Still fighting hard to control my amusement, I lean down and start looking under the bed, then the couch and the dining table. The cabin is far from big, a kitchen, living room, and bedroom all in one. At the end sits a large wooden bedpost, next to which are the small oven and fridge. Closer to the door, the couch rests against the wall and faces a retro TV box. The curtains are heavy and a deep burgundy, allowing people to drift off in the dark for hours on end without waking up. In the cabin is always where I get the best sleep.

“Where did you see it last?” I ask as I look in the cupboard under the sink of the kitchenette.

“Literally crossing the room like the sneaky bastard it is. Right in front of our eyes!”

I pinch my lips harder. Wren usually speaks in an even, composed tone, and I don’t think I’ve ever heard her curse once. Apparently, that was hiding under her sweet cover.

“I don’t see a rat anywhere.” My head bangs the top of the tiny kitchen counter as I get back up. I bite my tongue to drown my curse. “Are you even sure it was a rat? A mouse, I could believe, but—”

“I don’t care what type of rodent it is, Aaron,” she states as if I’m a total idiot. Usually I’d find it irritating, but right now it only amuses me more. “If it has a long leathery tail and tiny teeth that can come gnaw on my bones while I’m sleeping, I want it out.”

Don’t laugh. Don’t laugh. Don’t laugh. She already looks like a bomb halfway ready to blow. No need to give her more ammunition.

I do another complete tour of the cabin, but still find nothing. Hands lifted in front of me, I turn to her and say, “I’m not saying you imagined something, but I can’t find a mouse or a rat anywhere here.”

“It was there,” she almost growls.

“I believe you, but…” I shrug. “I’m not sure what else to tell you.”

She looks down at the two dogs huddled on the couch with her, then back to me. “You’re not going to leave us alone with that rat, are you?”

I smile as I look at her face, which I can finally read for once. Even scared looks good on her. She looks more alive, her whole body more vibrant. My eyes drift down again to the legs she curled under her, but I force them away.

Goddammit, get a grip.

“I can invite you in and give you my bed in the main house if you don’t want to stay here, or I can sleep on the couch,” I say, pointing to where she’s sitting.