Page 35 of A Fearless Heart
“Oh, shi—” he said, realizing she heard him. “I mean, I’m sorry. Still not quite back to civilized standards.”
“It’s fine,” she said. “Just…surprised me.”
“Bet that term doesn’t come up at your social calls,” he said.
“Definitely not. Perhaps the social calls would be more interesting if it did,” she suggested.
He laughed, shaking his head. Then they were just staring at each other, smiling. Cady bit her lip, not knowing what to say. Why did she feel so comfortable with this very discomfiting man?
Gabe suddenly stood up.
“Come with me,” he said. “I have something to show you.”
Cady followed him to the garden shed, assuming that he had a question about some assignment or needed to confirm which tools to use.
Inside the shed, which was well lit thanks to the large, open doors and the side windows, Gabe told her to stand near one of the worktables. “I just need to get something.”
Cady waited, wondering exactly what was going on. Then Gabe reappeared, carrying what looked like a small wooden birdcage. He set it on the table.
“What is going on?” she asked, puzzled.
“Well, I was thinking about how much the rats frightened you.”
“And you thought I’d also be scared of birds?”
“Are you?”
“No. I don’t think so.” She added, “I haven’t thought about it much.”
“Never mind,” he said quickly. “It doesn’t matter, because this cage doesn’t hold any birds. It’s got a mouse.”
Cady took a step back…only to walk into Gabe, who’d shifted to prevent her from running out.
“Not so fast,” he said. “There’s nothing to be scared of.”
“Yes, there is. Mice carry disease. How’d you get it in there? Can it get out? What if there are more? What if—”
“No questions. You have to look at the mouse.”
He stood right behind her and planted his hands on the edge of the table, effectively trapping her. She stared at the cage, looking for a way the mouse could escape it.
“I don’t see any mouse,” she said. “This is a waste of time.”
“Keep looking.” He more or less surrounded her, the bulk of him like a living wall. Cady tried to be upset by it, but in fact part of her wanted to lean back against him. She remembered how strong and comforting he’d felt when he carried her yesterday.
“I’m looking,” she said. She still saw nothing…no, wait, there was movement under the shaved bedding. “Oh, no, it’s there.”
“I caught it with a bit of cheese last night. I figured a mouse would be less scary than a rat.”
At Cady’s involuntary hiss, he lifted one hand to her upper arm, and squeezed lightly. “Don’t worry. I wouldn’t have you make friends with a rat so soon. Mice are less intimidating, right?”
“If it gets out, it’ll jump on me.”
“It won’t, and if it does, it would likely jump on me, because there’s more of me to jump on.”
“That’s true,” she couldn’t help saying.
He leaned over her shoulder a bit, his breath warm against her neck. Cady felt a jolt through her body, and she was grateful he couldn’t see her expression.
