5. Feel It In Your Bones
CHAPTER 5
Feel It In Your Bones
G arrett decided Kitty had settled well enough in her paddock that he could leave for a couple of hours to see at least one of his buddies. Because he’d already met Nina, he decided Slick’s house would be his first stop.
He showered and changed, then went back to the mare and patted her on the neck. “I’m going to visit some friends. I’ll be back in a few hours. Now that we’re settled, we’ll see about getting you a few friends. The cats appear to be permanent fixtures, but we’ll find someone your size. See you soon.” Horses were herd animals and liked a group. Back in Tennessee, Kitty had stayed away from the group initially but had been working her way closer to them when CC had sold the place. Now it was up to Garrett to find her some new friends.
Instead of getting in his truck, he hopped the fence and followed Nina’s path. This farmhouse was bigger than his own and had signs of ongoing renovations and upgrades. Looked like solar panels were being installed, and a few windows were getting upgraded as well.
His phone beeped, and he checked it, thinking Heath had spotted him. But it was CC. I’ve got a man up north desperate for a place for two geldings who’ve been through hell. You interested ?
He responded immediately in the affirmative. CC’s answer made him smile. Figured. They’ll arrive at your place tomorrow afternoon.
This meant the man was likely on the road already, and CC was making sure Garrett would keep busy.
Thanks, boss .
Some kind of weird face emoji came back, proving CC hadn’t been wearing his glasses again.
Contentment filled Garrett. Kitty would have buddies starting tomorrow, and he would see his own friend in a few minutes.
He turned his attention back to the farmhouse. The wide porch ran along the three sides of the house that he could see with rockers and swings scattered on all sides. A family house. Hard to imagine Slick with a family, but after meeting Nina, he knew the man was happy.
He moved to the front door and knocked. Knocking on the back seemed too personal when they didn’t know he was coming.
Nina’s voice called out. “I’ll get it. I know, I’ll check first.”
Garrett grinned. Heath would always be protective of his family, but after what had happened to Addy at Christmas, he would have dialed that protection to the maximum.
Soon, the door swung open, and the girl’s face lit up when she saw him. “Hi. Come on in.” Then she called over her shoulder. “Dad, Mom, it’s the new neighbor I told you about.”
A gorgeous German shepherd mix greeted him. The same dog as he’d seen on Kimi’s Gotcha Wall. The same dog that had sent him running from her office. At least he’d been able to brace himself this time, but he couldn’t bring himself to pat the dog.
As he moved into the foyer and closed the door behind him, heavy footsteps hurried down the stairs. Heath would be worried about a stranger with his daughter, even for a few moments. “It’s okay, Slick. I’m no threat to your family.”
Heath whooped, and the footsteps picked up the pace. The next thing Garrett knew, he was wrapped up in his friend’s arms. “Scooby. You’re finally here.”
“Scooby? You’re Scooby?” Nina’s excited voice reached his ears.
He swallowed hard against the emotion that filled his throat and slapped Heath on the back. He’d been Scooby from the moment he and Shaggy had partnered up. Was he still Scooby? “I’m here.”
Heath released him and stood back to study him. “You’re here for real. You’re the neighbor Nina’s been talking about nonstop?”
Garrett grinned and nodded.
Heath laughed and slapped his shoulder again. “Epic is going to lose his mind when he finds out that you pulled one over on him. On all of us.”
Then he pulled out his phone and spent a minute typing. When he put it away, he grinned. “I told them I have the surprise of the century and to haul their asses over here.”
So much for sliding slowly into the group again, it would be a full-on re-immersion. He was surprised to find himself smiling about it.
Nina bounced back into the room with a woman in tow. “Mom, this is Scooby. I don’t know his real name yet, but we’ve all heard Scooby stories.”
The woman smiled. “I’m Addy. It’s nice to meet you, Garrett. Welcome to Phail and the neighborhood.”
The woman was an older version of Nina with warm, dark eyes and a friendly smile. “Why don’t you two start catching up? Nina and I are going to get some food and drinks organized for everyone.”
The women disappeared, and Garrett’s eyes followed them. “You’re a lucky man, Heath.”
His friend grinned, his eyes following them as well. “I sure as hell am.”
“She’s got a lot of you in her, Slick. Charming as hell. Talked her way onto my land and over to my horse with barely a blink of her eyes and that smile.”
Heath beamed. “She’s such a great kid. I’ll never get back those first years, but I’m not missing a single thing from now on.”
“Going to tag along on her prom date?”
Heath laughed. “Maybe.”
There was a knock on the door, and then it opened. “What’s the excitement all about?” Falcon entered the living area and let out a whoop, very much like Slick’s. Levi followed immediately after .
Garrett was still slapping backs and exchanging hugs when Arrow and Epic joined the throng.
Troy socked him in the shoulder. “You bought the property without me knowing? How did you manage that?”
