too hot.”
Susan waved and said, “You too dear. Enjoy your day.”
Shay went inside the house and put her coffee cup in the sink. She slipped on a pair of ankle socks, sneakers and took off out the front door.
When she explored the town with Dee two months prior, Dee had shown her a few trails that led from the dirt road down by the river. The scenery was stunning, and the trails were in great shape and not too rough.
She took the dirt road which headed for the river and took a small path that trailed the riverside. She had run for at least two miles before she slowed down and rested her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath. Her chest was burning, and the sweat had already soaked through her t-shirt. She stood up taking in the sights when she heard a horse neighing in the distance. At first, she thought she heard things. But, she stood perfectly still and calmed her breathing. She listened hard, and after a heartbeat or two, she heard it again. Shay noticed another small path that was slightly overgrown and started to follow the sound.
Five minutes later the path opened up to a large flat, grassy area of land with a pretty farm house in the distance. A palomino horse barn was just off to the left of it. She walked a little further and found herself in a field with another dirt road up ahead that led closer to the house. She had just started to turn back the way she had come when she heard the sound of galloping hooves behind her. Spinning around, she saw two black horses hurtling toward her at full speed. She panicked at the sight of several hundred pounds of horses bearing down on either side of her, and she tried to jump out of the way. But, her feet twisted making her fall to the ground hard, cutting her knee on a rock that was buried in the grass.
Shit!
The horses barreled past her, paying her no mind. Shay shook her head in frustration and looked down at her knee to inspect the damage. It was bleeding quite a bit, and a small piece of skin was torn off the knee. She was about to wipe the blood with the bottom of her shirt when she noticed a shadow and looked up. Whoever it was, was standing in the shadow of the sun and she couldn’t make out any features. Only that whoever it was, was huge. She held her arm up in front of her face to shield the sun and then said, “Are those your horses? You should have them tied up. They could kill someone.”
“Get off my property!” He yelled.
Shay was taken aback by the stranger’s abruptness, but she kept her arm in a position so she could take a better look at him. His black shoulder length hair was a wavy mess of curls around his face. He looked annoyed, and his icy green emerald eyes almost cut right through her. He was wearing a pair of blue board shorts and nothing else. His chest was sprinkled with dark hair, and his abs were defined like a hard washboard. Jesus, he was gorgeous. But, still a dick.
“Are you always an asshole? Or just one with women?” Shay asked as she tried to get up off the ground. But, she lost her footing and fell unceremoniously back down in the dirt.
He only grunted and held out his hand to help her up. She thought about slapping it away but didn’t want to be a jerk too. She took it and stared at the threaded muscles in his arm as he pulled her to her feet. She noticed one solitary tattoo on the inside of his left bicep. It was a name; it said, ‘Jillian.’
“Thank you.” She said brushing the dirt and grass off her ass.
“Don’t fucking thank me. Just get off my property and stay off.” He growled and without another word started walking in the direction the horses had run.
Shay stood there in shock at his blatant rudeness and finally yelled back, “You're a fucking asshole!”
It had felt good to call him out, but she immediately regretted her actions when he whipped around and walked back to where she was standing. He purposely stepped close, invading her space. He towered over her. Shay’s heart skipped a beat and as her gaze travelled up his bare chest, past his thick corded neck to a pair of deliciously full lips. She hadn’t noticed them before in the parking lot of the diner because he had been kneeling down and his moustache and beard had covered them. But, now from her vantage point below, she could see them better through his untamed moustache and beard.
She had no idea what he was about to do when he said in a low deep voice, “This is my fucking land. Asshole or not. Get the fuck off and don’t come back.”
She stood there watching his chest rise and fall with every breath for a few seconds. Then, like the first time, he turned without another word and took off after the horses.
“You're still an asshole!” She muttered under her breath. “But a gorgeous one.” She turned around and started limping back down the trail she had come.
Chapter 5
It took Shay about twice as long to return to her cabin because she couldn’t run back. The cut had finally stopped bleeding, but the soreness in her knee made it hard to even walk. She hobbled up the steps to try to find something to clean up the cut. She didn’t have any medical supplies, but she managed to clean it with some soap and water as best she could until she picked up some bandages and antibiotic cream in town. First on her list of supplies would definitely be a first-aid kit.
She changed into a fresh set of clothes and headed down the dirt road back into town. It was a bit slow going with her bum leg, but she enjoyed the leisurely walk taking the time to appreciate her surroundings and the sounds of the birds chirping and the squirrels chittering as they scampered across the forest floor. She sent a text to Dee when she finally got a signal just after she crossed the bridge.
