Iris Page 16
Sucking in a deep breath, he reminded himself this was not a television show or a horror flick, or even a Stephen King novel. His imagination was probably worse than whatever was actually hiding under the bed. Not standing too close, just in case, he got down on all fours and carefully tilted his head into the dark space. His first concern should have been the rumbling growl that vibrated under the low mattress. He was pretty sure fawns didn’t growl. Glowing green eyes met his. He had absolutely no idea what animal had green eyes and growled, but by the time his brain registered the snarling teeth, he was up and out of that room faster than a speeding bullet. Imagination be damned.
At least he was proud of himself for two things. One, not getting mauled to death. Two, having kept his wits about him enough to close the door behind him. Searching for his phone somewhere on the table, his mind ran through a list of the most likely angry critters that could roam the nearby woods. Mountain lion—okay, maybe a bobcat—kept jumping to the top of the list. Neither of which he could see Fiona Hart or George the handyman grappling with. Like it or not, he needed serious help.
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“Well, top of the morning to you.” Katie O’Leary smiled up at Cindy as she came around the corner, arms laden with several loaves of the shop owner’s famed Irish soda bread.
“And the rest of the day to you,” Cindy answered. As kids, the traditional Irish response had been a joke. As an adult, she savored any opportunity to be transported to a kinder, gentler place and time. Any chance to spend time with Katie O’Leary did that. Even though she’d been born on this mountain, raised by her Irish grandmother, she had enough of the Emerald Isle in her to be a breath of fresh air to anyone who crossed her path.
“Looks like you’re feeding an army.”
Cindy laughed. “Not quite. Lucy asked me to come by and pick up a few things. The General has had a hankering for her corned beef, and since the grocery store had a big sale on point end corned beef, Lucy saw no reason not to accommodate him.”
“And a good job of accommodating the entire family she does.”
“Absolutely.” Cindy could not argue. Lucy was technically her grandparents’ housekeeper and cook, but as far as the grandchildren were concerned, she was family. There wasn’t a thing any of them would not do for Lucy, and she was pretty sure there was not a thing Lucy wouldn’t do for them. Though most of them agreed, they wished that Lucy would stick to cooking and cleaning, and bypass the Dolly Levi matchmaking.
“Has Lucy had any luck in getting that young hermit out of his cabin?”
Cindy shook her head. “The man doesn’t open his door for anyone. The few times he’s asked for room service, he’s told Lucy to have George leave it on the porch.”
“I’m wondering if maybe the man has an embarrassment to hide. You know, a nose like Cyrano de Bergerac, or a chin like the Wicked Witch of the West.”
“Or a mask like the Phantom of the Opera?” Cindy smiled.
Katie shook her head. “Now I won’t be making anything that dramatic. But the man must have a strong reason to keep to himself for this long. He hasn’t come into town for anything. This time, I’m thinking Lucy may be right. It may be time for some of us folks to make an extra effort to bring the man out of his shell.”
“Out of his shell?” Cindy narrowed her gaze, interpreting the simple comment and hoping it did not mean Lucy was up to her old tricks.
“Now don’t you look at me like that. I’m not the one who wants your sister Poppy to start making the deliveries to the cabin instead of George.”
She knew it. Would Lucy never learn. Heaving out a sigh, Cindy supposed she should be grateful that Lucy wasn’t planning on locking her sister in the cabin with the man, or poisoning his food so that someone would have to stay and care for him. Or would she?
“And what has your face suddenly looking like you sucked on a lemon?” Katie asked, placing the loaves of fresh bread in a cardboard box along with some of the other items Cindy had picked up.
“Nothing.” She shook her head. Even Lucy wouldn’t stoop that low. After all, as much as folks teased her about setting the house on fire, she didn’t actually set it on fire. Cindy shook her head again. Now she was just being silly. Placing a few more items in a second box, she looked up at her smiling shopkeeper. “I think this is it.”
“Excellent. Let me help you to the car.” Katie came around the counter.
Cindy waved her off. Placing one box on her hip, she reached for the other box with her free arm. “They don’t weigh much. I can do this.”
“Of course you can. And I suppose you’re going to open the car doors with your teeth?” Chuckling at her, Katie grabbed the second box and started for the exit.
“Thank you.” Cindy walked out the door that Katie held, her gaze spotting a big red fox darting across the road at the same time a car sped out of the neighboring road. Her heart lurched in her throat. Yakking with the person in the passenger’s seat, the driver obviously did not see the animal in its path.
“What is it dear?” Katie came to stand beside her, quickly seeing the same thing she did. “Oh, dear.”
As sure as her name was Hyacinth Nelson, DVM, the car knocked the poor animal halfway across the road and kept going. “Damn it.” Practically dropping the box, she hurried to the curb, waiting to see if the fox would shake it off and get up or if he was more seriously injured. When the animal remained lifeless in the middle of the road, she shook her head.