Soon, they sat in the living room, and he had to go through the story of how CC and Kath had helped him out through a realtor nephew of theirs. Then, how he’d arrived and set up the barn. And all about Kitty.
Arrow grinned at him. “I remember you talking about your grandfather loving that old TV western, Gunsmoke. Miss Kitty?”
Garrett nodded, not surprised the deputy remembered. The man was sharp as hell. That was probably why he’d made the best leader Garrett had ever worked with.
Food and drinks flowed as easily as the conversation. The group had been through so much in the past year. And now he could help with whatever they needed. It was good to be part of a team again.
“Now that I’m here, do I get to hear more about this secret project you’ve been working on? Or did you make it up just to lure everyone in?”
The group laughed, and Troy passed him a glass of beer. “Here it is.”
“Beer?”
Everyone nodded and waited for him to take a sip. The beer was a coppery color and had a nice hop scent. He sipped and nodded in approval. He preferred a Porter, but this was good, too. “Nice. You’re making beer.”
Marcus shook his head. “Correction. We’re making beer. Levi grew six varieties of hops and we’re making batches in a small shed to test out what works.”
Slick nodded. “Now that we’ve got this land, too, we’re turning the barn out back into a full-fledged brewery. We’re going to be brewmasters, you and me.”
Garrett’s eyebrows shot up. “We are, are we?”
Slick nodded confidently. The man could talk anyone into just about anything, so Garrett figured he probably had a brewmaster course in his future. Didn’t sound bad at all .
Falcon leaned forward. “That one’s the Epic Phail Pale Ale.”
Garrett almost spit out his sip of beer, laughing at the name. “Seriously?”
They all laughed, and Falcon continued. “Our first batch was the Pilsner Of Oz.”
Levi rolled his eyes but laughed. “We’re all getting a beer.”
“That’s pretty awesome.”
Levi nodded. “But we’re not telling you about yours until you get your hands dirty in the business.”
Of course not. Laughing, he sipped again. “I’m in.”
A few hours later, the group headed out. More hugs and handshakes and smiles. He hadn’t had so much human contact in years. Certainly hadn’t smiled this much.
He’d expected the group reunion to bring on his memories of Shaggy. It had, but being with his team again had also brought on good memories. So many good memories. Of Shaggy, of the team, of the good they’d done in the world.
He hadn’t touched Animosh, hadn’t so much as looked in her direction, but he’d got used to her presence in the room. He hoped meeting the other dogs wouldn’t be as difficult now.
It was well after midnight when he headed back along Nina’s path, glad he’d left his yard lights on in the back. Kitty didn’t like complete darkness.
He’d have to get some security cameras set up. He didn’t like leaving the mare alone for so long. With a camera, he could check on her to see how she was coping.
The night was overcast, but enough stars peeked out to help him see without turning on the flashlight app on his phone. Once he climbed his fence, he started speaking to Kitty. The horse nickered softly and trotted over to meet him at the edge of the paddock. When he crossed into the paddock, she knocked off his hat. “Were you lonely, Kitty? Sorry about that. But I’ve got a surprise for you. We’re going to have two geldings arrive tomorrow. I don’t know much about them yet, but you’ll have some company of the four-legged variety.”
Movement on the edge of his vision made him turn. A black and white dog zipped away from the barn and into the shadows. The pit bull wasn’t using its front right leg normally. A bark from those shadows confirmed this was the dog he’d been seeing and hearing in the distance. The one that wanted to be friends.
Garrett blew out a breath. He’d survived being in the same room as Animosh for the last few hours. He could cope with this dog, but he couldn’t live with himself if the animal was hurt, and he ignored it.
With a sigh, he climbed down the paddock fence and turned to the dog. “Come here. Let’s check you out.” He eased closer and squatted down, hoping to lure it in.
A truck engine started up close by, and the dog yelped and raced away. It looked like something was wrapped around his leg.
Garrett couldn’t see much of Kimi’s property because of the trees separating them, but the lights of her truck were visible as she headed out onto the road.
He wondered what kind of call had her heading out after midnight. “Stay safe,” he whispered into the night.
Then he grabbed his bedroll and returned to the paddock. Kitty nuzzled his hat when he set up and moved closer to watch over him.
K imi started searching for a quiet side road while she was a few miles from her destination. This was a reconnaissance mission, and she didn’t want the engine or lights to give away her presence. Sound and light traveled easily in the dark forest.
This stretch of back-road highway had to have side roads that led to hunting camps or small towns. Finally, an opening popped up on her right. She’d seen no other traffic in the latter half of her eighty-minute drive, but she backed into the road until her vehicle wouldn’t be spotted by headlights.
She pulled over close to the side so she wouldn’t block the road completely, but she hoped no one used it in the middle of the night. She didn’t need witnesses. With a deep breath, she put on her black backpack and ensured the straps were tight. She turned her phone to silent and slipped out of the truck.
