Willow (The Willow Series Book 1)

by Cheri Lewis

  WILLOW

  WILLOW

  Cheri Lewis

  Copyright © Cheri Lewis 2016

  Editor – Helen Taylor Andrews

  Dedicated

  To all the women who kick ass in this tough world.

  Other Titles by Cheri Lewis

  The Ultimate Series

  The Ultimate Decision

  The Ultimate Sacrifice

  Standalone Novels

  Tanked

  Lies Lost Love

  Bug

  Children’s Books

  Dog-Dog and his Motorcycle

  Beautiful Bella Receives an Invitation

  Points of Contact

  Email – Sumthenspshl@aol.com

  Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/cherilewisstoryteller

  Web - www.cherilewisbooks.com

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  CHAPTER ONE

  “Wilhelmina Matthews!” the nurse calls out to the almost full waiting room.

  I frown as I look down at the floor and push myself up out of the chair. If my leg wasn’t throbbing to the rhythm of my heartbeat and oozing blood at the moment I would correct the obviously new nurse that my name isn’t Wilhelmina. Well, legally it is, but I don’t go around advertising the name given to me at birth. Most everybody knows to call me Willow. It’s just easier. It cuts down on the jokes that make me want to hurl people into oncoming traffic. How hard was it to learn to spell your name in school? Are your parents foreign? Your parents must have really hated you. I guess I should be thankful she didn’t call out my entire name for everyone to hear.

  I hobble down the aisle ignoring all the stares and apply pressure to my wounded thigh. I look up to see the nurse holding a tablet in her hand and the door resting against her back as she holds it open for me. Her concerned and confused look doesn’t go unnoticed as her eyes dance back and forth between my face and the hand holding a bloody rag on my wound. She gives me a small smile as she scoots back further to let me pass. I go ahead and step on the scale in the hall because I know the routine. It stops on a higher number than the last time I was here and now I have another reason to frown. She motions for me to follow her and I do to the second room on the right. I contemplate asking her if I can go two rooms down, it’s my favorite room always has been. Instead I ask, “Where’s Jackie at?”

  “She’s not here today.”

  Duh… “Where is she?”

  She hugs the tablet to her body. “We’re not supposed to give out personal information.” I sigh, then turn my back to the table shifty the weight off my injured leg using my good leg to hop up on the table. “The doctor will need to get to your wound. You’ll need to take your pants off. Do you want me to see if we have any shorts that will fit you to slide on?”

  “I’m good. There isn’t much Dr. Brand hasn’t seen of me.”

  She nods as she taps on the screen. “Can you tell me how this happened?”

  “I cut it jumping over a fence.”

  “Do you remember the last time you had a tetanus shot?”

  “Last time I was here. Maybe three weeks ago.”

  I stare at the giant SpongeBob painted on the wall across from me when she asks confused, “For head lice?”

  I shake my head. “No the time before that and I didn’t have head lice, I just thought I did.”

  She continues to tap her screen and my head starts itching. Damn it. “Is there any other reason you’re here to see the doctor today?”

  “No ma’am. Just here to get patched up.”

  She sighs. “I need to update your information.”

  “Go for it.”

  “Address still the same?”

  “Yes everything is still the same.”

  “Let’s see we updated your weight to one forty-five. Height still five-eight?” She glances up and I nod trying not to get annoyed. I’m sure I’m not going to grow anymore, considering I’m twenty-nine years old. “Last day of menstrual cycle?”

  Shit… I have to think back to the case I was working at the time. “Two weeks ago,” she nods her head and continues pecking on her tablet.

  “Do you remember when you rolled over for the first time? Or when you took your first step?” then lets out a snickering laugh at her own stupid joke. “That’s all I guess.”

  She takes my vitals. “Your blood pressure is up but you’re in some pain so that’s probably it. Okay. He’ll be here in a few minutes. Go ahead and slide your pants off please,” she says as she scoots out the door shutting it behind her.

  I wince as I bend down to unlace my boots and let them drop to the floor one at the time, with a nice loud plop against the tiled floor. I slide down off the table gingerly and unbuckle my belt. When I begin to slide my pants down the fabric shifts and I hiss as it pulls the tender skin with it because some of my blood has dried and turned into glue. Once they’re down I examine my wounds. They’re not as bad as I thought they would be with as much bleeding as they’ve done. Before I’m able to get back up on the table three knocks sound at the door then it immediately opens. Dr. Brand and the new nurse stroll back in.

  “Willow, Willow, Willow… back so soon?”

  “Hey, doc. This time it wasn’t my fault really.”

  He smiles kindly at me. “It never is. Saving the world?”

  “Trying to. Where’s Jackie at today?”

  “Her son and daughter-in-law are having their baby. I’ve given her two weeks off.”

  I try not to smile when the nurse doesn’t hide her shock that the doctor just revealed personal information. “Oh. Well when you talk to her next time tell her I said congratulations.”

  “I will. I think she left something for you before she went out of town.” He turns toward the nurse. “Glenda will you check Jackie’s desk and see if there is a bag for Ms. Willow, please? Bottom right drawer if I’m not mistaken.”

