Shifters Hallows Eve

by Lori King

  God only knows what Free was going to tell Buck, and she couldn’t bear to see his disappointment. She really liked Buck and thought of him as a friend. Cleaning up the kitchen, Bloom made a batch of chocolate chip cookies. Homemade-style, like her mother taught her. Who was she fooling? She had about a hair’s chance of getting any secrets from this man, but she had to try.

  As usual, Buck was already in the office. She left the cookies outside in the Tupperware dish while she walked inside. “Good morning, Buck.”

  Looking up from the computer and smiling, Buck answered, “Morning. You look one hundred percent better. Ready to get started?”

  “I was thinking about something, and wanted to go out and check the property. Can I borrow the Mule for a while? I won’t be long,” Bloom asked.

  “Bloom, you own that Mule and everything on this property. You don’t have to ask for permission. The keys are always here if you want to go on a ride. Please be careful. I can go with you if you want me to.” Buck stood up.

  “No.” Clearing her throat, Bloom took it from a different angle. “I would like to do this myself. I need to learn and this is just a small step, but I want to do this alone. I hope you understand?”

  “Of course I do. Here…” Buck walked over to the wall and pulled the keys down and handed them to her. “Remember how I showed you to work it.” Buck winked. “You will be just fine. I’ll see you in a few.”

  “Thank you, Buck.” She turned around to leave and stopped at the door. “Buck.” She waited until he looked back up at her. “Thank you for everything.” She meant that. The man had been kind to her from the moment he met her. Bloom didn’t give him a chance to answer and walked out the door, picking her cookies up as she left.

  She couldn’t believe how free she felt bumping across the field. Putting a smile on her face, Bloom got off the Mule and took her cookies with her to the front door. She took a deep breath and knocked on the door. What she didn’t expect was the front door being jerked open and a shotgun pointed in her face.

  “You are trespassing on my property,” David Wright spat out.

  Bloom was frozen. Her hands went straight up in the air, with the Tupperware container in one of them.

  “What you got there in that container, poison?”

  “No, sir – chocolate chip cookies.”

  “Did you lace them with poison?”

  “No, sir, but I did put extra chocolate chips in them, like my momma taught me.”

  “Oh, well…why are you trespassing on my property then?”

  “I was coming to be neighborly and introduce myself like I was raised to do. I was bringing you some cookies, because I thought you would like to sit down and talk. I don’t know many people here. I live over there in Scott Manor and you are my closest neighbor.” Boy, that was a mouthful. David Wright lowered the shotgun.

  “Well, I guess you can come in.” He pushed the screen door open so she could walk in.

  She hesitated, and then lowered her hands pulling the Tupperware bowl to her chest, and walked inside. Glancing around the room, she noticed certificates and trophies on a shelf. She tried to see what the awards were for, but Mr. Wright stormed past her. She looked away and followed him to the kitchen. An old round kitchen table was in the center of the room and flower wallpaper was on the wall. Goodness, she thought: she was back in the fifties.

  “You can sit there.” Mr. Wright pointed at the table and chairs.

  “Thank you.” She watched as he went over to the sea green cabinets and took out two small plates and glasses.

  “All I have is milk, from Betsey.” He watched her like a hawk, waiting for her reaction.

  “Milk would be great. It’s the only thing you should drink when eating cookies.” He seemed okay with that answer. Pouring the milk in a glass, he sat down and pushed the glass toward her. She had never had unpasteurized milk, straight from a cow before. Even if she didn’t like it, she wouldn’t dare show it. He sat down and waited for her to take a sip. This was it. She had to do this. Putting the glass to her lips, she took a drink and waited until the taste hit her palate, praying that she didn’t spit it at him. “Wow!” Bloom took another drink and savored the clean taste of fresh milk. “You can definitely taste the difference. It’s fresher; clean tasting. Not processed like most products now.”

  “You can’t get fresher than straight from the cow to your table,” Mr. Wright added.

