Page 10 of Howling Night

I opened the door to find a petite woman with bouncy blonde hair and bright green eyes standing on my doorstep. She held a plate piled high with chocolate chip cookies and wore a smile that seemed to light up her entire face.

“Hi!” she said, thrusting the plate toward me with such enthusiasm I had to step back to avoid being hit. “Welcome to the neighborhood. I meant to stop by yesterday, but time got away from me, and then it was nine and I figured that would be too late.”

“Hi,” I said, glancing past her to the empty street, unable to tell where she’d come from. I accepted the plate of cookies that would last me at least a week. “And thanks.”

She turned, following my gaze to the junk yard house across the street. Her eyes widened, and she waved vaguely down the road.

“Oh, no,” she said, letting out a melodic sound that matched her appearance. “I’m Courtney. Courtney Cross. I live a mile down the road… not in that house.”

“I’m Everly, and I wasn’t sure if anyone lived in that place,” I said, still looking at the house.

“Believe it or not, someone does live there,” Courtney said, blinking several times. “That guy, though, he keeps to himself. Barely ever see him come and go, other than his truck going up and down the road once in a while during the night. It’s a loud old piece of junk. Never really sure where he’s going, though. Pretty sure he’s retired.”

I set the cookies down on the table beside the door. “Um, well, I’d invite you in, but the place is an absolute disaster.”

Also, I didn’t want to let a stranger into my home.

“That’s okay,” she said, twisting her fingers. “I know you’re busy and stuff, and I didn’t mean to intrude. I really just wanted to say hi and let you know I’m just down that way, should you need anything.” She grimaced, her nose wrinkling. “I’m sorry. I know I can come off strong. I just talk a lot when I’m nervous.”

I shook my head. “Don’t be nervous.”

“Are you kidding? Look at you!”

I cocked my head.

“Gosh darn. I’m so sorry,” Courtney said, taking a step back. “I also sometimes just say what I’m thinking when I shouldn’t. It’s kind of a real problem, but I’m not really sure there is anything I can do about it, you know? Really, though, you’re absolutely gorgeous. It’s like you have it all together.”

I laughed. “Don’t worry about it, and I wish that were true. If I had it together, I probably wouldn’t have moved away.”

“That’s a story, isn’t it?” she asked, raising a brow before quickly holding up her hands. “Sorry again! I’m being nosy.”

“It’s okay, really,” I said, glancing back into my messy house. “It’s not much of a story, really. I just needed a change. Chicago was getting too… um… much.”

Her eyes widened. “Chicago. Gosh, I can imagine. I visited once and was so anxious that I didn’t leave the hotel room. That place is busy. Insane. So much going on. I like it here, and you will too.”

“How long have you lived here?” I asked.

“Born and raised,” she said, proudly pushing her shoulders back. “Left for college but couldn’t stand that, dropped out, and moved back. There’s just something about this place that gets in your blood. Or something. I can’t imagine being anywhere else, even though I don’t know how I’ll ever find a husband when the pickings here are somewhat slim. There is a bar not too far and a club in the other direction, but as you might have noticed, I’m not really good at the whole social thing.”

I smiled at her, and she seemed to relax for a second before tensing her shoulders. She looked down at her phone and powered it on.

“Oh, shoot,” she said, sighing. “I should go. I just wanted to say hi and meet the person who moved into Old Man Harrison’s place.”

“Thanks again for the cookies,” I said, placing my hand on the door.

She turned but glanced back over her shoulder. “This is stupid, but I can’t stop myself from saying it. I have a feeling we’re going to be good friends, Everly.” Her smile was infectious. “Feel free to stop by anytime, like if you need a cup of flour or sugar… oh! Maybe we could do lunch sometime? There is a diner not far that serves the best cheeseburger in a hundred-mile radius. You’ll love it.”

“May’s?”

“That’s the place!”

“Had it today.”

Courtney seemed to deflate slightly. “Oh.”

“Well, maybe sometime. It was a good burger,” I said, not committing. I wanted my solitude, but telling her that would clearly break her heart. “I should get back to unpacking, and eventually I’ll have to find a job.”

“Oh! I heard Black’s Construction is hiring.”

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