Reviving Bloom (Bloom Daniels Series) Read online

  On break I walk out back to get some air. Billy’s is on the edge of town and the back borders the woods. I slide down the wall to sit on the cold ground and take a deep breath. I was only sitting there a few minutes when I hear the back door open and someone slide down beside me. I don’t have to look over to know it’s Billy. He lets out a sigh and then begins, “I was going to leave you be but after watching you today I think you need a reminder.”

  “A reminder?” What have I forgot? I’ve remembered every order I’ve taken tonight. Even with everything on my mind I haven’t slipped up once. What do I need a reminder of?

  “Of how much your Daddy loved you, Bloom.”

  “I know he did,” is all I can manage to reply without crying. I can handle being lectured on messing up an order, heck I can even handle Billy firing me for not showing up. But this! I wasn’t expecting this talk and I’m not ready for it either. But Billy isn’t ready to give in and he gently takes my chin and turns me to face him.

  “Bloom, he did and he wouldn’t want to see you this way. You’re so busy thinking about how he’s gone that you’re not remembering the good times you had when he was here. Heck you can’t even bear to hear me tell you he loved you. I see the tears in your eyes doll.” His calloused hand reaches out to wipe away a tear that breaks free from the boundary of my lids (darn him! I don’t want to cry). “Your Daddy loving you isn’t something to make you cry.”

  Closing my eyes I softly say, “I know Billy. I’m trying to heal.”

  “You’re never going to fully heal doll, but you should be able to move on with your life. And I can tell you’re not allowing yourself to do that. Have you even started cleaning out your Dad’s room?”

  “It’s too soon!” I shout at him.

  “I know it seems that way, but it might help.” He ignores my outburst, thankfully.

  “I don’t think I can. I haven’t even gone into his room since he’s been gone.”

  “Would you like me to come do it for you?” he offers.

  I know it’s something I need to handle myself, “Billy I can’t ask you to do that.”

  “You didn’t ask, I offered. Your father was like my brother and that makes you my family. I’d do anything for my family Bloom and I can see you need this.”

  Giving in I flash him a faint smile and say, “Thanks, I think you’re right. I need to start letting go.”

  “Just take it one day at a time doll. That’s all any of us can do.” With that Billy stands and offers his hand to help me up. I take it and he pulls me to my feet and into yet another hug. I’m seriously contemplating getting a t-shirt that reads “Stop Hugging Me!”

  Letting me go he says, “I’ll come over tomorrow morning before work and start if that’s okay.”

  “Yeah that’s fine.”

  “Good. Now let’s get back in there. Your break’s been over for about five minutes.”

  “I’ll be right there if you don’t mind.”

  He looks at me deciding whether or not he’ll stay with me or go back in, but at that very second another waitress calls his name. “I’ll be right there,” looking back at me he tells me, “take your time. I’ll cover your tables till you’re back.”

  Once again I tell him thanks and then watch as he walks inside. Leaning back against the wall my gaze shifted back towards the woods. A dark shadow passes just inside the tree line. I can’t make out anything other than it is huge. I start walking towards the woods. I don’t know what the shadow is but I feel drawn in that direction. I’m a few feet away from the tree line when I hear my name called. Snapping out of it, I look around where I am and back into the woods before backing away quickly to go inside.

  Chapter 4 – Pike

  ~ Seriously messing with my manly mind ~

  I track the scent around 40 miles running between the tree line and corn fields. I’m lucky I’m not seen by someone dashing between the two. Normally I hide deep in the woods during the day. It’s easier than being seen. People tend to be frightened by the size of my wolf. In my four-legged form I’m around 250 pounds and my head is still above most people’s waist. I’m nearing a town and I can smell the restaurants and people, but I’m not looking for any of them. My nose veers me away from them and towards the woods. Ten minutes away I find where the scent is strongest, a small cedar cabin buried deep in the trees. The small porch has an old wooden swing hanging from its beams and there are green and white polka dotted curtains hanging in the window. Beside the front door there is a welcome sign carved with the family name Daniels. On the opposite edge of the yard I can smell a strawberry patch. It’s late in the season but there still seems to be a few ripe berries that need to be picked. It’s a modest home, but there’s a charm. You can tell that the owner takes pride in the place. There are no vehicles in the driveway and I haven’t picked up any sounds from inside the house so I decide to take a closer look.

