Chapter 9
Violet
“Mom.”
I heard Damon and knew he was talking to me, but I was already calculating the money spent on dog food, a collar and leash, treats and toys, and the groceries we’d purchased.
Yes, I had a tidy savings and was getting paid, but as an incentive, Eric had decided to make the calendar a bonus situation with money earned on every calendar and promotional item sold.
Having a stake in the project was great except I had a mountain to climb before I could see a dime. The calendars wouldn’t even be on sale until late October. If the project went as planned. Every dime needed to be carefully calculated.
At least my pain in the ass boss was paying for the rental house. That was something.
I’d done my due diligence, asking the woman at the pet store if anyone had reported missing a puppy. So far, she’d heard nothing and I had a feeling based on her gregarious personality that she talked to lot of people.
Sadly, I’d done so on the sly, terrified that I’d upset Damon. Yet I’d allowed him to pick out toys, treating the pup as if he was a permanent fixture.
The ugly truth was that I was digging myself a hole I feared I’d never claw my way out of.
“Mom. Are you listening to me?”
Woof. Woof. Woof.
“I’m listening, sweetie.” I was also concentrating on keeping the Jeep on the road while enjoying the scenery.
Missoula was truly gorgeous and Main Street was quaint and colorful, filled with flags and awnings and people.
Lots of people. It was the kind of town people could enjoy their family in, rarely worried about safety.
Maybe bears and wolves but not gang members. Immediately, my thoughts shifted to my next-door neighbor. I’d seen him driving earlier in his big black truck, zooming down the gravel road in a hurry.
Perhaps trying to avoid dealing with me.
“Mom! Are you even listening to me?”
I dragged my mind from the gutter and my eyes into the rearview mirror. How fascinating my little man had no issue sitting in the back as long as Zorro was with him. “Of course I’m listening to you.”
“You told me I shouldn’t lie so you can’t either.”
At least my son had me cracking up. We’d found a grocery store the day before, making do with a small bag of dogfood and a few groceries for us.
Now we could prepare a feast. I had to hit the ground running in the morning.
At least I’d managed to track down a few names of potential…
clients. That’s the only way I could think of the smokejumpers.
I’d also need to speak to the captain, which meant a plan needed to be laid out for my interference, timing, payment, and contracts. I needed to go in with the entire project on a silver platter, so they’d be fools to say no.
At least that’s what I was banking on. Literally. “Alright, bud. You got me. What were you saying?” Zorro’s little head slipped through the seats, his big brown eyes catching and capturing mine.
Just like the handsome pain in the ass smokejumper.
Oh! Why was I doing that to myself?
“The collar is perfect for Zorro. I love it. Do you? Do you think he likes his toys? I can’t tell for certain, but I hope so. Can we play outside when we get home? You know what would be cool? If we could make hamburgers and then Zorro can have one. Hey, why don’t we invite Steel for dinner?”
When it came to my son, I was rarely surprised by anything he said or did. Even the first small fire he’d started hadn’t been a shock.
But the fact he wanted a basic stranger to have dinner with us did push all the buttons in my cautious mom suit that I had to wear around him.
Not because I was afraid Steel would even consider hurting him, but because I didn’t want Damon to become too attached.
How could I tell my son that when we left town in less than three months, we’d never see Steel again?
Children didn’t understand loss.
Or maybe mothers didn’t.
“Goodness. So many questions. Let’s see if I can handle this. Yes. Absolutely yes. For a little while. Yes, and we’ll see because we need to watch out for his tummy. Lastly, I don’t know if that’s possible. How’s that?”
His eyes were now squished almost shut, peering at the rearview mirror with an expression that his father used to give me. Great. Now I was replaying both my past and my fantasy future.
“Okay. I think. But wait. We have to worry about Steel’s tummy?”
My kid had the deepest baritone for a seven-year-old I’d ever heard. He was going to be a little heartbreaker when he grew up. Ugh. That was way too far into the future to be thinking about.
“Uh, no. I was saying…”
Thankfully, my phone rang. Maybe not. Seeing Brenda’s name pop up on my cellphone created a wave of butterflies and for all the wrong reasons.
“Hey!” At least there was excitement in her voice, which allowed me to take a deep breath. She was the kind of woman who presented everything good and bad in her voice.
“Hey, Miss Brenda. How is the crew?”
“Missing you. Eric is being… a pain.”
She meant they wished I was there to protect them from his wrath.
Laughing, I had to admit I was glad I could spend a little time away from his constant overshadowing. “He’ll get bored soon enough.”
“From your mouth to God’s ears, but the team is keeping busy with the other calendars.
Now, how is Missoula? How are the hot men?
How is the weather, perfect for getting candid shots?
Did you find any perfect spots for the shoot?
Have you met all the hot guys yet?” Her giggle caused me to shake my head.
“You’re almost as animated as my kid. I’ll do the same thing with you I did with him. Beautiful. I have no idea yet. Excellent. A few. Sadly, no. Did that answer everything?”
“What?”
Chuckling, I made a turn, finally leaving Main Street. I could honestly see myself living here.
“Mom. I’m thirsty. Can we stop and get a drink?”
“Hold on, little man. Aunt Brenda is on the phone.”
“How is the best kid in the world?” Brenda had been my best friend for years.
She’d heard every horror story about Kenny and his parents over wine and Doritos.
She’d comforted me after one of Damon’s meltdowns.
She’d countered my frustration with myself with pointed reasons I should consider myself a decent mom.
“Do you want to tell Aunt Brenda what you found?” I held up the phone so he could tell her without shouting.
“I found a puppy! Mom said I could keep him. Yay!”
I cringed both emotionally and physically since I knew what my bestie would have to say. Rightfully so. “Don’t say it,” I whispered.
