Tipping Point (33 page)

“How are your carpet sharks doing?”

“They’re okay for now. It’s safe. They all get along, luckily. They grew pretty used to one another at the shelter. These were ones that came in as bonded groups, so I never got them adopted out. I always felt so sad for them, but now I worry about the ones that were adopted. Anything could happen to them now.”

“Well, you were as careful as you could be about sending them home with people who would love and care for them properly. Try to take comfort from that.

“I was working on a ferret run outside when I got this lovely tan. Neil and Billy are pouring a concrete base. It’ll be fenced in with a bunch of soil piled on top, so they can safely dig like the mad things they are.

“We’ll put in a couple of sheds for shelter, with lots of insulation and cubbies for sleeping. I’ll have to work out temp controls right away. I know in the UK they keep them out year-round, but they don’t have our temperature extremes. We’ve got more ferrets coming, too, so I may have to add space later.”

“Where are you getting them from?”

“The shelter in Ottawa and the one in Sault Ste. Marie. There isn’t any trouble up there yet, so I’m not sure how to convince them that it’s coming. They’ll have to see it for themselves before they listen to me, but I can’t wait too long either. I need to have the fuel to get there and back, and we may run out down here before they do. Hard to say.”

“If you need me to talk to them, let me know. We all sort of keep in touch in the shelter community.”

“That’s a good idea. They’re more likely to listen to you. Do you know of any other shelters in Ontario?”

“Not that I’m aware of. Anyway, I’ll let you get back to what you were doing. You know where I am if you need me.” With a smile Kelly left them to their shopping.

24

K
NOTTY BY
K
NATURE

Mac had finished her online shopping long before Neil and Billy were done working on the ferret run, so she had Cameron bring in whatever vegetables were ready to be picked. For once she was the one with dinner on the table for everyone, though she was more than happy to concede she didn’t cook as well as Neil.

She’d confirmed with Kelly and Annette that they weren’t vegetarians before pulling steaks out of the freezer to stick under the broiler. Mac had decided against buying a grill, since they would one day run out of propane, and outdoor fires might be a bad idea later.

She tossed fresh spinach into a salad with some chopped walnuts, snow peas, mandarin orange pieces, and a mild homemade dressing using brown sugar as part of the mix.

Neil told Billy to give him five minutes to shower when they stepped through the door, so Billy just talked to Mac while she cooked. He watched Cam the whole time, but Cam pretended she didn’t notice. She was pretty good at it, too. Billy appeared to have no idea she was aware of his attention.

When Neil came out in his towel and told Billy he was good to head for the shower, he had to call his name a couple of times. Cameron still pretended ignorance. Neil went off to change into some of the clothes he’d brought back from the cabin that afternoon. Mac assumed he had cleared out his closet and dresser for Leigh.

Dinner was cheerful, even though Annette was mostly quiet. She still spoke up a few times, which Mac took as a sign that she was doing okay. Getting beat up was traumatic, but it could have been even worse. She wasn’t mutilated, raped, or killed. Her minor injuries would heal. It was the sense of vulnerability she would need to recover from more than anything.

Kelly cleared the table, and they all went off to their separate activities once again. Mac talked to Neil about having Kelly perform the service. He liked the idea, so they let Kelly know right away that her services would be required. Then he filled her in on the progress of the ferret run.

Cameron went out to take care of the livestock, while Billy looked through Cam’s game collection. They’d already decided on something a little less violent for the evening, since they just wanted to relax and be able to fall asleep. Neil and Mac had to get up early to go to Parry sound for the licence and for Mac to give her statement, but they were all really tired from the work they’d been doing lately anyway.

They decided to have the wedding by the river late in the afternoon. If anyone needed to shop for clothes, they could go with Cam and Mackenzie once the licence had been picked up. Neil and Billy both had suits they’d bought recently, so they were fine.

Mac was drooping by nightfall. Prolonged exposure to the sun did that to her, and the sunburn made her cranky. She wasn’t snapping at anyone yet, but she figured she’d better head off to bed before she started. Neil kissed her gently when she leaned down to whisper goodnight.

