Jonathan glanced at the delivery and set it aside. “For milk and two sandwiches?”
“Yes. Eight sixty-two.”
Cheap food. One thing to love about the small-town feel. Jonathan pulled a twenty from his wallet and handed it over. “Keep the change.”
“Thanks, man.” The boy’s smile made it look as if the tip was worth braving the storm for. He bolted back to the rusted hatchback parked next to Jonathan’s rental.
Jonathan was about to turn back inside, when a ball of white fluff darted between his legs, shot across the porch, and disappeared around the side of the house. “Lucifer.” The wind swallowed his shout. Though it was barely seven in the evening, the clouds swallowed the sun, making it look like the sun had set.
“What happened?” Bailey asked.
He whirled to face her. “Cat ran outside.” He hissed as he looked at the raging weather. “I’m going to go find her.”
“Wait.” Bailey vanished into the kitchen. Things rattled. Drawers and cabinet doors opened and closed. A moment later, she returned with a flashlight in one hand and a bag of—Jonathan squinted—cat treats in the other. She handed him the flashlight. “Let’s go.”
He secured the front door behind her, then shone the light on the ground, following the path he saw the animal take. “Don’t suppose you know if she has a favorite hiding place?”
“Under the rose bushes around back. C’mon, pretty Luci.” She rattled the treat bag and called out every few seconds, as she walked next to Jonathan.
As Bailey predicted, Lucifer waited behind the house, cowering under a bush. Her ears were pressed back against her head, eyes wide and body flat against the ground. She didn’t come when called, but she also didn’t run.
“Come on, sweetheart.” Jonathan crouched low and approached her slowly, hand outstretched. The cat relaxed and twitched her nose. “That’s right.” He handed the flashlight to Bailey, and then dropped to his knees. Maybe he was going to too much trouble for a fucking cat, but he couldn’t leave her outside in this kind of weather. He got close enough to touch her and let her sniff his fingers. Perfect. With a twist, he grabbed for the scruff of her neck.
She jerked out of his grasp and bolted again.
“God damn it.” He rocked back onto his heels with a frustrated sigh, trying to ignore the mud staining his slacks.
*
THE SHARP WIND WASstealing Bailey’s buzz almost as quickly as Jonathan’s disdain did, when she told him about her dream. Fortunately, the Jack lingered in her veins and chased away the chill, and once they got back inside, another shot or two would numb the sting of the interrupted conversation. She didn’t know whether to tease him or offer sympathy for his dirt streaked clothing. He was searching for Luci though, and that earned him several stars in themaybe some of my friend is still in therecolumn in her mind.
A door slammed into stone, and then rattled back and forth, causing her to squeal and jump. She covered her mouth, embarrassed at the reaction.
“Cellar?” Jonathan asked.
“Probably.”
“What are the odds the cat’s down there?”
“Depends on if this is a coincidence, or the gods just want to make me squirm.” She gave him a nervous smile. The house had an outdoor cellar that had given her the creeps for as long as she could remember. She and Jonathan followed the cement steps down to the wooden door that rattled in the wind. Beyond that lay stone walls and wooden shelves. Once upon a time, they were full of canned goods the local people gave Nana as thank-you gifts for various things. Over the last few years, she’d worked to get rid of most of the stock and empty the room.
Bailey swung the beam of the flashlight, and it caught the shelves, casting tall shadows on the far wall. “Yup. Still freaking creepy.”
“I’ll keep you safe,” Jonathan said in an artificially loud baritone. “As long as there are no spiders.” He rested a hand at the small of her back and nudged her forward. The warmth of his palm seared through her shirt and calmed her more than she wanted.
A hiss drew her attention, and she pointed the light toward the sound. Luci crouched on the top of a shelf, a few feet away, next to a bowl. “Come here, princess,” Bailey cooed.
The cat flattened her ears and bared her teeth, then leapt. Her tail caught the bowl, sending it tumbling down on top of Jonathan and soaking him with rancid water. Luci landed on Bailey’s shoulder and allowed herself to be cradled.
“Fucking hell.” Jonathan grimaced and shook away the foul-smelling liquid.
This time Bailey couldn’t hide her laugh. “I’m sorry.” She sounded anything but. “I shouldn’t.”
He gave her a sheepish grin. “You should. Andweshould get back inside, so I can rinse this off. Ugh.”
The moment they were in the house, Lucifer hopped from Bailey’s arms and disappeared somewhere in the house. Bailey took the opportunity to survey the true damage. Jonathan’s hair held a green tinge in places and was plastered to his head. His shirt was half drenched. Mud and slime caked his slacks. But at least he’d stopped dripping between the cellar and here.
“You know what sucks the most about this?” he asked.