  Trotting up onto the front porch I glance into the large picture window. I see a nice size living room that opens up into a large kitchen. The living room is done in a rich brown with beautiful hardwood floors, and there are little touches of green from pillows on the couch to the rugs on the floor even those polka dot curtains contained that same green. Along one wall sets two worn in brown leather recliners and a little side table. On the opposite wall is a flat screen with two bookshelves filled to the brim on either side, one containing books and the other DVDs. In front of the window there’s a couch that matches the recliners. The hardwood floor flows into the kitchen but the walls in there are a buttery yellow instead of the brown and green. With my wolf sight I can make out the back door in the corner of the kitchen and I can see it’s unlocked. Hmm, what kind of person doesn’t lock their door? Must be my lucky day! Now I can take a closer look at the other rooms.

  Leaping off the porch I hurry around back. Using my mouth I’m able to twist the door handle open without having to shift. That’s a trick my father taught me as a kid and it’s definitely come in handy since I started shifting. I wipe my paws on the mat by the door so I won’t leave tracks then trot in. The scent is so strong it’s like a punch in the gut. Taking a deep breath into my lungs I let it fill and surround me. It makes me want to curl up right here on the kitchen floor and never leave. I shake my head trying to clear out the thought and walk further into the house. Crossing into the living room I stare at the bookshelf, it has an eclectic mix of biographies, psychology, fantasy, mysteries, and the classics. The person who lives here loves to read and their scent clings to every book. The DVD shelves are a different story. The scent marker on them is so faint you’d question if they’ve ever been handled. Beside the bookshelf is a hallway. The walls here are covered in photographs. There’s a man holding a baby wrapped in a pink quilt in one. He’s smiling down at the baby with such pride on his face but his eyes hold sadness. As I walk the hall I watch the girl grow from picture to picture. In one it’s clearly her first day of school and she’s clinging to her father’s hand for dear life. A few pictures down she’s a couple years older and she’s standing next to a lake holding up a catfish grinning from ear to ear showing where she’s missing her two front teeth. I’m enjoying watching her grow up in photographs from a kid to the awkward teen years and finally into a beautiful woman. From the picture that looks the most recent I’ll guess she is in her early twenties. She’s sitting between two men holding their hands in hers, one is clearly her father from the earlier photos (he still holds that sadness in his eyes) and the other is possibly an uncle though I don’t see a resemblance. There are no photos of her and her mother. At that same end of the hall I reach her room. The walls are painted a pale blue and are bare except for the quote “In dreams and in love there are no impossibilities” scrolled above her full size bed in black paint. The bed itself is unmade with the sheets and comforter twisted around each other at the end. On her night stand sets a worn copy of The Notebook and a pile of used tissues. I can smell the salty tears on them and begin to worry about her h
appiness. I blow out a breath at myself. I’m worrying about a woman I’ve never met when she’s crying over nothing more than a book. Her scent is making me crazy. In my 25 years I’ve never behaved this way about a woman.

  Forcing myself out of her room I stroll to the next open door. It’s a tiny bathroom with not much to see. The last door in the hall is closed so I use my handy little trick again. The room’s musty from not being opened in awhile. The bed is made and there’s a light layer of dust on the night stand. It’s clearly a man’s room, probably her fathers. I wonder where he is. He has more pictures on his dresser. One is a senior picture with the name Bloom printed in the bottom corner, such a fitting name for her. Bloom, Bloom Daniels … I let the name roll around in my head. I can’t wait to shift back so I can feel how it rolls off my tongue. Strolling back out of the room I use my mouth to pull the door back closed, best to leave no sign someone’s been here.

