She shrugged. “Builds character.”
“I hate the thought of someone accosting you,” he said vehemently. “Makes me want to do bodily harm.”
“Omigosh!” she exclaimed, and latched on to his arm.
“What is it?”
“There’s a moose. Trotting right down Main Street. I was reading a book on Alaska on the flight over, and it said moose are often more dangerous than bears. Is that true?”
“Moose have been known to cause a lot of damage.”
“Do they bite?”
Quinn struggled not to laugh. Her gloved fingers dug into his forearm. Her lithe body trembled against his. Ah, at last, here was his opportunity to touch her, even if he had to do something a little underhanded to keep her latched on to him.
“Shh. Hang on to me, Kay. We’ll tiptoe past him and hopefully he won’t notice us.”
“Quinn—” her voice warbled and her eyes grew round as hubcaps “—maybe we should turn around and go back to the pier. Give him the whole street.”
The moose snorted and trotted closer.
“Oh! Oh!”
“I’ll protect you.” He thrust her behind him.
Her arms went around his waist and her sweet-smelling head popped out from under the crook of his arm so she could keep her eyes fixed on the moose.
“He’s huge,” she whispered. “What if he charges?”
“I’ll hold him off while you run away.”
“Quinn, I’m scared.”
He patted her hand. “It’s all right, Kay. I won’t let any harm come to you. This isn’t New York.”
The moose snorted and pawed the ground. Then raised his shaggy head and glared at them.
Kay tightened her grip on his waist.
“We’ll just ease on by.” Quinn took a tentative step forward.
“No, no.” She dug in her heels. “Please don’t move.”
The moose chose that moment to turn and lope off in the opposite direction. Kay sighed and sagged against his body. “Whew. That was a close call.”
Reprobate, his conscience accused. Tell her the truth.
“Kay...” he began, but she was no longer next to him. She was sprinting toward Jake’s B&B. He had to run to catch up with her.
She wrenched open the door and tumbled headlong into the foyer.
The place was packed with toddy-sipping locals gathered around a roaring fire, playing chess, swapping tall tales, listening to the weather report on the radio. The minute Kay burst through the entryway, every head turned to stare at her, and he hated the way they gawked.
“Wild moose!” Kay gasped. “Walking down Main Street.”
The denizens of Bear Creek, mostly men, all Quinn’s neighbors and friends, stared at her as if she was some exotic bird who’d migrated too far north. More than a few mouths dropped open, and even Lulu, Jake’s Siberian husky, lifted her head off the rug. A twinge of guilt bit him for having let her believe the moose was dangerous.
“Well,” Kay demanded, sinking her hands on her hips and glaring about her, “aren’t you guys going to do something about it?”
The room broke into raucous laughter.
Kay blushed and pivoted on her heel to face Quinn. “What’s so funny?”
“Quinn got you thinkin’ that moose is a killer?” cackled an old fellow seated at a table near the door, a chessboard on the table in front of him.
“Don’t let old Gus give you a hard time,” soothed a handsome man that Kay recognized from the publicity photo Quinn had shown her in New York. He had sandy hair and a boyish grin that promised lots of fun. “That’s just Kong, our resident moose. Caleb bottle-fed him from the time he was a calf. His Momma got hit by an RV during tourist season five years ago. Kong’s tamer than a poodle.”
“Oh.” She felt like fifty different kinds of fool. Why had Quinn let her believe the moose was dangerous? She glared at him, and he had the good sense to look ashamed of himself.
“I get it, ha, ha, ha. Play a trick on the city girl.”
“I’m sorry.” Quinn jammed his hands in his pockets.
“It’s okay. I can take a joke.”
“I’m Jake, by the way. You must be Kay.” Quinn’s buddy held out his hand. “We’ve heard a lot about you. Welcome to Bear Creek.”
“Thank you, Jake.” She shook his hand and smiled graciously, determined to regain her dignity.
“Would you like me to show you to your room?” Jake asked.
“That would be lovely.”
“This way.”
Jake led her up the wide cedar staircase to a room decorated with rustic charm. Quinn started to trail after them, but Kay turned and planted a palm on his chest. “Excuse me, big man, but I don’t recall anyone inviting you up to my room.”
Chapter Six (#ulink_09fb47f8-d094-5716-b8cf-2df954615a3a)
“SHE SURE PUT YOU in your place,” Jake teased Quinn when he returned to the B&B three hours after Kay had kicked him out. Lulu lay on the rug at his feet, eyeing Quinn with the same amusement that was evident in her owner’s face.
“Oh, shut up.”
“Quinn’s got a girlfriend.”
“Grow up,” Quinn growled, and scowled.
He had gone home to give her time to cool off and to prepare a peace offering, and he’d come back to restlessly pace the corridor of the B&B, trying to gather his courage to knock on Kay’s door. Since when could one feisty little woman make his knees quake?