Secrets (4 page)

She looked away again. She didn't want to see pity in their eyes. Furry, long-haired Munchy waltzed in to the kitchen and meowed. Loudly. “Time for dinner for her, too.”

“Michelle, it's hard not to know what's going to happen, but focus on being positive. I know you have premonitions, feelings, and they're valid. But nothing is in stone. Things can shift.” Lacey grabbed the plates and stuck them in the sink, while Michelle scooped Munchy's kibble into a blue ceramic bowl with little white parading cats around its circumference.

Leaning against the counter, she chewed on her bottom lip. “I do have a bad feeling. But I don't actually know what that means.”

Sterling frowned. “It stinks, totally stinks. But I agree with Lacey. If there is anything we can do, don't hesitate to say, Michelle. We're not just your bosses, we're friends. Friends who can investigate.”

“You guys are the best. Thank you for being supportive. And thank you for the pizza. You're life-savers.” Just then two more cats appeared, focusing their pointed expressions on Michelle. “I know, Izabelle, feed you. You, too, Tiger.”

Their goodbyes said and Sterling and Lacey out the door, Michelle set about feeding any stray cats in the area. On the back porch, from inside a big plastic container filled with kibble, she scooped out enough to fill a small plastic bucket and carried it out to her yard. She set the bucket on the ground beside a dish of water, then lingered.

The hedges around her backyard gave her a sense of privacy and containment in the darkness of the fall night. Leaves on the four trees in her large back yard rustled. She breathed in deeply, savoring the crisp feel of air. This is what she'd wanted, the feeling of being home, enveloped by warm memories of growing up in this home with her parents and having space and privacy to do whatever she wanted.

A full moon in the starry night bathed the yard in a soft glow. She started imagining the things she could do here. Maybe even dance in the moonlight. The thought lifted her mood.
Why not?
Humming to herself, Michelle sunk into the sounds, scents, and feelings of the moment, and began moving to her inner music. She was free, alone here in her own yard. Nothing to worry about. Tension seeped away from her muscles. She slowly turned to a rhythm inside her, savoring the sense of self that rose in her, her eyes closed.

A noise from the bushes crackled, and instantly her muscles tensed. Still and on alert, Michelle peered through the darkness. It could be a stray, she thought, seeking food. If it was a homeless cat, it was too late to prevent scaring it. A movement of any sort would send it running.

So she stood still in the spot, waiting and squinting her eyes for a better look.

She held her breath, and as she did, a large figure of a furry animal slipped silently through the hedge, away from her.

Automatically, her hand slapped over her mouth. Her heart raced. Her breath came in deliberate pulls. That figure, that animal, was not at all what she'd expected to appear out of the shadows. She dropped her hand to her side and stepped cautiously toward the spot where the animal had disappeared.

The hedge bordered her half-acre backyard and split it from the rest of her property. The place in the hedge where the animal slipped through meant a short walk away from the security of her house, but she'd be damned if she was going to let that deter her from a possible identification of that animal.

She shivered in the cold air, taking measured steps to the spot, her senses perched on the edge of her nerves. She noticed a small opening in the hedge. The large animal would have had to crouch low to the ground to get through. She leaned low and tried to see through to the other side, but she saw nothing but dry weeds.

The hedge stood about to her chin, so standing on tiptoe, Michelle searched the field on the other side for another glimpse of the animal.

“Geez!” She instinctively took a step back when her gaze collided with the animal as it sat still in the field, barely visible. Inexplicably, it sat motionless, staring at her.
Can it see me?
she wondered. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest. She longed to get a better look, but she didn't dare slip through the hedge. It seemed completely at ease, sitting there staring at her through glistening eyes.

Dare she speak? Fairly mesmerized, Michelle whispered to the animal. “I mean you no harm.”

She waited. Her eyes were adjusting to the darkness, so she focused them on the figure. It looked to have a large body covered with thick fur. Its head had a feline appearance and ears tipped with dark tufts of fur.
Distinctive markings of a lynx
.

