Page 8 of Wildly Yours (Owl Creek #3)

I t amazes me how slow time passes when you’re waiting for something.

Or someone. Especially when that someone makes your body come alive when she's near. I’m sitting on the bench in front of Town Hall.

No less than three people have done a double take, no doubt because I’m never in town. Not at this hour.

I have my routine and it works just fine to keep me away from people.

Groceries early Sunday mornings while everyone in town is asleep or at church.

Visits with Caleb Friday evening while everyone is drinking at Fat Joe’s or getting dinner at Sam’s Grill.

Early morning rounds in the park before the crush of visitors.

Most official park business I can handle from my office at the visitor center.

It works, and I don’t have to worry about anything. Or anyone. But here I am sitting on the bench like a Townie, soaking up the late afternoon sun, when I see Blake Johnson drive up to the post office next door and park.

I walk over to greet him as he steps out of his truck.

“Cody. Good to see you, Son. What brings you into town?”

“Errands. I hear you’re running for mayor.”

“I am. And I’d appreciate your vote. We’ve got some future-proofing plans in store. Cutting taxes and reducing barriers for some big box stores to move into town so we can create more jobs. You know that growth moratorium—”

“Big box stores? Like the kind that put mom and pop shops like Creek Mercantile out of business?”

“Oh now, between you and me, if our little mayor and her family can’t compete with lower prices, then maybe they deserve to close their doors.”

“Deserve?” I take a step back and unclench my fists. Blake is smiling at me like a cocky asshole, and it takes all my strength not to wipe that smile off of his face. “I think that’s a poor choice of words.”

“Oh, c’mon. The people of Owl Creek want to spend less of their hard-earned dollars. And they especially want to know that their taxes go toward things—”

I see Serena round the corner across the street, on her way to Town Hall.

“Blake, I suggest you speak to my brother Cole about taxes. That’s what funds his fire department. What would happen if they can’t fight fires like the ones that were being set last year? And a small part of those tax funds pay for the park I run.”

“Then maybe you need to increase fees at the park. Why should I have to pay for a park I don’t visit?”

“Um, let’s see. Clean air. Do you like having that? Because last time I checked, trees make the air clean and the park is the only land around here that isn’t subject to clear cutting. Not only that, but it’s a major draw for tourists, which as you know the local economy depends on.”

“Son, I think you’re overreacting.”

I take another step back and see that Serena is busying herself with her handbag.

“I’m not your son, and I think you aren’t taking a full view of the issues at play.”

Blake steps toward me. The air feels electric. Like it could crackle and burn in the space between us. I’m willing my hands to stay at my sides, and my mouth to stay shut. If there was any chance of me helping Serena out with this guy, I blew it.

His jaw is working and his eyes narrow as he assesses me and the anger that I’m keeping tamped down. For me. For her . He takes in a short breath, and leans in another inch.

“I know what this town needs, and I intend to make good on it.”

He sticks his hand out to shake mine. I want to leave it hanging there but I worry about the damage I’ve already done.

I shake his hand and he uses it to pull me in a couple inches, causing me to lose balance.

I realize that was his intention all along.

To gain a slight upper hand. Guys like him don’t like to be outwitted or proven wrong.

I stumble slightly before catching myself, and he pats me on the back before turning to go into the post office.

“Good to see you, Cody.”

“Blake.”

I spin toward Serena and watch her watch me. We’re both stuck. Rooted to the ground where we stand as we look at each other, the road between us.

My hands twitch, no doubt releasing the energy that I kept bottled up instead of directing it toward Blake’s face. Trying to be something I’m not is physically painful, even if I know it’s the right thing. Even if I know I’m being the better man.

She finally steps forward and practically sails across the street toward me.

Somehow, even though she’s never been far from my thoughts, I forgot how graceful she is when she moves.

She’s always been that country girl who was a little more refined, a little more controlled than anyone else I’ve met.

Serena steps onto the curb next to me and I catch a whiff of something like vanilla. Subtle, yet sweet. I want to memorize this scent, for when this is over and we're back to being people who don't spend time together.

“Dare I ask what happened with Blake?”

“Let’s head inside and I’ll fill you in on how I just failed you.”

She raises an eyebrow and turns into Town Hall. She’s a couple steps ahead of me, and I can’t help but notice how well her jeans fit.

No Cody. No, No, No. This can’t happen.

I follow her into her office and she gestures to the too-small chair that sits opposite hers on the other side of the desk.

“So you failed me, huh?" She has a look on her face like she isn't surprised. "What exactly happened? I turned the corner and thought I was going to have to break up a bull fight.”

“Blake doesn’t like to be wrong. I pointed out the flaws in his political talking points and he didn’t like it. I’m sorry. I told you I was going to try to help you out with him.”

