Absentminded Angel(Divine Creek Ranch 20)(64)

“Nah, we woke up early and I knew she wanted to get some work done this morning.”

“She okay?”

Jared could hear the sincerity in Kendry’s question and replied, “Yeah. It was good last night.”

“Don’t rub it in too much. I barely got any shut-eye just imagining. What’re you doing?”

“Well, I decided since I was here and we were planning to have company Christmas morning that I’d better—” Movement out of the corner of his eye drew his attention and he saw Loki, now standing at rigid attention facing her house a split second before he tore into it. Thor sprinted across the yard in long, loping strides, and then a shrill scream carried across the yard.

“I heard that, Jared. What was that?”

“Don’t know. I’d better go. Something’s up next door.”

“Call me back!” Kendry shouted as Jared dropped the phone on the table and ran out the door. He could hear Doppler effect of the baby crying and Presley Ann’s nonsensical shout as she ran through the house and out the door as Whit clung to his mother from inside his sling.

He caught her to him and quickly looked them over, trying to determine what had happened and noticed that she was missing a shoe but otherwise seemed unharmed.

“Kitten, what happened?” he asked as she finally caught her breath and clung to the baby with one forearm while she remained latched on to him with the other.

“I was working at my table. I had the windows and the doors open and I felt something”—she trembled and made a revolted sound—“I looked down and—”

Loud barking and a tussle sounded from inside the cottage and Jared groaned, wondering what havoc Loki and Thor were wreaking in her little home. “Stay here, angel.”

She caressed the back of Whit’s head, shushing him, as she nodded. He hadn’t even reached the door before more barking ensued, followed by a scuffle, and then a small dark gray blur streaked from the front door with Thor and Loki in hot pursuit, across the yard. The gray streak sprang at the nearest tree and chittered tauntingly at the dogs as they barked and growled at it from their positions at the base of the pecan tree.

“A squirrel?” Presley Ann said as she watched. “What a relief. In the dim light under the table I was afraid it was a rat.” She shuddered and then soothed Whit as he whimpered again. “Sorry, sweetie.”

Both dogs trotted over and sat for her when she reached out to pet them and praise them. “Good dogs. Very good boys.” She turned to Jared with a sheepish smile on her face. “Sorry if I scared you. I swear I won’t do that anymore.”

Jared chuckled as he looked down at her feet. “I think you have something subconscious against those shoes, Cinderella.”

She laughed as she looked down, seeming to notice for the first time that she only had one shoe on as she curled her toes in the cool, wet grass. “I think you were right, this may be a pattern with me.”

“I hope the dogs didn’t wreck anything,” he said as he walked her back into the house.

An end table had been overturned and was easily righted. The work table and the area rug beneath it had been scooted several inches from where it was originally, but none of her work was disturbed and the sewing machine was untouched. Satisfied, he said, “Well, I guess I better get back to decorating the tree.”

“Finally getting around to that, are you?” she asked with a teasing poke at his ribs and then gestured at the work table. “I’d better get back to work if I want to have time to run errands before going in to Stigall’s.” She sidled up to him for a kiss. “Thank you again for last night. It was…”

“It was what?”

“Wonderful,” she said, toying with her lower lip.

He pulled her back to him and kissed her again, longer this time. “It was. Well, that tree won’t decorate itself. If you see any more squirrels…”

“I’ll scream,” she said with a giggle and blew him a kiss.

“We’ll come running,” he murmured as he closed the door behind him so no more critters got in the house. With Thor and Loki…and Presley Ann around, it looked like there was never going to be a dull moment.



* * * *



“Are you serious?” Presley Ann asked the cashier as she looked at the receipt. She’d just finished checking out at the big warehouse store located between Morehead and Divine near the Interstate. She’d needed to stock up on diapers and other baby supplies and had actually remembered to use the gift card Evelyn and Charlene Porter had given her.

The cashier nodded and smiled as she pointed at the bottom of the receipt. “That’s your balance on the gift card.”