Page 6

Ava leaned over, grabbing a bag of soil to move it outside. “I like it here— ahh!”

A mouse darted out from among the soil and Ava shrieked, dropping the bag and quickly backed into Henry. She turned around and faced him, her back now against the potting table behind her .

She looked up at him and laughed. “Sorry. There was a mouse.”

“Are you afraid of mice?” he asked.

She shook her head. “No, it just startled me.”

Henry was standing close, looking down at her with a hint of mischief in his eyes. He inched even nearer as she pressed into the table behind her, his eyes dipping to her lips. “What are you afraid of?” His voice had gone low, sensual.

She cleared her throat. “Don’t laugh… horses,” she answered.

“Seriously?” He tilted his head.

“Kind of,” she rambled as she often did when she was nervous. “I mean I’m not afraid of them, but I’ve never ridden one, and they make me nervous and always freaked me out as a kid and they’re big and can stomp?—”

Henry interrupted her rambling. “Ava.”

“What?”

“Stop talking so I can kiss you.”

Her heart leapt in her throat. “Okay.”

Henry leaned in, looking deeply into her eyes.

She met his gaze, unable to look away as he leaned in further and tilted her chin, lightly kissing her.

Their lips met, soft and careful. Cautiously, he parted her lips with his tongue, and they explored each other.

Her hands moved to his chest as his went to her hair, fingers intertwined in her soft locks.

It was a delicate kiss full of warmth and she wanted more.

She didn’t care if they were covered in dirt and sweat or that she barely knew him.

She wanted him. Needed him; like she was not in control of her actions.

She wouldn’t have been able to say no even if she wanted to so she pushed the loss of control from her mind and allowed him to keep going.

As if he read her mind, he increased the intensity, passion building as his body pushed hers into the shelving.

Gasping, she moved her hands to his hair and deepened the kiss further, throwing all her qualms away as she was only able to focus on her need.

Henry’s hands roved over her body and grasped her waist, lifting her to sit on the bench before him.

She could feel him hard against her as he stood in between her legs and pressed closer, one arm on her lower back pulling her toward him and the other cupping her breast over her shirt.

He kissed her neck and she threw her head back and moaned, begging for more when his cellphone rang.

Henry backed away and ran his hand through his hair. “Sorry, I have to take this.” He walked out of the greenhouse, answering his phone, leaving her there panting.

After adjusting her hair and clothing, Ava exited the greenhouse as Henry was hanging up the phone. “I’m so sorry. One of the businesses has a broken window and wants me to come look at it right away.” He didn’t appear embarrassed at all about what had occurred.

“Of course,” she responded as he approached her.

He lifted his hand to her face and traced his thumb over her bottom lip. “And we can finish what we started another time…” he promised before pulling away and heading back to his truck, toolbox in hand.

She followed and stood on the front porch as he shut the car door. Elbow hanging out the open window, he smiled broadly. “I’ll see you soon.”

Ava watched his truck disappear down the driveway as she mused on what just happened. She didn’t regret making out with the handyman in the greenhouse. Grinning to herself she realized it was sort of exciting, something she needed in life after all the consequential changes she had been through.

Besides, when was the last time she actually had fun?

A thump and then the pitter patter of paws sounded as Luna trotted down the stairs, drawn by the noise of plastic as Ava opened the package of raw chicken.

Though Luna came and went as she pleased through the new cat door and hunted for most of her own food, Ava had decided to treat her with some meat tonight as she waited for Eleanor to arrive for dinner.

Luna bounded into the kitchen and rubbed against Ava’s legs, purring loudly.

She set a plate of chicken next to a bowl of water and Luna ravenously bit into her dinner. Ava wasn’t nervous around her, despite her being a wild animal, and smiled to herself as she watched the cat. As she was about to start on tonight’s dinner, the doorbell rang.

“That’s our guest,” Ava told Luna, who ignored her, hunger taking precedence.

She walked down the hall and opened the front door.

“I brought dessert,” Eleanor said as she held a tin of homemade brownies.

“My favorite! Thanks,” said Ava as they made their way back to the kitchen. “I’m sorry, I haven’t started cooking yet. It’ll be quick though.”

Eleanor took a seat at the kitchen island as Ava filled a pot with water and set it on the stove, a click sounding as she turned on the gas. She poured two glasses of pinot grigio and handed one to Eleanor, who thanked her and took a sip.

“Is this the bobcat you texted me about?”