  When he stared down at the Tupperware bowl, she got the hint. “Oh, I’m sorry. Here, these are for you.” She took the lid off and the fresh scent of chocolate hit her nose. She had to inhale and smile because it reminded her of sitting in her mom’s kitchen, watching her pull the cookies out of the oven. When she opened her eyes, Mr. Wright was staring at her.

  “Sorry, the smell reminded me of someone.” Bloom took a bite and then another. Again she looked up to find Mr. Wright staring.

  “Who does it remind you of?”

  Bloom smiled. Not one person had asked her about her parents since they died. “My mom. She died five months ago in a car crash. My dad was with her, and he was killed, too. Then I found out that I had a grandmother and that she had also died, and left me Scott Manor in her will.” Glancing up at him, she asked, “Did you know my grandmother? Rose Scott?”

  Taking a bite of his cookie, Mr. Wright just nodded. “My dad never talked about her, just said that he had said some things that he couldn’t take back, and that his mom wouldn’t forgive him. He pretty much shut me down from finding out anything else. I didn’t ask and he never offered, but everyone seemed to like her.”

  They sat in silence eating cookies until he finally spoke. “You know nothing about farming, do you?”

  Bloom laughed. “It shows that much? I never knew how much it took to really grow crops. There is a lot more to it than just sticking some plants in the ground, but I’m learning. Buck has showed me a lot, but I still have a lot to learn.”

  “Bet he don’t know how to grow strawberries,” Mr. Wright said, drinking a sip from his glass.

  Bloom laughed. “Now how would you know that?”

  “People talk.”

  “Why did you pull a shotgun on me? Do I look like someone who would cause you harm?”

  “No, you don’t, but I thought you were one of them,” he answered.

  “One of who?” Bloom asked.

  “The wolves. The shifters. But you’re not. You’re partners with one. I remember your dad. He was a good man.” Bloom just sat there with her mouth open. The man was crazy.

  “You believe in shifters, and you believe that Buck and Free are wolf shifters?” Bloom asked, concerned now. Maybe he was crazy.

  “You haven’t noticed anything funny, have you?”

  Bloom snorted. “Only that I have ghosts in my house and apparently they want me to leave.”

  “Of course the house has ghosts. Your grandmother died in the house and she loved this land. But I don’t think she would mean you any harm.”

  “Maybe not, but one of the ghosts wants me to leave.”

  “Maybe it’s not a ghost,” Mr. Wright answered.

  “Maybe. Mr. Wright, have you ever grown strawberries before on your land here?” Bloom asked, changing the subject.

  “Of course I have. Still do, just not like I did before.” Mr. Wright got up. “Come in here with me.” Bloom got up and followed him to the living room. Beside the fireplace was a small table with pictures. He pointed at one that was in black and white. “That’s me and my wife, thirty-eight years ago.” Bloom smiled.

  “She was very pretty.”

  “See that crop behind us?”

  Bloom pulled the picture closer. “Yes, sir. Wow, those are strawberry plants?” She stared at the photo. “Look how big they are.”

  “Of course they are. We won the State Fair fifteen times with my strawberry crops. But after Mary died, it didn’t mean anything to me anymore.” Bloom watched as Mr. Wright gazed at his wife’s picture.

  “
Mr. Wright, would you help me? I want to show everyone that I can do this. I know that you don’t want to anymore because of Mary, but…” Bloom hated that she sounded like a total bitch. The man just told her that he couldn’t do it anymore because it hurt too much. She put her hand on his arm. “Never mind. I’ll figure it out. But if you don’t mind, I would like to come visit again. Neighbors should talk and we are neighbors. I do make a mean oatmeal cookie, too.”

  Mr. Wright smiled for the first time then it quickly went away. “That sounds good.” She walked back to the kitchen and rinsed her glass out and put it on the dish rack.

  “Now you save some of those cookies for dessert, and I will see you soon,” Bloom said with a smile. The man never said anything more, but walked to the door and opened it for her.

  “Bye,” Bloom said and walked out the door. The door was closed before she even took a step, but deep down she knew he had enjoyed her visit. Walking down the steps, she realized that Mr. Wright’s property needed a lot of work done on it. He needed the grass cut and his fence looked like it needed to be repaired. Part of it was already leaning toward the ground. When neighbors needed help, they did it without being asked. She would do that for him.

