Safe At Home

“Since some fool shot him to death over some out-of-season deer kill,” Vertie said. “He didn’t die, Irene. He got himself murdered, and the devil that killed him is still walking around looking for more deer to poach.”

“Please, Vertie,” Tala said.

“I’m sorry, but it makes me so damned mad. In my day we’d have caught the sum’bitch and strung him up to the nearest oak tree. The hell with due process.”

Tala stood up quickly, set the fragile cup on the table and bent to kiss Vertie’s cheek. It felt like crushed velvet—soft, but with a myriad tiny imperfections and striations. “I love you, Belle Starr, Queen of the Outlaws, and you, too, Irene.”

“So, you going to take the job?” Vertie asked in a raspy voice that showed how close she was to tears.

“Maybe. I’ll talk to Beanie on my shift tonight. Please don’t mention a word to the kids until I’m sure.”

“Of course, dear,” Irene said, then followed her to the door and touched her cheek. Her eyes were full of concern. “You’ve got dark circles the size of dinner plates under your eyes, and I swear you’ve lost some more weight. You have to remember to eat, Tala. Promise?”

“Yes, ma’am.” She kissed Irene’s cheek, walked to her truck, climbed in and waved to the two women standing at the top of the porch stairs.

They stood arm in arm, united for all their differences. Vertie, tall, angular and hawk-faced, her still-thick gray hair pulled back into a bun at the back of her neck, in her faded jeans, heavy fisherman’s sweater and white Nikes. Irene, shorter than Tala, and plump as a partridge, with her immaculately coifed golden hair, her beige wool skirt and baby blue cashmere twin set, wearing high-heeled taupe pumps that showed off the trim ankles that were her greatest vanity. As Tala climbed into her truck, the women turned and went back into the house. A united front as far as the rest of the world was concerned.

If either woman had an inkling how difficult it was for Tala not to be a full-time mother to her children, they would have shipped the pair of them home to her farmhouse in a heartbeat, and volunteered to ferry them home after their practices every afternoon.

But Rachel wouldn’t come back to the farm. She swore she’d never set foot there again so long as she lived. She never wanted to see the deer or the possums or raccoons again. So far as she was concerned, if Adam hadn’t devoted his life to wild animals, he’d still be alive.

And by extension, if he’d married some safe debutante instead of Tala, he’d never have felt he could follow his dream and become a warden. He’d have been a nice, rich banker living in a big house in town. Rachel was full of anger, and Tala didn’t know how to help her.

And the only night Cody had spent on the farm in the last three months he’d cried and had nightmares about his father all night long until Tala slept in the rocking chair beside his bed and held her hand on him. At least at his grandmother’s he could sleep.

As she started her vehicle, a bright red Jeep pulled in behind her and honked its horn. She turned off the engine and jumped out of the truck. “Rachel, Cody, Irene said you wouldn’t be home for an hour yet.” She opened her arms and Cody flew into them. Rachel stood by the Jeep with a scowl on her face.

“Mom!” Cody said, and kissed her cheek. “Mrs. Johnson was sick, so Rachel’s stupid cheerleading practice got canceled and Mrs. Lippincott gave us a ride home so we wouldn’t have to walk.”

She looked over Cody’s head. “Sorry about your practice, Rach, but I’m glad I got to see you.”

Rachel shifted her book bag and walked past her mother and up the steps. “We’ll never make it to the State finals at this rate,” she snapped, then turned around to stare at her mother. “What’s the big deal?” Her face clouded, and Tala saw a flash of anxiety in her eyes. “Nobody’s sick, are they?”

Tala slid Cody to his feet and walked over to touch Rachel’s shoulder. Rachel didn’t exactly flinch, she just moved out from under her mother’s fingers.

“Everybody’s fine so far as I know, Rach.”

“Great. I got homework. Bye.” She walked up the steps and into the house.

Cody made a face at her retreating back. “Boy, is she ever a pain. How come I can’t be an only child?”

“Little late for that, I’m afraid, Cody bear.”

“She’s not mean to anybody but you—well, mostly.”

“Is she mean to you?”

Cody snickered. “No way. I’m a big martial-arts type, Mom. Yee-hah.” He proceeded to throw his fists and kick out, just missing his mother’s shoulder.

“Very impressive. But don’t use it on your sister or anybody else, you got that?”

“Oh, Mom.”

