“Oh, you’re even better than I thought. Even better than Jules must have realized.” She tossed the filthy rag aside, grabbed the can of wood cleaner and a clean cloth and went back to work. She polished his broad paws, each tipped with long, sharp claws. She stroked his muscular legs and flanks, marveling at the intricate detail of the black and gray paint. Each individual hair was painted, giving it a very realistic quality.
The fur on his back was smooth and sleek. “If you were part of a carousel, why don’t you have a seat or a saddle for riding?” It did give her pause. Maybe that was a separate piece that had been lost over time. “No reins either.” She rubbed his large ears and the top of his head, bringing out a shine in the wood. There was no dry rot or wear anywhere on the piece.
She stood in front of him, staring at his snarling mouth and the very sharp teeth that protruded from his gums. “You’re one angry beast, aren’t you?” One of the quirks Sabrina had developed living alone was that she talked to herself. So it was natural for her to start talking to her wolf. She didn’t think he’d mind.
“Or maybe you would,” she murmured. “You don’t strike me as the type to want company. A loner. That’s what you are.” She carefully wiped around his snout and jawline. “I don’t think casual conversation would be your thing, would it?”
Her hand lingered on his brutally beautiful face. “You need a name, my friend. How about Shadow? No, too obvious.” She trailed her fingers over the top of his broad head. “Don’t worry. I’ll come up with something suitable.”
The phone rang and she reluctantly set aside her cleaning rag and rubbed her hands over the worn fabric of her jeans. “Be right back.” Her phone was still in her tote bag, but it only took her a minute to dig it out. “Hello, Jessica.” She wasn’t surprised her friend had called to check on her. She had the best friends in the world.
“Are you okay?” The urgency in Jessica’s voice startled her.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Only home long enough to get cleaned up and change.”
“What took you so long?”
Sabrina frowned at Jessica’s heavy handedness but excused it as a byproduct of last night’s episode. They were all on edge. “I stopped by to visit with Jules.”
Jessica’s tone immediately changed. They all loved Jules. “And did he show you something you just had to have?” They’d all fallen victim to Jules at one time or another. No, scratch that. They usually bought something every time they went to his shop. Jessica had a weakness for Depression glass and vintage Halloween postcards, and with Mathilda it was vintage jewelry.
“You won’t believe what I bought.” Her enthusiasm spilled over, making her friend laugh.
“So, tell me.”
Sabrina meandered back to the other side of the room to stand by her wolf. “Jules had some signs and stuff from an old carnival.”
“Really? That sounds interesting.”
“You might like the signs. They’re faded and chipped but very cool. I should tell Tilly about them. She might like to buy one for the store.”
“Hey, give me my shot first.” Jessica laughed. “Oh, go ahead and tell her. I really shouldn’t buy anything new right now. I’m going to an estate sale on the weekend and they’re supposed to have lots of glassware. But you still haven’t told me what you bought.”
“A wolf.”
“What? A wolf?”
Sabrina laughed. “According to Jules, he was part of a carousel.” She patted his flanks and frowned. The wood seemed warm, almost hot. Probably because she’d been rubbing it. She hoped there wasn’t some chemical reaction between the wood cleaner she used and the old paint. “Wish I could have seen the other animals on the ride. This was the only one he had and now he’s all mine.”
“How big is he?” Jessica asked, all humor gone from her voice.
“Really big.” Sabrina patted her wolf’s head. “He’s currently taking up a huge chunk of my living room, but I don’t care. I’ll get rid of one of my chairs if I have to. I can always sit on him instead.”
“Only you would get rid of a chair in favor of a life-sized wolf from a carnival ride.” Jessica paused, the moment heavy with concern. “Be careful. Promise me.” Jessica’s tone was urgent now, making Sabrina nervous all over again.
“I figure this is a good omen, you know.” Now that she was home, last night’s fears were riding her hard.
“I know.” Jessica’s tone was light, but Sabrina could tell her friend was still concerned about her. “Be sure to check the salt around the doorways and windows. And burn some of that incense I gave you. It’s sage and should help dispel any negativity. And if you have any trouble tonight, you call me.” Jessica hesitated. “You sure you don’t want me to come stay with you tonight?”
Sabrina closed her eyes and leaned against the wolf. Both her friends had offered several times today and she loved them both for it. “No. I need to do this by myself.”
“Hey, maybe we’ll have a girl’s night on the weekend. Maybe Saturday. We can stop off at Jules’ place and do some shopping, go out for dinner and come back to my place for wine and movies.”
No way could she say no after everything her friends had done for her. “Call Tilly and set it up. I’m in.”
“Great. See you tomorrow.” Jessica fell silent for a moment before continuing. “And, Sabrina, please be careful.”
“I will,” she promised. She ended the call and tossed her phone onto the coffee table.
Alone with her wolf once again, she turned to him and smiled. “You know, I’ve got a tattoo a lot like you, except for the snarl and the extra-long fangs and claws. My wolf is a little friendlier than you.” She rubbed his head. “Of course, maybe you have reason to be pissed off. Maybe all those kids and adults riding on your back over the years have you riled up.”
Her stomach growled again, but it seemed louder than usual, almost like an animal growl. “Weird. I better eat something soon.” Still, she didn’t leave the wolf’s side.
“Okay, I gotta climb on your back and see what it feels like.” She went around to his front and stared into his eyes. “You won’t mind, will you?” She felt a little foolish asking the wolf for his permission, but she couldn’t quite make herself climb onto his back until she did.
She waited, but his expression didn’t change. “Of course it didn’t change. What did you expect him to do? Answer you?”
Letting out an exasperated breath, she went around to his side. The wood was still very warm beneath her hands. “Weird.” Maybe he’d been sitting in the sun in the back of the delivery truck for a while.
She lifted her hands and stared at them before slowly putting them back on the wolf. The wood no longer felt quite so smooth beneath her fingertips. It felt rougher, almost like fur.
“Now you’re letting your imagination run away with you,” she scolded. “Just climb on and try him out so you can get something to eat.” Pep talk done, she swung one leg over the creature’s back and pulled herself on. It wasn’t quite as easy as she’d anticipated and she had to dig her fingers into his neck to steady herself. “There had to have been some kind of saddle or something on you years ago.”
Clamping her thighs tight around his flanks, she straightened. “This is so cool.” She laughed and playfully tapped her hand against his hind flanks. “Giddy up.”
Something rippled beneath her right thigh. “What the heck?” She moved her leg and frowned. “Must have been a muscle twitch or something.”