“Say what? That you’ve spent the last eight years and eight months of your life chastising yourself for the single night in your controlled life that you allowed yourself to have some fun?
Or that when I’ve tried to get you to relax your strict rules regarding your son, you’ve told me in very colorful detail that you refuse to paint a picture of the world as perfect or rosy in any way, preferring to…
and I quote, ‘challenge him with the horrible dynamics of navigating through a maze-like jungle of corruption and evil.’ Unquote.
Did I miss something? Did you suddenly walk through a door ending in the Twilight Zone or maybe you simply found your sense of humor along the trip to Missoula. ”
“Ha ha. The puppy was tangled in some rope. Damon rescued him. What could I do?”
“You could have taken the dog to a local animal shelter.”
“You should see the little furball. I’ll send you a picture later.”
“Girl. You’re setting yourself up. You’ll be the one calling and crying over the phone when you finally do drop him off at the shelter. You know that.” Brenda’s sigh was exactly like the handful leaving my lips over the last twenty-four hours.
As I twisted my hand around the steering wheel, I wanted to crumble seeing the way Damon and Zorro were together.
Was it possible that if the calendar did well, I could finally afford to put money down on a little house?
Maybe. As long as it was matchbox-sized and nothing terrible happened with the car or any health-related issues since my insurance sucked.
For as large a company as Brightworks was, the benefits truly were unremarkable. Especially when you had a child to care for.
“Wasn’t it you who told me to live a little?” I could try to counter reality all I wanted to and that wouldn’t change a thing.
My bestie could snort with the best of them.
If there was a competition in some honkytonk bar, she’d win hands down.
“The comment was for you. As in go out one night and have a little fun. Don’t you dare go down the same road I’ve heard about a million times.
You’re a young woman. Soon to be old, but still young. You deserve a night on the town.”
Damon’s little happy laugh and the puppy romping all over him pulled my attention and reminded me that he was my world, my joy, and all the fun I needed. He was my everything. “Did you call for a reason or to hassle me about my lack of dating life?”
“Oh, that.” Now her voice fell into the different pitch, the one she used just before dropping some bad news on the team from one of Eric’s hardcore emails. I’d found it hysterical he used her as a go-to, terrified of what I’d say in return.
“Yes, that. What’s wrong?”
“Well, you know who is already asking if you’ve gotten everything set up, including a photoshoot schedule.”
“What? Is that piece of…” I sucked in my breath. I did try not to curse around my child, but days like today made my conviction extremely difficult. “Does he know I just arrived in town yesterday? As in late yesterday?” In times like this, fibbing was crucial.
“He thinks you’re superhuman.”
“Did he actually say that?”
“Well, words to that effect.”
“You can tell our… boss that I’m working on it, but I need a little more than twenty-four hours to do so. End of the week. I thought I was clear with him. Evidently not.”
“I’ll tell him. He won’t be happy.”
I sucked in and held my breath with enough hot air my cheeks were filled.
The one thing Brenda had been right about was that I often took my job too seriously.
I’d been proud to do so. Maybe I was finally facing a crisis.
Maybe I needed a change in my life creating a more positive environment for both Damon and me.
What that meant, I didn’t know. Maybe I could finally finish all the books I’d started writing.
I knew enough about marketing. Why couldn’t I be successful?
What I did know without a doubt was that keeping Eric content was vital in being allowed the time for creativity to percolate.
“Fine. Throw him a nasty piece of rawhide to gnaw on. I did meet the cover man himself.”
“Oooohhh! Steel ‘the hunk’ Beckett?”
“The very one.” As if I was going to share the story with her. Not with being unable to come to my own defense in front of my team. And she’d leak the story. I knew her too well.
“Is he as hot in person as in the photograph?”
“Hotter.” I even used my sultry as sin voice for the occasion.
“A wicked bod?”
“Whew, baby. Like no other man I’ve met.”
“Does that mean he’s on board with the photoshoot?”
My hand was sweating, it was wrapped so tightly around the steering wheel. “We’re getting there. He’s all man. You know?”
“Well, I can definitely spin that with Eric. Steel is really that hot?”
“The hottest man I’ve ever met. In. My. Life.” If I honey-kissed the words more than I had, syrup would be dripping from underneath the Jeep’s door.
Her sigh was just as exaggerated. “Alrighty then. Call me in a couple days, girl.”
“I will. Let the team know we’re rolling and I’ll be sending a few photographs of locations beginning late tomorrow.”
“Will do. Good luck with Mr. Hottie.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I’d need it. Just when I hung up the phone, Damon’s face caught my eye. “What’s wrong?”
“Are you sure you’re not having a seizure?”
My kid could make me laugh more than anyone. “Pretty darn sure. Now, let’s see about that drink.” Why not get him a treat? Maybe a Slurpee. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d bought him one. As I started searching the road for convenience stores, maybe a 7-Eleven, the puppy became agitated.
A low, husky, and hair-raising growl was coming from him.
“What’s wrong with Zorro?” I asked. What was that smell? Like burning plastic. I checked the gauges. No, the radiator wasn’t overheating. I said a few curse words under my breath. My baby Jeep needed to keep us safe. She’d been with me through thick and thin.
“I don’t know. He was just playing with me. Look at his ears, Mom. They’re perked up. Is he hearing something?”
Since dogs had much better hearing than humans, I turned down the radio and listened for any sound. At first, I heard nothing. Then…
“What was that?” I asked more to myself than anything.
“Dunno,” Damon answered in response.
Woof.
The single bark sent an icy chill to my core just as Zorro growled for a second time, the sound and the vibrations deeper.
And more terrifying.
Especially when I gathered a whiff of an electrical fire.