She glanced at her watch. “Drat. I’m late. I love you, Cody bear. And tell Rachel I love her, too.” She kissed the top of his head. He waved and scurried up the steps and into the big house. Tala watched him go as she climbed into her truck. She felt her eyes sting with unshed tears. He looked so much like the pictures of his father at that age.

She drove out and turned toward the road to the sanctuary. She barely had time to drop off the supplies and get to the Food Farm on time.

Most people, looking at Cody, would assume he was over his father’s death. Tala knew better. Cody kept his feelings all inside, while Rachel bared her teeth at the universe. They both probably needed to talk to a psychologist of some kind, but the closest one was fifty miles away, and he didn’t have much of a reputation.

She’d have to muddle through and try to help them. Herself, as well.

As much as she longed to be with her children, Tala could not give up the farmhouse, the house where she and Adam had been married, had loved and given birth to their babies, and where Adam had lain in his coffin before he was buried in the little cemetery behind the Episcopal mission with the other Newsomes.

The day they were married she’d sworn to him she’d preserve the place as long as she lived, so that no matter how much development, how many vacation homes went up around her, the farm she’d inherited at Bryson’s Hollow would always stay a refuge for the wild creatures he loved so much. In the end he’d given his life for them. The least she could do was keep her word.

No untenanted farm survived long these days without squatters and thieves and even arsonists destroying what they could not appreciate. She simply could not abandon the place, even if she’d been able to afford something halfway decent in town.

But with a day job, she could bring Cody home for at least part of the summer, and perhaps even convince Rachel to give the farm another try. Tala had always found the woods healed her wounds. They might heal Rachel’s, too. A few days’ fishing on the banks of the stream where she’d fished with her daddy might possibly smooth out her daughter’s soul.

One step at a time. First the new job, then work on getting the kids home.

“TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH.” Pete loomed huge and grumpy outside her truck door. “You get everything?”

“Yes, Doctor. Including premixed cement that sets up in any temperature. Regular cement would stay wet for a month in this cold air.”

“Oh. Yeah. Guess you’re right.”

He sounded surprised—maybe he didn’t think women knew things like that. She brushed past him, and her shoulder touched his chest. She caught her breath and kept walking, although her heart thumped.

He, on the other hand, shied away as though she’d attacked him.

“Where are you planning to build Baby’s cage?” Tala asked, ignoring both his reaction and hers. She glanced back at him, and was startled to see that the tips of his ears were red. And he was suddenly breathing as though he’d been running a marathon.

He cleared his throat. “Mace and I talked it over. Round back under the overhang and behind the hay storage. Be protected from the wind, and the hay offers good insulation. Plus nobody’ll see her if they drive in.” He refused to meet her eyes.

“If you could teach her to keep her mouth shut we’d be in business,” she said.

“Move over. I’ll drive the truck around back. It’s still pretty slippery where the elephants have trampled the ground.”

Tala opened her mouth to protest that she was capable of driving in mud, but then she shut it. She barely had enough room in the passenger seat by the time he’d fitted his bulk behind the driver’s seat. He’d had to move the seat all the way back to get in. She wouldn’t be able to reach the pedals until she moved it to its former position.

A few moments later they were at the site for the cage. The location was perfect. The overhang offered protection, and the steel outside wall closed off one side, so they only had three sides to construct.

Mace was already digging postholes in the dirt. Tala climbed out and looked at the perimeter. “Doesn’t look very big,” she said.

“Not nearly big enough if she were healthy and we were going to keep her forever,” Mace said, resting on his digger.

“She can’t stay where she is,” Pete said. “She’s already getting antsy. This way, at least she’ll be able to pace, and we can add a ladder or two so she can climb, although lions don’t actually do much climbing in the wild.”

“Have you tried to find a home for her yet?”

“You’ve only been gone a few hours.”

Tala dropped her head. “I meant to get back sooner. I’m sorry. About the job…”

“Say yes, m’dear,” Mace said.

“I have to speak to the manager at the Food Farm tonight. Give him a chance to meet your offer. I can’t just leave him in the lurch. But if he says no, and if you’ll really let me work from early until school lets out, and let me have the weekends off, I promise I’ll work very hard for you.”

“Wonderful!” Mace said, and clapped his hands. Pete merely turned his back and mumbled something unintelligible.

“I hate to leave you with this now, but I’ve really got to go home and get ready for work,” she said. “And I think I left my gloves inside last night. May I go get them?”

