“We don’t need all this stu ,” I said as Calvin placed an ice pack and a bottle of Tylenol in the cart. So far, we had ice cream and chocolate because he said that makes everything better, owers to brighten up my mood, chicken noodle soup—“for my soul” as he put it—and lotion for the massage the doc ordered. “But we do.” He smiled, putting a stu ed teddy bear in the cart. “I told ya.
I’m going to take real good care of you.”
“What do I need a teddy bear for?” I held it up and gave him a crooked smile. It was soft with a big belly and a tan chest patch.
“For your comfort.” He snatched it from me and set it in the cart’s child seat.
Up at the register, he tossed a couple packs of beef jerky on the counter. “ at’s for me,” Calvin said, ashing a toothy grin.
e cashier rang everything up, and Calvin didn’t hesitate to pay for it all, which I thought was odd. He told me earlier the ranch was barely staying a oat. But he’d covered the doctor’s visit and all this without blinking an eye. Either he was bad with money or he had more of it than he was letting on. Calvin grabbed the bags and pulled the teddy bear from one of them, handing it to me.
“ e comfort starts now,” he said.
I smiled, held it against my chest, and followed him out of the store.
In the parking lot, I spotted Charlotte dressed in a Dubois Super Foods
polo with her head down, focused on her phone.
“Hey, Char,” Calvin called out.
Charlotte looked up, and her face instantly brightened. When she saw me, it dimmed a little, but she forced a smile—so I did too.
“What brings you two here?” Charlotte stopped right in front of us.
I didn’t have the energy to respond. My brain felt like it had been put in a blender, and my back was killing me. I couldn’t wait to lie down.
“Just getting some things for Grace. She got bucked o Gretchen pretty hard.”
I squeezed the teddy bear a little tighter.
“Oh my. Are you all right?” She looked concerned, but it also seemed like she was putting on an act, forcing herself to be nice to me. It was her tone that gave it away, almost like a customer service voice reserved for a rude shopper.
“Yeah. Just headachy and sore,” I said.
“ at’s so odd and not like Gretchen at all. She’s so calm.”
I wasn’t sure what she was insinuating. at it was me who caused Gretchen to buck?
“She is.” Calvin nodded. “But we were down by the river, and I’m thinking an animal or something spooked her.”
“Well, sorry that happened.” Charlotte brie y glanced at me. Her eyes were
tight and her brow was furrowed. She relaxed her face, returning her focus to Calvin. “I’ve got work, so I better get going. But I’ll see you Saturday.” Her hand grazed his arm as she walked past him.
“See ya, Char.”
“Saturday?” I looked up at Calvin.
“Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you. Actually, I forgot about it myself. Char planned a get-together with my friends and family for my birthday. You’ll join us, right?” He said it in such a casual way, but his eyes widened while he waited for my answer.
I really wasn’t interested in meeting Calvin’s friends and family. It felt like something a girlfriend would do, and I was just his houseguest. But with how
he was looking at me, I knew I couldn’t say no.
“I wouldn’t miss it.” I smiled.
“Perfect. Let’s get you home.” He grinned and led me across the parking lot. Home? It wasn’t a home to me. It was a house, a dwelling, a building with four walls and a roof. ere was a di erence between a house and a home—
but Calvin had already decided what it was for me.
 |
 |
My eyes sprung open, and for a moment, I forgot where I was and who I was. I blinked several times, my surroundings slowly coming into view. On the walls of the living room, the dead animals loomed over me. eir carcasses and black beady eyes stared directly at me as though they were taunting me. I must have fallen asleep after we got back.
“Calvin,” I called out.
e house was silent.
I called his name again, this time a little louder. Again, I was met with silence. He wouldn’t have left me here, not with a concussion. Would he? I heard a growl like the sound of an oversized cat. My body ached, and I sat up on the couch, snapping my head in all directions, trying to nd where it was coming from. From my peripheral view, I saw something move. e head of an elk on the wall. I had seen it move, twist its neck toward me. I watched, waiting for it to move again. Was I going crazy? Standing from the couch, I stumbled toward the wall of creatures, staring at each of them. e low growl grew louder. My eyes went to the head of a mountain lion hung in the center of the far wall. Its mouth was frozen open, fangs permanently on display. e house creaked and groaned.
