[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
shake off this crush.
He returned with a blanket and pillow and placed them on
the sofa.
I m a light sleeper, said Jarreth as he shrugged out of his
shirt, revealing a pristine white undershirt. So I ll keep the fire
going tonight.
At the sight of his skin, muscles, and flexing tendons,
Usher glanced away and focused on gathering up their empty
beer bottles.
That s cool, thanks. He strode to the kitchen with the
bottles clasped between several fingers. Good night.
Good night, Usher. I ve had a blast tonight.
In the kitchen, Usher dumped the bottles into the
trashcan. He stood leaning against the counter, gripping the
edge of it, willing his libido to subside. He swallowed hard. That
Chasing the Mailman | Amber Redd
54
man has the body of a Greek god! It s going to be a long,
sleepless night.
He checked the back door s lock and then re-checked the
front door, turning off lights as he passed through the house.
In his bedroom, he left the door open for Brock, stripped off his
clothes save for his boxers and his undershirt, and climbed
into bed.
I don t know why I thought I d have a chance with him.
Then he ll do something that shocks me, and just when I think
he might be gay, too, he does something else that blows my
theory to Hell. He stared up at the dark ceiling. I have no
business chasing the mailman.
GLASS shattered and something hit the bed. Startled awake,
Usher sat up, pain flaring in one shin bone. Cold air blasted
into the dark room, along with big snowflakes that glittered in
the faint light cast by an outdoor security lamp. Heart flailing,
adrenaline singing through his body, Usher glanced around,
trying to figure out what had happened. Something heavy lay
on the comforter between his ankles. He shifted his feet, but
the object pinned the cover to his legs.
Barking permeated the house. A figure appeared in the
doorway, followed by the overhead light popping on and Brock
bounding into the bedroom. Growling and barking, the dog
rushed to the window.
What the hell? exclaimed Jarreth, his face a mask of
shock and perplexion. He crossed the room to the bed. Usher,
are you all right?
Finally, his brain began to work, and Usher blinked the
last bits of sleep away. I guess so. My shin hurts, but He
Chasing the Mailman | Amber Redd
55
stared at a large, dead raccoon. Blood oozed from what
remained of its throat and stained the bedcover. Its glassy
brown eyes hinted at a gruesome death.
Holy shit! Usher kicked his feet free, scrambled out of
bed and promptly stepped on a shard of glass. Shit! Shit! He
hopped on one foot, lost his balance, and fell between the wall
and the nightstand. The back of his head whacked the edge of
the table. Damn it to hell, he hollered, as more adrenaline
zinged through him.
Jarreth leapt across the bed. Damn, what a mess.
With one hand cradling his head and the other grasping
his foot, Usher looked up at his guest, who surveyed the mess
on the floor.
Do you have a pair of slippers? asked Jarreth.
Under the edge of the bed.
Jarreth flopped over to the opposite site of the mattress,
grabbed the slippers, and then handed them to Usher. Head
still pounding out an agonizing beat, Usher put on his house
shoes and hobbled across the glass and around the bed to a
chair placed in the corner.
Still barking, Brock stood up on his back legs, his front
paws on the sill.
Calm down, boy! Usher stood up again and drew in the
shutters to block the wind.
Who the hell would come out in weather like this at
Jarreth glanced at the clock on the nightstand. At three fifteen
in the morning, to throw a slain raccoon through the window?
Probably the same thing that s been prowling around my
farm and now over at Hanna s too.
Jarreth looked hard at him. A wolf with human
intelligence?
Chasing the Mailman | Amber Redd
56
Without a word, Usher met his gaze. The tone of Jarreth s
voice implied disbelief, and although Usher knew it sounded
crazy, what other answer was there?
It s even more ludicrous for a person to don shoes shaped
like paws, rip the lid off a freezer, and kill a filly with fake teeth
and claws, Usher stated quietly.
His reply silenced any further comments from Jarreth,
who gazed at the glass strewn over the carpet and the foot of
the mattress. Slowly, he shifted his attention to the raccoon s
mutilated body.
Wait. He leaned over and peered at the carcass. It looks
like something is in its mouth.
Like& ?
I don t know. Jarreth tugged on something white, and
withdrew a piece of wadded paper. He smoothed it out. It says
you re dead in letters cut out of a something with glossy print
pages, maybe a magazine.
Gaping at him, Usher said, You re kidding.
Jarreth held it up for him to see.
What the hell have I done? He shook his head. I mind
my own business, help out at The Cannonball once in a while,
and try to treat everyone like I want to be treated.
Usher, when you re dealing with a nutcase, you don t
necessarily have to do something to them to set him or her off.
Standing, Jarreth patted Brock and then pointed to the
doorway. With a disgruntled snort, the dog obeyed his hand
signal and moved to sit just outside the bedroom.
Surprised, Usher said, How did you do that? Brock
seldom obeys anyone but me.
I just have a way with dogs, Jarreth said. Mom has a
pair of Schnauzers, and they re the same way with me. He
Chasing the Mailman | Amber Redd
57
shrugged. Anyway, one of my cousins in Miami is studying for
a career in behavioral sciences. He once told me that
something as simple as the way a woman wears her hair or just
the inflection of someone s voice can flip the murder switch in a
deranged mind.
Lovely. That makes me want to run right out and meet
new people.
Laughing, Jarreth crossed the room to the door. In this
case, my best bet is that someone is just trying to scare you.
He stopped in the doorway. Where s your first aid kit?
In the bathroom cupboard, on the top shelf.
Sit tight. First I ll take a look at that cut, and then I ll find
the broom and dust pan to start cleaning up the mess.
Usher sighed. Yeah, and we ll have to find something to
put over the window too. The shutters aren t going to keep out
the cold and moisture for long.
One thing at a time.
While you re in the kitchen Usher cringed as pain
radiated from his foot and up along his nerve endings. Bring
the digital camera sitting on top of the fridge. I ll need to take
pictures of the broken window for the insurance company, and
probably the authorities as well.
Jarreth offered him a reassuring smile. I ll be right back.
Chasing the Mailman | Amber Redd
58
Chapter Six
USHER managed two more hours of fitful sleep, but he finally
gave up and rose, dressing in fresh clothes. He managed to
gingerly pull a tube sock over his injured foot, but if travel were
possible later that morning, he d have to wear something on his
foot that didn t constrict it.
The aroma of something baking tantalized his nose as he
hobbled down the hall and paused at the living room threshold.
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]