Chapter 15

"Skunk!" Laverne shoved Gary and Courtney aside, a look of pure panic on her face as she desperately tried to distance herself from the black and white critter who calmly waddled around the side of the barn.

Poor Carli gasped in terror, clutching Henrietta as she ran after Laverne.

Gary regained his balance and grabbed hold of Courtney, who stood frozen solid, her eyes wide as the skunk closed in on her.

Raylene, Kelli and Michelle scrambled to get out of the way while Nash grabbed a broom that was propped up against the barn and cautiously began advancing toward the skunk.

Jo stumbled back and then realized the animal looked vaguely familiar. She confirmed her suspicions when she noted the brown patch on top of his head. "Shoo." She waved her arms and inched closer. "Go on. Go home. You don't belong here."

"Jo!" Raylene shrieked as she huddled behind the pickup truck. "You're going to get sprayed!"

Even Duke knew better and let out a low growl before hightailing it back to the house. He didn't stop until he safely landed on the porch swing.

Jo kept her eyes trained on the skunk. "You're supposed to be home, not wandering around our farm. Go on," she scolded in the loudest voice she could muster.

Nash adjusted his grip on the broom, swinging it back and forth in an attempt to persuade the pesky critter to leave. "I have no idea how to get skunk du jour off you if you get sprayed."

"He isn't going to spray me," Jo said. "Let me rephrase that. He can try to spray me, but won't. This is the skunk Carrie dropped off yesterday. It appears he never left the area."

"Are you sure?" Nash shot her a quick side glance.

"He has a brown patch on his head. I remember her mentioning it and how unusual it was for a skunk to have a brown patch."

"You're right. I see it now." Nash relaxed his stance. "Talk about getting the old ticker pumping."

"What are we going to do?" Despite her belief the skunk was harmless, Jo kept her distance. "I don't want him around the chicken coop because he'll try to get our eggs."

"Maybe he doesn't like loud noises." Delta ran back inside and returned with a copper kettle in one hand and a metal spoon in the other. She began clanging them loudly. "Get out of here. Go home and don't come back."

The skunk's tail shot up. He spun around and aimed it at Delta.

Nothing happened.

"It is him. Great," Jo groaned. "Now what? We can't have him hanging around scaring our customers away."

"The honeybees aren't safe either," Gary said. "Skunks will eat wasps and honeybees and have been known to go after beehives. Maybe you didn't take him far enough away."

"Gary is right. It's possible he hasn't found his family, became disoriented and wandered back here," Nash said. "I'll grab Curtis's carrier, lure him in with some cat treats, and then drop him off a few miles down the road."

With a plan in place, Nash headed toward the resident's common area to grab the carrier and cat treats.

He returned in short order and strategically arranged a trail of treats to lure him inside.

"He's kinda cute," Kelli said. "I've never seen a skunk up close and have never seen one with brown patches."

"According to Carrie, it's a unique marking," Jo said. "He's friendly and almost tame enough to be an outdoor pet, just not our outdoor pet."

"I think we should name him," Michelle said. "Brownie is fitting for his brown spot."

"Brownie," Raylene repeated. "I like it. Go home, Brownie."

"You people are nuts," Laverne huffed. "If you feed him, he's never going to leave."

Nash shot Laverne an annoyed look. "I suppose you have a better idea about how to get him into the carrier."

Laverne rolled her eyes but didn't reply.

"That's what I thought." Finally, Nash persuaded the skunk, now named Brownie, to enter the cage. He flipped the door shut and reached for the handle.

Brownie, discovering he'd inadvertently stepped right into a trap, flopped down and curled up in a ball.

"He's a smart one. He knows he has a one-way ticket out of here."

"Let's get him back to his family." Gary dropped the truck's tailgate. Nash slid Brownie into the bed. The men climbed into the cab and drove off.

Egglina flew past them, heading toward the barn.

"I forgot all about the chickens," Jo said. "We need to get them back in the coop."

Kelli, who was closest to her, swooped down to grab her.

The chicken, anticipating the move, scurried away, clucking in protest.

"She's fast." Michelle came at her from the other direction. She hesitated for a fraction of a second before lunging toward her.

Egglina was quick on the uptake. She squawked loudly and scampered off.

"Crazy chicken," Michelle gasped.

Carli, who was still holding Henrietta, crept forward, making a cooing sound.

Egglina stopped, cocked her head, and listened.

"Coo." Carli moved ever so closer.

Raylene sneaked up behind the chicken, and while Carli cooed, she scooped her up.

With wings flapping, Egglina struggled to free herself, but Raylene held tight. "Let's get these two back in the coop before someone gets hurt."

"Namely me," Laverne said.

Carli and Raylene circled the barn and placed the chickens back inside the coop before slamming the door shut. "I have to say, these two will keep us on our toes."

Carli slid her finger between the bars and began humming, which seemed to calm the chickens.

"Good job, Carli." Raylene patted her arm. "We're going to have to nickname you the chicken whisperer."

"Well?" Jo asked when they returned.

"They're back in the coop," Raylene said. "Any sign of Nash and Gary?"

"Not yet."

It seemed to take forever. Finally, Jo texted Nash, who told her they were on their way back.

Moments later, the truck crested the hill and pulled into the driveway.