“Calvin,” I yelled.
Again silence.
e wall cracked, splitting from the ceiling to the oor. I took a step back, and the house began to shake. I nearly tumbled over, but I held my hands out to steady myself. All at once, the animals broke through the wall. ey leapt through the air, their bodies now fully intact, no longer mounted heads. Claws extended, teeth bared, horns and antlers aimed, ready to strike. I screamed and fell onto the co ee table. Crack. I threw my arms up in front of my face, trying to protect myself from them.
“Grace!”
My eyes shot open. I swatted my hands through the air. Calvin grabbed my arms and held them. “Grace, you just had a bad dream,” he said, trying to calm me. “You fell asleep.”
My breaths were short, panicky. I could feel my heartbeat in every part of my body. My eyes went to the walls of the living room. e animals were still there, mounted, staring at me with their cold, dead eyes.
“Are you okay?” Calvin asked. I looked up at him, focusing on the specks of brown that dotted his green eyes. I hadn’t noticed them before. I inhaled deeply and nodded several times.
“Yeah, sorry.”
“It’s all right.” He pushed a strand of hair out of my face and tucked it behind my ear. “We all have bad dreams.”
He was right. We all did have bad dreams, but I always believed they were warnings, the subconscious trying its best to alert you that something in your waking world was amiss.
Calvin helped me lie down and repositioned a fresh ice pack under my
back. He tucked the teddy bear beneath my arm.
“You didn’t have him here to protect you,” he said with a smile.
I rested my hand against my forehead. “How long was I out for?”
“Couldn’t have been long. I was just cleaning up after dinner.” He gestured to the co ee table. “And I brought you these.” A glass of red wine and a Lindt
chocolate bar were set out for me.
“ anks.”
“Don’t mention it. I’ll be right back.” He quickly disappeared into the kitchen.
I sipped the wine and popped a piece of chocolate into my mouth. It melted instantly and paired well with the dryness of the merlot. Calvin had cared for me nearly all day, never leaving my side for more than a few minutes
—well, except after dinner apparently. He brought me Tylenol, fresh ice packs, and water. I asked him earlier if he’d ever cared for someone because he was a little too good at it. He said no. But I thought he was lying. Maybe he had taken care of his parents.
I sipped slowly, peering over the rim of the glass to keep an eye on the mounted taxidermy. I knew it was just a dream but it felt real, and sometimes there wasn’t a di erence between the two.
Calvin strolled back into the living room holding a glass of wine and a
bottle of lotion.
“Did you talk to your brother about my car?” I asked.
My mind kept going back to that. ere was nothing worse than feeling stuck. e mounted animals reminded me of that. Actually, I didn’t feel stuck
—I was stuck, just like them. Maybe that was the warning.
“No, haven’t been able to get ahold of him yet, but he should be here tomorrow,” Calvin said, setting his glass of wine on the co ee table.
I chewed at my lower lip.
“Don’t worry, Grace. Let’s take your mind o of that.” He smiled. “Massage?” Calvin held up the bottle of lavender-scented lotion. His cheeks reddened to the same shade of merlot we were drinking.
“You did promise.” My voice was low.
“Yeah, yeah. at’s probably it.” A look of relief rushed over him. Placing his hand on the door handle, he hesitated for a moment. Another pound shook the door. Calvin jumped, then threw it open.
“Evening, what can I help you with?” Calvin’s voice was calm.
“Good evening. I’m Sheri Almond from the Fremont Sheri ’s Department. Are you Calvin Wells?”
I shifted to the side so I could get a good look at the o cer. He was a large man with a full beard and weathered, sun-damaged skin. He wore a campaign
hat and a belt buckle the size of a deck of cards. e sheri ’s dark eyes bounced
over to me for a moment. He gave a slight nod of acknowledgment and returned his gaze to Calvin.
“Yeah. How can I help you, sir?” Calvin shifted his stance.
“I’m following up on a missing person’s report for a woman by the name of Briana Becker. Her sister from Michigan reported her missing early this afternoon. Apparently, she was traveling alone on a cross-country road trip, and they expected her home three days ago but hadn’t heard from her in over two weeks.” Sheri Almond slid a piece of paper from his front pocket and held it out. “Have you seen this woman?”