  Bloom jumped on the Mule and started for home. She loved this. The clean air, no smog—unless you count the cow manure, but even that was good because it meant she was on her property.

  As she drove up to the barn, she noticed a few kids standing off to the side. None of them smiled; just stared at her. When she threw her hand up and waved, they turned their heads and continued with their work. What the hell was that all about?

  Bloom parked the Mule and covered it back up. Then she went to the office door and stopped. She heard her name being mentioned. Free and Buck were arguing. “Are you crazy, Free? What were you thinking?”

  “She doesn’t know yet.” She heard Free mutter, then all the talking stopped. She took a deep breath and opened the door.

  “Where the hell have you been?” Free demanded.

  “Free,” Buck interrupted.

  “What is it to you? I didn’t think I had to tell you where I was going. You don’t tell me where you go!” Bloom could feel her face getting red. How dare he? “Buck, I’m putting the keys back. I wouldn’t want to be accused of stealing the keys.”

  “The Mule is yours too, Bloom. You don’t have to tell me when you take it,” Buck said, then frowned and looked over Free.

  “Apparently I do, because now I’m being questioned about my whereabouts every single minute of the day.” Bloom raised her voice and looked over at Free.

  “You were gone for a while and I got worried,” Free muttered.

  Bloom snorted. “Really?” She gave a dismissive wave and turned around and sat down at the desk. “Buck, who are the young workers that are outside?”

  “Is something wrong? Did they say something to you?” Buck asked, concerned.

  “No, nothing like that. They just stared at me, and when I waved they turned their heads like I’ve done something to them. It doesn’t matter. I was just wondering.”

  “I’ll take care of it,” Buck said, getting up.

  “No, Buck, please. I don’t want to give them anything to dislike me for. They will get used to me,” Bloom stated. She was ignoring Free, and she could tell he was getting pissed off, but she didn’t want to even talk to him.

  A knock at the door startled her as RJ walked in. “I was looking for you.”

  “Hey RJ, how are you?” Bloom didn’t have to look back at Free; she knew he was about to spit nails.

  RJ looked uneasy, noticing the tension in the room. He glanced over at Free then back at her. “I’m doing great, Bloom. I came to check in.”

  “Perfect timing, RJ. I have some things to discuss with you. I can make us lunch if you can stay.”

  Apparently, RJ understood and smiled, “When a beautiful lady invites you to eat lunch, you don’t turn her down.” RJ extended his elbow out to her. “Shall we?”

  Bloom smiled. “Yes, we shall.” She never looked back as she wrapped her arm around his and walked out. RJ stayed quiet until they got into the house.

  “What’s going on, Bloom?” She shrugged, unsure of what to say.

  “Nothing to worry your pretty little head about. Sit down and I will make us something.” Bloom opened the refrigerator and found ham, turkey, and cheese. Then she located bread and chips in the cabinet. “Do you like ham, or turkey, or do you like both?” Bloom held them up to show him.

  “Both will be fine.” RJ watched her carefully. “What is going on, Bloom, and don’t tell me not to worry about it. You sounded pretty mad as I walked up.”

  “Eavesdropper,” Bloom muttered.

  “Yes, ma’am, but answer my question.”

  After she made RJ’s sandwich and slid it across the table, she lowered her head. “I screwed up, RJ. I shouldn’t have done it, but I did. I believed him and he left even before I woke up. Who does that?”

  Realization dawned on RJ’s face, then anger. “Did he force you?”

  “No.”

  “Did he hurt you?”

  “No.”

  “Did he bite you?”

  Tilting her head sideways, Bloom asked, “Bite me? Of course not. Why would you ask that?”

  RJ cleared his throat, “No reason, except some men do that, and get carried away. So, you slept with him and he left before you woke up?”

  “Yes. I shouldn’t have done it, but I thought he liked me.”

  “Are you hungry?” RJ asked, watching her make sandwiches.

