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The closest neighbor is far enough away that I can’t see them. The space between us is dense with spruce, maple, and beech trees, although the maple and beech are still bare of leaves at this time of year.
I’m soaking in the peaceful vibes of the backyard when I hear someone calling out.
“Hello! Anyone home?”
Holy shit, is everyone in town going to stop by today?
My hair is falling out of my messy bun, a few sweaty tendrils stuck to my neck as I swipe my forehead against my sleeve. It’s cold out but I’m hot so the chilly air is a relief. A few more minutes though, and I doubt I’ll be able to stand it. I plaster on a smile and head toward the front of the house where the voice came from.
Rounding the house, I spot two women on the front porch, one who looks to be in her sixties and the other around my age.
I startle when a cold nose nudges my hand and look down to find a black Labrador at my side.
“Hey there, aren’t you handsome.” I brush my hands on my pants to get the residual dirt off them and give him a scratch behind the ear. He woofs, and I swear it’s a joyful sound before he trots off toward the porch and I follow his lead.
“Hey, sorry. I was around back,” I call out so that I don’t scare the crap out of them, sneaking up like it’s Halloween. Although I don’t know how they didn’t hear me tromping through the high grass.
The two of them spin around, a bright smile on the older woman’s face. She’s got silver hair cut in a trendy bob, and warmth that shines from her eyes. She’s quite a bit shorter than the younger woman, but she has a large presence that makes it seem like she’s taking up space.
The younger one has long, light purple hair that looks amazing on her. I don’t think I could ever pull off a color like that, plus thinking about the bleaching process that would have to happen first makes my insides cringe. She’s wearing a pair of leather shorts over thick dark red tights, a pair of black combat boots and a plaid peacoat. A deep red lipstick paints her mouth, which is wide with a curious smile. The dog sits by her feet, his tongue lolling out of his mouth.
“Hello there!” The older woman comes skipping down the front steps, shoving a pan of something into the younger woman’s hands. Instead of looking surprised, she merely shakes her head, appearing amused.
An oof is knocked out of my lungs when the woman throws her arms around me and squeezes me in a hug like I’m part of her family. The dog starts barking and hopping around us like this is a ton of fun. It’s awkward.
“Birdie, let her take a breath,” the other woman calls from the porch. I can’t see her because I’m being smothered in a hug from a stranger.
Birdie finally backs away from me, but her hands are clasped around my upper arms as she holds me at arm’s length, inspecting me. She’s deceptively strong.
“I’m so happy you’re here, Miri.” She squeezes my admittedly wimpy muscles to punctuate her statement, and I stare at her, feeling out of my element.
“Uh, thanks?” I don’t mean for the word to come out like a question, but I’m seriously confused about who this woman is and why she’s happy to see me. She beams up at me like I’ve said something profound, and I’m even more confused.
The woman who’s still standing on my porch sets her pan down on the railing and joins our weird duo. The grin on her face tells me she finds this far too amusing, and if I knew her better, I’d glare at her.
“Hey, I’m Ruby, and this handsome fellow is Axil.” She points to the dog and the older woman huffs. “And this is my nana Birdie. Your mom and my aunt were best friends. That’s why she’s being overly familiar.” Ruby’s olive-green eyes are full of mischief and friendliness, and I smile at her as if we’re already old friends. Still, I take a step back from Birdie, because you know, personal space.
“Hush Ruby! I’m just so excited. When we heard someone was going to be moving back into Wild’s Cottage, I just knew it was a good omen. This house has been empty for too long. It deserves to have a Wild back in its rooms.”
She speaks about the house like it’s a person who’s been lonely for company. Glancing up at the house, I can’t help but think she might be right. Hadn’t I felt like it had embraced me the moment I walked through the front door?
“It’s a beautiful home. I’m looking forward to getting the greenhouse back in order and cleaning up the property a bit. The house itself is actually in incredible condition.”
The look on Birdie’s face tells me she’s pleased.
“We brought some cobbler.” Birdie loops her arm through mine as she leads me back to the porch, where Ruby grabs the pan and holds it out for me.
“Thanks. You really didn’t need to do that.” I state on autopilot, even though it smells incredible.
“Of course, we did. And you’ll be coming over for dinner tomorrow night.” Before I can offer an excuse, Birdie holds up her hand, “Don’t bother. I insist. There are directions taped to the bottom of the pan. We’ll leave you to your work.”
I’ve been bulldozed in the nicest possible way.
“See you tomorrow,” Ruby calls out, offering a wave over her shoulder. I hold up the pan and sure enough, find a note with an address and time written on it. Okay then. One whole day in town and I’ve already got a dinner date. Things could be worse.