Chills rolled up and down her spine. She couldn't explain why she wasn't afraid, other than the vibes she was picking up across the space between her and the animal were gentle, not threatening.

“I mean you no harm,” she repeated.

The animal chuffed, then stood and began walking into the woods at the outskirts of her property. She didn't move, instead taking in its graceful walk. A few steps away, it stopped, twisted its head around to look at her, and chuffed again. A few more steps into the night and the animal was gone.

Back inside her house, Michelle ran her fingers through her hair, trying to wrap her brain around what just happened. She'd lived here all of her childhood. She'd roamed the fields that surrounded the house. The fields and the forest were her playground. Never once had she come across a large animal like she'd seen tonight. If she was right and it was a lynx, it surely was a predator of some sort, but it had made no attempt to make her its dinner.

Michelle parted her kitchen curtains and scanned the backyard. In the darkness she saw a mother cat and her kittens approach the food bucket.
Cool.
The feeling of giving these cats, who probably were homeless, a meal and a drink of water was a familiar and pleasant feeling. It was funny that the mother didn't feel protective with her kittens in an area where a big predator had just stood. She let the curtains fall back in place and turned to lean against the counter.

What an exciting first night in my new home.
She checked the perky clock on the wall again to see the evening was still young, and contemplated her day. Before her thoughts got off to much of a start, a knock at her front door pulled them to an abrupt halt.

She walked into her living room to the front door and peered through the peek hole. A smile from Casey greeted her, and she opened the door to let him in.

He bowed like a goofball and presented her with a basket of fruit. “My lady, a bit of fruit?”

“You nut. Thank you, kind sir.” She curtsied, laughing. “What brings you to my part of Laurelwood?”

“I'll be honest. You. Besides, I was in the area, and I wanted to make sure you're settled in and feeling secure.” He cast an inquisitive glance around the living room, then headed through the hall to the kitchen.

“Go ahead, make yourself at home.” She spread her arms wide and followed him. He didn't appear at all aware that he was making himself at home without asking for her consent. “I appreciate you checking, but I'm fine.”

“Good.” He stopped by the refrigerator. “Got anything to drink?”

“Water.”

“That's not what I was thinking of, but thanks.” He continued to stand in place, and she couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking. She didn't want to feel anything but her own emotions, so she closed herself to what he might bring to her. “I saw a mother cat with three kittens walking across the street. Did they find you already?”

Despite her efforts, she felt questions roll off him, and a genuine feeling of concern. “Yes. I'm glad. There is no shortage of homeless cats in need of food and water.” She pursed her lips. What did he want to know, really?

He shot a direct gaze at her, making her squirm. What was that in his eyes?

“I don't want to overstep, Michelle, I know you need your space.” His eyes pinned her, asking her for something. “But I'm always going to be looking after you. I hope that is comforting to you, not threatening. I mean you no harm.”

The words, words she'd just used, held so much unspoken meaning. She shifted on her feet. “You're not a stalker?”

Casey unleashed one of his amazing smiles, and it washed over her like a gentle swell in Lake Michigan. “No, not a stalker.”

“Good. Because I've had one of those already.” Instantly she regretted letting that piece of information escape.

“What? When? Who?” His brown eyes darkened.

“Oh, it was a long time ago. Just some guy.” Michelle wrapped her arms around herself and tried to look deadpan.

Casey's smile turned sad. He rubbed his chin with his thumb, drawing her attention to his face. How could she push him away? Underneath his shirt his taut chest muscles strained the fabric, enticing her to touch. She knew from experience that delicious smooth skin the color of rich coffee wore beautifully over his firm six-pack. But despite his physical appeal, Casey's soul stood as his finest attribute.

“No. We're friends. I would never want to hurt you. But to be honest, do I want something different with you?” His gaze dropped for a brief moment, then his eyes came back to her face. “It's irrelevant. If it's meant to be, you and me, it will happen. I'm not going to push you, Michelle. I don't know what terrible thing happened to you, but I know something did. I can see it in you.”

