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A silvery white feather lay centered on my pillow as if hand-placed.
This wasn’t here when I got in bed. Where did it come from?
I checked the door and windows—all bolted and locked. I glanced at the hearth’s glass doors—closed. Nothing could’ve flown in or blown in.
Twirling the downy feather in my fingers, I glimpsed the viga beams overhead but saw no perch for birds. Where did it come from? If not roosting birds, a pillow? I slipped off the pillowcases to check the material—fiberfill, not feathers.
Again, I tested the door. Luke wouldn’t have slipped in, would he? I shook my head. That doesn’t sound like him…yet he does have the keypad code…I drew an uneasy breath as I placed the feather on the nightstand.
Then I dragged the cedar chest in front of the door and brushed off my hands. Let’s see if anyone can push past that—even if they know the code.
****
The alarm woke me at 6:45 am. Yawning and stretching, I turned on the lamp and shrieked as I bolted from bed.
Another feather lay beside me on top of the duvet. Fluffy and silvery white, the feather resembled the first. How did those feathers get in this room?
Dressing quickly, I rushed to Luke’s and banged on his door.
“Good morn—”
“Did you leave these?” Outraged that he’d trespass while I showered or slept, I twirled the quills in his face.
He caught my hand as he eyed the feathers. “Where’d you find these?”
“On my bed…” I squinted, trying to see the situation more clearly. “Did you leave them?”
He shook his head. “Nope, but from the looks of them, they belong to long-tailed gray hawks. Maybe they have a nest nearby.”
“But how did the feathers get in the cabin.” Angry he had violated my privacy—my trust—I fumed.
“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “My best guess is the fireplace needs a chimney cap—”
“The hearth has glass doors.”
“Those bi-fold doors don’t have an air-tight seal. If birds were near the chimney or nesting on it, a change in air pressure could’ve sucked their feathers into the room.”
“But onto my bed?”
“It’s possible, though not likely…” He stared at nothing, then turned toward me. “Do you recall if an air vent’s over the bed?”
“Yes, every time the heat comes on, it blows right on me.”
“I bet that’s it. Warm air vents are perfect for nesting birds this time of year.”
“You think that’s what happened?” Embarrassed by my snap judgment, I winced.
“But if you think I stole into—”
“Sorry, guess I jumped to conclusions.”
“Guess you did.” He spoke through gritted teeth. “I’ll check the air ducts after I put a deadbolt on the door.”
“That won’t be necessary. Don’t know why I ever suspected…” I chewed my lip.
“What? That I’d sneak into your cabin?” His neck cording, he clenched his jaw. “If I had any ulterior motives, you’d have known the first night…”
Squirming as the heat crept from my neck to my cheeks, I recalled that night all too well. I’d lain awake, relieved he’d been a gentleman, yet oddly disappointed…
