Chasing Shadows(6)
Mark laughed. “Obviously I don’t mean to offend, it’s just that you hear stories about how hard it is on a farm, and how prices of livestock have gone down and such.”
“None taken,” I replied. “And those are both very real scenarios, which the farm has faced more than once over the years, but right now it’s doing very well. Have you thought about how you want to be paid?”
“Well, I wouldn’t want either of us to get in trouble with the IRS, so I suppose it would be best you get those forms, so everything’s nice and legal.”
I nodded and then turned back for the door. “You’re probably right. It’s just that I’ve never had help here before, so I wasn’t entirely sure what to do. My accountant also recommended going that route.”
Mark followed me back down the stairs after I had locked the door to the apartment. As we descended, I told him that I would not charge for electric and water, which the barn was already equipped with for the animals’ needs, but if he wanted cable or his own phone line, he was going to have to pay for them himself. I then said I could call my accountant and have her fax me the income tax forms so that we could take care of that today, or he could come back tomorrow and we’d take care of it then. He elected to get the paperwork done today so I invited him into my house.
“Nice place,” he commented as we entered through the back door. “This the original homestead?”
“The ground floor is, though there’ve been some renovations over the years,” I replied, then offered him a drink. I had tea and soda in the fridge, and upon hearing that I was also a fan of Mt. Dew, he asked for a can of that. I handed him a cold can and said I would return shortly. I then went into my office and made a call to Farrah Johnson, my accountant, and asked her to fax over the employment forms we’d discussed when I first placed the want ad. They arrived within minutes and I was back in the kitchen in about ten.
“Sorry that took so long,” I said as I laid the forms and a pen in front of Mark and joined him at my kitchen table.
“No problem,” he replied politely, dragging the forms closer.
As he began to fill them out, I got up again and retrieved my own drink from the refrigerator—a Mt. Dew, of course, as I obviously could not drink blood in front of him. Not yet. As I sat back down, I realized I was feeling very nervous all of a sudden. Here in my house, sitting at my table just a couple of feet away from me, was my dream lover. My soulmate, who was supposed to complete me by bonding with me physically, mentally, even spiritually (though most vampires ignored the spiritual aspect of pair-bonding). I’d been waiting over two centuries for him, and now that I had him I honestly didn’t know what to do next. I’d expected to bond with a human at some point, as vampires rarely bonded with other vampires—but certainly not with an immortal human. I suspected he hadn’t the faintest clue that vampires were real, and I couldn’t help but wonder how he would take the news when I told him. I also wondered if he had any idea that he was more than just human, but I didn’t think so. I mean, the man had grown up with a family and had gone into the Marines—if he’d had any idea what he really was, I could understand the Marine thing, as he’d be less afraid of dying than his fellow soldiers. But then he would also have grown up in the supernatural world as I had, and I’d have probably heard about him by now.
He made quick work of filling out the forms and then slid them back toward me. I went over them to make sure he’d filled out all the necessary parts and nodded.
“Well, Mr. Singleton—”
He chuckled. “You can call me Mark if you like, Ms. Caldwell.”
I had to smile. “Of course. And you’re welcome to call me Saphrona instead of ‘Ms. Caldwell.’ Especially as opposed to ‘ma’am,’ which makes me sound like a school teacher or an old maid.”
“I’ll be sure to remember that,” he said with a grin.
“Now that I’ve the paperwork all ready to send to my accountant, I had better get back to work,” I said, standing reluctantly. “You’re also welcome to begin moving in tonight if you want, or tomorrow if it’s more convenient for you.”
Mark stood as well. “Actually, tonight would be great. I appreciate that. By the way, I have a dog of my own—hope that won’t be a problem.”
I raised an eyebrow. “No, shouldn’t be as long as he or she gets along with Moe and Cissy and doesn’t harass the other animals. Of course, if the dog does become a nuisance I’ll have to ask you to find other accommodations for it.”
He nodded. “I understand. But Angel’s a really good dog, she shouldn’t have a problem leaving the livestock alone once I make sure she understands not to bother them. I could even try to train her to help round up the cows and horses if you like.”
I grinned. “Why don’t we wait and see how your Angel behaves around the other animals first.”
We moved together toward the door and I led him back outside. We stopped next to his truck and I turned to face him. “I have to say, it’s going to take some getting used to, having help around here—having someone else living on the property other than myself. Hopefully you and I will get along famously and there won’t be any problems.”
Mark grinned as he opened the driver’s side door. “Hopefully, indeed. And I have to admit that I’m looking forward to a nice, quiet life.”
I laughed and moved away from the vehicle so he could get into it. “You won’t think it so quiet when you’ve got horses neighing, cows mooing, pigs squealing and chickens clucking at odd hours.”
He flashed me a wry grin as he climbed into the truck and shut the door. “Better than exploding bombs and machine-gun fire,” he said. “Be seeing you, Ms. Caldwell, and thanks.”
“You’re welcome, Mark,” I replied. “See you later.”
Mark nodded and started his truck, then with a last nod and a wave, he backed down the driveway. I watched until he had pulled out into the road and drove away, feeling suddenly forlorn without him there. I shook myself after a moment for being silly and turned back for the barn. There was nothing to be morose about, because Mark would be back soon.
*****
When he did return about ninety minutes later, I had just finished clearing out the last of the stalls and was preparing to clear out the pigs’ indoor habitat. I stood sharply when I sensed not just one, but two supernatural presences when the red Dodge Ram pulled back into the driveway, its bed loaded with boxes. Mark nodded at me as I walked out of the barn to greet him, my eyes roaming around casually to locate where the other life-force was coming from. When I looked back at my new hired hand he was climbing out of his truck, and was followed by a beautiful black, gray, and white Siberian Husky with ice blue eyes that belied intelligence far beyond the canine norm. When Angel held my gaze, I realized that she was the other supe—Mark’s dog was a shapeshifter.
I shook my head, wondering just what I had done to deserve all these complications in my life all in one day. I hushed Moe and Cissy as I approached the new arrivals, as they had begun barking madly at Angel. With a quick flick of her eyes at me, she trotted over to the kennel and stuck her nose through the fence so my Chihuahuas could smell her.
“Beautiful dog,” I said to Mark. “How long have you had her?”
He glanced at the dogs’ getting-to-know-you session. “I’ve had Angel since I came home. My mother got her for me, thought I could use the companionship.”
I again wondered briefly about his mother, but dismissed the thought quickly as I had more pressing matters on my mind. “She get her from a shelter or a breeder?”
“Actually, Mom said she started wandering the neighborhood right before I got back from Afghanistan. Nobody was claiming her, so she took her in. Not unusual, though, ‘cause we’ve always had a dog, and Mom’s a sucker for a pretty face.”
Just then Angel turned away from Moe and Cissy and walked back over to stand at Mark’s side, nosing his leg until he bent to scratch her behind the ears. I couldn’t help thinking, Yeah, that’s right—keep playing the game, sister, wondering just what in the world her game actually was. I definitely meant to find out.
“You know, I’ve always thought dogs were among the most intelligent of domestic animals,” I said lightly. “They can be taught to do so many things, and their eyes are so expressive. I swear sometimes that Moe and Cissy are trying to talk to me when they look at me. Makes me wish they really could talk to me, so I would know what they were thinking.”
Angel looked up at me then, and I knew that she was aware I was trying to convey the message that I wanted to talk to her—in human form—as soon as it was feasible. As my bondmate, Mark’s safety and well-being were of my utmost concern, and if there was something going on with this shapeshifter, I needed to know what it was and what the hell it had to do with Mark.