Demon Hunting in Dixie. Lexi George

      “Dooo-ley.” Addy trotted down the paved path in the park, slowing when she saw the clump of trees ahead. Even in daylight the shadows in the wood seemed menacing. She did not wish to go back into those trees. She cupped her hands to her mouth and called the dog again. “Dooley Anne Corwin, you come here. Don’t make me come after you.” She heard the Lab’s excited barking from the belly of the woods and decided to try bribery. “Be a good girl and come here, and Addy will give you a piece of cheese.”

      “Lost your dog?” a voice drawled.

      She spun around. She relaxed when she recognized Darryl Wilson, the strapping security guard hired by the home owner’s association to keep an eye on things. Darryl finished high school a few years ahead of her and was harmless enough. There were six Wilson brothers. All but one played football at Hannah High. Like most of his brothers, Darryl worked hard and played harder, which around here meant hunting, drinking, and running around raising hell in his pickup truck. The gig as security guard, he once confided to Addy, was, he hoped, a stepping stone to the local police force.

      “Oh, hey, Darryl, you startled me.” She flung him a distracted smile, her thoughts on her dog. “Yeah, Dooley got out, and I’m trying to round her back up. How you doing?”

      Darryl did not answer. Addy glanced back and found him staring at her chest, mouth ajar. Her face grew hot. She’d rushed out of the house without putting on a bra, and her nipples were on high alert, pushing against the thin fabric of her T-shirt. Her first instinct was to cross her arms and slink away. Nice girls did not go out of the house without a bra. From the look on Darryl’s face, you’d think he’d never seen a pair of undomesticated casabas, which Addy knew for a fact wasn’t true. Darryl’s girlfriend, Raeleene, was rough as a cob and a threat to get drunk and hang out the window of Darryl’s truck, her bare boobs flapping in the breeze. Addy straightened her shoulders. Well, Darryl could get over it, ’cause these puppies weren’t going back in the crate until she found Dooley. She hoped Mama didn’t find out she’d been running around without proper undergarments. Sheesh, the thought of the bear jawing she’d get made her wince.

      “Yoo hoo, Darryl.” She waved her hand at him.

      “Huh?” He dragged his eyes off her breasts. “Say, Addy, your hair looks different. Kinda crazy sexy, if you know what I mean.” His gaze moved to her bare legs and stuck there. He swallowed like he had a potato stuck in his throat. “Y-you wanna go out sometime? I got my own truck.”

      Lord love a redneck, Addy thought with a mental eye roll. “Thanks, but I don’t think Raeleene would like it.”

      “Oh, yeah, I forgot about her.” He looked alarmed for a moment and then wistful. “Would she have to know?”

      “It’s a small town, Darryl.”

      “Yeah, but I wouldn’t want to carpet it.”

      Oh, brother, a comedian. She really did not need this.

      “Aren’t you the funniest thing?” Addy gave him a bright smile and edged down the path. “Well, nice to see you, Darryl. Tell your mama I said hi. I’d best go look for Dooley.”

      A deep bay from the stand of trees drew her up short.

      “That your dog, Addy? He sounds hepped up. Maybe he’s treed him a cat or something.”

      “She,” Addy said absently, her gaze on the woods. Dooley was chasing something, and she sounded excited about it. “You seen any deer around here, Darryl?”

      “In River Bend? Not unless you count them ornamental ones Miz Hiebert has on her lawn. She dresses them thangs up for holidays. Puts bunny ears on ’em for Easter and gives ’em fangs for Halloween. It’s wrong.” He spat. “I can’t wait until I get me a real police job. It’s deadsville working in a retirement community. Bunch of blue-haired little old ladies mostly. You still house-sitting for your great aunt?”

      “Yeah, I’m staying in River Bend while Aunt Muddy does the world tour thing.”

      “That Muddy’s whatcha might call a gen-u-ine character, ain’t she?” He was staring at her chest again with that deer-in-the-headlights look. Her headlights. The poor guy practically drooled. “Why, I ’member one time when I was a boy, she—”

      A loud snort interrupted him. An enormous white deer with silver antlers trotted out of the grove. Dooley bounced behind the gigantic animal barking like mad. The buck ignored the yapping canine with magnificent disdain and danced across the park, his hooves skimming the surface of the grass.

      “Holy shit.” Darryl’s eyes bugged out of his head. “Take a look at the rack on that buck. I ain’t never seen a spread that wide. Where’s my gun?”

      He dashed off in the direction of the gatehouse and his truck.

      “Typical guy,” Addy muttered. “Always going for the bigger rack.”

      The stag cantered past her and cleared the eight-foot wrought-iron fence that encircled the subdivision with room to spare. Dooley tore after the gigantic ruminant and threw herself against the fence with a last emphatic woof as if to say, There, and don’t come back. Tongue lolling, she turned and galloped up to Addy for approval.

      “Bad dog,” Addy scolded. “What would you do with that thing if you caught it?” Dooley hung her head and whined. “I cannot believe you went back into those woods. Didn’t you learn anything last night?” Hands on hips, Addy glared down at the dog. “Well, young lady, what have you got to say for yourself?”

      The Lab rolled over and showed her belly. “Sorry, Addy. Sorry.” Dooley looked up at Addy with soulful eyes and sprang to her feet. “Ooh, Addy, Addy! Can Dooley have cheese?”