AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Sure I can. Been doin’ it all my life and it’s worked so far. I trust my instincts and the good Lord to keep me safe.”
“You can’t go by instincts, Selina. You have to use common sense. And saying you trust God to protect you when you’re doing something ludicrous is ridiculous. It wouldn’t be any different than me jumping out of a fifty-foot tree and saying that God will keep me safe because I trust Him. I’m either going to end up hurt really badly or killed. And most likely it will be the latter.”
“Someone would have to be gone in the head to do somethin’ that stupid.”
He tilted his head and hiked a brow.
She slammed her hands on her hips. “You callin’ me stupid?”
“No, I’m not calling you stupid, but what you did was stupid.”
“You know, Michael, the way I see it is, the good Lord put me on this earth to help save them poor critters. Iffen He didn’t, then He wouldn’t have given me the knack for doctorin’ them or the desire to.”
“So now you’re saying God is in this?”
“Yes, sir, I am.”
“You’re unbelievable, you know that?”
“Don’t rightly know what you mean by unbelievable, but I know what’s in my heart.” She pressed her hand to her chest.
“There’s no talking to you. No getting through to you, is there?”
She frowned. “Don’t understand. Ain’t that what we’ve been a doin’ the last ten minutes? Talking? At least where I come from it is.”
He sighed and shook his head. “I want that pup out of here tomorrow. I’ll ride with you to put it back where you got it. And from now on, I don’t want you bringing any more animals into this house. You understand me?” He kept his voice firm and hard, hoping she would get the message.
She stepped right up to him, leaving mere inches between them. Her head tilted back and she hooked his gaze and held it. “I understand you, but it don’t mean I’m gonna do it. I’d rather move outta this here house than have someone tryin’ to change who I am. What I live for. And that’s doctorin’ animals and helpin’ people. Aside from all of that, I can’t return it.” She turned and sat down on the sofa and pulled the sleeping pup onto her lap and started stroking its fur. “I think her mama is dead.”
“What makes you think that?”
“’Cause this pup raised an awful ruckus when I was helpin’ it, and the mama never did show up. Iffen she were alive, she would have protected that pup of hers.”
Selina had a point. About a few things anyway. He was trying to change her. But he didn’t see that as a bad thing. Someone had to protect this stubborn, headstrong woman from herself. Still, he glanced at the pup and back at her. Determination and compassion drifted from her.
What was he going to do?
He couldn’t keep the wolf.
And he didn’t want his wife moving out. That surprised him.
“I’ll be gettin’ my things now.” She put the pup down and walked past him toward the stairs.
He caught up with her and grasped her arm, stopping her. “You don’t have to do that, Selina.”
“Yes, I do. I won’t live where I can’t be myself. For whatever reason the good Lord made me the way I am, and I won’t be a changin’ for you or anyone else. Iffen you’re worried about me breakin’ the vows we made before the Lord, don’t be. I’ll just bed down in the barn from now on.” She shook off his arm and darted up the stairs, taking them two at a time with her short legs.
He hurried up the stairs after her. “You don’t have to sleep in the barn. There’s an old cage down in one of the sheds. I’ll run and get it. The pup can sleep in it. But just for tonight. Do I make myself clear?”
She gave him that look. One he was coming to know well. That pup wasn’t going anywhere.
“I’ll be back. I’m going to get that cage now.”
He hurried downstairs, lit a lantern, then headed down to the shed, mumbling all the way that the woman was going to be the death of him.
Chapter Six
Selina bolted up in bed to the sound of a man’s scream. She tossed the covers aside, flew down the stairs into Michael’s room and stopped. She pressed her hand over her mouth to hold in her laugh at the sight of Michael shoved up against the wall, staring at the wolf pup as if it was something to be feared. The pup’s backside stood higher than its front and its tail was tucked between its legs. Selina hurried to the pup and gained its trust before picking it up and cradling it to her chest. “Poor baby. Did Michael scare you?”