“I’m not quite ready to sleep yet, honey, so I’ll maybe stay up and play a game or two with the kids. You rest up. I’ve got big plans for you tomorrow.” She gave him a tired smile. As long as those plans included a wedding, rather than her having to build anything out in the hot sun, she was there. She crawled onto the bed and didn’t even remember falling asleep.

She woke up naked and very confused about it. The lack of clothing on the floor meant she hadn’t undressed herself, and there were no signs she’d been having sex. Apparently Neil had stripped her, but she couldn’t begin to understand why. She shrugged and started to drift back off to sleep.

“Oh no you don’t, honey. We’ve got places to go.” She tried to clear her throat.

“Gargh! What did you do to me? And why am I naked?” She sounded like she’d been on a three-day bender, or had strep throat.

“Normally the answer to that question would be obvious, but sadly such is not the case today. Your clothes were dirty, and you were sprawled face down and crosswise on the bed. My guess is you passed out before undressing. I haven’t done anything
to
you, because you’re the approximate colour and temperature of a furnace. Do you have any aloe?”

Mac shook her head, the motion making her dizzy.

“Well, we’ll have to remedy that. I’ve got a couple of plants that are still at my old place, though they’re not really ready to be harvested from yet. Do you have something else for burns?” It took her several tries to answer him.

“Looks like you’ve got a little sunstroke. So long as you’re of sound mind, however, I don’t think they care how sound your body is at town hall. Up and at ‘em, hot stuff!” Mac wanted to glare at him, but her face hurt too much to bother.

She had her shower with the spray on low. She wore another tank top, because she couldn’t bear the thought of sleeves on her skin, but she slathered on the sunscreen. In addition to the Solarcaine and sunscreen, she wore a baseball cap, pulling her ponytail through the hole in the back. It was a Toronto Raptors cap with the brim curled perfectly. Neil thought she looked adorable, and was idiotic enough to tell her so. He got a poke in the ribs for it.

They arrived in Parry Sound right when the town hall was opening its doors, so they had to wait a few minutes for the computers to boot up before they could be seen. Soon they were headed back to the car with a bounce in both their steps.

The statement to the police took quite a bit longer, but she wasn’t hassled. She figured Gilles had probably paved the way for her there. It made her feel guilty for not inviting Gilles or Chuck to their wedding, but the timing wasn’t right.

Mac texted Kirk and Leigh once they were on their way back. Neither of them needed clothes for the wedding, but they still wanted to go with them. Neil gave her his truck keys so she’d have more cargo space, and sent Cam out when he got inside. They would pick up Cam’s friends on the way. Kelly and Annette had already told them they didn’t need anything.

Mackenzie gave Kirk and Leigh their money back as soon as they got in the truck. If they found something they wanted to buy, she’d feel like an asshole for keeping all their cash. She didn’t need it anyway.

Mac stopped at a larger store to buy enough underwear for everyone for the next twenty years, and in fabrics that were the least likely to fall apart. She liked natural cotton for breathability, but it wouldn’t last as long as nylon and other synthetics. She also made sure everyone had several pairs of sturdy shoes and boots.

It took only minutes in the jewelry store, since the ring was ready. Then they headed to the boutique for casual wedding attire. Mac stuck with her sundress idea, choosing one in a spring green, and Cam followed suit in a crisp, pastel orange that suited her offbeat tastes.

They didn’t have the sandals she had in mind, though she did manage to get the floppy hat. The shoe store two doors down had something close enough to what she was looking for, that she made her purchases and they moved on. She bought a pair of metallic gold-coloured sandals with skinny straps for herself, and Cam chose a silver pair.

When she paused outside a casual clothing store, the others suggested they spend whatever they could on fabrics and sewing supplies next, and if there was anything left they could buy readymade items. There was no point in wasting money, so they moved on. A stop at a florist netted her a quickly-made bouquet that was nonetheless very charming.

