“Your archnemesis,” Zeke chuckled, leaving his arm around her waist for a second longer than he likely should have. He stepped away from her, sliding forward and extending a hand toward the cat. “He may have changed his ways, by the look of it.”

The scary feline arched its back and glided beneath his hand, the hum of a purr filling the shed. Beast looked positively tame, a virtual pussycat.

“Is that cat purring?” Chase said with an unbelieving laugh.

“You ladies may have just gotten a new pet.”

“Or you did.” Chase knelt and extended her hand. The cat made its way to her, rubbing against her pant leg. Gone was the hissing monster who’d scared the crap out of her the first day she’d arrived at the cabin. In its place was lovable, ratty Beast, her new . . . pet?

Of course, she knew she couldn’t keep a cat. The cat lived here outside Cotter’s Creek, but maybe for another week or so she could pretend that the once-feral but somewhat friendly cat had a home here at the cabin. Beast needed some food, maybe a trip to the vet to make sure he was vaccinated and whatever else animals needed. Maybe she could even find him a home . . . if she could get the sad creature spiffed up a bit. A bath would likely do wonders. Did cats take baths?

“Should we feed him something?” she asked, glancing up at Zeke.

“He looks like he’s been keeping himself fed on vermin.”

“Ooh, gross,” she said, drawing her hand back.

“Let’s get to work. Beast can find a patch of sunshine on his own,” Zeke said, turning and looking over the offerings leaning against the shed. He pulled out a sturdy, well-used rake and handed it to her. “This one ought to do the trick. It’s better than the one I brought.”

She followed him out of the shed, leaving a tail-twitching Beast behind, wondering how long it would take to rake the front yard.

Answer: a long time.

Even with the tarp and trailer, the afternoon slipped by as they raked up leaves and dumped them onto the compost pile. Chase had borrowed some gloves from Zeke, but since his hands were larger, they’d rubbed a blister on her palm. Finally, as the day faded to a lovely golden right before the sun found its bed over the mountain, Zeke swept the last of the leaves onto the tarp and made the last trip to the huge pile they’d made.