Part 11 (2/2)
”You've already established that, give me something else to go on.”
”I mean I'm . . . I'm . . . I'm a werewolf. There, I said it, it's out in the open and it's true and I'm going to try and fix it . . .
with your help so we don't have to worry about this any longer and we can get on with our lives.”
She stared at the most handsome man G.o.d saw fit to put in the great state of Georgia and tried to imagine him as a .
. . ”How dare you, Rex Barkley. You think I'm a blooming idiot because I'm a Garrison. If you want to break up with me just say so, you don't have to fabricate some idiotic-”
”You think I'd make this up? Good G.o.d! Would anyone make this up? And why would I?”
”A werewolf? Even if this is Savannah and for sure some mighty strange things happen around here al the time, a werewolf is completely . . . nutty. And here I thought the gay excuse was pitiful and I have no idea where Big Daddy's derringer is these days and what do I say to everyone who wonders what happened to us being together? That I broke up with Rex because he's a . . . wolf ?” She stomped up the stairs. ”I doubt if any man ever wanted to break up with a woman as much as you do to dream up a story like this.”
He took the steps two at a time and pul ed her into his strong arms that weren't very pawlike at al . ”I love you.”
”Are you going to howl at the moon for me? And how does someone get to be a werewolf? Eat those dog biscuits of yours?”
”See, that's the very point. Think about it. Why would I like those unless I was what I said I was? Why do you think I have the biggest vet practice in Savannah; why I wrote that book on how to train your dog that everyone swears by; why I opened the shelter where you got Maxwel ; why I know where to find the strays al over Savannah? I have unusual communication skil s and I get around. We al do.”
”We?” Jane felt her eyes bulge to cover her face. ”Al ?”
Her voice shrank to a squeak and her head started to spin.
”There are . . .” She couldn't get the word out.
”Five.”
”Holy mother in heaven.” She blessed herself and plopped down in the wicker settee. ”Five werewolves in Savannah. You must think I'm the most gul ible female east of the Mississippi.”
”Not exactly werewolves so much as . . . dogs. Minerva's powers aren't as strong as they used to be, thank heavens for that much. Ever see that 'Dogs Playing Poker' picture.”
Rex shrugged. ”That's us. We took a picture during one of our poker games and a friend of T-Bone did the painting.
The dog that found the missing girl in Forsythe Park last week, that was T-Bone. We al sort of crossed Minerva in one way or another over the years. Never ever tel Minerva that her scones aren't as good as the ones at the Pink House, or refuse to accompany Minerva's b.i.t.c.hy niece to the spring cotil ion or take Minerva's parking s.p.a.ce at the Piggly Wiggly. If you do any of those things the next time there's a ful moon you are in for one hel of a surprise and it just keeps happening every ful moon from there on out.”
”Let me guess, you're going to live forever.”
”It's just a dog and moon thing and d.a.m.n inconvenient to say the least and I'm tired of giving myself rabies shots and if you'd ever had a case of fleas you'd remember it.”
”Wel , thank G.o.d you weren't neutered.”
He crossed his legs and looked pained. She stood and felt his head. ”You're sick, that must be it. You have one of those raging fevers where you go delusional and your brain turns to Jel -O. I had that happen once when I ate some of Cousin Hil y's barbecue sauce. Fried my brain for a week, couldn't remember my own phone number. You have a fried brain.”
”You can break the spel for me. For us. We were cursed by the same spel , we get uncursed by the same spel .
Least that's what it says in the curse book.”
”There's a book?”
”Lots of books. Old, dusty, smel y books. You can get them on eBay.”
She buried her face in her hands. ”You are so ful of c.r.a.p, Rex Barkley.”
”And let me tel you that can be a real problem when there's a ful moon. Do you know how many fireplugs there are in Savannah?” He winked. ”A little werewolf humor.”
