Cougar's Eve (3 page)

Chapter Two

I walked along the bluffs to the south section of my property, on which the old skeleton of a limestone house rested. Built in the mid-1800s, the house had been commissioned by an English stonemason whose weekend parties were so grand they became legendary throughout the surrounding counties. During one such social gathering, a crime of passion had taken place, and the ghost supposedly still haunted the house to this day. Other rumors stated that treasure was located in the collapsed caves behind the house due to the miserly lady of the house, but nothing had been found.

As with most legends, there was some truth and a ton of fiction. Having the ability to sense spirits, I could definitely attest that the only disturbances were the small animals that made the overgrown mansion their home. I’d never denied the rumors, though, because it was more fun for people to believe in ghostly hauntings and unsolved mysteries than in a boring old house.

Pushing branches from my path, I walked under huge, old trees, thick shrubs, and tall grass. It was truly beautiful here, and I wouldn’t trade living near the bluffs for anywhere else. Murrlin dashed in front of me, his tail high as he quickly zipped into the brush. Our game was far from over, and I knew it would take a few more hours in the heat to wear out my adventurous feline. Though the day was hot, the shade provided the coolness I needed as I followed my cat on his trek.

After walking for a mile, I removed my backpack and took a deep drink from the water bottle I’d thrown in the pack earlier. It was becoming more humid the longer we were outside, and my shoulder-length hair was making me sweat. Fishing around the pack, I found a hair tie and put my hair up so it was off of my neck.

Again, Murrlin darted past me then hid in the tall grass ahead, if one could call it “hiding,” since I could see his bushy black tail waving above the grass. Pretending not to see him, I focused my sight in another direction as I closed in on his location. Cats are hilarious creatures, always stalking, playing, or creeping up on something, and I loved Murrlin for those very reasons—and, of course, because we kept each other company.

I reached down to grab my pet feline, and he dashed away from me once again then ran through door-less entryway of the old limestone house. Deciding to wait him out, I made my way to the porch, sat down, ate my apple then got out a book and started reading. After nearly an hour of waiting, I finally decided I’d had enough of Murrlin’s games and put everything into my pack.

Heading into the stone house, I called out for my pet. “Here, kitty, kitty.” I turned in a circle and looked around the dilapidated living room. “Murrlin, come out. I know you’re in here somewhere. Come on, baby.”

I wiped the sweat from my forehead and took another swig from the water bottle.

The air had gotten still, and I held my breath in an attempt to listen for any sign of Murrlin. It was so quiet I realized even the birds had stopped chirping, which was more than a little odd.

Outside, a branch snapped loudly, sending dozens of birds flying into the air to escape whatever had made the noise. I couldn’t shake the feeling I was being watched, and it didn’t feel as if the stare was coming from my cat. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end, but there was no way I was leaving Murrlin to fend for himself, especially if there was a coyote stalking my beloved pet.

Coyotes, like most wild animals, are more afraid of humans than we are of them, which is why I wasn’t terribly worried about sticking around. I hoped whatever was creeping around the bluffs would take one look at me and scamper off with its tail between its legs so Murrlin and I could head home soon.

Leaves rustled to my left, and suddenly, my crafty feline bounded out of the woods. “Murrlin! I’m so glad I found you.” Sticks and dry leaves crunched under my feet as I ran toward him then picked up the black, fluffy ball of fur. “Ha, what am I thinking?
You
found
me,
didn’t you?” I laughed as I scratched his head.

The twenty-pound cat purred and rammed his head against my chin, giving me the ultimate cat greeting and marking me with his scent. He followed up with a bunch of kisses to my chin, making me laugh.

“Oh!” I said, surprised at his sudden affection. “Gee, I missed you, too!”

A breeze picked up, cooling my skin as I held Murrlin, and I looked to the north in search of clouds. A front was coming through. It reminded me of my roof. I needed to get home to meet the people who would be repairing it, and I was thankful for my grandfather’s timing in hiring them.

With Murrlin in my arms, I’d started home when I heard two male voices, getting louder as they neared. The last thing I wanted to do was to put Murrlin back on the ground so he could run away again, but no one just “showed up” at the limestone house. It was far out of a person’s way and was inaccessible unless one travelled cross-country in a Jeep. Reluctantly, I set down Murrlin, but oddly he didn’t run away. Instead, he sat down at my feet, watching the area intently.

