Page 54 of The Pink House

Lily of the valley? Could the sweet scent be what had awakened her?

Hannah pulled her brows together in puzzlement. There were no plants in this immediate area. If there had been, she’d have noticed when they set up camp.

She took only a few steps forward before the moon came out from behind the clouds. Her heart gave an excited leap as she spotted a swath of pink between two trees in the distance. Could she and Charlie have camped so close to the pink house and not even known it?

Hannah glanced at the tent where Charlie slept and considered waking him. She hesitated. What if it wasn’t the pink house? What if it was simply some kind of weird reflection in the moonlight that produced the rosy glow? She’d have awakened him for nothing.

Turning on the flashlight on her phone, Hannah decided to go just a little farther and check it out. If it was the house, she’d return for Charlie.

She wove her way carefully through the trees and brush in the direction where she’d seen the pink. After a few steps, she heard a rustling in the nearby brush. The hair on her neck rose, and she whirled.

When she saw the green eyes, she realized she wasn’t alone.

* * *

The scream jerked Charlie wide awake. His breath came fast as he shoved aside the sleeping bag and pushed out of the tent. His gaze swept the campsite, focusing immediately on Hannah’s tent.

Empty.

Adrenaline surged. Fear had bile rising, and urgency filled his deep voice when he called out, “Hannah! Where are you?”

Without waiting for an answer, Charlie started off in the direction of the scream, fearing there might not be a second to waste.

“Over here.” Her voice rose, high-pitched, then broke. “I’m over here. Please help me.”

Altering his course, Charlie barreled through the brush. He found her with her back against a tree, her breath coming in short puffs.

“What’s wrong?”

Grabbing his arm in a death grip, she pulled him to her and pointed. When she spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper. “Don’t move. I think if you do, they’ll pounce.”

Green eyes stared unblinkingly at the two of them from the hollow of a tree. Charlie’s breath came out on a whoosh. He nearly chuckled, the impulse born of relief. For Hannah’s sake, he stifled the sound, knowing her fear was real.

He understood. The first time he’d come up against one of these creatures, he’d been nine, and the encounter had shaken him.

“It’s a fisher-cat.” Wrapping one arm around her shoulders, he spoke in a low tone intended to soothe. “They’re nocturnal and live in these woods. He won’t hurt you.”

Her entire body trembled, and when he took her in his arms, she burrowed against him and spoke to the front of his sweatshirt. “I was going down that path when I saw him. I froze. Then I screamed.”

“The way their green eyes glow in the dark is kind of creepy. I know the first time I ran across one at night, it spooked me.” Charlie ran a hand down her hair and discovered it really was as soft as it looked. “I learned later that they’re really quite timid.”

Hannah gazed in the direction of the tree. Her eyes widened as she looked up at him. “It’s gone.”

“Like I said, they’re shy creatures.” He loosened his hold, but was pleased when she showed no inclination to step away. “What were you doing out here anyway?”

She cast another quick glance at the tree. Expelling a shuddering breath, she sagged against him, resting her head against his heart. “I woke up and thought I smelled lily of the valley. It’s such a distinctive fragrance.”

Charlie nodded, liking the way she fit so perfectly against him. She didn’t seem in any hurry to tell her story, and he wasn’t inclined to rush her. Not with her so soft and warm in his arms.

“I hadn’t seen any plants when we put up our tent, but I got up, and when I was looking around, that’s when I saw it.”

“The green eyes?”

She jerked her head back, clipping his jaw.

“I’m sorry.” She offered a wan smile. “No, the green eyes came later.”

“What came first?”

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