Page 13 of The Hermit on the Hill

At that range, I'd been able to see he was missing a small chunk out of his right ear, an injury he'd had when I'd found him all those years ago. Still half asleep, I'd been stupid enough to put my hand out and try to pet the big cat. He'd hissed and run off like I was the one invading his personal space.

Though he had trashed my house a time or two, he mostly just hung around and stared at me like I should receive some message by telepathy. More likely, he wanted some of the tuna I used to leave out for him when I was a kid living with my Nana on the side of this mountain.

"Go on." I stomped one foot forward. "Get out of here."

Catrick didn't budge.

I could go inside and get my gun, but I'd never shoot him. Not unless he tried to attack me or Fluffy.

"Look, I just want to get the chainsaw. I need to get that tree off my girl's car." Shit. What? "Not that she's my girl. She's a woman, not a girl, and she needs her car. I just need you to step aside and let me in the barn. Whadya think?"

Catrick swung his head back and forth, his nose twitching. Then he spun and raced for the woods. I watched him go, just to make sure he didn't loop around and come up behind me. I might have also watched because he was a fucking amazing animal. The way his muscles moved under that soft fur. The sheer power. He was a born predator, never prey to anyone. Bet he wouldn't let the mother of his child walk out of his life and never claim his kid.

Shoving the thought aside, I stomped into the barn, grabbed my chainsaw, topped off the gas tank, and headed back to the front yard.

Every few cuts of the tree, I'd take a moment and just breathe in the scents of freshly hewn wood and wet earth. I've got no idea how I survived in the city with the scent of hot tarmac and car exhaust. Admittedly, the smell of the gas from the chainsaw ruined the scents a little, but I'd take it over city smells every single day.

I noticed the tarred over hole in the upper part of the tree as I was revving the chainsaw for the next cut. Once I got closer, I could see that the old tar had cracked and a sizable chunk had fallen out.

After I'd knocked out the rest of the tar, I used the flashlight on my phone to check for critters and then reached inside to pull out the third burlap satchel I'd found in the past three weeks. Another clue left by my grandmother as part of her treasure hunt. "I'll be damned. Acorns. Should have thought of it."

I set the bag on the porch to look at later and went back to work on the tree.

The rain had stopped entirely by the time I was done. I made a list of the parts I'd need for Jenna's car, climbed into my truck, and headed for the junkyard on the outskirts of Catalpa Creek.

"Hey, boss," Felix said when I walked into his office. His junkyard had been the first property I'd bought when I came back to town three years ago. An old man who's pale skin showed the wear of the years, Felix's barrel chest was broad, and he was still strong despite his age.

"Felix. How's my business going?"

He didn't smile, barely looked up from his account books. "What have I told you about asking stupid questions?"

"They're a waste of my time and yours." The man might deserve my respect, but he hadn't proved it yet.

He put down his pen and looked up at me, his brown eyes sharp. "Haven't seen you around in months. I miss a rent payment or something?"

I didn't meet his searching gaze, but stared out the window at the junkyard and Felix's German shepard Morris sprawled in the grass. "I'm looking for parts for a 2017 Hyundai Sonata."

He was silent until I looked down at him, his lips curled, his eyes narrowed like he'd seen a maggot crawl out of my ear.

I sighed. "It's not mine. And it's a perfectly respectable car."

He snorted. The old man believed any car constructed after 1990 was a piece of garbage, and he preferred sports cars to all other vehicles. "We'll agree to disagree there, son. Whose car is it?"

"Not here to make small talk. Just point me in the right direction."

I wasn't sure Felix's lips could physically curve into a smile, but his eyes lit. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. "Don't think I've gotten anything in like that. I could check the books, but they're all the way across the room and my knee is hurting me something bad. If you tell me who the parts are for, it might jog my memory."

I grunted and spun on my heel. "I'll find the damn parts myself."

I pushed out the door, muttering to myself, while Felix laughed. I should have gone to an auto parts store. It wasn't like I couldn't afford it.

Outside, Morris trotted over and rubbed himself against my legs. It looked as though his hip dysplasia had gotten worse. I patted his head. "Hey, boy."

He whined and dropped to his haunches, but I walked away. I didn't have time to pet dogs or tell stories to old men.

For an hour, I wandered the three acres of cars and car parts and didn't find a fucking thing resembling what I was looking for. I may have gotten distracted a time or three by decent-looking classic cars that might not be the worst investment if I had the time to spend on them.

My phone vibrated in my pocket with incoming emails and texts almost constantly, reminding me I didn't have time for hobbies.

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