Page 25 of Sin for You

I was already shaking my head. “Hell no. I was gonna peek out the window.”

We shuffled down the hall toward the window, still clinging to each other, and I slid back the curtain in the kitchen. The sensor light had come on so we could see clearly.

“Shit,” Cassy said. “That’s one freaking big mountain lion.”

“I’m never going out there again,” I said in horror as I watched the cougar tear through my trash can by the back door.

“We get them at the ranch sometimes, often because they’re injured or sick or just looking for food.” She rushed back to the living room and I followed. “Let me call Cal. He’ll know what to do.”

“What do you do at the ranch?”

She shook her head. “The ranch hands always handled it; now Cal does. I stay as far away as possible.”

I listened while she relayed what was happening on her phone then hung up.

“He’ll be here as soon as he can.”

There was another crash, this time against the back door. We both jumped and screamed.

“Have you ever heard of a cougar getting into someone’s house?” I said, close to freaking the hell out.

She shook her head. “I think he just knocked the trash can against the door.”

Neither of us spoke and instead listened to the thumps and crashes right outside my kitchen for what felt like forever.

In reality, it was only minutes before we heard Cal’s truck screech to a stop outside the house. Followed by the sound of boots and, a moment later, a deafening blast like a bullhorn. A few minutes after that, someone knocked on the back door. We rushed to the kitchen.

“Is that you, Cal?” Cassy called through the door.

“Well, it’s not the mountain lion,” he said.

I yanked the door open. “Thanks for coming.” I felt like an idiot.

Cal walked in, Bull right on his heels, a gun in his hand. They stepped into my small kitchen, and I watched as Bull took in the room. I guess he hadn’t been here in a long time. Not since Mase moved away. His eyes came to me next and stalled. That brown gaze slid from my head to my toes then back up to my face. His jaw tightened.

Ouch.

With that one look I was back to feeling inadequate, the runt of the litter, the ugly duckling in the pond, the brown paper bag beside a silk purse, without him even saying a word. I knew he’d never hurt me on purpose, but he couldn’t hide what he was thinking. What he was seeing wasn’t something he wanted.

Like I didn’t already know after being rejected by him twice.

Humiliation fired through me. I’d stepped out of my comfort zone and now I felt like a fool.

Bull still hadn’t said anything, so I forced a grin. “That’s a big weapon you have there.” Going with my usual humor and sarcasm to cover the stupid pain his look had caused.

Bull frowned and Cal chuckled. “I think he’s overcompensating for something.”

I laughed, even though I didn’t believe that for one moment. I knew firsthand, even if the contact had been brief and through layers of clothes, that Bull didn’t have to overcompensate for one damn thing.

“Okay, well, we better head off,” Cassy said. “I had such a great time today. Are you…would you like to grab lunch sometime this week?”

A smile curled my lips. “I’d love that.”

Cassy smiled as well. “I’ll text you.”

They headed for the door, and I waved as Cal and Cassy left, then turned to Bull who was standing behind me. “Aren’t you leaving as well?”

He shook his head. “I’ll sleep on the couch tonight. Install an alarm system in the morning.”