I watched as two men came into view, holding tranquilizer guns aimed high as they carefully eyed the surrounding area. Attempting to appear harmless, the first hunter disengaged the rifle and slung it over his shoulder so it lay against his back.

He ambled easily toward me, his gait appearing like any good ‘ol boy from the surrounding area as he greeted me with an overly friendly kindness that made me want to vomit.

A hiss punctuated by a spitting noise erupted from the ground. Evidently, I wasn’t the only one who didn’t like these guys. Murrlin wasn’t happy.

“Afternoon, ma’am. Hot ‘nuff fer ya?” the first hunter chuckled as he looked me over from head to toe.

The second hunter barely smiled, remaining silent as he licked his lips and leered at me. I gave him a frosty glare, but I’m pretty certain he didn’t notice since his eyes were glued to my breasts.

“Yes. Now, what do you want?” I answered coldly as I slipped the backpack off of my shoulders and into one hand.

“Do you know who owns that old house behind you?” asked Hunter Number One, smiling his best smile.

“Yeah, I know who owns it.” I casually unzipped the pack and slid my hand inside. “Hey!” I nearly shouted to the man’s partner. “My
face
is up here!” I jerked my head upward.

Hunter Number Two’s eyes snapped to mine, but he didn’t look embarrassed, He looked angry. “Dammit, lady, just give us a name, and we’ll be out of your hair.”

My eyes narrowed as I stared at the men. “Look, you two are trespassing on private property, and I want you out of here now. If you have questions about this house, contact the sheriff.”

Hunter Number One spread his hands wide in front of him, again attempting to appear friendly as he slowly walked toward me. “Come on, sugar. Can we just have a look around? We’re on official DNR business, trackin’ a cougar, and it just ain’t safe for a pretty thing like you to be out here alone.”

Had the man not called me sugar, I might not have gotten quite so angry, but damn if that didn’t just tick me off! The sound of my gun’s hammer cocking into position made the first hunter freeze, but the second hunter’s face turned red with fury as he lowered his gun to aim it at me.

Inside, I shook like a leaf; externally, I hoped I put off the vibe that I wasn’t messing around.

I turned smiled at the second hunter. “Which one of you will take the bullet? I know I can’t hit both of you, but one of you will either be dead or in a lot of pain when I squeeze the trigger.”

As though supporting my attitude, Murrlin suddenly growled.

I stared hard at the men. “Funny thing about these bluffs that I just bet you boys didn’t know…” I paused for a moment as I readied my stance. “Sounds like yelling, screaming or, say, a gunshot, echo for miles. It’s not hunting season yet, and everyone who lives here knows that fact. A gunshot would draw quite a bit of attention; neighbors would rush in to make sure I was safe. Now, what say you get the hell out of here, gentlemen? Or do I really need to prove my point?”

Hunter Number One’s body language completely changed as he stood ramrod stiff. Magically, his drawl disappeared as well, when he said, “Now, now, let’s not get irrational here.” He motioned to his partner to put up his tranq rifle. “Sorry to have bothered you. We’ll talk with the sheriff tomorrow. Thanks for your time,” he said as he slowly backed up to leave.

Hunter Number Two wasn’t so thrilled at being ordered to leave and muttered, “Bitch,” as he turned his back on me completely.

I refrained from responding to the man’s name-calling and silently watched them until they were out of sight. I released the hammer on the gun and put the weapon in the front of my shorts so I could access it easily. I wasn’t used to being so forward, and my stomach lurched at the behavior. Taking a few moments to calm my nerves, I bent over and rested my elbows on my knees.

Murrlin rubbed against my shins as though telling me everything would be okay. After the feeling finally passed, I dug my cell phone out of my pack, turned it on, put it on speaker and dialed.

“Bud,” I nearly panted in attempt to catch my breath, “got a question for you.”

“Sure, what’s up?” He waited a beat before adding, “You okay? You sound out of breath.”