Shay: Can you meet me at the market in about half an hour? Need a ride home. Long story.
Dee: Sure.
Shay: Ok, I’ll be outside waiting.
The market wasn’t big by any standards, but it had a nice selection of local produce and homemade products. Shay wasn’t one to indulge, but she loved the way the orange citrus shea butter soap smelled, so she bought some. She also picked up the matching lotion and bath oil. She had the nice big claw-foot tub in her cabin so she might as well put it to good use.
Since Dee was going to give her a ride back, she decided to get more than just a few essentials. Even though it was just her, Shay loved to cook, so she made sure to stock up on spices, baking goods, wine, and plenty of meat. After she paid for her groceries, she wheeled her cart out the front door and waited for Dee. She had only been waiting for a few minutes when she heard a loud whistle and turned her head in the direction of the sound.
“Hey there beautiful,” Lucas said walking up to her.
“Hi, Lucas.” His smile was infectious, and she found herself returning the smile.
“Need a lift?” He asked looking at the groceries in her cart.
“No, I’m good. Dee is on her way to get me. But thanks fo
r the offer.”
A look of disappointment flittered across his face, but it was gone as quickly as it had come. He flashed another grin of perfect white teeth. “A few of us are heading out to Whitepoint tonight to have a few drinks. You should come.”
Shay looked at Lucas and smiled again at his persistence. He looked to be in his mid-twenties and had a smooth charm about him that would make any woman go weak in knees. He had a tiny scar at the bottom of his chin that only added to the charm. His full lips were slightly parted as he waited for her response. She watched as his tongue slid out and ran across his bottom lip when she finally looked up to his light green eyes and said, “Well, I was actually planning on going to see Dee there tonight for a little bit. She’s tending bar.”
“Well, do you need a ride? I can pick you up.” He replied in a hopeful voice.
Shay wasn’t sure what to say. She didn’t want to lead him on; however, given the status of her leg, she wasn’t looking forward to the long walk into town again. Once had been enough for today. Before she could answer, Dee pulled up in her truck. She eyed the two of them speculatively but said nothing as she hopped out of the truck and started grabbing her grocery bags from the cart and sitting them in the back of the truck.
She watched Lucas grab the last few bags and place them down on the back seat before turning to her. “So, how about I pick you up around 8pm?”
Shay watched Dee smile back at her as she climbed into the driver’s seat. Put on the spot and with no real good reason not to accept the offer she turned to Lucas and said, “Sure that sounds great. I assume you know where my place is, considering it belongs to your family?”
“Yes, ma’am.” He said revealing the deep dimples in both cheeks.
As Shay put the cart back in the corral, he walked around the front of the truck and opened the door for her. Apparently, chivalry wasn’t dead after all. She hopped in the truck and let him shut the door after her. He gave her a tiny wave before he turned and walked away. Shay pressed the button to roll down the window and stuck her head out. “Hey, Lucas.” She called out.
He turned to look back at her. “Yeah.” His smile was so expectant; Shay couldn’t help but smile back.
“Please don’t call me ma’am. You're making me feel old.” She laughed.
He let out a chuckle and walked away.
“Don’t even start,” Shay said looking at her friend as they drove off and headed back to her cabin. She could read her friend like a book, and she could tell that Dee was barely keeping it together. Shay watched as her best friend burst out in laughter and said, “Someone’s gonna get laid.”
Now it was her turn to laugh. That was definitely not happening.
They unloaded her groceries in the cabin. By the time Shay had made the trip up and down the porch steps twice with her arms full of groceries, she was ready for a break. She quickly put away the cold stuff before making her way into the living room. The rest of the groceries and supplies could wait. She limped towards the couch and sat down gingerly. Dee looked at her funny. “What’s wrong with your leg?”
Shay propped her leg up on the coffee table and rolled up her track pants. She looked down at her knee. It had started bleeding again. She must have broken it open while bringing in the groceries. “Jesus Christ.” Shay hissed. “Can you pass me the peroxide and Band-Aids? They should be in one of the bags on the counter.”
Dee hurried back into the kitchen. Shay could hear the rustle of plastic bags, and she searched for the first-aid kit. “Found it!” She hollered as she hustled back into the living room. Dee knelt down and poured some peroxide on her knee and then dabbed at it with the cloth.
“Ouch! Not so hard.” Shay said and grabbed the cloth. She hissed through clenched teeth as she began to clean the dried blood around the wound and poured more peroxide directly on it.
“What the hell happened?”
“I tripped over a damn rock when I took my run this morning. I ended up in this field that was off that path you showed me by the river. You know the one that runs by that farmhouse. I was getting ready to head back to the trail when two black horses almost trampled me to death. So I’m actually lucky this is all that happened.” She said pointing down at her knee. In all reality, it could have been a lot worse. She would be good as new in just a few days.
