Page 56 of No Going Back
“We’ve got a visitor.” He went still as Snickerdoodle’s head dipped and his nose twitched. There were only a few inches separating him from a set of teeth he didn’t care to become acquainted with.
Dianna inhaled again as she tried to roll away, but Griffin held her tight, doing his best to make sure nothing startled the feral rodent. When she couldn’t move, Dianna made a little grunt of protest, opening her eyes.
They immediately locked on where Snickerdoodle sat. “Oh shit.”
“Any idea how we get him out of here?” He was starting to feel cornered and it was making him antsy.
Dianna pulled one hand loose and waved it in the squirrel’s general direction. “Shoo. Go back outside.”
Snickerdoodle took a few steps back, moving down to his stomach, but then sat back down, watching them both as he licked his paws and smoothed them down his fur.
Griffin scoffed, not really believing what he was seeing. “Is he taking a bath?”
“Snickerdoodle.” Dianna sat up, pushing back the sheet covering her body. “Go outside.” She shooed at him again, and this time the squirrel jumped off his body, dropping to the floor before bouncing to the corner.
Then he sat down and went back to grooming himself.
“What the fuck is happening?” Griffin tossed back the covers, dropping his feet to the floor as he grabbed a pillow in each hand and stalked toward the rodent. “You live outside.” He held the pillows out in front of him, using them as both a shield and a barrier as he closed in on the squirrel.
But Snickerdoodle acted completely oblivious to his advance, continuing to lick at his paws and his fur.
“Is he moving?” Dianna went up to her knees on the mattress, stretching to get a better look at the situation.
“Not at all.” Griffin bumped the squirrel with one of the pillows. Snickerdoodle barely flinched, shifting around before going back to his bath. “He’s fucking ignoring me.”
Dianna snorted.
He turned to give her a serious look.
She pressed one hand to her lips. “Sorry. It’s not funny.”
It might be a little funny. But it wouldn’t be once the squirrel started shitting all over the place. “How do we get him out of here?”
Dianna shifted around, sliding off the bed. “Maybe leave the window open and close him in. I bet he finds his own way out.” She moved toward the door. “I usually feed him around this time so he’ll probably come to my house for his peanuts if I’m over there.”
It made sense. Not only where the squirrel was concerned, but also because Dianna needed to get ready for work. He still wasn’t ready for her to go. For her to leave him.
Dianna paused at the door, turning to face him and lifting a brow. “Are you coming?”
She didn’t have to ask him twice.
“Yup.” Griffin shoved on his boots while Dianna yanked on her sneakers. He rested one hand against her back, directing her out the door before closing it behind him, leaving Snickerdoodle to do as he may.
“You really think he’s going to go out the window?” Griffin led Dianna down the little hall, taking her past the half bath and out into the foyer.
“He’s kind of a whore for peanuts, so yeah.” She opened the front door and stepped out onto the porch, shivering a little in the chilly morning air. “He doesn’t miss the opportunity to stuff himself.” She glanced out at the dew-covered grass. “Especially with winter coming.”
Griffin closed the front door and followed Dianna across their joined yards, waiting while she unlocked the deadbolt. He kicked off his shoes as soon as they were inside, carefully lining them up on the square of linoleum beside the door before turning to face her.
Dianna thumbed over one shoulder, pointing in the direction of the bathroom. “I’m going to go get ready.” She motioned around the living room. “Make yourself comfortable.”
Griffin snagged her by the front of the shirt, leaning down to press a kiss against her lips. “How about I make us some coffee instead.”
It was yet another mistake he wasn’t going to make with Dianna.
And maybe mistake was the wrong word. The women he’d been with before seemed perfectly content with the cooking and cleaning part of their relationships. It was him not sharing anything outside of his money with them that they had a problem with.
But that was when he worked eighty hours a week. Now he had free time. The ability to carry more of the load. So that was exactly what he intended to do.
