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“Looks like Prissy Bishop’s ‘famous’ beef goulash,” Marshall sniffed, his lips turned downwards in disgust. He shuddered at the thought. “Use the bleach, hon. That looks nasty!”
“Consider it done,” Bunny told him. Gross. If it were up to her, she’d burn the damn steps down and have brand-new ones made that weren’t tainted with rancid demon guts.
Seemingly appeased, her dad wandered back inside.
Bunny raised her brows at Death emphatically, her head bobbing with sass.
“Terrible liar my ass,” Bunny grumbled, reaching inside the kitchen door for some garbage bags.
* * *
As soon asBen found out his sister was in town, he’d made plans to include her in his plans. Normally Bunny would have made an excuse and kept to herself, but this time was different. She found herself craving that connection with her brother, and looking forward to picking him up to head out to Fox Cottage, up on The Ridge overlooking the township.
Morticia purred like a kitten as she idled just outside the Go-Go Mart, waiting for Ben to join them. He kept a small apartment above his store, which meant he could be as much of a workaholic as he liked and cop minimal judgment for it. Smart, Bunny thought, smiling to herself. Despite the fact Ben was as country as it got around here, and she was totally citified, they were more alike than either of them would have admitted out loud.
“Are you sure you don’t mind me tagging along?” Death asked from the back of the hearse, his voice drifting to the front as he lay on his back, staring at the interior of Morticia’s roof. The irony was not lost on Bunny. She swiveled in the driver’s seat, glanced at him, and turned front and center again to hide her amused smile.
“If you think I’d leave you alone unattended in my hometown where people could accidentally corner you until they’re dead, then you’re delusional,” she told him. She perked up as her brother skipped across the sidewalk and threw himself into the seat beside her.
“Hope you’re ready to eat,” Ben declared by way of greeting, leaning over to kiss his sister’s cheek companionably. “Because these ladies will be cooking up a storm.”
“I thought it was just a cookout,” Bunny said, indicating before pulling out onto Main Street.
Ben laughed. “There’s no such thing where Tammy’s concerned,” he reminded her. “You oughta know that.”
“Well good,” Bunny asserted, feeling a hollow sensation in her stomach that was starting to get unpleasant. “I’m starving.”
They slipped out of town the way she had arrived last night, only this time instead of continuing south on the highway, she took a left turn at the old Hayes sugar mill. The huge brick building itself had always given her the creeps, didn’t matter if she looked at it on a moonless night or in broad daylight. Today was no different. Its vacant windows looked like a bunch of eyes, some cracked or broken. She shuddered as she urged Morticia up the access road along The Ridge, taking comfort as soon as the mill had disappeared behind them.
“What made Rosie want to live all the way up here in the woods?” she asked, navigating the winding road. She couldn’t imagine that many people had cause to come out here, unless they were visiting the Fox Cottage crew on purpose. Or up to no good in the woods.
“Was probably the only place she could afford, right off the bat,” Ben shrugged. “Carol-Ann cut her a deal, and she really had nowhere else to go.”
“I bet it was a disaster when she moved in,” Bunny commented, peering through the trees to see the place as they got closer. “I don’t remember anyone living up here ever.”
“Yep,” Ben nodded. “Was a mess when she first got here.”
They rounded a bend, and the small cottage in question came into view. Bunny only just managed to contain her audible gasp, shocked at how different the place looked to the one she held in her memories. All the siding had been fixed and painted a cheerful lemon yellow with gorgeous white trim, bright against the darkness of winter branches in the forest surrounding the place. It looked homey and cared for, and Bunny was suddenly excited to see more of it.
“Well, look at it now,” she said with a low, impressed whistle. “Did we make a wrong turn and wind up on a Better Homes and Gardens photoshoot or something?”
“It’s come a long way,” Ben agreed.
“It really has. She ought to be proud of herself,” Bunny said, as they got out of the car.
“I’m sure she’ll thank you for sayin’ so,” Ben grinned at her, before turning to greet a tween girl with dark hair who Bunny knew to be Rosie’s daughter. She’d come down the porch steps and was wandering their way. “Hey there, Mags.”
“Hi Ben!” The girl beamed back at him before waving shyly to Bunny, a gesture Bunny returned with more confidence. The screen door opened behind her and two women came out of the house one after the other. Bunny smiled when their faces brightened upon seeing their visitors.
“Hey, Ben. Hey, stranger,” Rosie added for Bunny’s benefit. “Long time no see!”
“Hey yourself,” Bunny said back, squinting a little in the afternoon light. “Thanks for the invite.”
“No invite necessary,” Rosie cooed with a shake of her head. “Isn’t that right, Tammy?”
“Right as rain,” replied the other woman, who was a little shorter and a little wider than she’d been when they’d all gone to high school together. But her face—and her vibe—hadn’t changed a bit. Tammy Bishop (formerly Holt) had always been the soul of a gathering, and Bunny was thrilled to see she hadn’t changed a bit.
“Why don’t you help yourselves to some drinks out back while we finish bringing this stuff outside?” Rosie suggested, hefting the bowls she was carrying.
