Chapter 13
CHAPTER 13
S tark paused the video game and tossed the controller on the bed before cracking his neck lightly. He reached for his beer, grimaced at the warm taste and set the bottle back on the nightstand.
He grabbed his phone and checked messages, staring at the zero new texts before dropping his phone beside the controller. He stared blankly at the television screen on the wall across from the bed. It was Saturday night, and he was sitting alone in his bedroom, playing video games. Christ, it was as if he was living his teenage years all over again.
He studied his phone again. He had only a few friends in New Cassel, and here in Harmony Falls, he had precisely zero. Introverted and obsessed with gaming as a teenager, he’d never found it easy to make friends. As an adult, he’d been more focused on building his company than making friends.
It had never bothered him before. He enjoyed his solitude, but lately… lately, he’d been craving friendship and connection. Hell, a couple of weeks ago, he’d almost asked James if he wanted to go for a beer after work despite his strict rule of never sharing personal information with coworkers.
He picked up the game controller and restarted the game. He played mostly on autopilot, his thoughts returning again and again to his sudden desire for more connection with others.
When the small calico cat jumped onto the bed and butted her head against his hand, he said, “You just got me killed by a zombie, you know.”
Molly purred loudly in response, and he glanced at her. “Aren’t you supposed to be taking care of some babies?”
She butted his hand again, chirping at him.
“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.
“Jesus, what happened?” he asked.
“She’s a stray in the area who I’ve been trying to catch for a few weeks now. Someone saw her tangled in the fence and called me.”
“Who?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” she said impatiently. “Some guy. He didn’t stick around. He just told me approximately where he’d seen her.”
“He left her here to suffer?”
She gave him another impatient look. “Welcome to the world of animal rescue. People are both great and awful. What are you doing here?”
“I was headed into town. How will you get her free?”
“If I can get her to stay still without me having to hold her down, I’ll cut the wire with these.” She waved her free hand at him, and he studied the small bolt cutters she held.
He held his hand out. “You hold the dog. I’ll cut the wire.”
He expected her to argue, but she handed him the cutters without speaking before holding the dog down with both hands. Working quickly, he cut the wire from the dog’s leg, grimacing as he peeled it away, and she made a sharp yelp of pain.
“I know, sweetheart,” Rayna said softly. “We’ll get you feeling better soon, I promise. You’re a good girl.”
He unwound the last of the bloody barbed wire from the dog. “She’s free.”
“Thank you,” Rayna said.
She stood, keeping one hand on the dog’s ribs. “Can you stand, sweet girl?”
The dog stayed where she was, whining softly and continuously, and Rayna stroked her light coloured fur. “Okay, girl. I’ll carry you.”
She squatted, but before she could slide her hands under the dog’s body, Stark nudged her out of the way. “I’ll do it.”
“You’ll get blood on your clothes,” Rayna warned.
He ignored her and lifted the dog. She hung limply in his arms, and he gave Rayna a worried look. “Now what?”
Rayna was already pulling out her phone. “Bring her to my SUV, please.”
He followed her through the deep snow, the dog’s whines making his chest tight.
“Hey, Nathan, it’s Rayna. Yeah, sorry to call, but I have a badly injured dog. Her hind left leg was caught up in some barbed wire. It looks like she was trapped for quite a while and thrashed a lot. The leg is pretty bad… might need to be amputated bad.”
Stark’s stomach clenched as he stared at the dog in his arms. They crossed the ditch as Rayna said, “Okay, I’m on my way. Should be there in about fifteen minutes. Thanks, Nathan.”
She opened the back of the SUV. There were already thick blankets laid out, and he gently set the dog down. Still whining and panting, she laid her head on the blankets and closed her eyes.
“Thank you,” Rayna said again as she closed the door.
“What now?” he asked.
“Now I’m hauling ass to Brandt Vet Clinic.” She brushed past him and yanked open the driver’s door. “Thank you again. I appreciate your help.”
She climbed into her SUV and drove off. He slid behind the wheel of his vehicle, watching the dwindling lights of Rayna’s vehicle before muttering a curse and following her. She’d need help carrying the dog into the vet clinic, right?