Free Straddling the Fence by Annie Evans

talented. If I’m any judge of skill,
I’d say that piece should be hanging in an art gallery.”
    “It’s a he , and I’ve told him the same thing. For
right now though, he prefers to remain anonymous. And it’s not Eli, in case you
were wondering.”
    “Eli doesn’t strike me as the anonymous type. Is the subject
matter local too?”
    The question gave Kai pause because she had to think before
she answered. “You know, I’m not sure. He didn’t say, but I would assume so.”
    “I wish I knew where. I’d love to see the horse live in that
setting.”
    “The painting is for sale, the next best thing to live.” Kai
wiggled her eyebrows.
    “Oh no you don’t,” Bellamy said with a laugh. “That would
bust my bank account all to hell and back, I’m sure.”
    “Well, if you change your mind, I can always see if he’d be
willing to negotiate on the price, or let you break it up into a few payments.”
    “Tempting, but no. Despite having copious amounts of empty
space, it would look awful lonesome hanging on my bare white walls.” Not to
mention as out of place as utters on a bull.
    “Hey, you gotta start somewhere, right?”
    “I think said starting point should be a scrub brush and a
fresh coat of paint.”
    Kai laughed and finished ringing up Bellamy’s purchases.
    “You haven’t met my friend Grace yet,” Kai said. “We should
all get together for a drink at Sam’s Tavern sometime, have a fun girls’ night
out.”
    “Sure, I’m in. Take my number down and call me anytime
you’re ready.” Kai scribbled the number on a slip of paper when Bellamy rattled
it off.
    “We’ll try to make plans for one night next week.”
    “Sounds great.” Bellamy pocketed her change and grabbed the
handle on the pretty bag Kai had packed with goodies, already looking forward
to hanging out, talking and laughing. As much as she liked Kai, it would be
nice to meet Grace too. Since she’d moved to Serenity, there had been very little
time for socializing. A girls’ night would be a welcome chance to make new
friends, unwind, and get out for a change.
    Kai waved goodbye. “Don’t forget to grab your pumpkin!”
    Once she’d loaded everything into the backseat of the truck,
Bellamy headed for home.
    At her driveway she was met with a closed gate, a shiny new
chain wrapped around the post and secured with a lock.
    Her frown of confusion quickly morphed into a smile of
realization. Eli had fixed her gate. No sense thinking it could’ve been anyone
else. But had he locked her out?
    There was a small piece of paper stuck to the metal surface
near the chain with a strip of duct tape. She climbed out of her truck to see
what it said.
    Check the mailbox.
    Inside the mailbox—which also sat atop a brand-new post—was
a single key on a length of twine. Bellamy opened the lock and pocketed the
key, pushed open the gate, drove through then relocked it behind her. Might as
well get in the habit.
    The sweet gestures made her heart thump harder as she parked
the truck and carried her Homegrown purchases inside. She should call Eli and
thank him, maybe buy him dinner or something.
    Or something .
    But first, a long hot bath to rid herself of any remaining
traces of goat, and to soak the soreness out of her achy muscles.
    She pondered that something during the entirety of
her twenty-minute soak, then while she made herself a pimento cheese sandwich
and ate it. She didn’t stop mulling it over until she had a steaming cup of
chai tea in her hands and was staring through the window of the kitchen door in
hopes of catching a glimpse of the fox prowling around the shed for its dinner.
    It was Halloween, but the moon was waning, almost a crescent
in the inky sky. A lazy breeze made the old rope swing sway back and forth,
catching patches of weak moonlight streaming down through the canopy of tree
limbs. Something looked different. She narrowed her eyes curiously, trying to
decipher what it was.
    The pale wood of a brand-new seat