Chapter Two #2
She scrubbed a hand over her short brown curls.
A rare smile lifted her lips, causing the dirt smudged on her cheeks to crack.
There were moments when I thought none of us girls looked alike, considering we had different fathers.
But then Lia would grin, showing me that dimple we shared, or Aster would give a weird little snort of a laugh like Lia’s, and there was no mistaking we were blood.
I pointed to the mud clinging to her boots. ‘Outdoor training today?’
‘Yep. Teaching the new volunteers about rappelling and tracking.’
While I leisurely enjoyed the local trails, I preferred the comforts of TV and a real bed. Lia, on the other hand, was born to live her life outside.
When we were kids, Grandmother Clo had to tie neon-orange ribbons to the trees, limiting how far Lia could explore. In our grandmother’s words, if she hadn’t made boundaries, Lia would have hiked all the way to the county line.
She worked as a firefighter/EMT at the one and only fire station in town but spent most of her free time exploring the local forests and volunteering for the county search and rescue.
Lia took a long pull on her beer. Tugged the red bandana away from her neck and let out a weary breath.
‘New SAR volunteers pretty green?’ I said.
‘That’s an understatement. I caught one of them about to touch poison hemlock today.
Another one practically passed out when I told him we had to keep an eye out for bears.
’ She took another drink. Shook her head.
‘One of them is staying in those rental apartments above Mo’s Tavern.
I shit you not, the first thing out of his mouth after I introduced myself was would I show him my magic? ’
I curled my fingers along the railing. ‘What did you say?’
‘I told him I only showed my magic on the fourth date.’ She winked, and a laugh burst from my lips. Lia could be gruff, but she also had a wicked sense of humor.
‘You have to talk to Mo again,’ she said, quickly sobering.
‘Spreading stories about us at the tavern has got to stop. Every time it comes up, it’s like I take two steps backward with the new volunteers or the people on shift with me.
We were on a call last week searching for a missing teenager who wandered away from his campsite.
I stood on Razor Edge Bluff, doing what I usually do.
Listening. Trying to sense the direction of the wind.
How quickly it would pick up and mask the scent I was tracking.
Everyone stopped what they were doing to watch me.
Study me like I was some kind of fucking bug under a microscope. ’
She snapped her mouth shut like she couldn’t say what she wanted. Since we were kids, she’d been closed off. Guarded. But in the last year, she’d gone from being quiet in crowded rooms to full-on anti-social, and it was beginning to worry me.
‘That can’t keep happening, Dani.’ She kept her focus on the beer label, rubbing at the bottom edge with a ragged fingernail.
‘It messes with morale and makes things damn weird.’ She took another drink, draining the bottle.
‘Maybe I should’ve taken that job in Leadville.
If the three of us weren’t here, the gossip, the crap they say about us, would stop. ’
‘First of all, you can’t leave. Aster and I need you here. Second, the town just plays up the magic nonsense to bring in tourists. We have to ignore it. The more ruffled we get, the more Mo and the others will play it up.’
‘Don’t you get tired of the whispers and strange looks? I’ve watched people at the clinic. It’s like they’re readying themselves for some kind of show every time they have an appointment, even if that means your reaction might confirm their animal is sick.’
‘It’s not that bad.’
She gave me that usual dead-eyed stare.
Was it annoying that people drove from four counties away to come to my clinic because they’d heard a ridiculous story about me from a neighbor?
Yes. Was I tired of people, like the guy on the trail today, looking at me like I had three eyes when I told them something was wrong with their animal?
Of course. What I didn’t mind was the fact that those rumors kept me busy enough to hire a vet tech and a receptionist. That my clinic was usually booked out weeks in advance.
If that meant dealing with a few whispers, some odd people and their curiosities, I’d take it, because I was still treating their animals and catching illnesses before it was too late.
My phone buzzed with a text from Aster. I went inside and showed it to Grandmother Clo.
