Page 70 of Kandie Shoppe

“Let him.” I give her a brief glance. “I won’t be here long. Just for the night.” I know Val doesn’t like trouble. Her parents would greatly frown on it. Unlike me, hers are still around and doing as much as they can to run her and Summer’s life from the animal conservatory they set up in Kenya for endangered animals. The Love Veterinary Clinic has been open since the family’s first veterinarian graduated from Tuskegee in 1949. Val’s the first Love woman to be a vet and I swear she loves animals more than people, which is why I’m not surprised she doesn’t fight for me to stay.

“Well.” Hesitant words she’s about to utter are cut short when we both turn to the rumble of trucks coming down the drive. Peeking out the attic window, we see a fleet of trucks coming to a stop in front of the house portion of the estate, bypassing the clinic and animal housing to the right of us.

We look at each other for a tense moment before Val says in a quiet tone even though they can’t hear us up here, “Stay put and don’t be in that window.”

Turning, she heads back down, her gentle tread the only thing I hear for a few moments.

“Sheriff? You got an injured canine or something?” Tempted, I can’t resist going to the window, pulling back the curtain just a tad. As if sensing me, he steps back from the porch’s overhang, scanning all the windows. He passes me twice before coming back for a hot moment. He can’t see me, but I don’t dare breathe, scared any movement will give him cause to force his way into the house.

“Dr. Love, we have it on good authority that you are harboring a fugitive, your cousin, Kandie Love.” Even from here I can see his close assessment. There is no way he can know that. I could be at the hundred different Love homes. He’s just going to all the close in age girl cousins because everyone knows how close we are.

My tummy tightens thinking of him barging into Mimi or Krie’s homes after all they’ve recently been through. Nikki skedaddled after that night at The Shack talking about how she wanted to travel before she started graduate school, so I don’t have to worry about any of this coming on her. The El Diablos are more than throwing their weight around and that melee earlier is just the start because one thing about Loves is we will answer.

“You know Angel kicked in Mama and Pa-Pete’s door and took them. He probably is going to come for you, too.” I almost give myself whiplash turning at Summer’s soft words. She stands in the door in a wrapping gown of her own creation.

Lead fills my tummy as if I ate it.

“No.” Her small firm hand just beneath my shoulder presses me back and I try to charge by her. “That’s what he wants you to do.” She shakes her head wise beyond her years. She’s the younger of the sisters, but by far the more streetwise. Summer was never made to be the country vet, and it screams in everything about her, from the couture frocks she makes to the way she carries herself. I can see her petting animals but never operating on them or goddess forbid delivering foals like Valentine.

“I know. When did this happen?” Sighing, my eyes go back to Ulysses, putting the ankle monitor on me.

“Right before that ruckus at your place tonight.” Even though she wasn’t anywhere near the bakery, I know our family network is vast and very efficient. I’m sure even Nikki knows about it, even though she’s out of the country. I’ve been too busy trying to escape to check the family text thread. I can imagine what some of my more staid aunties and uncles are saying about my trouble making ass. Oh well, I have yet to prove them wrong and have no intention any time soon.

“Hold up.” The forcefulness of Val’s normally soft cultured tones stops us and has us both tipping over to the window once again. “No, sir. Unless you have a warrant, I’m afraid I can’t allow you to trespass any further on my property. I’ve only let you come this far because I know you. Plus, Ms. Marlene would never tolerate any type of unethical behavior on behalf of the department, now would she?” Smooth as she pleases, Val steps closer so that only Ulysses can hear her. “Now, just imagine her getting all these calls about all these going on when she’s sick like she is.” She shakes her head, adding, “Y’all could have handled this better.”

“I’m coming back,” he promises, looking down at her hard before his eyes look up to the window where I’m standing so long perspiration starts to bead on my forehead knowing if this curtain moves in the slightest he’ll be well within his rights to shove past her and enter the house. “Who’s in the attic?” Summer freezes beside me. I can tell from the stillness she’s not breathing, either.

I swear I didn’t move, not an inch. He has to be bluffing.

Val doesn’t turn but raises her chin so that she meets his ruthless gaze. “Summer’s moved her sewing studio up there. She says the light is better.”

“It’s midnight,” he grits out, his eyes flick briefly up directly at me. My pits sweat. He can’t see me.

“She probably fell asleep up there. She does that sometimes.” Shrugging, she steps back from him, turning away, not bothering to look away. “I can show you as soon as you show me that warrant.”

“I’m coming back,” he grounds out, eyes trained on her retreating figure.

Summer pivots, giving me a concerned glance before leaving me alone to stand in front of the window, looking down on the giant like he’s ready to rampage after his own golden egg.

Rolling his shoulders with obvious annoyance, I watch him move with panther-like grace to his cruiser.

Sliding into the cab, he sits there for long moments as his deputies put their trucks in reverse and leave the property. His eyes are raised and lasered on the spot where I’m standing. He flicks his lights, letting me know in no uncertain terms that he knows I’m there whether he can see me or not. The other message is clear as will. He’s hunting. Even from this distance, I can see the primal promise of his intent. He won’t rest until he has me back. This may have started because of one thing, but it’s evolved into something altogether different. I’ve denied him his prize. Now I am his prey.

Val:You did right. He came right back. El Diablos invited themselves too. He went through every inch of the place and the clinic. Almost found the old getaway spot.

Me: Sorry I brought them to your door.

Val: Don’t worry about it. They would’ve come this way, eventually. They’re gone now.

“You good?”I look up at the bright hazel eyes of my cousin Ember-Jane.

“Girl, I guess. Val just let me know the sheriff just left. He may come here,” I warn her, already thinking of where I can go next.

“Pshaw.” She waves away my worry. “No one remembers us until we show up in town with free honey, or Maxim does a beekeeping class at the library.”

“We still need to be careful,” I say, exhaustion eating at me like a buzzard on roadkill.

“Always am. Come eat breakfast, then no one is going to mess with you the rest of the day and tomorrow,” she says, beckoning me to follow her into the huge bright kitchen.

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