Page 3 of Mountain Defender

“Yes. Unfortunately.” Gage chuckles. “But I have a new strategy.”

“Oh?”

While I wait for his response, the sun heats my arm, reminding me that my sleeves are pushed up past my elbows. And in broad daylight… it makes the scars there even more visible.

Inwardly cringing, I shove my sleeves back down.

But Gage doesn’t let on that he noticed, just says with a smile, “Yes. I started leaving out decoy shoes for him to hide. Old ones I don’t wear anymore. And I stashed my good shoes in the closet.This way, my shoes aren’t all ruined, but Dewey still gets to enjoy his game.”

Aww.

That’s another thing I like about Gage. Despite his serious, almost gruff exterior, he has a soft spot for animals. Most people would just hide all their shoes. Or they’d punish the dog. But Gage came up with a way to make both of them happy.

“That’s a great idea,” I tell him. “Although you’d better hope he never figures out how to open your closet.”

His eyebrows go up. “Do you know dogs that do that? I keep the door shut. I can’t imagine Dewey opening the doorknob…”

“You’d be amazed. One dog I adopted out—she was part poodle—figured out how to open doors with her teeth. The family came home after a birthday party to discover the dog had snuck into the pantry and raided it. So they have latches on all their doors now.”

“Latches, hmm? I’ll have to keep that in mind.” Gage pauses. “What about Elmore and Toby? I can’t picture them getting into any trouble.”

A small laugh slips out. “Not usually. But sometimes they’ll pull all the blankets off my bed. So when I head into the bedroom at night, everything is in a big pile on the floor. Then I have to get fresh sheets and blankets, which is the last thing I want when I’m ready to snuggle into bed.”

“I bet.” A beat later, his smile fades. A muscle ticks in his jaw.

And I’m left wondering what I said wrong. If I somehow triggered some unpleasant memory. Or if I shared too much information.

“So,” he abruptly says. His hands shove into his pockets. “I brought my tools today. We were going to look at that lock. Did you think of anything else?”

The shift from happy to somber has my stomach twisting again.

More reasons for his sudden shift in mood fly through my head.

Was the glimpse of scars on my arm so unsettling? Since we met during the winter, my arms and legs were always covered. But now that it’s May, I’ve cut back on my layers of clothing. Had I thought about it, I would have made sure my sleeve was pulled down. But Gage came early, and I was worried about Charlie…

Or maybe this is the day when Gage tells me he can’t come anymore. That he’s too busy. That his girlfriend doesn’t approve.

Although. Gage doesn’t seem like the kind of guy to let his actions be dictated by a woman.

My own smile fades as I reply, “If you’re too busy, it’s okay to skip the repairs this time.” A weight settles on my chest, making it hard to speak. “You’ve been so great about coming to help. But I don’t want you to feel like you have to.”

A few seconds go by before he answers, when I mentally steel myself for the long-awaited rejection.

It doesn’t matter, I tell myself. I’m just fine out here on my own. I have the dogs. I have Isla. And maybe I’ll take Alice up on her invitation to have a movie night sometime.

Still. Even though I know this thing with Gage is temporary, I’m not ready to say goodbye to him yet.

“I don’t want to skip the repairs,” he finally replies, a hint of roughness in his tone. “I said I’d come to fix the lock. And I know you can use the help taking all the dogs for walks.” A pause, and then, “Unless you don’t want me to stay?”

“I do.” It’s quick. Fiercer than intended. More quietly, I add, “I’d like it if you stayed. I just… I don’t want you to feel obligated to.”

Surprise jerks Gage’s features. “Why would I feel obligated?”

“I don’t know.” Suddenly, I feel more like an inexperienced teenager than a grown adult. I tug at the hem of my sleeve. “Butyou have so much else going on. Your job, the work for Green Mountain Guardians, your friends…”

Gage stares at me. His eyes soften. A corner of his mouth tips up. “I like coming here every week, Rory. I don’t feel obligated at all.”

As he looks at me, a frisson of something moves between us. It’s strange. Almost unsettling. But it also makes my breath catch.

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