  I take one more long deep breath to surround myself with her scent before walking out of her home. It’s time to find Bloom. I feel I need to make sure she is alright. I pick up her scent again in the driveway and follow it back towards the town. Right at the edge of the woods, just inside the city limits, I come across a small brick building. I clearly smell tomato and pepperoni so it must be a pizza place. For being such a small building, the parking lot is packed. I keep to the tree line afraid of being seen and wait. I can tell she’s in there. Her scent clings to the building. If I had clothes to change into I’d shift back to my human form and go in as a customer. But of course, there are no clothes around and I doubt the owner would appreciate a naked man strolling through his restaurant. That would break several health code violations. I chuckle in my mind thinking of how I want walk in there and sweep her off her feet. Emily’s forced me to watch one too many “chick flicks” with her. Next time I see that sister of mine I’m letting her know her horrible choice in movies is seriously messing with my manly mind. From now on it’s going to be action, horror, or none!

  My ears prick up as a new sound comes to me. It’s as gentle as the breeze and seems to stroke my mind. It takes me a moment to realize I’m hearing her thoughts. I close my eyes to enjoy the feeling of her thoughts inside my head.

  You will not cry! You will not cry! You will NOT cry! Geez will these people stop trying to console me. Can’t they see they’re only making this harder? I think it’s time for me to take my break. Ugh! I need some fresh air and less people around.

  Her sadness hits me as soon as she walks out the back door. It’s hard enough to hear her worrying in her head but now I actually feel it creeping up into my fur. The feeling makes my wolf restless and I have to stop him from running over to console her. Thankfully a middle-aged man comes out to speak with her and that helps to distract my wolf enough that I can hold back the urge to run to her.

  Hanging on to every word of their conversation, I find out she’s lost her father too. It causes my heart to ache for my father and for the pain of her losing hers. It’s odd how I’m feeling her emotions as if they’re mine. I’ve never met her father and I want to cry at the loss of him. When I watch this man, Billy, place his hand on her face I have to hold back my growl. I can tell he means her no harm, but my wolf’s angry at the man for touching her. He itches to be the one comforting her.

  I listen as he tries to sooth her and become very grateful towards the man when he offers to help clear out her Dad’s belongings. This Billy guy is family to her which makes him family to me. So no more growling at him and I’ll have to find a way to repay him for helping my Bloom when I couldn’t. My Bloom, I like the sound of that.

  He stands up, kindly helps her to her feet, and then he’s called back inside. She leans against the building staring at the woods and I long to be closer to her so I take the chance and move towards the thinning tree line. I see it in her eyes when she catches sight of me. As much as I want to reveal myself to her, my wolf knows we need to hold off a little longer, so I dash back into the shadows before she has the chance to register what she’s seen. I listen to her thoughts.

  That is huge. What can it be?

  I watch as she involuntarily moves closer towards the trees. She’s drawn to me just as I am to her. Good to see this isn’t one sided.

  Someone hollers her name and she snaps out of her daze. She looks at the door of the restaurant and back into the woods. She’s scared herself, that’s easy to see as she practically runs back inside to get away from what the shadows hold.

  Laying in the tree line I keep my eyes locked on the pizza place. The light fades away and the night swoops in but I can’t take my eyes away. Finally when all the customers have left she walks back outside surrounded by a group of her co-workers. They invite her out to the local bar but she declines. With a wave and a slight smile she says goodbye and climbs into a large truck and pulls out.

  I could easily track her scent to follow where she’s going but there is no need for that because now I can read her thoughts. And the only thing on her mind is home.

  Chapter 5 – Bloom

  ~ I’m not sure what I’m going to do without you ~

  Walking into the house I kick my shoes off by the door and toss my keys at the counter. By the end of the night I felt like my shift would never end, but thankfully it did. Some of the other waitresses invited me to go to Hudson’s bar but I declined. The only thing I wanted to do is get home and take a long bath. I had a shower this morning, but after working I smell like pepperoni and I need the water to relax away the painful memories today brought up.

