Wolf Valley Saga: Coming Home

Chapter:3

When I get home, Pops isn't back home from his pack meeting, as he refers to it. I figure it's just a bunch of elderly men sitting around talking about the good ole days or something of that nature. The next day, I get up, shower and head to the shop to help Pops out. Springtime is busy and a lot of trees have to be trimmed. I pull my hair back into a ponytail. I start out the door and realize I forgot to spray the screen door. I go grab the WD-40 off the counter and spray the hinges excessively. Pops has already left for the shop. I get to the shop and walk into the office. "Okay Pops what do you want me doing? I am here and ready to work." 

"Go over to Bridgeport Bridge. Take the bucket truck. Some of the guys over there need it."He hands me keys to the bucket truck. I start to climb in and what a mess. Guys just don't know what a trash can is anymore. I push the trash off of the seat and into the floorboard and climb in. I drive out to Bridgeport Bridge. The guys are sitting around waiting on the truck. I get out and put the keys in my pocket and walk over to Shane, Pop's foreman. I grab a chain saw and climb into the bucket while he lifts me and moves me under the branch to be cut. I yank the pull cord on the chainsaw as she rumbles in my hand, I feel nothing but pure power in my hand. I reach to cut the limb.

"Heads up!" I scream to alert everyone below. I also count to ten to give everyone a chance to get out of the way. I have been doing this since I was fifteen years old. The smell of burnt oil and gas floats through the air. When I am ready for the next limb I yell, "Advance!" But instead, I am coming down instead of over. I look down and it is the bane of my existence again. No other than Rane Howell. That's the problem living in small town America; you always run into people even if you don't want to. I get down to the ground. "Just what in the hell are you doing Rane?"

"Saving you from embarrassment V or Kendra. What ever you want to be called now or is it Kendra Valley Bane?" he says with despise in his voice. He knows I hate being called by my whole name. Only my mom was allowed to do that and she only did it when I had done something bad. He has me seeing red at this point. I get off the bucket truck and grab his hand and hear a voice in my head.

"Oh yes he is the one." I let go of his hand and grab his shirt. He looks at me and blows on his fingers and acts like he is shining them against his shirt. 

"That is the second save. You keep it up, you will owe me big time," he says being nonchalant about the situation. I punch him in the arm and hear that voice again.

"Don't do that. He is the one."I shake my head, thinking I am going senile like pops.

"What do you mean save me?"I put my hands on my hips.

"That tree you cut a branch off of is on the endangered list and from now on, if you go to the bathroom, take your beer with you or you may end up somewhere you don't like and maybe keep better company is all I am saying, V." He gets in the bucket truck and Shane lifts him.

Save me! That was just preposterous of him. Save me? I think not. And what was that crap that went through my thoughts. He is the one? Yeah, the one I would likely murder. I giggle at my thought.

"That is not funny," the voice in my head says. My phone rings so I answer it.

"Hey Allie! What's up?"

"Your birthday is in two days. I am coming to visit if that is okay." Allie waits for my reply.I screech out in excitement.

"That's perfect Allie," I respond back.

"Okay, well I will see you tomorrow, Kendra," she assures me. Shane grabs my arm and points up. A few seconds later, a branch comes crashing to the ground in front of me. 

I jump back and scream, "Asshole! You did that out of pure meanness!" I shake my fist at him. I grab the truck keys from Shane and hand him the bucket truck keys.I  get back to the office and find Pops. I snidely give him my thoughts. "Don't ever send me on a run where Rane Howell is or I will leave, Pops."