2
Gravel pinged the undercarriage of my sporty little crossover as I pulled into Mrs. Gleason’s driveway. As much as I wanted to breeze past my closest neighbor and get home behind my wards that much faster, I couldn’t pretend I didn’t see her when she was brandishing a pink shotgun in the air to get my attention.
“Rue.” She banged on the car window with the side of her fist. “Rue.”
As I lowered the glass, I reminded myself a gunshot wound probably wouldn’t kill me. “Yes, ma’am?”
“The biggest man I ever did see was at your house.” She stood on tiptoe with a hand as high as she could reach to give me an idea of height. “Don’t you worry, darlin’.” She squared her thin shoulders. “I run him off before he got any ideas.”
Who could it have been but Clay? He probably laughed himself silly when she chased after him.
Mrs. Gleason was eighty pounds soaking wet, with a beehive hairdo that added a foot onto her height. A pair of house slippers snugged her tiny feet, and she wore a billowing snap-front dressing gown in violet. I happened to know she owned decals to change the color of her shotgun to match her outfit, which told me how riled she must have been if she left her porch mismatched to accuse Clay of trespassing.
“Thank you.” Warmth spread through my chest. “I appreciate you looking out for me.”
Goodness wasn’t innate to me. I started out mimicking people who behaved in the way I wanted to act. I embraced fake it ’til you make it as a template for the person I wanted to become. I still had days when I felt plain fake, but moments like this gave me hope it was more than pretend change, that I was doing it.
“Shot him right in his behind.” She kissed the barrel of her gun. “Bam-Bam never misses.”
“You…” I swallowed a laugh, “…shot him?”
“Sure did.” Her grin revealed a lack of dentures. “Let me tell you, he ain’t coming back no time soon.”
The last time her teeth went missing, she called me for help, and I found them stuck in an apple. She left the whole mess balanced on the back porch rail after the dentures refused to pry loose of the fruit, and forgot about them. A squirrel tried to run off with it when I got there, but the teeth kept freaking it out.
As someone with a box of real human teeth rattling around under my bed, I was in no position to judge.
“Oh, I almost forgot.” I reached to the floorboard. “I mixed up more of that tea you like.”
The blend, according to its label, contained white willow bark, holy basil, nettles, hyssop, cramp bark, California poppy, and citrus peel in an Assam black tea base. The additives were a touch more exotic.
And it worked wonders on her rheumatoid arthritis.
“God bless you.” She pinched my cheek until it hurt. “How much do I owe you?”
“I can’t charge you after what you did for me today.” I passed over a week’s supply. “You’re my hero.”
A flush stained her weathered cheeks as she accepted the gift with a grunt of thanks.
“I ought to go check and see if he left a note.” I put the SUV in reverse. “See you later.”
“I’ll keep Bam-Bam out ’til you call me,” she hollered as I backed down the road. “Be safe, hon.”
A small miracle allowed me to skirt two more elderly neighbors I made time to chat with every few days. I missed that connection when I went too long between visits with them, but I had to get home.
On top of a gently rolling hill sat the small brick house I bought through an online auction, sight unseen. I sank as much into renovations as I did the initial payout, but it suited me. The two acres of grass, weeds, and wildflowers sprinkled with trees gave me a connection to the earth that soothed my ragged soul.
The first order of business was to check the wards, which hummed steadily, as always.
From what I could tell, Clay hadn’t tested my protections. Then again, I hadn’t been kind to unwanted guests in my previous incarnation. He hadn’t known until I told him that I changed my diet, which meant no one else would guess either. That would keep me safer. For the time being.
Confident the house and land were secure, I called Mrs. Gleason and told her to stand down.
The front door swung open before I reached it, and a breathy voice murmured, “We had company.”
“I heard.” I eased into the darkened foyer. “They visited the store too.”
“I only saw the one.” Colby Timms, my familiar, cleared her throat. “He was your partner, back then.”