“Yes! Can you believe it? Isn’t she amazing? Just be careful. She’s friendly to me, but I don’t know how she’ll be to strangers.”

“She’s definitely different. You were right,” Eleanor replied as she leaned down and allowed the cat to sniff her hand.

Luna seemed to accept Eleanor’s offering and rubbed against her, chirruping happily. Ava relaxed as she realized Luna seemed as happy to be with Eleanor as she did with her .

“Did you name her yet?” she asked.

Sheepishly, she looked at Eleanor. “Um… I know I shouldn’t have… but yes. Luna.”

At the sound of her name, Luna perked up.

Eleanor smiled, hazel eyes sparkling. “I think she likes it.”

Ava laughed. “I think so too.”

Ava finished dinner and plated their food, suggesting they eat outside. Settling themselves at the outdoor dining table, Ava sighed and sipped her wine, the smell of their lemon ricotta pasta hovering in the air.

It was a lovely evening, the cool fall breeze bringing a slight chill.

While the front yard had little trees besides the forest to allow sunlight to all the flowers, the back was almost fully shaded.

The landscaping contained hostas, bleeding heart, ferns and other shade-loving plants.

Dogwoods grew underneath the larger shade trees, and a stone birdbath was integrated seamlessly in one of the flowerbeds, surrounded by blue hydrangeas.

Breaking the silence, Ava blurted, “Henry kissed me.”

“What?” Eleanor’s eyes lit up. “Already? Tell me everything.”

“Well,” she started as she blushed and sipped her wine. “We were in the greenhouse. And then a mouse startled me, and I ended up pressed against him…”

Eleanor paused, holding her fork in the air. “You made out in the greenhouse?”

“Yeah. He started kissing me and it got pretty hot and heavy… Then his phone rang and he had to leave.”

“Nooooo. You got interrupted?”

Ava nodded, swallowing a bite of pasta. “Then he promised we would ‘pick up where we left off’ next time.”

“That’s hot.” Eleanor laughed, but then paused. “Are you okay with this?”

“What do you mean? ”

Eleanor’s brow knitted as she chose her words with caution. “You’ve known him for what… a week?” Ava looked at her friend. “Do you feel like it’s too fast?”

“I—uhhh.” She pursed her lips. “Yes and no. I don’t want a relationship… at least I don’t think I do.”

“You just want to have fun?”

“Yes.”

Or so she thought she did. Still not quite sure what she wanted, she fidgeted under Eleanor’s assessment, not wanting to worry her friend.

“Okay.” Eleanor smiled again, seriousness gone from her expression. “I just wanted to make sure he didn’t pressure you,” she added.

“No,” Ava said. “Not at all.”

“Good.”

She had wanted him to kiss her. Wanted the freedom to give in to her desires and stop worrying about everything.

Henry had given her that opportunity and she relished it; wanted more of it.

So she decided she would try to let go and just live a little.

So what if she didn’t really know him? She could definitely be the kind of person to just have fun with no strings attached. Right?

“And… he said something else the other day I wanted to ask you about…” Eleanor gestured for her to go on. “He said there were rumors about this property.” Ava twisted a piece of hair around her finger. “About witchcraft and spell books.”

Eleanor shook her head. “It doesn’t surprise me. People in town gossip a lot and I know they thought Abe was kind of weird. Plus… maybe someone saw your mom doing magic back then.”

“Good point.”

Ava was about to suggest they go inside and look for clues when a growl erupted from Luna and she leapt from the outdoor couch, trotting around the side of the house to the front. Ears perked up and tail twitching while her fur stood on end, the cat snarled and hissed at something in the distance.

Goosebumps chilled Ava’s arms as she turned to Eleanor, whose eyes had widened.

“What’s wrong with Luna?” her friend asked.

“Umm. I don’t know.”

The two women rose and followed the animal to the veranda on the side of the house, stopping behind her.

Luna stared in the direction of the forest, growling and hissing feverishly.

Looking toward the woods, Ava still didn’t see anything, so she tried to soothe the cat to no avail.

Maybe whatever had injured Luna was out there.

They continued to scan the tree line when Eleanor gasped.

Lifting her shaking arm, Eleanor pointed to the forest beyond the flower field. “There,” she whispered.

Ava searched where her friend was pointing, eyes scanning back and forth, but all she saw was the dark tree line.

Looking one last time, her eyes caught on a silhouette. Beyond the moonlight ensconced in shadows, was the figure from her dream. Claws emerged from its fingertips as it remained motionless and watched them.

Waiting to strike.