Page 79 of Charlie Takes a Chance

She throws her head back and laughs. “Touché.”

I slide off my boots and follow her into the living room. The fireplace is cold, and I can see our breath in the room, so I pull the stove door open and lay kindling in a crisscross fashion.

“He’s good-looking, builds fires, decorates houses…what can’t he do…” she muses as she flops onto the leather couch. “Wait, where are the dogs?”

“Probably out marking their territory all over again. Or finding a skunk to tangle with.”

“Ugh. That’s the worst.”

“Yup. You’d think they’d learn, but they’re kind of stubborn.”

“Sort of like someone else I know,” she teases.

I shove some crumpled-up paper into the wood stove. “I’m not sure how they picked up all of your bad habits in such a short time.”

She nudges me in the side with a socked foot.

“Sooooo. You split your time between these two places? I don’t even remember you saying anything about living in two places.” She narrows her eyes at me.

“It’s convenient for work.” I slide a chunk of wood in on top of the burning paper and kindling.

“Well, I guess we’ll just have to plan to find some kind of rental close by while you’re here.”

“You’re not going to stay with me?” I ask, even though I know the answer.

She clears her throat. “I’m old-fashioned. I’m not going to live with you while I’m dating you.”

I raise my eyebrows and look at her. She actually looks nervous explaining this to me. “I know. I’m just teasing you.”

“You know? So how am I going to see you if you never leave the ranch?”

There’s a scratching at the back door, and I hold up my hand, pointing at the mud room. “I’ve got the solution to the housing problem.”

The scratching in the mudroom continues, and Charlie stares in that direction. I’ve never been so nervous about anything in my life. I hope Bliss came through for me.

Charlie looks at me in confusion. “What? You want me to go check out the scary noise? I’m not looking for something that’s scratching. It’s either the start of a horror film or a giant rat.”

She shakes her head, and I let out a maniacal laugh. This whole moment was supposed to be smooth. Magical.

It’s not. She’s refusing to go find her present that Bliss has stashed in the mudroom for me. I’m a nervous wreck, and even building a cozy fire is causing problems.

“It’s something for you,” I finally manage to say.

The scratching gets louder.

“Yes, a giant coyote stuck in the mudroom. Absolutely not.” She folds her arms across her chest and glares at me. “You know I love that you view me as your equal in every way… But now is the time to be the hero and go check out the scary sound without me.”

I’m not sure if I should curl up in a ball and cry or just dissolve into laughter. Either one would probably be concerning to any onlooker.

I stand up and close the wood stove door now that the fire is finally catching. “I’ll go with you.”

I reach out for her hand and pull her after me toward the mudroom.

“What if it’s a rat?” she asks as I wait for her to open the door.

“It better not be,” I mutter. I don’t like rodents. They have no place in my house.

Charlie looks up at me when I stop in front of the door. “Open it,” I urge her.

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