Howl of the Wolf (8 page)

Others might scoff, but she was a big believer in the power of dreams. Some people believed they could carry messages from those who’d passed beyond the earthly plane. Sabrina wasn’t about to discount the possibility.

Jules reached out and took her hands in his. They were big hands, strong from years of hard work. He rubbed his thumbs over her palms. “She didn’t say, or if she did I couldn’t understand her. But I do know I’ve never seen her so worked up over something.” He gave her fingers a squeeze and released them. “All I know is she wanted you to have that there wolf.”

He shook his head. “Maybe I’m just an old man with an active imagination, but my grandson is coming to help me load him up and bring him to your place as soon as I close shop. I already called him.”

Sabrina wanted to jump up and do a fist-pump. The wolf was hers. But another part of her was worried this was another part of whatever madness had entered her life over the past few weeks. Although that concern was tempered by Jules’ dream about her granny. If Granny was in the dream then it was a positive, powerful one and it behooved her to pay attention to it.

If Granny Esmeralda thought the wolf belonged to her then Sabrina wasn’t about to argue, but there was no way she could take the wolf for free. She’d never feel as though he really belonged to her. “I have to give you something for him, Jules.”

The old man shook his head. “I told Esme you’d say that.” He chuckled at her concerned expression. “Oh, I know the difference between dreams and reality, missy.” He pushed out of his chair and extended his hand to help her up. “But I like to believe I’m able to talk to my old friend from time to time.”

“And what did she say?” Sabrina liked the idea of him being able to talk to her granny too. Didn’t matter if it was real or not as long as it made them both feel better.

“She said to charge you three hundred dollars. Any more would be too much. Any less and you’d feel as though you were fleecing an old man.”

Sabrina snorted. “Old man, my foot. You’ll outlive us all.”

Jules’ booming laughter echoed around the dim room. “That’s the plan, missy.”

She glanced over her shoulder and met the dark-eyed stare of the wolf. She really wanted to see him better, to clean off the layer of dust that covered him. “Three hundred?”

Jules nodded and led the way back toward the shop. “And Marcel and I will deliver him in about an hour.”

There really was no decision to be made. Sabrina hurried back to the front of the store, went behind the counter and grabbed her purse. Thanks to the extra sales today she had more than enough in her wallet to pay cash.

Transaction completed, she reluctantly left the shop. If it were anyone else but Jules, she wouldn’t have been able to leave her wolf behind.
Her wolf
. If anyone else could hear her thoughts, they’d be worried about the state of her mental health. Heck, she was worried too. But there was something about that wolf that called to her.

As she dragged herself and her belongings up the stairs to her apartment, she found herself wondering what other animals had been on the carousel with the wolf. What a wonder it would have been to see the carousel brand new, to maybe even have the opportunity to ride it.

Maybe she’d do some research online. After all, she knew the name of the carnival that had owned the ride. Maybe there were pictures of it out there somewhere.

She unlocked her door and let herself in, happy to be home. She stowed her gear in the closet and kicked off her shoes. Her imagination was already at work, conjuring up the image of the carousel. It would have been magnificent with intricate scrollwork painted in white, red and gold. Unlike some traditional carousels with horses, this one would have exotic animals, all ferocious and proud.

Sabrina stripped off her top and bra on the way to the bathroom. She set the water running before she pulled off her skirt and underwear. Taking care, she removed the beads and the amulet her friends had given her and set them safely on the vanity.

A handful of bath salts perfumed the air around her as she stepped into the tub. She grabbed her sponge and started washing. There was no time to waste. Jules and his grandson would be here in less than an hour with her wolf.

He’d need a name. She’d figure that out once she’d gotten a better look at him. Her mind was filled with images of the carousel ride. A frown creased her brow as a strange thought struck her. She tossed aside her sponge, pulled the plug in the tub and climbed out, reaching for a towel.

She’d started several paintings a few months back and set them aside not knowing how she wanted to finish them. Wrapping the towel around her, she hurried to the front closet where she stored her unfinished work and shoved things aside until she found what she was looking for. There were two canvases, each three feet by two feet. One was of a fairground filled with light, teeming with people and activity. The other one made her shiver. It was a circular carnival ride, but she hadn’t known how to finish it. She’d pictured it with tiny cars or circular cups, something children could sit in and enjoy. But she knew now what it was meant to be—a carousel.