"Did you find a good place to set Brownie free?" Jo grabbed the empty carrier from the bed of the truck.

"Yeah," Gary nodded. "I noticed a surfeit of them last fall over by Kansas Creek Reservation, so we let Brownie out over there."

"A surfeit?" Kelli repeated.

"A surfeit is a group of skunks."

"You're never too old to learn something new." Delta dusted her hands. "Hopefully, Brownie is gone for good."

"I dunno." Nash slammed the tailgate shut. "Gary and I had to chase him off. Let's keep our fingers crossed that we've seen the last of him."

Laverne pressed a hand to her forehead. "All of this chasing and running has given me a headache. I need an Advil."

Delta led her inside to give her the pain reliever and the other residents headed back toward their units.

Carli and Courtney lingered, waiting until Jo was alone.

"Today went way better than we expected," Courtney said.

Jo smiled softly. "I'm pleased to see you're eager to learn the ropes and seem to get along with the other residents."

"They have all been so nice to us. The clothes, the food, a roof over our head." Courtney's eyes filled with tears, and she quickly looked away.

"I know it's been a lot to process and take in. Even though prison wasn't an ideal place, it was what you were used to. Coming here is a big adjustment. I know that. The other residents know that. They have all been exactly where you are today."

Courtney swiped at her eyes. "They must really love you. Not one of them, even Laverne, had a bad word to say about you, Delta, Gary or Nash. I think I'm finally getting it, and Carli and I realize how lucky we are to be here."

"And we'll do everything in our power to help you start over, but you must also put in the work and want to change," Jo reminded them.

"We're more than ready. We won't let you down," Courtney promised. "Anyway, we wanted to thank you."

Carli impulsively hugged Jo. Not an afterthought or half-hearted hug, but a genuine one.

Jo closed her eyes and hugged her back. "You're welcome. I'm excited for you."

"So are we."

The sisters walked away, and Jo placed her hand over her heart, offering a silent prayer. She was pretty sure she'd just witnessed a small miracle.

*****

Jo woke early to the muffled sound of pots and pans clanking together, echoing through the old farmhouse's heat ducts. She groaned and rolled over to check the time. Six-fifteen.

It had been a rough night with Jo tossing and turning, worrying about Leah and replaying Detective Vine's visit.

Barr had not been a saint, and something told Jo that although the employees didn't care for the man, his murder had more to do with his lifestyle choices, namely running around with married women.

Claire had told her that Robyn kept tabs on Barr, texting him constantly and didn't like him hanging around work after hours. Maybe he wasn't hanging around work. Maybe the man had another woman he was running around with and used staying at the farm after hours as an excuse when he was off doing something completely different.

Miles mentioned he'd been flirting with Sherry, which meant there was a chance even more women were involved besides Robyn Colburne.

She flung the covers back and wandered into the bathroom to splash water on her face. Feeling awake now, Jo threw on some work clothes, intent on tackling the barn which had accumulated a winter's worth of odds and ends.

But first, Duke needed a potty break, and Jo needed a cup of coffee.

A light frost covered the ground and Jo bundled up before letting the pup out. He scrambled down the steps and promptly began a perimeter patrol.

The hound sniffed the empty flower beds and made a straight line for the barns.

"Don't go too far!" Jo hollered as he disappeared around the corner. Duke reappeared on the other side and trotted along the covered porch past the mercantile and bakeshop.

His last stop was his favorite bush where he watered it and then scampered up the steps where she stood waiting.

"Did you run into Brownie, the skunk?" Jo scratched his head.

Duke sneezed and rubbed up against her leg as he waited for her to open the door.

He trotted toward the kitchen with Jo trailing behind.

"You're up early again." Delta greeted her as soon as she stepped inside.

"I have a lot on my mind." Jo washed her hands in the kitchen sink and poured a cup of coffee. "I wonder how Leah's doing."

"Why don't you send her a text?"

"Good idea." Jo ran upstairs to unplug her cell phone from the charger and tapped out a brief text.

Good morning. Thinking about you and hoping you have a great day.

Leah promptly replied. Thanks, Jo. I'm back on the work schedule and raring to go.

Jo sent a smiley face in reply and carried her phone down to the kitchen. "Leah is back on the work schedule today and seems to be in good spirits."

"Good for her. There's nothing worse than sitting around worrying."

"Exactly." Jo eyed the counter, filled with cartons of eggs, milk, flour, sugar and spices. "What's heading to the bakeshop today?"

Delta rattled off the list. "Peanut butter pie, chocolate chip cookies, banana nut bread and some more of the raspberry dream bars. I can't seem to keep those bars in stock."

"For good reason. They're delicious. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Sure. I have a couple of cold quiches stashed in the fridge for breakfast. We can start warming those up." Delta set a stack of plates on the counter. "I'm looking forward to getting to know Courtney today when she helps me out."

"Meaning you're ready to delve into her relationship with her sister and try to figure out why Carli won't speak," Jo said.

"You betcha." Delta reached for the television remote. "I was gonna check to see if we have any rain coming." She turned the television on and began flipping through the channels when a familiar face caught Jo's eye.

"Hang on. Go back."

Delta reversed her channel search.

"There." Jo nearly dropped the quiche when the cameras zoomed in and she realized what the news reporters were talking about.