  “No, I’m making Buck three sandwiches. He forgets to eat just like me.”

  “You’re not making Free one?” RJ asked with a smirk on his face.

  “Hell, no. He can make his own.” Shaking her head, she stopped and pulled a stool over and sat down. “Do I have this big fat target on my head? I can’t seem to escape this bad luck I’m having.”

  “No, Bloom, nothing is wrong with you. Except that you are too hard on yourself. Anyway, I have some good news. I just deposited ten thousand dollars into a checking account with your name on it. Here are your checks and debit card. The pin is 1125, but you can call the number on the back of the card and change it.

  “Why am I getting ten thousand dollars?”

  “Because Rose said if you made it three days in a row, to open you an account and put ten thousand dollars in it. I have and it’s your money to do whatever you want.”

  Bloom looked away in thought. “Anything I want? I could buy something, pay someone to fix something?”

  RJ smiled, knowing she was up to something, but he didn’t question her about it, even though she could tell it was killing him. “Anything, Bloom. It’s your money whether you stay the whole year or not.”

  “Thanks.” RJ slid the checkbook and debit card toward her.

  “I was wondering, RJ, is there someone you know who is looking for some part-time work?”

  “What do you need done?”

  “That’s between me and the person. I just need someone who can work on things and doesn’t mind working outside.” Bloom pulled out some sweet tea and poured them each a glass.

  “I’ll call you tomorrow and give you a name,” RJ said.

  “Good.” They sat there and talked about what he had been doing for the past three days. RJ was easy to talk to. She liked that about him. Before she knew it, an hour had passed. “I need to get back to work. Thanks for coming by and having lunch with me.”

  “Anytime. Like I said, you never turn down lunch with a pretty lady.” RJ got up and put his trash in the garbage, and put his plate and glass in the dishwasher. Glancing down at his watch, RJ said, “I’ve got an appointment in about fifteen minutes.”

  “Bye, RJ, and thanks.” She watched as he smiled and walked out. She wrapped the extra sandwiches up and put them in a Ziploc bag with some chips and walked back toward the office. She saw Buck back over at the strawberry patch, bending down, writing notes in a li
ttle notebook.

  “Hey, I brought you some lunch.” Bloom handed him the bags.

  Buck glanced up, surprised. “Thanks, Bloom. You didn’t have to do that, but thank you.” Pulling her by the arm, Buck said, “I’m starving. Come sit with me.

  Bloom nodded and followed Buck to the bench and sat down. “No buds on the strawberry plants. We don’t have much longer before we miss our window for this season on the plants. Had a tractor go down, but we had a mechanic come out and fix it, then Free didn’t know where you went and well…you saw how he acted toward you. You know he really likes you, right?”

  She snorted and looked away. “I’m sorry, Buck, but...look, I don’t want any kind of problems between us, so let’s just agree to disagree. Nothing else is going to happen and nothing will ever again. I’ve got a job to do, and he isn’t going to get in my way of running this farm. There is plenty for me to do without us talking. This way I can go through you, and Free and I don’t have to talk.”

  Buck shook his head. “I don’t think it’s going to be that easy.”

  “Yeah, it is. I’ve made my mind up. Now, I don’t want to talk about Free anymore.” She turned back toward him. “RJ has opened me a separate account and put some money in it. Until I get the insurance money, whatever they give me on my car, I need a truck. It doesn’t have to look good. Just something that will get me back and forth to town. I don’t like depending on people. Do you think you could help me buy one?”

  “Sure. In fact, I know who to call and maybe if he still has it we can leave in a few and go check it out,” Buck offered.

  Clapping her hands together, Bloom squealed. “Oh, yes, please. Now what needs to be done?” Bloom asked. She couldn’t keep the excitement out of her voice. She really wanted to learn how to do everything on the farm.

  “Well, we are buying some hay, and I need to go check it before I pay for it. You can come learn about hay and what you need to look for. We don’t want any of our herd to get sick from bad hay.” Buck stood, and they walked to the barn.

  Glancing over at him, Bloom stated, “Never knew there was bad hay.”