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She peered out through the curtains. The shape had stilled. Was it trying to figure out how to get in here? Oh, if only she had a gun! Hypocrite. But a gun might be useful in scaring it away.Oh God, please keep me safe!
The shape moved. Oh no, it was coming to get her! Should she hide in the bathroom? Would it find her there?Lord, what do I do? I used up all my courage yesterday!
Knock knock.
Her breath escaped in a rush. Bears didn’t knock, did they? Oh, what a goose she was! Her heartbeat slowed its wild thumping, and she peeked past the curtain.
Oh. No.
Wincing at herself, she slid the glass door open.
“Hi.” Dan’s smile seemed strained. There were shadows under his eyes.
“G’day.” She forced herself to meet his gaze as a mental video of the time she’d thrown herself at him replayed, swiftly followed by a vision of him and Ella laughing together at the store. How could she have ever thought he liked her? She fought the cringe. And no way was she telling him that she’d mistaken him for a bear. He’d be laughing for a month.
He glanced down at the frying pan in her hand. “Did I interrupt your breakfast?”
“No.”
He stared for a moment, then gave a flicker of a smile. “Is that the latest in bear protection?”
“How did—?” His eyes filled with amusement, and she lifted her chin. “What do you want, Dan?”
The laughter in his eyes softened as he slouched against the doorframe. “I wanted to know how you slept last night.”
She lifted a shoulder. “Lying down. On the couch.”
His smile grew lopsided. “You’re cute.”
Cute was such a downgrade from beautiful. But was it any wonder when he had the gorgeous Ella staying in his home? Her chest wrenched. She pasted on brightness. “Would you like a coffee?” She turned and headed into the kitchen. “I need one. You look like you need one too. Or do you need to get back?”
He shook his head.
Sarah frowned. He didn’t want a coffee, or he didn’t need to get back to Ella? She shrugged and dumped in enough ground coffee to perk up an army. Darn. She sighed, tipped it out, then measured properly before adding the just-boiled water.
Be nice. “So, what’s Ella up to today?”
“Don’t know.”
He didn’t know what his girlfriend was doing? What kind of man was he? Irritation rose as he sauntered over to lean against the fridge.
“You know, you never did tell me how you slept last night.” He smiled. “No dreams about big bad mice or mean teddy bears?”
“I don’t know. I slept.” She whirled around. “How did you and Ella sleep last night?”
The words echoed horribly around the room as his face paled. “No. No, Sar, you’ve got it all wrong. She’s not stay—”
“What do you call it, then?”
A muscle in his jaw twitched. “Ella is a youth leader from my church in the city and—”
“A youth leader who likes to parade around in her tiny bikini—”
“Who I let stay at my house with her cousin and her cousin’s husband who has just been diagnosed with terminal cancer. I guess Simone’s been staying inside with Jace.” He shook his head. “He’s pretty sick.”
Her jaw dropped. Oh no. No. She took a step back, hand to her mouth as her breakfast threatened to reappear. “Dan, I didn’t know.”
“Now you do.”
