Naked Tails by Winters Eden

Author:Winters, Eden [Winters, Eden]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, azw3
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Published: 2012-12-15T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

SETH had no sooner made it to the house to research possum behavior than he heard the unmistakable sound of tires rumbling up the driveway, louder than normal. He flinched, and though the truck was a ways off, he stepped back from the drive, placing an oak tree between himself and the approaching vehicle.

A shiny white BMW X5 pulled to a stop. The man inside stared into the SUV’s rearview mirror, adjusting his tie. Could this man be from Aunt Irene’s attorney’s office? Please, God, let it not be another realtor. Instead of a briefcase, the man stepped down with a box of chocolates in one hand and flowers in the other. “Mr. McDaniel?” he asked, showing a mouthful of choppers, not unlike the three recent possums. He stood at least six foot two, with sandy-blond hair and moustache, both neatly trimmed. The kind of “out of my price range” cologne Seth sniffed at perfume counters drifted toward him on a light breeze.

“You’re not a realtor, are you?” Seth hesitated to ask. He’d forgotten junk food at the grocery store, and the chocolates made his mouth water.

“Oh hell no!”

Good. Seth relaxed a bit. “Can I help you with something?”

“Don’t worry, Mr. McDaniel. This here’s a social call.”

The stranger’s well-groomed appearance and expensive clothes hinted at money, with enough age on him for a few permanent crinkles at the eyes. He took a step forward, holding the flowers and candy in front of him. Those truffles hadn’t come cheap, and neither had the long-stemmed red roses. “I’m Junior Timmerman, and I thought I’d come introduce myself, seeing as how I knew your aunt. Went to school with your daddy too, but he was a few grades ahead of me. How ’bout we go inside, set a spell. Get better acquainted.”

Back home in Chicago, none of Seth’s acquaintances dared show up out of the blue without calling first, but he figured unannounced visits might be a Southern thing, like leaving your doors unlocked, although Seth never did. Hadn’t the guy at the Feed and Seed mentioned an Uncle Junior?

“Well, the air-conditioning isn’t the greatest, but sure, come on in.” What could it hurt? The guy seemed harmless enough—thus far.

Junior traipsed along behind Seth, and Seth swore he felt the man attempting to stare holes through his back.

“How long you planning on staying, Mr. McDaniel?”

“Not long. Long enough to get the house fixed up and on the market before I head back home to Chicago.” No need to let strangers in on his internal struggle over whether to leave or stay. Besides, the man might know an honest realtor, or a local with an eye on the place.

“You’re leaving?” The man sounded truly disappointed. “But you just got here. If you gave it a chance, you’d find Possum Kingdom to be a nice area to settle down in.”

“I remember it fondly from my childhood, but I grew up in Chicago. That’s my home now. Can I get you something to drink, Mr. Timmerman?”

“Oh, please, call me Junior.

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