The sewing store had a unisex sewing mannequin and some books on sewing and making patterns, so they could design their own patterns later. They also managed to find lots of fabrics that would hold up well, including some leather.

They bought quilt-batting, thread, needles of all kinds and even an extra sewing machine, along with parts. Mac already had knitting needle sets, and could create her own patterns, so she stocked up on some more yarn. She didn’t know how long it would be before they had enough angora to make into something. Kirk and Leigh started hauling stuff out to the truck.

Mac had just paid for the last of the purchases when Kirk and Leigh came back in the store, completely out of breath and a panicked look on their faces. They ran straight over to her, and shielded her from the window.

“I think Gerry’s outside, Mac. I’m sure it’s the same guy from the gas station. You can use your phone’s camera to look at him, instead of letting him see you.” Mac’s heart was pounding. She hadn’t been expecting him. They’d gone to a town with better shopping, and Gerry’s car was trashed.

“Good idea.” When she looked at the screen, she saw Kirk was right. The clerk was giving them a funny look by then, but she didn’t comment. Mac turned to her, needing her help.

“You see that kid out there with the long, greasy hair?”

“Gerry? Piece of sh...garbage. I went to high school with him. Why?” Mac wasn’t surprised. The local high school covered a very large area.

“He’s been bothering me, trying to follow me home, among other things. It didn’t end well for him the last couple of times, so I guarantee he’s not happy with me. Is there a back way out of this store that we can use?”

“You betcha. I’ll be happy to show you the way. We’re not supposed to bring people through the back, obviously, but my boss won’t mind. Her husband used to beat her, until her family got hold of him. Gerry is just like him.”

“Thank you.” As the clerk led them through the back, Mac asked her name.

“Marian Taylor. Kinda old-fashioned, but I don’t mind. I like old-fashioned stuff, which is how I ended up working here. And the last name really suited, too, even if the spelling is different.” Mackenzie smiled at her as they went out the door.

“Thanks again. Really. I just don’t want to have to deal with him today.”

“No problem. Besides, you damn near bought out the store, so my boss is really going to want you to be a happy customer.” Mac laughed.

“No doubt. I’ll be coming back if I’m ever in the market for more stuff, though that won’t likely be for a while. If I ever see you again, and there’s anything I can do for you, don’t hesitate to ask. My name’s Mac. Short for Mackenzie. This is my daughter Cameron, and her friends Kirk and Leigh. Thanks again, and have a really good day!” Marian nodded and waved, and they watched her go back into the store.

Kirk scouted ahead for her, making sure the coast was clear whenever they hit a corner. They made it back to Neil’s truck without running into Gerry, so Mac ducked her head a bit to avoid being seen and told Kirk and Leigh to finish up getting what they needed.

They were back in less than thirty minutes with heavily-laden shopping bags, and then they were all headed for home, Mackenzie flicking glances at the rearview mirror every minute or so. No one was behind them when she made the turn down their road, and they made it up to the house without incident.

“Alright, don’t worry about unloading everything just now. Only the wedding stuff is really needed for the moment, and we have that here up front with us.”

Mac used the bedroom to get ready, and Cameron took the bathroom. Kirk and Leigh could swap with Cam when she was done. There wasn’t much Mackenzie could do about her face, other than adding more Solarcaine. She put on eyeliner, mascara, and tinted lip gloss, and considered herself presentable. She used sparkly bobby pins to hold back the sides of her hair at various points, leaving the length of it to stream down her back.

Both ferrets were milling about her ankles as she moved from one spot to the next, grabbing things from various places. She nearly stepped on Squeaker a number of times.

“Sorry, guys. I know this is irritating and stressful to you. How ‘bout I put the harnesses on you and you can come out for the wedding? Would you like that?” Mac was already rolling her eyes at herself.

She knew ferrets had attended weddings before, since she personally knew several people who had brought their ferrets, and some who had even had them as part of the ceremony, like ring-bearers and whatnot, but she hadn’t really thought about what she would do if she got married again. It never occurred to her that she would. By bringing them out with her, she would officially be a crazy ferret lady.