“Of course. Pete and I will unload so you can take your truck. Call after you’ve spoken to your manager. If he does offer you more money, we’ll meet his offer. If you have to give him two weeks’ notice, so be it. We want you, m’dear.”

Tala smiled and walked around the edge of the building, leaving the men hauling posts and wire out of the truck. Maybe Dr. Mace wanted her. She wasn’t sure about Dr. Pete.

She opened the small door to the side of the overhead and walked inside the workroom. The light was dim, and the room felt even colder than outside. The faint aroma of raw meat met her nostrils. She looked over at Baby’s cage to see whether she was still sleeping.

Empty!

She felt her blood chill as she peered into the dark corners. She hoped Baby couldn’t fit between the bars on the elephants’ enclosure, but if she could, the lion could be anywhere in Hollendale County by now.

Tala opened her mouth to yell for Pete and felt something heavy bump her leg. Without moving her head, she looked down. Baby stood beside her, butting her big golden head into the side of Tala’s knee like a house cat. But hard enough so that Tala had to brace her other hand on the medicine cabinet beside her to keep from falling over.

Baby butted her again, then rubbed her body along Tala’s legs, crossed over in front of her and collapsed into a big yellow heap on the concrete. She lay there rumbling contentedly.

“Okay, you’re not hungry—at least I hope you aren’t,” Tala said with more conviction than she felt. “And you’ve been around people, although God knows what they did to you before they shot you. I doubt seriously you know I rescued you last night, but maybe you’re just cold and lonesome.”

Baby rolled her eyes and yawned. Even without all her incisors, her mouth looked capable of biting Tala’s head off in one gulp.

Tala was trapped. The cat lay across her boots. Her body wound around so that in order to move, Tala would have to dislodge her feet and step over the mound of lion. Assuming Baby would let her. How much time would it take before Pete realized she’d been inside too long?

She couldn’t wait. She’d better try to get herself out of this.

“Sweet Baby,” she crooned. “Is your shoulder better?” Slowly, carefully, Tala bent her knees until she could touch Baby’s head. She began to scratch behind the cat’s ears. “My cats always loved this, let’s hope you’re cat enough to do the same.”

The rumbling increased. My word, Baby was purring! Or as close to a purr as she could get. Tala began to stroke the animal’s head. “Aren’t you a sweet ole baby girl?”

A moment later she nearly toppled head first on top of the lion as the door behind her opened and hit her in the rear.

“Hey, can’t you find your gloves?”

“Pete, stay out,” she hissed.

He poked his head around the door. “Holy hell. You okay?”

“I’m fine.” Tala tried to stand up, but couldn’t with Pete halfway in the door. Baby looked over Tala’s shoulder and lashed her tail, annoyed at the interruption.

“Stand up very slowly,” Pete told her. “Then when I open the door, I’ll grab you and drag you out.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Tala said. “Or necessary. I think she just got lonely. I’ve been scratching her ears.”

“Do what I tell you, woman. We’ll worry about what she wants when we’ve put a steel door between the two of you.”

“All right.” In spite of her bravado, Tala felt a rush at his peremptory tone. He was worried.

Or maybe he just didn’t want to have to deal with the consequences of having to explain her carcass to the authorities.

She stood slowly. Baby rumbled again, but she seemed more disturbed at the loss of physical contact than angry. Tala felt the breeze from the slightly open door, and reached back. Pete’s big rough hand engulfed hers. “Hang on.”

He shoved the door open, yanked her around the edge, and almost dislocated her shoulder. He slammed the door and dragged her into a fierce bear hug, lifted her off her feet and swung her away from the door. “Dammit, don’t ever do that again.”

She forced her mouth away from his breast pocket and said indignantly, “Me? What did I do?”

He held her at arm’s length with her feet dangling as though she were a rag doll. “Didn’t you see she was out of her cage?”

“Put me down! By the time I spotted the empty cage, I had a lion on my feet wanting her ears scratched.”

On her feet again, she stood toe-to-toe with him. “I think I behaved pretty darn well, all things considered. For that matter, so did she. She’s a sweet pussycat who just needs a little affection!”

“Oh, my sainted aunt!” Pete struck his forehead with the flat of his hand.

“What’s the matter?” Mace came running around the corner of the building.

“She’s out is what. And little Miss Cat Lady here has been scratching her ears. I told you she was trouble.”

“Me or the cat?”

