Charlotte had been the only person who had embraced it.“Remember, Kate, everything around us exists because of curiosity. Innovators push the limits of their curiosity to discover something new and wonderful. Never quit trying to get answers and exploring the boundaries of your imagination.”
I had no idea what she meant at the time, but like everything she told me back then, it sounded like cool advice.
Over time my curiosity toned down, mostly due to my stepmother’s influence. Apparently, it was eager to play again.
Pushing the curiosity aside, I shift a tall, ornate screen away from the wall—disturbing something big and black with wings from its hiding spot. I scream and duck as it flies toward me.
The creature circles back for another attack, and I scream once more. This time louder and longer—like a girl being chased by a man with a chainsaw. My heart pounds fast in my chest, rattling the cage to make its great escape. When that doesn’t work, it aims for my throat and gets stuck.
I flail my arms around, doing my best to protect my head from the fanged creature’s claws.
As the bat swoops in for another attempt to turn me into a vampire, I vaguely register the sounds of heavy footsteps on wooden stairs.
I scream again, not that it helps my situation any.
“What the hell? I thought you were being murdered or something,” the deep male voice says.
I whirl around to find Noah in the doorway, frowning.
“There’s a bat in here—and he’s looking to turn me into a creature of the night.”
Noah chuckles. “I doubt that, Princess. Vampires are nothing more than a myth.”
I grunt. “Are you seriously planning to argue the merits of his existence right now?” I gesture in the bat’s general direction.
It swoops across the room, barely missing the top of my head. I duck while at the same time shuffling toward the window. “The darn thing’s attracted to my red top.”
Forget chuckling. This time, Noah full-out cracks up. “He’s a bat, not a bull.”
By now I’m closer to where I left the broom, and I lunge for it.
“Before you hurt yourself and that poor defenseless creature, how about I open the window and see if it’ll escape?”
“The window won’t open.”
Noah doesn’t believe me. He walks to it and, after a moment, pushes it open.
Go figure.
It doesn’t take the bat long to realize freedom is within easy reach. He hurls his icky body through the open window.
It’s only then that I realize my heart is still beating fast, and my breath sounds like I’m participating in a spin class.
I lean my hand against the wall and work on slowing them both down.
“Are you okay?” Noah asks.
I nod, still breathing hard. “Yes. Thanks. What are you doing here?”
“I came to check on you and the horses because your phone isn’t working, and I heard you screaming.”
“And you broke down my front door to rescue me?” That might be the sweetest thing a man has ever done for me—ignoring the part where I now have a broken door to fix.
“The front door wasn’t locked.”
“Oh. Right. What time is it?”
“Just before noon.”