“Yeah, to be honest, I wasn’t sure how you were going to pull that off. He’s old school. And even though you fit the bill physically—”

“Beg your pardon?”

“You’re big. Work hard physically. Blake respects that.”

“But you don’t.”

“Is that a question? Because it doesn’t sound like one.”

“No. You said Blake respects that, end of sentence. I thought you were implying you didn’t.”

“What you do with your bod…time is none of my concern, but I have never had an issue with how you…what you…the way you make a living.”

Her cheeks flush pink.

“Anyway, I know you’re much more educated, and despite being a hermit on that mountain, you're more worldly than Blake. I know you see things in a way he can’t. I imagine he is never going to be able to take your view or advice into account. It would make him feel like he’s not…top dog.”

“What is it with men and their pissing contests?”

“This coming from the most intimidating man in Owl Creek.”

“I’m not—”

“Cody, I know you try to make yourself…” She twirls her hand in the air, as if she’s trying to catch the right words. “Less imposing, but it doesn’t work. You have a commanding presence. You own a room. The fact that you almost seem afraid of what comes naturally to you has always baffled me.”

Her eyes meet mine. There’s something burning in them.

Maybe it’s anger. Maybe it’s more. I know I ruined any chance with her years ago, but an ember of hope sparks inside me.

I want to splash water on it, but it feels too good so I'm going to hang onto it for a few moments.

I know I'll find my way back to reason soon enough.

I'll find the reasons we can't be together soon enough.

Suddenly, she stands up.

“Ready to tackle the basement?”

I nod, and follow her out the door. She lets Meredith know what we’re doing, then grabs a keyring from a drawer and we walk to a door next to the toilet. She unlocks it, flicks on a light, and we head down.

The air is heavy down here. The smell of cold dirt fills my nostrils. Not like in the forest. This is dirt that never sees the light of day. This is city dirt.

Serena rubs her arms before she pulls out the first drawer in the cabinet next to the stairs.

“I always forget how chilly it is down here. Why don’t I start on this one, and you start on that one.”

She points to a cabinet on the other side of the room. But instead of opening it, I pull off my hoodie and hand it to her.

“You’re cold. Put it on.”

“Cody, I—”

“Just put it on.”

She takes it from me and slips it over her head, and I swear I hear her inhale deeply as she does. When she gets it on, it falls well past her waist. She peeks up at me through her lowered eyelashes, and it feels like squirrels are running around my insides.

“These are all full of files?” I step away from her and toward the other end of the room.

“Yup.”

“Why do we have so many files?”

She looks at me again, this time with defeat on her face.

“I’m the first mayor to digitize anything.”

“But it’s two thousand—”

She holds up her hand.

“We bought a scanner, and Meredith is slowly scanning old files. We’re starting with anything that people may want to be able to use for research. Birth and death records, marriages, that sort of thing.”

“What are we looking for down here?”

“If I recall, the original park land was donated by a family who settled here in the eighteen hundreds. Let’s start there and work our way to the last land acquisition we discovered yesterday. Maybe there’s something that can help us.”

We work in silence, but the quiet feels loaded, like words hang in the air between us.

“Check this out!”

She lays a file out on the old wooden table that sits in the middle of the room. There are some documents in there about the family who donated the land to the city after the patriarch died. One of the documents is an old savings bond certificate.

“Think it’s any good?”

“I don’t even know what bank this is, so probably not. But we can at least try to find out. I’m going to run it upstairs to Meredith and see what she can find on the Internet.”

“Actually, do you mind if I do it?”

“She can handle it.”

“It’s not that. I want to run down any leads we find so I can learn more about the history of the park. It feels like the kind of research I would enjoy.”

“Knock yourself out, Hermit.”

My chest clenches. I know people call me a hermit, but they all think it’s because I’m not sociable.

I don’t care what most people think of me, but Serena? She’s different. And it pains me to hear her call me The Hermit. Because she doesn’t know that it’s mostly for her . I have to stay away from her for her own good.

She walks back to the cabinet and starts flipping through files again, so I look at the rest of the documents in the file.

“Did you know about the grave?”

“What grave?”

“Seems they buried the patriarch up there after he died. Said they wanted it tended to as a condition of turning the land over to the city. I bet this savings bond was supposed to help pay for that.”

Serena walks back over and looks at the papers, and then at me.

“You’re the Park Ranger. Where is the grave?”

We flip through the files and find a poorly drawn map of where they buried him. “I know this spot. Never noticed a grave marker. Seems like something that should be pretty clear, don’t you think?”

“Yes. Yes I do. What do you think happened?”

“Maybe the answer is in the rest of these files.”

She moans in response and turns back to the cabinet to search. I sneak a peek at her in my hoodie, and feel my chest warm.

Let it go, Hermit.