“Both, dammit!” Pete stalked off to meet his father. “How the hell are we going to handle the lion now? Even if we finish setting the posts today, the concrete won’t be solid until morning, and then we still have to stretch the fence and cover it over.”

“We could shoot her,” Mace said solemnly. Tala caught his wink, but Pete obviously didn’t.

“Are you crazy?” He stopped. “Okay. You got me. But we can’t leave her loose in the workroom either.” He turned to Tala. “Could you tell if she knocked down the enclosure?”

“Didn’t look like it, but I must admit I didn’t check closely.”

“Then she probably came out over the top. We can wire down some steel fence on top of her enclosure in about an hour and get her back into it with the capture gun if we have to, although I suspect another hunk of meat will do it.”

“Promise you won’t hurt her?”

“We will not hurt her. Not unless it’s her or us. In the meantime, I can sucker her into the guest bathroom with another hunk of deer meat. She’ll be okay.” He touched Tala’s shoulder with surprisingly gentle fingers. “And you. You okay? Did I hurt you?”

“Not a bit.” She smiled at him. “I’ll give her the meat if you like.”

“Sure you’re up to it? She must’ve scared you pretty good just now.” He smiled, his hand still kneading her shoulder. For a moment she wanted to relax against him, feel those hands on other parts of her body. Enough, she admonished herself.

“I’m fine,” she said and moved away.

Suddenly he sobered. “The instant you forget you’re dealing with a wild animal, you’re dead. Trust me on that. She may act like a pussycat, but she weighs two hundred pounds, and she’s used to raw meat. At the moment she’s well fed and still not feeling in hunting trim.”

“But won’t she smell fear?”

“Sure. So fake out your pheromones. Don’t be scared, be aware. And don’t take chances.”

Mace came down the steps of his trailer unwrapping a piece of meat. “That beast is eating all my venison, drat it!” He handed it to Tala.

“Go in through the front,” Pete said. “Open the door to the guest bathroom, then open the door to the exam room, show her the food, toss it on the bathroom floor, and once she’s in, shut the door on her. I’ll be right behind you. Think we need the rifle for safety, Dad?”

“No!” Tala wailed.

“Your safety is more important than she is,” Mace said. “Take the gun, Pete. Better safe than sorry.”

“All right,” she said. “But you won’t need it. I promise I’ll make this work.”

Tala wished she felt as confident as she tried to sound. She knew the scary bit would come from the time the cat saw the food until Tala could shut the bathroom door on her and walk away. Suddenly, Pete’s huge presence—even holding the rifle—was no longer threatening. He was comforting.

He stood in the hall doorway with his hand on the knob behind him as she inched open the door to the examining room. “Here, kitty, kitty, kitty,” Tala called. She heard Pete’s snort behind her.

The cat still lay by the door, but on her back with all four feet in the air. She rolled her eyes, saw Tala, and struggled to her feet quicker than Tala would have imagined possible. She put no weight on her left leg, but she still managed to move quickly toward the meat. Tala stood behind the hall door, held out the meat, threw it into the bathroom and shrank back.

The cat ignored her, limped into the bathroom and sank onto the bath mat. Tala shut the bathroom door quickly on the sounds of crunching, then shut the door to the examining room and practically ran into Pete’s arms through the other door. This time she buried her face gratefully against his chest.

He held her awkwardly and patted her back. “You did great. We’ll take it from here.”

Her heart beat so hard she heard it in her ears.

“Hate to say this, m’dear, but didn’t you say you had to drive all the way home and get back to town before four?” Mace said from the doorway.

“Lord, yes!” Tala ran past the two men and to her truck. As she drove by, she called out the window, “I’ll call you about the job!”

“NOW SIT, stay,” Mace Jacobi pointed his finger at the lioness, who once more reclined on her blanket in her newly covered cage. She regarded him with wide yellow eyes as innocent as a week-old kitten’s.

“Even house cats don’t sit and stay,” Pete said, slipping the fencing tool back into the leather pouch strapped around his waist. “Have you taken a look at what she did to the bathroom? Shredded shower curtain, shredded bath mat, and deer blood from the inside of the bathtub halfway up the walls. It’s going to take me half the night to get the smell out.”

“Better than having her roaming around here while we worked.” Mace clicked his tongue. “That’s a gutsy little girl we’ve hired.”

“You’ve hired, you mean. Assuming she agrees to take the job. I had nothing to do with it.”

“The girl made the final decision, son. Besides, I think she needs help.”

“Right. She’s not even raising her own kids.”

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