“I just had a nasty confrontation with two hunters at the old house. Do you know of anybody from the Department of Natural Resources who’s doing a search for that big cat spotted recently?”

“Nope. Word is that the so-called cougar was just a coyote anyway.”

“Ah, so they’re going with the usual story?”

“Yep.” He paused for a minute, considering the tone of my voice. “What’s going on, Evie?”

I sighed, “I’m fine. If you want to meet those two men at the road, they’re heading west and will probably get to the highway in about ten minutes. I’m sure they’d love to show you their official ID badges.”

“Evie Dubois, are you trying to make me do my job?” He continued with mock annoyance, “You know I’m busy eating donuts all afternoon.”

“Right, I forgot.” I laughed. “So sorry to trouble you, Bud.” I heard paper rustling in the background as he readied to take info from me.

“Descriptions?” asked the sheriff, sounding all business.

“Both are wearing green camouflage shirts and jeans. One has black or dark brown hair, military haircut, and the other has curly light brown hair and a scraggly beard. Both are around six feet, two hundred pounds and muscular. They’re packing tranq rifles. The one with the beard seems to be pretty short-tempered, so you’ll want to watch out for him.”

“Got it. On my way.”

“Thanks a bunch, Bud. Talk to you later.”

I put the phone back into my pack then threw the bag over my shoulders again. I picked up Murrlin and held him in my left arm, leaving my right hand available to the gun I carried. No doubt, I looked ridiculous, but I’d be ready if those two showed up again.

Chapter Three

By the time I arrived home, a truck with
M & M Redburn Contracting
written on the side was parked in my driveway. I waved to the guy setting up an extension ladder on the side of my house beside another they’d evidently already placed. Quickly putting Murrlin inside, I stashed the gun in my backpack then headed out to my garage to meet the contractor repairing my roof.

A blond-haired man with a deep tan greeted me warmly. “You must be Ms. Dubois. I’m the second M on the truck, Max Redburn,” he gestured to the side of his truck, “just like the sign says.” He smiled. “Nice to meet you.”

I shook his hand. “Wow, I not only get a contractor before the storm hits today, but I get the man who owns the company,” I commented.

Max smiled. “Your grandfather has done many a favor for my father, so I thought I’d throw one back his way.” He turned and pointed toward my roof. “The guy up there is Vale.” He called to the guy on the roof, “Wave to the nice lady, man.”

The sun was directly in my eyes so I couldn’t see the worker on my roof, but I waved anyway. Turning back to Max, I said, “Let me know if you need anything. I’ll be in the house.”

Hours later, when the sound of hammers pounding was about to drive me to take another walk despite the scorching heat, someone knocked on my front door. My jaw nearly dropped to the floor as my eyes fell on the most gorgeous man I’d ever seen.

He was at least six feet and change, with a perfectly sculpted chest and muscles that effortlessly bulged from his arms and legs. His full lips aching to be kissed, and I longed to trace with my fingers his strong jaw line. Thick, wavy black hair fell past his ears and just short of covering his arctic blue eyes. Even after hours in the sun, he smelled absolutely delicious, and I found myself sucking in more air just so I could breathe in his scent.

Still stunned, I said the first thing that popped into my head. “Hi.”

I wondered if he’d heard me as he stared at me for a few moments. He suddenly came out of his stupor. “Um…hi.”

I smiled and thought it was sweet that he, too, had seemed to forget the English language. “Did you need something?”

“Uh, yes.” He ran his fingers through his hair, pushing it off his forehead. “Yes,” he repeated himself and cleared his throat.

I watched as his luscious ebony locks fell back into place, wishing I could run my fingers through it.

“Ms. Dubois?” he asked.

Blushing, I realized he’d spoken and I’d just stared at him stupidly. I gave myself a mental kick and tried to concentrate. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

He smiled broadly, and I had to look away from him because his smile was so incredibly sexy. I didn’t want to accidently ignore him again. “I was saying Max had to run into town for more supplies.”

“Oh, sure,” I said slowly, thinking about those luscious lips.

“May I have a glass of water? It’s really hot out here.”

Embarrassed that I hadn’t already invited the man into my house and was “cooling the outdoors,” as my grandfather would say, I motioned him into my home. “Of course, sorry.”