Jazzy Girl Read online

  Jazzy Girl

  C.L. Wells

  This book is a work of fiction. Except where noted; names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead is coincidental.

  Lillie's Flowers & Phillip Publishing

  Copyright ©2017 C.L. Wells. All Rights Reserved.

  As permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior written permission of the copyright holder of this book, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review.

  The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or other means without the written permission of the copyright holder and publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author is appreciated.

  Model: Misha Reed

  Black Lab courtesy of Edged Feather Photography

  Cover Artist: Zei Llamas

  Content editor: Alex McGilvery

  Editor: Melissa Manes

  This book is dedicated to our big boy, Buddy, a.k.a. Buddy-Love, Biggie B, Beefer, Bud-Bud, Hibblenuts, Pooper-Stains, and the best dog in the world.

  We miss you so much.

  ♫ If you got treat-treat

  And I love treat-treat

  I’ll be your friend

  ‘Til the end

  Buddy-Love

  Woo-hoo-hoo

  Biggie! Biggie! Boo! ♪

  Until we see you again ❤

  Chapter 1

  Sherice patted her thighs as she spoke to the lazy Labrador in the baby voice reserved only for her furry ball of love.

  “Come on, Jazzy Girl. You know you want to take a bath.”

  One silky black ear twitched when she spoke the magic word: bath. Before she could blink, two big paws rested on her shoulders and she nearly lost her balance. When Jazz stood on her back legs, she nearly matched Sherice’s height.

  Giggling as a big wet tongue landed on her chin, Sherice turned her head away stretching to avoid another lick.

  “Okay. Okay. Stop it, girl.” Sherice rested her forehead against Jazz’s and peered into those eager honey eyes, giving the big floppy ears a quick rub. The moment was fleeting. Jazz pushed off her and darted off down the hall making a beeline for the kitchen. She knew the word ‘bath’ meant frolicking in the kiddie pool with the hose turned on.

  “Hold on a sec.” Sherice headed the same direction as she wiped her chin across her shoulder. She stopped at the linen closet and grabbed two fluffy beach towels reserved for Jazz’s baths. At the back door, Jazz’s nails clicked and clacked on the tile as her entire backside wagged in anticipation.

  Sherice laughed and resumed using the baby voice. “Oh, you are so excited!” Jazz tried to jump up and lick her face but Sherice quickly stepped back. “No, not again.” Lifting a green beach bag that sat next to the door over her shoulder, she slid the patio door open. A warm breeze greeted her and she smiled. Nothing beat a perfect spring day and the sunshine always lifted her spirits.

  Jazz bolted to the empty pool. She looked back at Sherice and waited for her command.

  “Get the hose.” Sherice walked over to the spigot and watched as Jazz scanned the yard. Big paws clamored forward when her eyes found their target. It only took a second for Jazz to pick the hose up with her teeth. As she made her way to the pool, the hose followed behind her like a snake in the grass.

  With the hose still in her mouth, the oversized black Lab put her front paws into the pink plastic pool. The little pool wobbled as she pulled the hose a bit more before walking forward enough to step in with her hind legs. After one final tug, Jazz dropped the hose in the pool and lay down on top of it. Sherice twisted the valve. Water shot out from the hose a couple seconds later and began to fill the small space.

  Jazz lapped at the water and gave Sherice her signature happy-dog smile.

  “Good girl!” Sherice said as she reached into the front pocket of her cutoffs and walked over sliding a treat into Jazz’s mouth before crouching down to praise her wildly.

  “Do you always make your dog do all the work?”

  Sherice’s head snapped up at the sound of the man’s voice. She thought she saw someone’s head but if she did, it disappeared behind the seven-foot fence. Without moving her eyes from the spot where she’d seen someone, she stood.

  I’ve let myself get too comfortable. Her breath came in short bursts. Get it together, Sherice. Resisting the urge to cross her arms, she rested her hands on her hips as she examined the fence line.

  Her gun lay in its usual spot next to the bed. Months ago, she’d stopped carrying it around the house while at home. That’d been a mistake. But she’d been in this house and town for well over a year now without incident. She’d begun to feel at home. Safe.

  A deep growl emerged from Jazz.

  “Sorry!” The voice came from the other side of the fence again. Jazz stood ignoring the water that poured off the underside of her belly.

  The head bobbed back up. All she could see was brown hair, two eyes, and the bridge of a nose. The man clung to the top of the fence for stability. Except he wasn’t stable. . . in more ways than one, apparently.

  Sherice watched him closely.

  “Please don’t break my fence.” Her cool tone drew another guttural sound from Jazz. “It’s called a privacy fence for a reason.”

  “I won’t. I’m standing on my niece’s playset over here. I’m trying not to break it, actually. I mean her playset.”

  “Then maybe you should get down.” She knew of the little girl who livered there named Taya. Sherice knew all the neighbors’ names. Each one of them had been checked out before she was placed here. But she’d never seen this guy before.

  “Sorry. Look, I didn’t mean to set you off.”

