Page 12 of Hot Winter Nights (Bear Mountain Rescue 1)

“I don’t understand why you can’t shoo it or shoot it!”

“Because the sheriff’s department, which doubles as our animal control, can tranquilize him and relocate him, whereas if I shoot him, you’re cleaning up the raccoon bits.”

“Oh.” Although it was dark on the porch, the kitchen light streaming from the front door highlighted her flushed cheeks. “I’m sorry.”

“I appreciate the apology,” Dex said, despite the fact that it hadn’t done much to appease him. He also couldn’t ignore the fact that Allie looked cold, if the arm-rubbing and shivers were any indication. “Why don’t you come over to my place while you wait? At least it’s warm in there. I’ll look for something to cover up that hole until I can patch it in the morning.”

She seemed to hesitate, so Dex shrugged. “Look, it’s up to you. You can stay out here and wait in the cold or you can come sit by my fire.” He walked down the porch steps, grinning as he called over his shoulder, “But fair warning: raccoons sometimes jump down from trees onto people’s backs when they’re feeling threatened. He could have friends watching you right now.”

He heard her steps pick up behind him, and started whistling. Hey, he might be a gentleman, but that didn’t make him a saint.

Chapter 8

Allie couldn’t stop shooting laser beams at the back of Dex’s head as he walked into his big kitchen. She’d known he was probably messing with her about the raccoon jumping on her, but that hadn’t stopped her skin from crawling. She had never been much of an outdoorsy person. The one time she’d gone away to camp, she’d begged her parents to come get her after one night, since she’d stayed up the whole time jumping at every noise.

“Are you hungry? I’ve got some leftover pasta. Or I can make some coffee.”

“I’m already jittery, so I don’t need to add caffeine. Thanks, though.”

Allie sat down on the couch and studied the large open living room that bled into a beautiful kitchen. Everything was rustic, except for the stainless steel appliances. There were framed arrowheads on the walls, dozens of them, and the large fireplace roared with golden-red flames, casting dancing shadows on the cedar walls.

Dex came back in with two glasses of amber liquid and held one out to her. “Here, this will calm your nerves.”

“What is it?” she asked.

“It’s whisky. Don’t tell me you’re too good for whisky, too?”

His challenge had the desired effect, and she took the glass, downing the contents in one gulp. Her throat blazed as the liquid raced down, pooling warmly in her belly. Her eyes watered and she tried not to cough.

“Looks like I was wrong about you. You drink whisky like a champ,” Dex teased, sitting on the couch across from her.

“What did you…ahem…what did you mean by I’m ‘too good for whisky, too’?”

“Nothing. You don’t seem to really fit in around here.”

“Or maybe you have something against me because I don’t fall at your feet—like every other woman—just because you’re hot.”

He quirked his left brow. “You think I’m hot, huh?”

“Don’t get too full of yourself. Pretty is as pretty does. Just because you’re nice to look at doesn’t mean anything to me.”

“Is that so?” He stood up and bent to take her glass, leaning in far closer than he needed to. His face was only a few inches from hers and she fought the urge to pull away, refusing to let him think he was getting to her. “So, what does affect you, Allie Fairchild?”

Allie’s heart slammed against her breastbone as she stared into those bright-green eyes.

Your eyes. Your shoulders. That sneaky tattoo that continues to tease me…

The sound of a cage rattling and a whimper broke the spell.

“What is that?” she asked.

“That would be Kermit.” Dex stood up, making it easier for her to breathe once more. He walked across the room and bent over, messing with something she couldn’t see.

“What’s a Kermit?”

He stood back up with a fluffy bundle of adorableness in his arms. “This is a Kermit.”

Allie felt her heart liquefy into a gooey puddle as Dex brought the puppy closer. When he sat down next to her, she didn’t even protest, she was so fixated on the sweetest face she’d ever seen.

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