‘ohana
➸ Ginger ☆
Hildy’s B&B is a Queen Victorian with pale green shingles and white trim. A grand porch curves from the front of the house around to the left side. Despite its beauty, our temporary home is perfectly suited for a horror movie with evil living in the basement.
Fortunately, I suffer a soft spot for horror movies. I’d rather die from some ancient evil than in a mundane way such as old age or skidding out my Harley on a wet road.
“This place will cause nightmares,” Cayenne says once Clove and I arrive.
Having only seen complimentary reviews of the B&B, I’m surprised by her comment. “Is it dirty inside?”
“No, it’s pristine,” she immediately says. “It’ll be the fanciest house we’ve ever stayed in, but I worry it might steal our souls.”
“Well, I’ll enjoy watching it fight Satan for mine.”
The resident mom in the Everything Nice Crew, Cayenne, gives me her knowing smile. Cayenne cooks, bakes, and water paints for fun, but this mommy is also quick with a blade and cold-blooded in a fight.
Clove walks past us to the front door. She disappears inside the house just as Bay hurries out. She’s on edge, just like Pepper. Possibly, we got soft living in Little Memphis for the last few years. Allies at our back and enemies on the run. Some of our crew members got so comfy that they chose not to come on this new adventure. Not that I blame them. They found lovers, created homes, and even had kids. Why start over in this neglected town?
So ready for a fresh start, I would have come alone if necessary. Clove agreed to join me, of course. She never warmed up to Little Memphis anyway.
Bay and her girl, Pepper, were a done deal since they go where I go. Yarrow had to come because no one can keep her in line besides me, and I wanted to keep her mug shot off the evening news.
Cayenne surprised me by wanting to move here. Her seven-year-old daughter, Duffy, has autism, and a new town comes with a mess of problems. Yet here Cayenne is in Rawlins with the crew.
“We’re making this our home, right?” Cayenne asked that morning at breakfast. “What happens if we don’t fit in?”
“We will. The town is going through a revival, and we’ll invest in property and create something stable.”
“And if the Heretics don’t cooperate?”
“They’re replaceable.”
“Is that Joker talking?” she asks, arching one of her perfect eyebrows.
“Oh, no, he thinks we’ll all be best friends, and a few of us will hook up with the bikers and make Everything Nice Heretics combo babies. All unicorn and rainbow crap. I swear bikers go soft when they start using their jizz for something besides stinking up the place.”
Sitting next to us through my speech, Duffy remained totally oblivious between her headphones and complete fascination of the coffee stirrer in her hand.
Inside the house, Duffy and her mother settle in for the night. Bay, though, walks to the curb where I stand. We’re waiting for Pepper to arrive before we choose rooms and start unpacking.
“Hildy is nice,” Bay says. “She’s younger than I expected when I heard her old lady name.”
“It’s a swanky place, but I’m ready to move into the townhomes. We have meetings with contractors tomorrow,” I mumble while digging through my pockets for cherry cola Tic Tac mints. “Let’s hope we can find someone decent around here. I don’t want to pay extra for a company to drive in from Little Rock.”
“You worry too much,” Bay says, though she’s the one grinding her teeth.
Ruffling her short, brown hair, I leave her to worry about Pepper who is most likely taking the scenic route as usual.
Rather than bunking at a hotel outside of town, I decided the crew would be better off staying at this bed and breakfast. I’d seen pictures, but they didn’t do this place justice.
“Wow, right?” Clove says from an adjoining room while I gawk at the massive staircase.
“We might not be classy enough to stay here.”
Behind Clove stands a black woman, sporting curly red hair and a splash of freckles rivaling Bay’s. She smiles warmly, but I sense she’s nervous. I don’t blame her since she agreed to let us stay for at least two months. No doubt the money we offered calmed any concerns she felt about six women and a disabled child holding up in her vintage home. She’d only met Cayenne who is an ace at playing the middle-aged suburban mom con. Now Hildy might wonder if she’s opened her door to a crew of wild women.
“I’m Ginger,” I say, shaking her hand and hoping I’m pulling off my nice lady expression.
“Hildy. My husband, Calvin, will help with any bags you need taken upstairs.”
“Much appreciated.”
“Cayenne said you’re renovating the townhomes on Backway Road.”
“We’re hoping to have the work done in the next month.”
Hildy’s expression remains frozen on friendly, though it’ll take her a few days to get used to the Everything Nice Crew. Probably longer, if Yarrow acts up as she’s prone to do whenever she pisses circles around new territory. The sooner we feel we belong in Rawlins, the sooner I won’t have to worry about every move my girls make.