  “You didn’t think spying on me over my privacy fence would set me off?”

  This man must be out of his mind.

  “I wasn’t spying.”

  Sherice crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a pointed look.

  “Yikes. For such a beautiful woman, you’re pretty scary.”

  Who says “Yikes?”

  Sherice didn’t move or respond.

  “I’ve been out here pulling weeds along the fence. My brother wants me to help him do some landscaping and there is this gap between two of the slats and that’s when I saw you walk out of the house. I tried to get a better look and that’s when I saw your dog filling up her own pool. She’s awesome! Did you train her?”

  How did I not sense him watching me?

  “I’ll need to fix that gap.”

  “It’s a compliment for goodness sakes. Has anyone ever told you that you look like Gabrielle Union?”

  More than a few people had mentioned it, but she wasn’t about to tell him so.

  “Except shorter.” He went on. “And without the straight hair. Love your hair by the way.” Sherice’s mom had always kept her hair natural. After losing her, Sherice decided to do the same. She thought of her hair like a flower in full bloom, but his compliments did not distract her.

  What is wrong with this boy?

  “Could you get down please so I can give my dog a bath?”

  “Would you like some help?”

  “No.” Her sharp response didn’t seem to faze him.

  “Mean.”

  He’s trying too hard. Her suspicion meter went up a few notches. Almost to the red.

  Other than Sh
erice’s eyebrow shooting up, her face remained stony.

  “Oh, I get it. You probably don’t like white people. Sorry, I’ll go.” He looked down on his side of the ground and began to lower himself.

  Did he just insinuate I’m racist?

  “Excuse me?” she said. “Let me get this straight. You spy on me through my fence and then crawl up on your niece’s playset to watch me, but now I don’t like white people because I don’t invite you into my yard to bathe my dog?” It even sounded absurd out loud.

  Shut up, Sherice! Why did she let that comment offend her? What he thought about her didn’t matter.

  Jazz growled through bared teeth.

  “She’s impressive,” he barely got the word out before he disappeared again. He went down with a thud and groaned. Based on the clatter she heard, the playset might not have survived.

  Sherice winced and resisted the urge to call out and see if he was okay.

  “I’m okay!” The man called out. “Going inside now. Need ice. Nice meeting you.”

  Sherice rolled her eyes but didn’t respond. A strong urge to retreat inside and check every window and door needled her, though she knew everything besides the kitchen door was locked up. When her neighbor’s backdoor opened and clapped shut, she let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding.

  I’m overreacting. Stay calm. He’s not a threat. Just not the smartest guy.

  What if she was wrong? She hated that this one little incident was enough to set her on edge. But what if this was a setup? It could be a distraction. Her heart sped up. Could someone be inside her house?

  Calm down, Sherice. No one is in there. But if someone did get in, it meant they were waiting for her to go back inside.

  Sherice took a series of deep breaths in an attempt to calm down. Instead of running inside to check everything, she decided to finish Jazz’s bath. As she lathered Jazz up, she could feel all the progress she’d made slowly unravel.

  I guess wanting “normal” is asking too much. Her life hadn’t been normal in a long time. It never would be again.

  Hurrying inside wouldn’t help anything at this point, it would only put herself and Jazz in danger. Jazz would protect her to the death and Sherice didn’t have any plans to ask her to do that. Besides, her big girl was no match for a bullet.

  Jazz still stood in the pool. Her posture rigid. Water poured over the sides of the pool now. Sherice met her eyes.

  “Relax.”

  Me too.

  Jazz’s posture visibly slackened a notch, but her dog could still sense her own anxiety. A few more deep breaths and she could finally feel herself calming.

  “All done.” Sherice tried to sound happy. Jazz’s tail went wild and flung water in all directions. Sherice smiled but couldn’t laugh. The knot in her stomach wouldn’t permit it.

  Jazz watched Sherice move to turn off the water, her posture now too guarded to roll around in the pool the way she would’ve any other time.

  After towel drying Jazz the best she could, she couldn’t think of another excuse to remain outside.

  Everything is okay. It’s fine. He was just a harmless weird-o.

  She slid the glass door closed behind her but didn’t lock it. It might be their only way to get out again. She’d hated having a sliding glass door when she’d first moved in knowing how unsafe they were. Too easy to break into if someone wanted in. Later, she began to enjoy it. It led into a very private backyard, which was large and pretty. She loved sitting at the kitchen table and watching the birds and squirrels do their thing. During nice weather, she and Jazz would spend a lot of time outside getting fresh air, playing or just sitting quietly. After less than ten minutes it no longer felt so private.

  Is this really all it took to shake you? Obviously. An internal war waged as her thoughts and feelings battled out whether she was being over reactive or cautious.

  “Guard, Jazz.” Jazz stiffened to attention and stayed next to Sherice as she tiptoed softly through each room. Nothing seemed out of place. Nor did she hear any noises or detect any strange scents.

  Once they entered the bedroom, Sherice snatched her gun off the nightstand and thumbed off the safety mode.