She stretched up straight, the weight of his sincerity lying like a slab of granite in her belly. Why were things always so complicated? She knew the answer. Because simplicity had been taken from her. But she could use Casey's friendship right now, as things were uncertain. “Well, we don't have to go back beyond this morning to find something potentially terrible.” She pulled the letter from her purse on the counter and passed it to him.

His eyes quickly read through the letter and his mouth dropped open. “What the heck?” He read it again. “Who does this lawyer represent? What did your bank say?”

His eyes flashed at her and his voice lowered, ending in a barely audible low growl in his throat. She knitted her brow, taken aback by his intensity. “I don't know what's going on. My bank mortgage officer promised to look into it. It was an odd meeting, though.”

“Odd how?” Casey stooped down to scratch the yellow tabby's ears. Jojo leaned into his hand, purring loudly.

“The loan officer at first said it was nothing to worry about, because a thorough title search had been completed, but he talked to a supervisor and came back acting all nervous. No explanation, but he said he'd check into it and get back to me.” Michelle ran her fingers through her hair, then shrugged. “But I'm here now.”

He stood and peered intently at her. “So, stiff upper lip and all that?”

She chuckled, her nerves jangling. “Yes. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.”

A smile spread across his face. Despite his intensity, his calm demeanor enveloped her in strength and confidence. “You sound like Sterling and Lacey. I'm sorry for this problem cropping up. How about I do a pro bono? I'll look into this, and you do me a favor, maybe find a home for a cat I might pick up from the street. Deal?”

“You call yourself a lawyer. It wouldn't be pro bono,” she teased. “It would be exchanging favors. Quid pro quo.”

“Details. Do we have a deal?” He slanted his head and gazed at her, emanating fondness she couldn't ignore.

She offered him her hand. “Deal.”

He grabbed hers firmly and shook. “Deal.” He kissed her on the forehead, lingered for the space of a breath, then paused. “Sleep well.”

Michelle watched Casey climb into his Prius, smiling to herself that it fit him so well. He cared about the environment, so of course he was one of the first among her friends to buy an eco-friendly car. A sleek sports car would be a good fit with his strong, athletic build, but he wouldn't choose that over low emissions.

As he backed out of her driveway, she shut the door and stood still to savor the moment she'd had with Casey. Somehow he'd managed to cheer her up without even trying. His words assuring her he was watching out for her worked some magic, the opposite of making her feel trapped and uneasy. He had an inexplicable air of wildness to him, but it didn't scare her. It was just Casey. No, he hadn't been the problem in their relationship, that was all her. Her, and the man who hurt her years ago.

Sorrow leaded her steps down the hall to her bedroom. The work she'd done with a good counselor had helped, she knew that. So why couldn't she stand to let Casey close?

Undressed and settling into her bed, Michelle watched her family of cats join her and nestle into a comfortable place.

• • •

Casey drove his car down the lane that separated Michelle's property from the grove of trees that attempted to hide a small industrial facility next door. Slowly, he drove about a block down the lane, then turned into the field beside her home and parked among the tall grasses. Quickly he pulled off his clothes, laid them on the seat beside him, and climbed out. A quick look around in the darkness told him he was alone, so without hesitation he shimmered.

He dropped down on all fours, and stretched and shook from head to toes, fully inhabiting his lynx body. He breathed deeply of the crisp air. It filled his nose and his lungs with the exhilaration of nature. Inside his head he chuckled, thinking of the television and movie versions of many were-animal transformations. All bone-bending and painful. Not true, at least not for him. Shifting from his human form to his lynx form and back again for him was as smooth and effortless as, well, a shimmer. Of course it was easy. It was a natural process for his body.

Whether he was in lynx form or in the form of a man, he had unusually keen senses of sight, smell, and hearing, in addition to an extra, special ability. All were-lynxes had keen senses as well as something special. His was the ability to see through solid objects. It was something he could turn on and off simply by concentrating, but it was limited. He could see through one solid object at a time. The heightened senses intensified experiences for him, and served as useful and pleasant traits.