  “Yes, sir. Right now?”

  “No, when we’re done.” He turns back to me. “Now let’s have a look at your leg. Lie down on the table please.”

  I hop up placing all my weight on my left hip to keep the pressure off my thigh then lie down and roll over where my cuts are facing him.

  “What fence did this?”

  “It was barb wire. I didn’t have time to cut it. So I hopped over it.”

  “How many fences did you jump? It looks like you took a razor blade to your leg.”

  “I told you Doc, I didn’t have time. I had to improvise and it took me ten trips over one fence.”

  “I’ll need to flush them out. I don’t think you need actual stitches, maybe some butterfly. You know the routine. You’ll need to keep the area clean and medicate the smaller ones.”

  “Do what you gotta do, Doc.”

  I lie my head on my folded arms as he works on my leg. I wouldn’t know Glenda was even in the room if he didn’t talk to her every few minutes needing something. After the first shot I don’t feel any more pain. But I do feel the pinch and burn when he gives me a big shot of antibiotics in my hip.

  “Okay, Willow. You’re good to go.” I turn over and sit up. “No more jumping fences.”

  “I can promise you that it won’t happen again today.”

  “I guess that’ll have to do.” He reaches up and pats my shoulder. “Get dressed and please be careful. You know how I feel about you doing what you do.”

  “I know. But look at it this way- it gives me an excuse to come see you.”

  “You can come visit anytime you want. No injury required.”
<
br />   I smile. “Thanks.”

  I hobble out of the doctor’s office with a bill in one hand and a large brown paper sack in the other. I open to door to my truck and set them both on the center console then climb in. Without looking into the bag I reach down and pull out the box of oatmeal cream pies. It never fails. She knows my favorite. I sit in the parking lot watching people come and go as I eat my pie. When I’m done I throw the plastic wrapper back into the bag and head back to my office.

  My office is on Omega Street. One block off Oak that runs straight through the heart of Brooksfield. It’s a small two bedroom house that the original owners sold when the city started building up around it. All the businesses on my side of Omega Street are small houses and they’re linked together by a concrete walkway. It looks a little funny having them all connected together but it works. I can’t tell you how many female clients I’ve had leave me and go three business down to the nail salon.

  Across the street is a strip mall a developer built before I moved in. My office has been renovated several times over the years to meet the various needs of the business it held at the time. But now I own it and I haven’t made any changes to it other than take down the sign of the last occupiers, Dan the Man Pest Control, and replaced it with mine.

  I have a small front lobby that holds a desk where I sit when interviewing clients. I use the far bedroom as a crash/storage site. If I’ve been out all night and can’t make it home I have an old comfortable couch I pass out on. I also have four file cabinets lined up on the opposite wall with old case files I haven’t moved to the attic yet. The other bedroom is an empty office. Nothing but closed blinds hanging over the windows in that room.

  When I arrive I can hear the whimpering before I make it to the front door. I unlock the door and know I’m in trouble as a yelp sounds from behind it. I stick my head inside and I see the white back end of a puppy scurrying away. “Now how did you get out? Come here boy… or girl. Whatever you are. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

  I toss everything I was carrying into the chair that sits inside the door and go after the puppy. It’s sitting in the hallway with her head cowered. I bend down and scoop it up making sure to give it extra attention. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. You shouldn’t have been out. If you’d have stayed with your brothers and sisters it wouldn’t have happened.” I place it back in the tall box I put in the small spare empty office and check to make sure they still have plenty of food and water. “Your momma will be here shortly,” I say to them as I give them a quick pet on their heads.

  I pull my cell phone from pocket and hit the last number that had called me. “Willow?”

  “That’s me.”

  “Were you able to find Steve?”

  “I never saw Steve but I did locate your babies.”

  “I knew that rat bastard took them. This was personal and I don’t want to get him in trouble. Don’t bother calling the police. I’ll have my dad go out there with me and get them back.”

  “There’s no need. I got them.”

  “You have them?” she replies completely stunned.

  I smile. “Yep. I got all five.”

  “Are they okay?”

  “They’re ready to see their momma.”

  “Thank you, Willow. Thank you, so much. I’ll be there in about an hour.”

  The phone line goes dead. I’m tired and really want to lie down but I need to change and get her bill ready. I go to the back and pull out my spare pair of pants I keep here for all my ‘just in case’ accidents. It seems they get rotated out weekly now. I pull off the pair I’m wearing and inspect all the holes in the fabric then throw them to the side. I’ll have to see if Mrs. Mary will sew them for me. I hear the pitter-patter of toenails on the floor getting closer to me by the second. The same puppy from earlier appears wagging its tail. “You’re one determined doggy. I’ll give you that.” I rub my thigh and can feel the heat through the bandage even though the entire area is dead. I slide my new pants on then turn to go back to my office. The puppy sits in the doorway watching me with its pink tongue hanging out of its mouth. “If I put you back in the box you’re just going to get right back out again aren’t you?” It’s staring at me is its only response. “Do you promise not to pee or poop in my floor?” Still no response. I sigh and walk past it to my desk. When I sit down it comes and lies by my feet.

