“Oops, what?” she shrieked.
“I forgot to plug the hole under the kitchen sink.” Cade picked up the blanket and gave the couch a shove. The raccoon dashed out and Cade ran after it. He followed it out of the room, his footsteps echoing down the hallway. Then she heard a muffled thump. “I got him.”
Meg’s heart raced. “You didn’t hurt him, did you?”
His voice called through the house. “No.”
Meg waited until she heard the screen door bang before hopping down from the chair. Why did this house have to have so many guests?
The screen door sounded again, and the floorboards creaked with Cade’s steps. He entered the room, a guilty look on his face. “I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”
Now that her heart had slowed a bit, and the raccoon had been taken care of, it almost seemed comical. “I’m fine. Just startled me is all.” She waved her hand in front of her face as if that would make her calm down. Then she felt stupid and shoved it behind her.
“Startledyou? I awoke to hysterical screaming.” Cade looked like he was trying not to smile.
Meg gave him a flat look. “I wasn’t hysterical.”
“I thought you were on fire until I saw the baby raccoon.”
She playfully whacked him on the arm. “I was not that bad.”
Cade put his hand on his chest. “I think my heart rate is almost back down to just racing. Tomorrow maybe you can wake me by throwing a cup of cold water in my face.”
Meg picked up a pillow and swung it at him. Cade stepped back and she missed. “Oh, is that how this is going to go?” he asked, swiping his own pillow.
“I was. Not. Hysterical,” she said, swinging the pillow each time, the last one connecting with his face. A puff of tiny white feathers flew out.
“You’re going to get it now,” he said while laughing. He swung his pillow, and it hit her in the arm.
She yelped and swung again. This time it bounced off the top of his head, making his hair stand up funny. She doubled over with laughter.
“What?” he said, the puzzled look on his face making the image even funnier.
“Your hair...” Meg could hardly breathe, she was laughing so hard.
Cade dropped his pillow and shoved his hands through his hair until it wasn’t sticking up anymore. “Better?” A feather floated down and landed on his head.
“Yes, but now you have a feather on you.” She pointed, and he tried to knock it out but missed it.
She took a step toward him and reached up to brush the feather off. Her gaze caught his and she stilled. His eyes were captivating. Brighter somehow today, like the color of emeralds. He was looking at her with such intensity, her body turned to Jell-O.
Why was she standing so close to him? She should have an intelligent molecule in her brain and take a step back, but her body wouldn’t budge. She just stood there, feeling the heat from his chest radiate over her.
He swallowed, his Adam’s apple moving again. “Thanks,” he said, his voice barely a whisper.
“Yeah.” Meg involuntarily moved closer to him, like he had some kind of pull on her she couldn’t control. She couldn’t stop staring at his lips, and for a split second, she imagined what it would be like to kiss him.
Then she snapped out of it. What was happening? She wasn’t about to kiss him, was she? That would not be a good idea. She took a step back and ran a hand through her hair. “I guess I’d better get some breakfast going.”
Cade nodded, his gaze dipping to the floor. “Good idea.”