I had cleaning supplies with me, enough to clean the shower before I used it. Dressing in my khaki capris, tee and sandals, I pulled my dark hair into a knot, grabbed my purse and went to explore town. My cabin was only about ten minutes from Main Street. I parked at the curb and climbed out. The storefronts looked like a scene from a Wild West movie. The streets were paved, but it would be so easy to see them as dirt, horses walking down them, the sheriff leaning against the porch support in front of his office, the saloon with scantily dressed ladies lingering at the push through door. That thought had me thinking about my wakeup call. The man was a dick, but the sight he made with his dogs was definitely memorable. I was guessing he was the man that woman was looking for. I understood her interest, well, based on his looks; his personality left little to be desired.
I hit the hardware store first and got all kinds of cleaning supplies before I loaded them into my Jeep and drove to the feed store. Stepping inside, I was greeted by the elderly man behind the counter. “Morning, what can I do for ya?”
“Hi. I just moved into the place on Willow Lane.”
“Yes.” He moved around the counter, offering his hand. “I’m Clinton.”
“Cedar, nice to meet you.”
“Let me guess, you’ve got raccoons.”
“I do.”
“Not surprising with the place sitting for so long. I can trap them and move them somewhere else.”
I was hoping he’d say that. I didn’t want to hurt them, but I didn’t want them living with me either.
“The best deterrent is a dog. You might want to look into getting one, particularly living out there alone,” he suggested.
I’d already been thinking about getting a dog. I wanted the companionship, but I wanted the protection too. “Is there an animal shelter here?”
“Right down the street. Let me get down your information. I’ll be out this week to set the traps. To help deter others from coming, keep your trashcan in the garage and make sure you keep the place lit at night. Motion sensor lights help to keep them away. Graham can help you install them.”
Graham and I had been talking for a couple of weeks. I googled him, checked his references then got down to business because I had plans for my cabin and didn’t want to wait. “I will give him a call. Thanks, Clinton.”
“Welcome to Little Hill.”
I left the feed shop and walked to the shelter. The redhead behind the counter walked around it. “Hi. Can I help you?”
“I just moved here, was looking to adopt a dog.”
She smiled, her blue eyes twinkling. “You’re the new owner of the house on Willow Lane.”
In Manhattan, I’d be getting a restraining order, but this was a really small town, so I was news. And so it began again, offering my hand. “I’m Cedar.”
“Natalie. I’m sorry but happy to say we don’t have any dogs at the moment, just a cat but Lucifer really isn’t a people cat.”
That turned my head to the black cat in the one cage. He was all by himself. Seemed wrong that he was alone. I knew how that felt. “Do you mind if I…”
“No, but be careful. He has been known to scratch people.”
We walked to the cage. It was like he knew what we were doing, looking at us with those golden eyes. “He’s all by himself here?”
“Yeah. I tried to take him home, but he didn’t like my other cat.”
I hated the thought of him alone. That wasn’t going to help with his attitude. “Can I take him home, see if he takes to it?”
She didn’t hide her surprise. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I’ll bring him back if he doesn’t like it.”
“I’m not kidding, he does scratch.”
“Then I’ll scratch him back,” I said.
She laughed. “Okay, let me get the carrier. I have some food you can use. If he does take to your place, the feed store has the brand. You can get the litter box and litter at the general store.”
She disappeared, returning with the carrier and wearing gloves. He hissed when she reached for him, and he did scratch at her, but she managed to get him into the carrier. I was having second thoughts, because he really wasn’t friendly, but no one deserved to be alone.