‘Well, if she’s stuck making a late order for tomorrow, we may as well eat,’ she huffed.
We assembled around the table. Lia and I sat across from each other, our spots since we were toddlers.
Grandmother Clo set down the spaghetti and meatballs while Lia passed around the salad.
It felt weird to eat a birthday dinner without the guest of honor, but when Aster got wrapped up with an arrangement it could take a while.
As we ate, Grandmother Clo prompted the always tight-lipped Lia to tell us about her week. Reluctantly, she recounted a story about how her SAR team rescued a pair of out-of-towners stranded high up on a bluff.
‘Why do they always go on a hike with exactly one small bottle of water to share?’ She slapped her napkin down beside her plate.
‘There are signs all over the trail entrances about proper shoes, and carrying enough water, but these people watch influencers living the “outdoor life”, and suddenly they think they’re ready to climb Everest.’
Lia continued to gripe about unprepared hikers, forcing my thoughts to the guy, Bryce, on the trail today. The way he seemed at ease in his own body, even after he took a header onto the ground. How Indy’s low whine still rang in my ears.
Dammit. I should have pushed more. All I could hope was that he cared enough about his dog to get him checked out.
Once the dinner dishes were cleared, Lia filled the sink with soapy water. We fell into our roles, her washing and me drying.
‘I heard a bit of news from Larry Eggers. You know him, he’s one of the older guys at the station. Big belly. White beard.’ She scrubbed the soapy dish with a bit too much force. ‘There’s a rumor going around that some big-time reporter is coming here to check out the town.’
I held my breath for what I knew was coming next.
‘Apparently, part of that story is supposed to be about the town’s complicated history with magic, which will, of course, include us.’ Her deep brown gaze cut to me. ‘Has anyone contacted you?’
‘No,’ I said roughly. ‘You?’
She shook her head and handed me a dish, which promptly slid through my trembling fingers. The jarring sound of it shattering against the floor made Clo scurry into the kitchen.
‘Well, dang it.’ She sighed. ‘That was one of my favorites.’
‘I’m sorry, Clo.’
She must have heard the hitch in my voice, because she patted my arm. ‘No worries, my girl. Accidents happen.’
I shot Lia a dark look, warning her not to say a word to Clo, who would lose it if she learned anyone was coming to town to mess with the McGuire girls.
Lia ran to the pantry and returned with a broom and dustpan.
I picked up the larger pieces of porcelain with the hand-painted strawberries along the rim.
It was part of a set gifted to Clo from Grandpa Beau.
My stomach soured as I gathered them in a pile.
Lia began to sweep up the shards until her back stiffened, her head snapping in the direction of the porch.
‘Is there a problem, Lee Lee?’ Clo said.
‘Car racing up the driveway.’ Her eyes pinched at the corners as she concentrated on what only she could hear. ‘Two-point-five-liter engine. Four cylinders. Probably small SUV.’
We all rushed to the deck. A minute later a black SUV moved up and over the rise. The car came to an abrupt halt, and a familiar-looking pair of boots hit the gravel. Fear was etched into the lines around deep blue eyes. That odd flutter filled my chest again.
I bolted down the stairs and flew out the front door. Bryce’s eyes bulged as I raced toward him.
‘You?’ He cocked his head. ‘I’m here… looking for a Dr McGuire?’
‘That’s me,’ I said, ignoring the shock on his face.
‘Why didn’t you…?’
I shook my head at him. ‘I’m guessing you’re here about your dog?’
Instead of answering, he walked to the back of his SUV and lifted the tailgate. Indy was splayed across an old orange-and-yellow beach towel. When Bryce touched him, the poor dog could barely raise his head.
‘He’s been vomiting for an hour. Refuses to eat or drink anything. And, even though he’s house-trained, he’s had numerous accidents like he can’t control his bladder. Please.’ His voice bordered on panic. ‘Can you tell me what’s wrong with my dog?’