Page 33 of Reckless Harmony

“Look, let’s get something straight. I don’t like cats, and I don’t want you living in my house. I especially am not enjoying scooping your shit out of the box every day. But here we are, so let’s make the best of the situation. You keep your babies alive, and I’ll feed you and keep your litter box clean, but otherwise, there are no interactions. Clear?”

Molly meowed, a plaintive little sound that made him pause the game to stare at her. “What?”

She bumped his hand, and he sighed before running his hand along her back. “There, I petted you. Happy?”

Purring loudly, she immediately flopped onto her side, her front paws kneading the air as she stared at him. When he didn’t pet her, she rolled to her back and exposed her belly, making another of those sad meows.

“No way,” he said. “I once dated a woman who had a cat. I know the belly is a trap.”

She meowed again before rolling back to her side. He stroked along her ribs and down her tail before scratching under her chin. Her purring turned deafening, and she jumped up and climbed onto his lap.

“Whoa,” he said, “no. Go on, cat. I don’t want you in my lap.”

Molly flopped down in his lap, her claws kneading his thigh through his sweatpants. He winced and gave her a gentle poke in the haunch. “No means no, lady.”

She rubbed the side of her face against his knee, and he petted around her head again. “We need to have a serious discussion about consent, cat.”

Still purring, she rubbed against his knee again, and he scratched under her chin and petted her soft body for nearly five minutes before she sat up and, with one final nudge to his hand, left his lap and jumped off the bed. She disappeared into the closet, and he heard her jump into the cardboard box.

“That’s it?” he called. “You were just using me, is that right?”

She meowed, the sound muffled, and he rolled his eyes before picking up the controller. He stared at the buttons, another weird wave of loneliness washing over him.

“Fuck it,” he said and shut off the game. It was nearly eleven, but he couldn’t stand to sit here alone any longer. He’d go for a beer at the Thirsty Beaver. It was the most popular pub in Harmony Falls, and even if he sat at the bar and drank a beer alone, maybe he wouldn’t feel so lonely surrounded by others.

He was dressed and out the door five minutes later. He glanced at Rayna’s house. It was dark, and her battered old SUV wasn’t parked in the driveway. He climbed into his car and turned the heat to high, blowing on his hands as he waited for the car to warm up. Christ, when he finally had all three properties and could start building, he’d make sure the three-car garage he planned to have was heated. This winter weather was bullshit.

With another glance at Rayna’s, he pulled out of his driveway and headed toward the pub. He’d chosen to buy in this area specifically because of its privacy. It was close enough to town not to feel isolated but far enough to provide peace and quiet, especially during the summer when tourists flooded the town.

He hadn’t driven more than five minutes before his headlights illuminated the vehicle parked on the side of the road. He slowed his car as his pulse picked up. He recognized the vehicle. The ancient SUV belonged to Rayna.

The stretch of road was dark and empty, without a house in at least a five-mile vicinity, and he scowled. “What the hell is she doing out here?”

With a muttered curse, he pulled over and parked behind her SUV. No doubt the piece of shit vehicle had broken down. He might have an intense dislike for his next door neighbour, but not even he would leave her stranded alone on the side of the road.

He shut off his vehicle and climbed out, grunting in surprise when he approached the driver’s side and it was empty.

“Where the hell is she?” he said, his voice loud in the silence. Christ, he hoped she hadn’t started walking into town or some bullshit like that. She was a woman on the smaller side, and while Harmony Falls was a reasonably safe place to live, walking into town would put her squarely on the south side, and some bad shit went down on that side of town.

A flash of light in his peripheral vision made him turn. He squinted at the beam of light that was about thirty feet from the side of the road.

A bad feeling in his stomach, he shouted, “Ms. Abrams!”

“What?” Her voice was faint but clear.

“What are you doing out here?”

“Working on my tan,” she shouted.

“For fuck’s sake,” he said and waded across the snow-filled ditch toward the light. As he grew closer, he could hear Rayna speaking softly.

“It’s okay, sweetheart. You’re okay. Please hold still for a few minutes. I know it hurts, sweet girl.”

He could see her on her knees beside a barbed wire fence, and he pushed through the last few feet of snow to crouch beside her. “What are you doing… oh, shit.”

“Shh, sweet girl. It’s okay.” Rayna petted the shaking, whining dog, pressing hard on the dog’s side when the lab cross tried to lurch to her feet. “No, girl. Stay. Don’t move.”

He grabbed the flashlight from where it was stuck in the snow and shone it on the dog. She was lying on her side in the snow in front of the fence, and he winced when he saw the barbed wire around her left back leg. It was wrapped around the meaty part of the dog’s upper leg, and the dog’s fur and the snow around it were soaked with blood.

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