Dee sat in the little armchair and just shook her head. “You have the worst luck. You know that right?”
Shay just looked up at her curiously. She wasn’t sure what she was referring to.
“You ended up on Jaxson’s property.”
“Yeah, I kinda figured that out for myself. Thanks.” She scowled remembering the not so pleasant exchange. “He told me to get the fuck off his property. Those were his exact words.”
Dee laughed out loud. “Holy shit. I’ve never had the pleasure of exchanging even two words with the man, and you’ve been here less than twenty-four hours and already had two conversations with him. Lucky girl.”
“I wouldn’t call it luck so much as cursed. That asshole is lacking some serious social skills.”
“Think you can stay out of trouble for the next few hours?” Dee asked as she stood up to go. “I have to get home and get ready for work.”
“Yeah, I’ll be fine. I’m going to put away the rest of my groceries and then soak my leg in the tub for a while. I will see you later tonight.”
Shay watched Dee head to the door. “Well, now you know not to walk that trail I guess. I’ll see ya tonight.” She said as she walked out.
**
Shay had finished putting away her supplies and was indulging in an extra-long soak in the antique claw-foot tub. It was the kind with the feet that were actually carved into claws. It had a lot of character and was fast becoming one of her favorite features of the house.
She had used some of the fragrant bath oil in the water. Initially, she had worried that it would sting her cut, but surprisingly it didn’t. The essential oils provided a healing balm for the abrasion. She had been in the bath so long the water was starting to cool. That was her cue to get out. She pulled the chain on the drain and waited until most of the water had drained out before getting out.
She toweled off, careful to dab at the cut. She quickly reapplied the Neosporin and then a fresh bandage. She grabbed her favorite pair of jeans that fit like second skin and a white lace button up shirt. She may not have been interested in getting involved with anyone, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t look good.
She looked in the mirror and decided to do up one more button, or her boobs would spill out. It wasn’t her fault that she had been blessed with an ample bosom, but she didn’t think they needed to be on full display tonight. She fingered the long dark locks of her hair until she was satisfied with the way it looked. She was never one for a ton of hair spray or any kind of hair product for that matter. She loved her naturally thick hair. It was all one length, and she would always let it fall naturally around her face.
She’d never been considered classically beautiful. But she liked the way she looked. Her blue eyes were her best feature, but they were set a bit wide on her face. Her nose was too broad to be called dainty or cute, but it suited her face. She had high cheekbones and full lips that gave her a bit of an exotic look. According to her parents, she had a bit of Native American DNA coming from her great-great grandparents. She liked that it made her a bit unique, although kids had teased her a little in school about looking different, but she hadn’t cared. People always commented that she looked like an exotic beauty and they had just been jealous, especially when she had snagged the star quarterback right from under their noses. But she wasn’t going to think about Kane right now.
She dabbed on a bit of concealer to hide the dark circles under her eyes. Sleep had not come easily to her over the last year, and she was really hoping that this move would provide the rest and relaxation that she desperately needed. She pulled out a deep shade of coral lipstick and traced her fu
ll lips, so it gave them a pinker look. Next, she coated her lashes thickly with dark mascara which always made her blue eyes pop. She never wore eyeliner. She didn’t like the way it felt, and she always woke up looking like a raccoon in the morning.
Taking one more glance in the mirror, she was finally satisfied with the mostly natural look and headed out to the front porch to wait for Lucas. She shoved her I.D. and forty dollars in her jeans rather than bring her purse. She hated lugging that thing with her.
“Hi, Shay.” She heard the familiar voice of her next-door neighbor. She looked over at Sue and greeted her, “Hi Sue.”
“Why don’t you come over and join an old lady.”
She watched as Sue patted the seat next to her on the swing. Shay walked next door and up the stairs, grabbing a seat next to her.
“Would you like one?” Sue asked holding up a bay breeze.
Shay laughed and looked at her watch. She still had about twenty minutes before Lucas arrived. “Sure. I’d love one. I have a few minutes.”
She watched Sue get up and enter the house and then return with a cold bottle and handed it to her.
“Thank you,” Shay said as she twisted off the top of the fruity beverage.
“They’re my favorite,” Sue said. “They keep my ticker going.”
Shay laughed again and took a swig. “So have you lived here long?”
“All seventy-three years.” The old woman smiled.
Shay’s head twisted and examined the woman for a moment. “You’re not seventy three!” She exclaimed incredulously.
His Vengeance: Shifters of Alaska Series Book 2 Page 4