Page 8 of Tank

“I’m sorry. My grandpa was sick, and I didn’t eat out much. Is there a place open near here? There didn’t used to be. Maybe if I have a chance, I’ll check it out. What’s it near?”

Jag looked frustrated. He was trying to determine if Missy was a relative and who else might be. The guy was clearly a spy for someone. Ariel had to know but Missy was doing an expert job of convincing him she wasn’t a cousin. If he didn’t know better, he might believe it himself. Instead of worrying, he dug into his fried potatoes and pork chops drowned in creamy mushroom gravy. The coleslaw was similar, to a barbecue place in Eureka Ariel had taken him to that he now visited when he could. Buttered peas went with this meal perfectly. Even Jag ate the peas which was unusual for shifters not around humans much.

Tank was picky, but he loved certain veggies now and he ate these with no problem. Missy was perfect and he needed to steer Jag away. But how could he do that? Maybe Missy was doing it all by herself. She was convincing and she didn’t want anyone to know she was a cousin. If they identified her, more would be placed under investigation that were related to her. Was it the Council or another even more devious group?

He doubted they would get anything out of her especially using Jag who she didn’t seem to like although she hid it well. It wasn’t a surprise, he didn’t like the guy either. Too pushy and nosy, those things didn’t go well around here. Hillbillies tended to be private and his attempts to get information were just too obvious.

The meal was done, and it was time to clean up. Jag disappeared quickly. It wasn’t like Missy would even ask him to help. Tank started by emptying and cleaning the table. That was only fair since he’d made part of the mess. She had a dishwasher but only used it for the pots and bigger items. It was full now and she turned it on then washed the dishes left by hand.

They needed dried and put up, but she said just to leave them. Maybe she planned to have them on hand for breakfast. It was time to head to their rooms and relax before bed. Not the best plan since he fell asleep. Bears often do that after eating a big meal and going to their den. He did wonder what Missy was doing as he fell into a deep sleep and probably had some sweet dreams he couldn’t remember.

The next morning, they ate a quick breakfast. It was nothing special, so Jag didn’t ask to share it, but he did hang around. Hadn’t he learned not to bother a bear? They quickly got to work on the fence and when he did look up, Jag was often at the window. The cat was overdoing his spy thing. Everyone would notice before long.

Doris was in the kitchen and she joined them for a lunch of soup and sandwiches. Grilled cheese didn’t take long, and the soup was canned, but damn it tasted good. She came out and helped with the fence for a while and she was a good worker.

The lady joked and said she was working for her food. He thought maybe she earned more than that. Tank was sure she would get supper too if she wanted it. It wasn’t like places to eat were available around here or at least not many. It was true Sara’s was not far, but it was a charming place and had only been open for two years, he thought. Missy could open a place and do well had she wanted too.

Ariel had said she wanted to try her hand at books. Apparently, she wasn’t afraid of the competition. He’d ask Missy sometime about what she wanted to write, but he bet she’d be good at it. They finished the garden fence early and Missy went in to cook supper. He couldn’t wait to eat.

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