Calvin took the photo. His eyes lingered for a few moments before he shook his head and handed it back. “Nope, she doesn’t look familiar.”
“What about you, miss?” e sheri extended his hand out.
I closed the distance and glanced at the photo. e woman was striking. Long, wavy blond hair. Blue eyes. A pearly white smile. And dimples so deep, you could hide a penny in them. I looked up at the sheri and shook my head. “No, I’ve never seen her.”
He icked the corner of the photo in disappointment and slid it back into his pocket. His eyes returned to me. “And you are?”
“Grace Evans.”
“You run an Airbnb, Calvin?” Sheri Almond pulled at a thick strand of his mustache and twirled it.
With his attention o of me, I backed up a couple steps. He wasn’t here for me. He was here for Calvin.
“ at’s right.”
“According to Miss Becker’s Airbnb account, she was supposed to arrive here two weeks ago and stay a few days. Does that sound right to you?” Sheri Almond raised an eyebrow.
I wished I could see Calvin’s face, but I was standing slightly behind him. I focused on his back where his lungs expanded. He didn’t twitch or tense up.
“She must have been a no-show. It happens on occasion. Someone books a
room to rent and then radio silence. I marked a person as a no-show two weeks
ago.”
Sheri Almond tilted his head. “Yes, we were able to access her account and see that she checked in and out at a previous place over in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, but she never checked in here.”
Calvin nodded. “Must have never made it here. at’s a long way to travel, and it’s easy to get lost.”
If she hadn’t checked in, why was the sheri here? Perhaps he had nothing to go on and was grasping at straws, trying to turn over a lead.
Sheri Almond shu ed his feet, glancing to his left and right, up and down
the long porch. “Beautiful place you got here.”
“ anks.” Calvin folded his arms in front of his chest. “It was my parents. I took over about eighteen months ago.”
“Did your parents do the rental thing too?” e sheri scratched at his chin.
“Oh no. I started that up about a year ago when I realized the nances weren’t in that great of shape. It brings in extra money to keep the ranch a oat.”
I still didn’t believe that, and I reminded myself to ask him about it later. Sheri Almond nodded. “And you, miss.” He directed his attention to me.
“You live here too?”
I shook my head. “No, I’m a guest. I got in a few days ago.” “You traveled alone?”
“Yes,” I said.
“Humph.” He shifted his stance. “Where from?” “New York.”
Sheri Almond let out a low whistle. “You’re a long way from home.” I nodded.
His eyes bounced from me to Calvin. “Well, all right.” He pulled a card from his front pocket and handed it over. “Mr. Wells, if you think of anything else, please give me a call. Otherwise, I’ll be in touch if I have any more
questions.”
Calvin slid the card into his pocket. “Will do, Sheri . I hope you nd her.”
He tilted his hat, and his eyes lingered on me for a little too long. “Sorry to bother you. Y’all take care and stay safe.” e sheri turned on his foot and walked slowly back toward his vehicle. He held his head high and scanned the property before getting into his SUV.
Calvin gave a small wave and closed the door. His hand lingered on the handle, and I watched his head fall forward brie y before he picked it back up.
He turned toward me with a smile. “Where were we?”
I rubbed my lower back. e pain radiated, extending nearly to the middle. “Is it all right if I head to bed early? I just need a good night’s rest. at fall wrecked me.” My voice was low, and I brought the palm of my hand to my
forehead, pressing against it.
Calvin’s face crumpled for a moment and then relaxed. “Yeah, yeah, of course. Do you need anything?”
I gave a tight smile. “No, you’ve done enough,” I said, turning on my foot. “Good night, Grace,” he called out as I headed down the hall.
e door with the padlock that supposedly led to the basement made me stop in my tracks. I stared at it, wondering what was on the other side.
A shiver ran down my spine as a thought crossed my mind. e missing
woman. e scream I heard the other night. e woman’s clothes in the dresser. Maybe they weren’t his ex’s. Maybe they were Briana’s. I made my way down the hallway and closed the bedroom door behind me. When I went to turn the lock, I realized there wasn’t one.