  I run the water and dump in some strawberry bath beads. I’m not a person who likes to smell like flowers or even vanilla but I love the smell of strawberries. I test the water with my toe; it’s warm but not scolding hot, so I plop the rest of my body into the water. After thoroughly washing the pepperoni smell out of my hair and off of my skin I close my eyes laying my head back to enjoy the feeling of the water relaxing my muscles. I fell asleep that way.

  The sound of a text message coming through my phone wakes me up. The water has already chilled so I pull the plug and climb out. I dry myself and grab the phone off the bathroom sink The text message is from Billy.

  Just a reminder I’ll be there in the morning. Sleep tight!

  I send back a quick response.

  K I’ll see you then. Night!

  By the time on my phone I have napped for almost an hour. I know I won’t be able to get back to sleep right away so I get dressed, grab a bottle of water out of the fridge and head outside. I momentarily flick on the porch light but think twice and flick it back off. The sky is clear and even though the moon isn’t full I can see clearly. I climb onto to the old porch swing and lay with my face down on the cushions. Using my hands I push till I have a nice slow swinging motion then I tuck both arms under my head and look out at the night sky.

  Watching the stars remind me of Dad and before I know it I’m talking out loud to him confessing things I never got the chance to. “I love Rose’s cross necklace you gave me. I’m sorry I had been such a brat when I found out it was hers. I’m also sorry she left I know you loved her, and I’m sorry I don’t.” I let that thought linger in the quiet night before I continue, “Oh, remember when those two bottles of beer came up missing when I was 14. Well it was me and Bonnie. We thought it would make us cool sneaking and drinking them. We learned our lesson though, we were sick the whole next day.”

  “Billy’s been good to me since you’ve been gone. Not that you didn’t already know he would. He misses you …” the tears start, “and Daddy I miss you too. So much!” Tears are now falling freely from my eyes as I choke out my last confession of the night, “I’m not sure what I’m going to do without you.” I curl around myself as the sobs rock my body.

  Chapter 6 – Pike

  ~ Caught in her trap ~

  I’ve been sitting at the edge of the woods near the strawberry patch listening to her. But when the tears start my wolf’s need to protect her, even from her own s
orrow, is so great that I lose control and start running from my hiding spot. I don’t even make it out of the trees when I feel the cold hard metal latch onto my front paw. I howl in pain. If she didn’t know I was close before she definitely does now and I can’t get this damn trap off even if I do shift. Crap!

  Chapter 7 – Bloom

  ~ Come with me ~

  The sound of a dog howling in pain snaps me out of the crying. It sounds like he’s over near the woods. Oh crap! He probably got caught in one of the old animal traps Dad put out to keep the coons out of my strawberries. Wiping my eyes, I scramble to my feet and run inside to grab a flash light. He sounds like he’s in pain and I can’t leave him like that. Pointing the beam from the light into the woods I take a breath to steady my nerves then walk in. I find him lying on his side, I was right he has his foot in one of those old traps. I don’t walk over to him right away I can’t. He’s huge! I’ve seen large dogs, my friend Bonnie use to have a Saint Bernard and he was large, but he looks like a pup compared to this dog. I’d say he’s a wolf but I know wolves don’t get this large. He could be a mixed breed. His coat is so … black. Not a dull black either, jet black and when the moon shines on him, the tips look blue. When my eyes finally find his I notice they’re locked on me. They’re the most striking blue, like staring into the clearest blue ocean. I can’t look away from him. If I do I feel I’ll lose something, though I’m not sure what. Then he whimpers and my eyes fly to his paw still in the trap. I close the distance and fall to my knees. Using all my strength I pry the trap open. He doesn’t move just sits there and watches me but when the trap is finally off he tries to stand.