Page 23 of Dumbstruck
“Do barn cats count? Because they were kind of evil, so I don’t know if I would call them pets. One of them bit me when I was seven, and I half expected to turn into some sort of were-cat at the next full moon.”
“I still can’t picture you on a farm, Jonah James.”
“Then you’re not thinking about me often enough, June Harper.”
Geez, this guy knows how to make me blush. And it doesn’t bother me in the slightest, which is a strange feeling. My ex liked to make me blush, but never in a good way. I think he liked having that kind of power over me every time he embarrassed me or called out my flaws.
“I bought the hardware store because it was available,” I say.
“That’s it?”
“That’s it. Pretty boring, huh?”
“Nothing about you is boring. I could spend my whole life learning about you.”
I’m used to honesty. Hank, the only real friend I have here in town, is always very open about what he’s thinking or dealing with. Granted, it took some time for him to trust me, but I think he needed a friend as much as I did when I moved here from Denver. But despite my being accustomed to my incredibly honest friend, Jonah keeps catching me off guard when he says things like this.
He chuckles. “Did I freak you out again?”
“No,” I lie. Well, it’s only a partial lie. I love that he says whatever he’s thinking; my reaction is the part that freaks me out. I’ve spent so long thinking I would live the rest of my life alone that it’s hard to come to terms with trusting a guy like Jonah.
“I did freak you out,” he argues. “And that’s fine. We have a mystery to solve anyway, so I can’t have you getting all moony-eyed every time we’re together.”
Scoffing, I grab one more scoop of tuna. If Samson doesn’t go for this one, I’m giving up for the night. “You wish I was moony-eyed.”
“I do, but I’m under no illusions that you’ll fall for me overnight. I’m prepared to put in the work.”
This man… “And you think solving a mystery with you will win me over?” My eyes lock on the yellow ones staring at me from the bushes.Come on, kitty kitty.
Jonah hums thoughtfully. “I think you miss aspects of your old job and are champing at the bit for a little excitement in your otherwise mundane life.”
His response catches the breath in my throat, leaving me stunned. The tuna slips from my fingers, but I don’t care. “How…?”
“Believe it or not,” he says smugly, “I pay attention to what you tell me, June Harper.”
“I have not told you I miss my old job. I’ve told you the opposite, in fact.”
“You told me that you hate your boss, The Ex, which is understandable, but every time you talk about the work you did, something in you lights up.”
Now I wish wewereon a video call so I could see the expression on his face. I don’t even know what to say to him. I’m in complete awe of this man who has somehow become one of the people who know me best in only a matter of days.
“Jonah James,” I whisper as another car pulls onto the street.
I frown. That looks like thesamecar from earlier, its white paint scuffed and rusted in places, and it’s moving way slower than it needs to. I watch it go, not liking the fact that I can’t see the license plate well enough to read the number. It turns at the end of the street, like it might make a full circle of the block.
“How goes your cat project?” Jonah asks.
“Hang on a sec.” Wiping my hand clean on my jeans, I move to the porch and crouch behind the bush where Samson is hiding. If anyone were to come up to the porch, they would find me, but no one should be able to see me from the road.
“Is he getting close to you?”
“Yeah,” I breathe, but I’m not talking about the cat. I’m talking about the headlights that pull onto the street a moment later and slow, shining on my front door for several seconds before moving on at a glacial pace. Heart pounding, I shift my stance so I can watch through the leaves as the car heads down the street.
It’ll be back.
“Jonah,” I say, keeping my voice low. “I’m going to tell you something you’re not going to like.”
“Have I lost my cat whisperer status?”
