Thunder Bay by Robert Reynolds

Author:Robert Reynolds
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Robert Reynolds
Published: 2021-02-13T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

“Will you be home this evening?”

It was Lee Harper’s voice when Ray answered his cell phone.

“I’m home now,” Ray said.

“I’ll swing by after my shift. I have something that’ll interest you.”

Ray went out later to the Shell station for gas then over to the supermarket to replenish the pantry and fridge. He wasn’t sure when Millie would be back and he didn’t want to scramble at the last minute.

Gray was sitting in a sunny spot by the door when he returned. She gave him a cursory glance then went back to doing what she had been doing. Nothing. After putting away the groceries, he popped open a can of Friskies and she came running. She had an uncanny sense of differentiating between the popping of a cat food lid and most any other.

“I figured that would get your attention,” Ray said. He turned on the TV to catch the news, and then set about fixing his own light meal.

Millie called while he was having lunch; Koegel’s Pickled Bologna. He had a fondness for local foods and his pantry was filled with home-state products. Gray pawed at his leg, begging for her share.

“Scram! Go away!”

“What?”

“Not you,” he said. “This foolish of a cat is pestering me.”

“I’ll be staying down here another night,” Millie said.

“All right,” he said, trying to hide disappointment in his voice. “I have plenty to keep me busy.”

“Ray?”

“Yes?”

“I miss seeing you...”

He finished lunch and put the pickled bologna away after slicing a tiny sliver for Gray. The cat cautiously crept up to her bowl, sniffing, pawing, then turning her nose up and slinking off when the aroma of dill became too strong. She went over to a corner and vigorously rubbed her paw across her nose to erase the unpleasant odor.

“I knew you didn’t want it. You just like to tease until I give in, then you won’t eat it.”

Gray turned her back, ignoring him.

Ray did up the dishes and set them in the rack to dry. Although it was only a saucer, knife and juice glass, he didn’t like leaving dirty dishes in the sink. He found it less of a chore to do them now than to wait until more accumulated.

He puttered around the rest of the day and was pleased at how the deck turned out, all shiny from its fresh coat of water seal. Digging holes for the new shrubs was more of a chore and he stood straight trying to work the kinks out of his back. He vowed the next time he had such a laborious project he would hire someone.

Late in the day, having heard noises outside, Gray awoke from her nap and went from window to window looking for her master until she spotted him out back. She jumped up to the windowsill and sat basking in the remaining afternoon sun until he came in.

“Did you sleep well?” he asked, running his hand over her head until her ears lay back. She began to purr at his touch.

He changed

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.