Katie had no doubt been waiting for the same thing. “I’ve got some blankets in the back. I’ll go get them. If he’s not out cold, you’re going to need something to help trap him.”
Nodding, Cindy ran to her vehicle and pulled out her veterinary bag. This was another reason why the mountain desperately needed its own wildlife center for rescue and rehabilitation. Her small clinic was full up and too understaffed to keep a full-time eye on an injured fox. Hurrying across the road and hoping the little guy would just wake up and run off before she got there, a small pup waddled out from under a bush to stand beside his hurt parent. Double blast. Since fathers and mothers both parented their pups, she couldn’t see from this distance if the mother or father had been hit, but if the snarling little one had his way, she wasn’t going to get close enough to find out.
Heels clacking rapidly on the pavement, Katie appeared beside her, holding a pet carrier in one hand and blankets in the other. “Oh my. Where there is one, there has to be more.”
“That’s exactly what I was thinking.” Cindy looked around for signs of more pups, but so far this was the only one. “Now all I have to do is get close enough without having that little one snap at me.”
Katie nodded. “I’ll take care of that.”
Shooting her arm out to stop the woman from hurrying any closer to the injured animal, Cindy shook her head. “The last thing I need on top of an injured wild animal is to have you hurt as well.”
“Nonsense, that little fella’s teeth won’t do any damage.”
Cindy tried really hard not to roll her eyes. When it came to any wild animal, even a fox, it wasn’t just the bite she worried about. Any disease the animals carried, including rabies, could pose a much bigger problem. “Let me see how close I can get.”
“Lass,” Katie touched her arm, “I know you have a way with the animals, but there are two of them and two of us. Let’s do this together.”
As much as Cindy did not want to risk Katie getting hurt, she knew the woman was right. She also knew Katie had a way with people and animals alike. She just hoped this was one of those times when Katie’s special way would work its magic.
Slowly inching toward the two animals and hoping no clueless driver would come barreling up the road, Cindy crouched, speaking softly to the still snarling and snapping pup beside its dead or unconscious parent. “Easy fella. No one is going to hurt you.”
Stepping around her, Katie softly moved ahead, smiling at the pup. She didn’t say a word. She merely sat down just outside of s
napping distance, opened the blanket on her lap, made a ticking sound with her throat, and much to Cindy’s surprise, the little guy stopped snarling.
“Okay. Maybe I need to hire you to work at the clinic.” Heaven knew, Cindy and her techs had been snapped, bitten, and scratched by more four legged creatures than she cared to admit.
Not wanting to interrupt the connection between Katie and the pup now tilting its head and studying the shopkeeper, Cindy debated how close she dared get to the injured fox. In the next second, the decision was made for her. The furry guy made up his mind as well. Without hesitation, he walked straight into Katie’s lap and curled into a fluffy ball.
“No maybe.” Cindy chuckled. “I definitely need to hire you for the clinic.”
Wrapping the ends of the small blanket around the baby fox, Katie ignored the compliment. “Now you can check on the mama.”
Turning her head, Cindy got a better look at the injured fox. She was indeed the mama. And thankfully, she was still alive. Now all she had to do was get the girl to the clinic and pray she could fix her up in time to reunite her with the rest of the pups.
Read more of HYACINTH, available now on Kobo!
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MEET CHRIS
Author of dozens of contemporary novels, including the award winning Aloha Series, Chris Keniston lives in suburban Dallas with her husband, two human children, and two canine children. Though she loves her puppies equally, she admits being especially attached to her German Shepherd rescue. After all, even dogs deserve a happily ever after.
More on Chris and her books can be found at www.chriskeniston.com
Follow Chris on Facebook at ChrisKenistonAuthor or on Twitter @ckenistonauthor
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Books by Chris Keniston
Available on Kobo
Hart Land
Heather
Lily
Violet
Iris
Hyacinth
Farraday Country
Adam
Brooks
Connor
Declan
Ethan
Finn
Grace
Hannah
Ian
Jamison
Keeping Eileen
Aloha Series Closed Door Edition:
Aloha Texas
Almost Paradise
Mai Tai Marriage
Dive Into You
Look of Love
Love by Design
Love Walks In
Flirting with Paradise
Surf's Up Flirts:
(Aloha Series Companions)
Shall We Dance
Love on Tap
Head Over Heels
Perfect Match
Just One Kiss
It Had to Be You
Other Books
By Chris Keniston
Honeymoon Series
Honeymoon for One
Honeymoon for Three
Family Secrets Novels:
Champagne Sisterhood
The Homecoming
Hope's Corner
Original Aloha Series
Waikiki Wedding
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One — Epilogue
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Booklist
Help an Author with a Review
Recipe for Mandel Bread