  They headed down the hall back toward the living room. As they reached the threshold, a rattling sound had them both stiffening. Her grip tightened on the gun. Soundlessly, she walked to the front door. Stretching to look out the peephole she could see someone crouching down. She heard something that sounded like crinkling paper.

  God, please be with me as I face whatever is happening. You already know all the details. Help me to trust you. Sherice hated the terror that engulfed her. God had done so much for her and now she’d let the fear in again. Something hit her screen door with a thud and she jumped. Suddenly, the person stood and she could see the back of the guy’s head. Messy brown hair . . . she was pretty sure it was the guy from next door. Her lips tightened.

  What is he doing? He turned around and his face filled her view. Even though she knew he couldn’t see her, his green eyes unnerved her. Dashing to the side of the door, she held her breath as her heart thudded. Slowly, she moved back to the peephole in enough time to see him walking away.

  Sherice exhaled and let her back slide down her door until she sat. Safety mode reengaged, she put the gun on the floor next to her hip.

  “Come here, girl.”

  Jazz walked to her and Sherice spread her legs out to make room for the big dog to practically sit on her lap. She wrapped her arms around Jazz and buried her face in the still-damp fur.

  Five minutes passed. Sherice prayed herself calm. They weren’t going to find her. Making herself crazy questioning every single thing that happened was not the answer. Unexpected things should be expected.

  God had brought her this far, she needed to trust He would continue to carry her through anything else that came her way. Her pulse slowed to nearly normal again. She planted a kiss on Jazz’s nose.

  “Up, girl.”

  Sherice peered out the peephole once more. Nothing. Slowly, she opened the door. It didn’t make a sound. Everything was kept oiled and as squeak free as possible. If she ever had to hide, she wanted to make sure something like a whiney hinge wouldn’t be the cause of her demise.

  Her eyes checked everything as far as she could see. No threat detected, but she had to be certain. Placing her hand on the handle of the screen door, she felt Jazz’s head touch her calf. Jazz huffed. She’d caught the scent of the person who’d been on the porch.

  “It’s okay, girl.” Sherice opened the screen door but it hit something. She pushed. It gave way and whatever sat there scooted along with the door. As she stepped onto the porch, Jazz followed.

  A plant? He left a plant? Sherice looked closer and saw a cactus plant with small pink flowers around it. Her eyebrows drew together. A wrinkled piece of paper sat under it.

  The rattling sound.

  Keeping her back to the door, she bent down and picked up the plant and paper then headed inside. Thankfully, the garage sat to the left which would block the view to her porch, but she didn’t want to be outside if the guy came back to see if the plant was still there.

  Carrying the plant to the table, Jazz stayed on her heels. Leaving everything on the kitchen table, she quickly secured the glass door. After she put the floor bar in place, she pulled the long curtain across using the Velcro pieces on both sides to close the gaps.

  She poured a cup of coffee and sat at the table. Jazz lapped water from her bowl then lay at her feet under the table. Sherice kicked off her sandals and rested her feet under Jazz’s belly. The contact comforted her.

  Unfolding the paper, her eyebrows went up at the length of the note.

  Hey! Hi again. I know you’re rolling your eyes right now or maybe they’re burning a hole in this paper because you’re mad at me for leaving this on your porch.

  Sherice shook her head.

  So this is my brother’s plant. But it made me think of you so I took it. Yo
u know because the flowers are pretty but then there’s the cactus part.

  A short laugh burst out of her.

  My name is Canden by the way. I asked my brother your name so I already know it’s Asha. Nice to meet you. I’d love to take you out for coffee or something. You should call me. My number is…

  Sherice folded the note back up, stood, and picked up the plant. Carrying them to the trashcan, she heard Jazz’s paws.

  “Stay.” Jazz lay back down.

  She pressed the lever on the trash can with her foot and the lid popped open. Staring into the opening, she sighed and released the lever. The lid slapped shut. She left the cactus next to the coffee pot.

  Chapter 2

  Sherice reached blindly for the towel she’d laid across the closed hamper next to the tub. Swiping her hand back and forth over it, she let herself slide a little further down in her bubble bath and held her phone above her face and hit the play button on the cat video. Jazz looked at her curiously when the sounds of a mewing kitten and gurgling baby erupted from the phone.

  “Aw! Jazz I should get you a kitten.”

  Jazz’s doggie brows shifted in opposite directions as if she wasn’t sure it was a good idea.

  “You’d be a such a good big sister.”

  Jazz lowered her head to her paws and closed her eyes.

  “Okay, then.” Sherice laid her phone on the hamper and closed her eyes. It’d been a crazy day, but she felt better now. Maybe the tea she drank helped calm her nerves, or the lavender she poured in her bath. The prayers certainly did. She’d prayed on the floor in the living room until she’d felt the presence of that comforting weight settle over her. When she’d stood, she’d felt ten pounds lighter.

  “It’s about time I make some friends, Jazz.” Sitting up in the tub, Sherice wrapped her arms around her knees and evaluated her situation.