“What the hell is going on?” She propped both paintings up in front of the bookshelves in the living room and studied them. Why had she started working on these in the first place? Had she read about a carnival somewhere? Had someone mentioned something?

Jessica. That’s it. Jessica had mentioned something about old-time traveling carnivals months ago, asking her if she’d ever been to one. Obviously, the conversation had inspired the paintings.

A wave of relief washed over Sabrina. This had nothing to do with the old carnival signs and the carousel animal in Jules’ shop. It was nothing more than coincidence.

Sabrina glanced at the clock and swore under her breath. Jules and Marcel would be here soon and she didn’t want to meet them at the front door wearing nothing more than a towel.

With one final glance over her shoulder at the unfinished paintings, she hurried to her bedroom to dress. Since she was home for the evening and comfort was the goal, she opted for a tank top the color of ripe blueberries and a pair of faded jeans. She thought about braiding her hair but decided to just leave it hanging free.

She took a quick detour back to the bathroom and fastened the amulet Tilly had given her around her neck. Then she took Jessica’s strand of beads and stones and wrapped them around her wrist. Satisfied, she clicked off the bathroom light.

Once Jules and his grandson had come and gone she’d fix some dinner since she hadn’t taken the time to stop and pick something up on the way home and didn’t feel like calling for takeout. Then she planned to spend the rest of the evening enjoying her wolf. He might even serve as inspiration for her to finish the two paintings.

Excited once again, she went to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of sweet tea. She’d only had one sip and was still contemplating what to eat when a knock came on the front door. Her wolf was here.

Chapter Five

“Where do you want it?” Marcel asked, but Sabrina had eyes only for her wolf. “Sabrina?” Jules’ grandson prompted, and she forced her gaze away from the magnificent creature that now belonged to her.

“Over there.” The corner of the living room next to her bookshelf was about the only place he would fit. “Let me move the chair.” She hurried forward and dragged the chair to one side and watched with satisfaction as Marcel and Jules carried her new purchase inside.

It was all she could do to keep from jumping up and down and clapping her hands like a kid at Christmas. “Perfect.”

Jules removed a snow-white handkerchief from his back pocket and mopped his forehead. “Wasn’t sure I’d be able to get him up the stairs. He’s heavier than he looks.” He stuffed the handkerchief back into his pocket and then stroked a hand over the flank of the wolf. “No, sir, they don’t make ’em like this anymore. Hand carved from a chunk of wood, not made out of plastic or some other fake material.”

Marcel stood by the door, waiting not quite patiently. “Come on, Grandpa. I got a date tonight.”

Jules grinned. “Never let it be said I stood in the way of true love.” He stopped in front of her long enough to drop a kiss on her cheek. “Drop by on the weekend. I’m expecting a new shipment Friday night from an estate sale I sent Marcel to last week. We’ll see just what kind of an eye the boy has.”

The
boy
was a twenty-two-year-old college student who went to school full-time, worked a part-time job and also helped his grandpa out when he needed it.

“I got a great eye and you know it. If I don’t, it’s all your fault since you taught me everything you know.”

The old man tipped back his head and laughed. “He’s right, you know.” He kissed her again. “See you on the weekend.”

“See you then. Take care. Thanks, Marcel,” she called as the tall, lanky man practically bolted down the stairs. He raised a hand and waved goodbye over his shoulder. Jules followed at a slightly slower pace.

Sabrina closed the door and locked it before resting against the wood panel. Her wolf was finally here. Didn’t matter that she’d only set eyes on him in the dim back room of Jules’ shop, the wolf was hers. Her hand rested on her chest and she rubbed at the slight ache in the region of her heart. “Must be hunger.”

She really should rummage up something to eat before cleaning up her latest purchase. Who was she kidding? She couldn’t eat until she’d wiped the layer of dust from her wolf and checked him out.

She pushed away from the door and went to the kitchen, digging beneath the sink for some wood cleaner and a few old rags. Carrying her supplies under her arm, she went back into the living room.

The wolf watched her from the corner of the room, his gaze even more penetrating than it had been in the low light of Jules’ store. “Magnificent.” She grabbed one cloth and wiped away the dust and grime that covered most of his body. With each stroke, she revealed vibrant paint and exquisite details.

“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.