She kept her hand on the handle to muffle the sound, but closing the door still sounded like a drum in the night. Instead of heading straight out, she waited to see if the noise had disturbed anything. Or anyone.
According to her phone, her target was less than a mile away. There wasn’t much wind, but she hoped it wouldn’t pop up behind her and give away her scent.
After a few deep breaths, she memorized the path to her target and put the phone in her pocket. Even though there was no traffic on the road, Kimi walked through the trees. She didn’t know what kind of security John Mead had, but she’d bet it was top quality and extensive. She’d also bet he dealt with trespassers swiftly. Lethally.
Again, she wished she could talk to Marcus Ramirez or the Midnight Security people about options, but she could do basic reconnaissance on her own. Once she found some proof, she would consider bringing in some help.
Forests always felt friendly to Kimi, and walking through them in the night reminded her of good times with her grandmother, who had wanted her to know nature in all its forms.
The dark isn’t scary. Everything needs rest, Kimi. Everything needs time to breathe.
They spent many nights exploring the woods. She walked through the trees as soundlessly as her Algonquian grandma had taught her.
About fifteen minutes later, everything changed between one tree and the next. Her feet halted as she stopped to figure out the change. The wind hadn’t picked up. There were no odd sounds. And that’s where the change was. There were no sounds at all. No animals or birds moving in the night. The woods were rarely truly silent, but here they were.
Which meant she was nearing her target.
Kimi eased forward and kept her senses alert. Once she rounded a stand of spruce trees, she spotted the light shining ahead. Bright artificial light. Was he not giving the dogs a normal resting environment?
Blood simmering, she forced her pace to remain slow and steady. Recon only.
Moving deeper into the forest, Kimi followed the light, turning often to give herself landmarks to remember on her return. If she had to run, she needed to have a map already in her head.
The light changed, and she realized a rotating spotlight moved around the camp. The first sign that these people took their security seriously. Where would the cameras be? Would there be sensors deep in the woods?
She couldn’t get caught out here, so she slowed her pace further. Once she was close enough, she could make out yard lights spaced at even intervals, showing the operation was much larger than she’d feared.
Her heart pounded, and she leaned against a large oak to draw in its strength.
Sharp barking had her eyes flying open. Had they spotted her?
A chain snapped, and more barks sounded. A man growled and swore at the dogs, telling them to be quiet. The scent of cigarette smoke drifted her way. She was too close for her comfort but not close enough to gather evidence or intelligence.
She needed another path, one with a better view.
Now that people were awake and aware in the encampment, she was better off leaving quietly. She’d come again, better prepared and braver.
Her retreat was slow, and when she reached the truck, her body shook from the stress. No time to waste, though. She turned on the truck and felt like a target herself as the headlights brightened the surrounding area.
She pulled onto the road and turned back toward Vermont. The desire to tromp on the pedal was difficult to squash, but she managed. No need to draw attention to herself.
No lights appeared behind her until she changed roads and encountered a few other vehicles. Eventually, she pulled into her own driveway and straight into the garage. If someone had spotted her truck, she didn’t want them to see it from the road.
Her next upgrade would be to a quiet electric vehicle, but right now, all her money was being spent on the animals. And she now had more mouths to feed. Which reminded her to put in the food order with the soy meal later in the day.
To calm her nerves, Kimi walked to the back of the yard to check on the pigs. They huddled together at the edge of the paddock near the rheas who were roosting in trees along the edge.
“How are you doing, Jenny? Are you and the piglets doing okay? You let me know if you need something else.”
The clouds had cleared up, and she thought she spotted the black and white stray patrolling the yard next door. Sexy cowboy’s land.
Kimi toured the other paddocks and chatted with the animals. A few of the cats wound through her feet as she walked. The peafowl had settled in with the Angora goats for the night. The cows would go home tomorrow, but they were snoozing as were the sheep. Onigis napped closer to the shed with the three goats sleeping in the doorway.
Snoops brayed his annoyance at his sleep being disturbed, even though she barely made a sound.
Chuckling, Kimi decided she’d settled enough to be inside. Once the doors were locked behind her, she checked on Owen’s little puppy, who was crated in the kitchen. He didn’t even raise his head as she moved to her bedroom.
She changed into her sleep shorts and tank top and settled on the bed. It had been a full day with not a lot of sleep during the previous two nights. Her alarm would ring in a few hours, so she closed her eyes and pushed away the thoughts of those dogs being trained to fight by John Mead. Shoved away the jerks like Wade Hendry who would inject anything into a horse to win.
Instead, she let her brain focus on her new neighbor. Stetson. Strong hands ready to comfort the animals. Concern for their welfare etched on his face. His gruff thank you when she put down the rifle.
She drifted to sleep with a smile on her face.