  I hit the button on my computer. It beeps and the fan kicks on. I drum my fingers on the desk while it powers up. A figure passes by my front window. I enter my password into the computer and notice the figure walks back by slower this time. The front door opens and a tall slender woman wearing an oversized coat, sunglasses walks in and in this Alabama heat I know that’s a disguise so people won’t know she’s here. I really want to roll my eyes but she’s a potential client so I don’t. The puppy sits up beside my leg but doesn’t bark. It peeks around the corner of the desk and seems to be checking her outfit out like I am.

  “I’m looking for Willow Matthews.”

  “You found her.”

  She begins sobbing uncontrollably and I know she’s here to hire me to catch her husband cheating. I give her as much of a sympathetic look as I can muster up then grab the box of tissues off my desk pushing them toward her. I motion for her to take a seat and she does.

  “I’m sorry,” she says though her tears.

  “It’s okay. Take your time. When you’re ready, you tell me what you need me to do.”

  After another thirty seconds of bawling her eyes out she stammers, “Do you have a restroom?” I point down the hallway. She stands, and walks in that direction.

  While she’s in the bathroom I begin entering the hours I logged working the stolen puppies’ case. I add in my doctors’ bill and type in the thousand dollar reward she was offering for their return. I backspace it off the bill and hope she’ll still honor the reward. Maybe she’ll pay that reward in cash also… damn taxes. After several minutes pass I begin to wonder about the woman. I stand up from the chair and walk to the bathroom to make sure she’s okay. The door is wide open. What in the world? I peek into the spare office where the puppies are and see the woman climbing out of the window. “What the hell?”

  I glance down at the puppies and there’s only two left in the box. She played me. Shaking my head I run back to my desk. I feel the bandages pull on my leg. I grab my taser from the top desk drawer. Once outside I see the woman has a car door open as she pushes one of the puppies inside a large kennel in her backseat. When she turns back I have the taser aimed toward her and she stops placing her hands in the air. I ask, “Now, just what in the hell do you think you’re doing?”

  “I—I—”

  “What’s going on here?”

  I keep the gun aimed on the puppy thief and glance back at Jessica, the owner of the puppies. I know an hour hasn’t passed already. I lower the taser and stick it in my pocket. I pull out my cellphone and take a picture of the woman standing beside the puppies that have now been stolen twice making sure to get her license plate number. “I’m only saying this once. I want those puppies back inside in about thirty seconds. And you take them in the same way you brought them out.” The woman’s jaw drops. “I could always call the police.” The woman turns and begins pulling the puppies out of the kennel. I look toward Jessica. “You. Inside. Right now.”

  She eyes me and she opens her mouth to say something but she must decide against it. She turns and starts up the walkway to the front door of my office. I turn back to the thief who now has a puppy in her arms trudging back toward my building. I frown when she reaches the window she slipped through. I let her crawl through then I walk to the outside of it and wait for her to come back out. She slips a leg back out then her thin upper body follows. She gasps when she stands upright and I’m standing right there. “I know who you are. I have proof of what you’ve done. You should be ashamed of yourself. How’d you know I had them?”

  I see everything I need to written all over her face. I turn lea
ving her standing there. I don’t look back to make sure she’s doing what she’s supposed to but I watch the reflection in the window as I pass by and I see the woman shoulders slouched over as she’s walking back to her vehicle. Idiot. I stop as I’m opening the door to my office and yell, “Don’t forget to close the window back.”

  I don’t wait for a response and enter the building. Jessica is sitting at the desk in the front lobby. I sit down and wince when my stitches pull and it adds fuel to the fire. I click the mouse making the screen saver disappear and type back in the thousand dollar bonus for finding the puppies, then hit print. She hasn’t said a word and neither have I. I stare at her as I wait for the invoice to print. She can’t hide her guilt in this scheme. When I slide the invoice across the desk toward her she doesn’t even look at the bottom line. She pulls a credit card out of her purse. I point to the wall where a piece of paper hangs by tape stating there’s a two and a half percent fee charged on all credit card charges. Most of the time I don’t charge people. But her, she’s not getting out of here without feeling the fire and I’m going to burn her ass. I hand back her credit card and the receipt. After she signs it I lean forward with my arms against the desk. “Now that we’ve got this taken care of we have more to discuss. This credit card charge better not be reported as fraud. I have all the proof I need to go to the police and tell them that this was all a stunt to get sales. Pull at people’s heartstrings. Awe those poor pitiful puppies were stolen and found. I have to have one. Free advertisement. You’re despicable. And stealing them twice so you don’t have to pay me? Stupid. Such a stupid, stupid move. But I’ve thought about it and the puppies are healthy and well taken care of. Otherwise you wouldn’t be getting them back.” She looks down at the floor in front of her, when I call her name she looks back up. “Jessica, don’t ever do something like this again. You can best believe I’ll be watching.”

  I stand gingerly from my chair and try not to walk with a limp to the bedroom where the puppies are. Jessica arrives two steps behind me. “There were five. How many did…”