Page 107 of Let Me Be the One
Tanner tugged her out and stuck her behind him as he turned to face the threat. “Blu, stay.”
The dog immediately sat beside her, even leaned against her, which absolutely helped.
Gasping every breath, aware of a sudden throbbing that radiated up her thigh, her hip, and especially into her left arm, Callie pressed her face against Tanner’s back and tried to find some composure. “Snake. Attic.” Her voice shivered. “I fell.”
“Jesus.” He looked inside, taking in the scene. “No one else is in there?”
She shook her head, then said again, “Snake.”
He turned to hold her. “Babe, it’s another rat snake, that’s all.”
Callie covered her mouth, shaking all over, hating herself and hating her newly spiffed-up house, and most especially hating freaking snakes.
Tanner was calm personified. “I’m going to take it out back, okay? You stay right here with Blu.”
“My chickens…”
“I’ll make sure it’s out of your yard. Now promise me you won’t move.”
She nodded, swallowed hard, and said, “Thank you.” As he disappeared inside, she badly wanted to sink down and just sit…but with snakes still on her mind she didn’t dare.
It was dark outside with her porch light only reaching so far. Insects buzzed around her, and in the distance she could hear music playing where the Garmet brothers lived. Off and on through the week she’d encountered them. Each time they’d briefly shared greetings, but it was clear they weren’t interested in being friends. Not after she’d wrongfully accused them.
It wasn’t until Tanner returned that she realized she was favoring one leg, cradling her hurt arm—and wearing only a T-shirt and panties.
His gaze swept over her, his brows down in a concerned frown as he eased his arm around her. “You’re turning black and blue. Come on.”
“It’s gone? You’re sure?”
“I moved the snake well away from your house and stuck it through the honeysuckle toward my house.”
If she lived to be a hundred, she’d prefer to never see another snake. An unrealistic hope given where she lived, so she needed to get over her fear.Later. “There’s a windowpane broken in my attic. I think that’s how itgot in, but what did it do? Climb a tree?Where are all the snakes coming from?”
“Shh.” Tanner got her inside and helped her to the couch.
Blu was already busy scouring the place, his nose to the ground as he searched everywhere.
“What’s he doing?”
“He knows you’re upset and he’s finding out why.” Tanner lifted her legs up to the coffee table, slipped a throw pillow under her feet, and urged her to relax. “If there’s another snake anywhere, he’ll find it.”
Glancing at the dog, Callie said, “Good boy, Blu, but be careful.”
“Why were you in the attic?”
“I kept hearing a scratching noise. Snakes don’t scratch. I wasn’t expecting it. I was thinking rat or something equally awful, but not something worse.” A shudder rippled over her, making her breath catch again. “My uncle has a trunk packed with wadded-up newspaper. The snake was moving in that and I guess that made the scratching sound.”
He gave her that endearingly crooked smile. “Don’t budge. I’ll be right back.” First he locked the front door, then he headed down the hall. When he returned, he had two hand towels that he set on the cushion beside her. Next he went into the kitchen and she heard him rummaging around before he returned with a bag of frozen diced onions, and a plastic bag of ice. “I’m going to put one on your arm, one on your thigh. Okay? It’ll sting, but it’ll help with the swelling and bruising.”
On the verge of verbally rambling again, Callie forced herself to just nod. She didn’t yet look at her arm or leg, afraid that if she did they’d start to hurt even more.
“Try not to move okay? I’ll check out the attic, make sure there aren’t any other critters up there, and then I’m going to check you.”
Check her? “Where’s Blu?”
“Here he is now.” To the dog, Tanner asked, “All clear, bud?”
For an answer, Blu jumped up on her couch and got comfortable, settling close beside her.