”d.a.m.n you, Rex. I've known T-Bone and his cronies for years and Mamma is right fond of him and I have hopes they'l get together one day.”
”With this curse he'l fit right into the Garrison clan when he and f.a.n.n.y Lou do get together.”
”It's al a lie because you want to break up with me.”
”Once a month, sometimes twice I stay at home, right?
When the moon is ful .”
”Can't remember about the moon part but you stay home to catch up on paperwork, write your book, on cal at the clinic.” Rex arched his brow as if to ask, Are you sure? She gasped, ”I do not believe-”
”Yes, you do and the only way for me to break this spel is with your help. Tonight, one hour before midnight because that's the hour for doing good.” He pressed a paper into her palm. ”This is how to do it, Jane. Explicit directions on what you need to do to help me, to help the others. It has to be done with one true love and that's you.” He kissed her hard.
”Total y and completely you. With a ful moon the Transits of Venus and you and me together.”
”But-”
”Rescue me, Jane.” His eyes were dark as midnight and sincere. How could this be sincere? He held her tight as if he might never hold her again. She felt sad, desperate, and confused. ”I love you, Jane. Love me, too.”
”I can't do this.” She took a step back, straightened her spine and organized the brain that had served her wel al her life. ”My entire family is eccentric-I think that's the understatement of the century-and I'm the sane one, the logical one, the one who doesn't need a shrink and this is shrink territory big time. You just want to dump me and know this wil do the trick because I hate this kind of behavior. It's the easy way out. I won't say anything because everyone knows my family's reputation is loopy enough already and I don't want to add to it by putting myself in that category, too.”
She crumpled the paper in her palm and threw it across the porch, the white bal bouncing over the edge and into the bushes. ”Wel , it worked. You and I are official y done, Rex Barkley. You got what you came for, now you can leave.”
His eyes met hers for a second making her want to jump into his arms and say she'd put on a witch hat and dance naked on the rooftop if that's what it took to keep Rex with her. But she couldn't. She was the reasonable one and she intended to stay that way. Someone in the family had to!
”Remember I love you, Jane. Always wil , til the end of time. I'm sorry you don't feel the same.” Rex walked down the steps and headed for the sidewalk. Maxwel hopped out of her purse and trotted after Rex, his bouncy fur and curled tail fluffing in the breeze til Jane scooped him up and tucked him under her arm. ”Traitor.”
He barked at Rex's retreating figure and suddenly looked . . . sad. Yes, that was it al right. One sad little dog. Droopy puppy eyes, no tail wagging, and pathetic whiney sounds Jane had never heard before. ”Now I have a psycho dog to go with my psycho family and boyfriend.”
But that was just it. Rex wasn't her boyfriend anymore and it was al his fault. Werewolf? This was a breakup, pure and simple . . . though a werewolf story sort of took it out of the simple category.
She sniffed and wiped her nose on the back of her hand.
Mamma would have a hissy at such behavior, except right now Jane didn't care about Mamma and Southern manners that one fol owed to the grave no matter what the circ.u.mstances. Al Jane cared about was Rex and that he was gone; and as much as she wanted to say good riddance, she didn't feel one bit good about anything.
”Wel , what happened now?” T-Bone Boon glanced up from the raised hood of a Suburban as Rex entered the deserted garage. A red neon sign that read CAR ER flickered in the window, il uminating the evening dusk outside. ”You look like something the cat dragged in, Bubba, meaning it's gotta be woman troubles and with you that's Ms. Jane Louise. Not a nicer girl in al Savannah if you're asking me. You're lucky to have her. So, what did you go and do to mess things up?”
Lingering exhaust and gas fumes hung in the air, engine belts, hoses, and vintage Georgia license plates decorated the wal s along with an autographed picture of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and ”Dogs Playing Poker.” Rex sat down on a case of Valvoline feeling tired clear through.
”Did you ask her to marry you and she turned you down flat? I can't imagine such a thing. The girl's crazy about you.
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