AllFreeNovel
Share Us
CHAPTER 10
ARLOW
The awkwardness Callifeared would come between us never materializes. It took everything in me to walk away after that kiss. I’m not capable of staying away from her. This week, we’ve spent an evening at the bonfire, talking the late hours away, and she made me dinner a few nights ago—a thank you for the glider.
It’s just past dark when she taps on my door. “Okay,” she says, without the preamble of a hello. “I’m completely embarrassed about this but there’s some kind of mutant hopping bug in my bathroom.”
“Do you want to borrow the bee suit?” I tease.
“Very funny. It jumps like a coked up kangaroo and is almost as big. It could tackle me.” A sheepish smile is accompanied by a shrug. “Will you please kill it?”
That smile could convince me to do anything. “Come on.”
“Thank you,” she says, as I pull my front door closed and accompany her back across the driveway. “You might want to bring some bug spray or a hammer, maybe a flamethrower.”
“What’s it look like?” I’m trying to figure out what kind of bug she could be talking about.
“Like a spider fucked a cricket in a pool of radioactive material.”
I’m pretty sure what she’s dealing with is a harmless cave cricket and my suspicions are confirmed when I step into her bathroom. Calli is right behind me. Until it leaps from one end of her tub up to the sink.
“Nope,” she announces and darts back out.
To be fair, it is one of the largest ones I’ve seen. Before it can jump again, I scoop it up and carry it into the living room. “Will you get the door?” I hold up my cupped hands. “Unless you want to pet him first.”
Calli looks at me in horror. “You didn’t kill it?”
“There’s no reason to. I’ll let it go outside.”
She opens the door and steps back. “Far, far away. Maybe take it for a ride on your ATV.”
Distant lightning flashes, outlining the edges of approaching clouds as I take it out to the tree line and let it go.
“What was it?” Calli asks, standing on her bottom step as I return.
“A cave cricket. Some people call them sprickets. They can’t hurt you. They like damp places and find their way inside when we have prolonged dry periods like we have lately.”
“It’s supposed to storm all night. The bastard could’ve waited instead of interrupting my margarita night.” She grins at me. “Thanks.”
“Anytime. Margarita night, huh?”
“Silver was supposed to be bringing her best friend over. I was two drinks in when they cancelled. I thought I’d sit out here, have another and watch the storm. Do you want to join me? I also have some bourbon.”
My plans to spend the night working disintegrate. “What kind of friend would I be if I let you drink alone?”
“A boring sober one.” She leads the way back inside. I’m not a big fan of sweet drinks so I take her up on the offer of bourbon.Frowning, she holds up the nearly empty bottle. “There are only a few shots left. I thought I had more.”
“I have a bottle at home we can grab later.”
I’ve been in her cabin plenty of times, but we never usually hang out here. While she’s making her margarita, I wander around her living room. She has a nice vinyl collection, and her bookshelf shows she prefers fiction. Thrillers, mysteries, and horror novels are joined by a few romances and some poetry.
A cardboard urn sits on the far side of the fireplace mantel, but it isn’t really displayed, just shoved behind a picture of a man leaning against the hood of his car. The resemblance in the picture is hard to miss. I’m very familiar with that smile.
“Is this your dad?” I ask, as she joins me.
“Yes. About twenty years ago.”
“You smile the same as him.” The remark seems to please her. “Is he…”
