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He lifted a brow, holding out his hand. “There are safety precautions when using a firearm. You know that, right?”
Agatha shoved the gun at him. “Of course I do.”
“Have you ever handled a hunting rifle before?”
She glanced at the weapon once more. “Well, not one like that.”
He lifted a brow. She didn’t know how he knew, but he did. She’d never seen the need to operate a firearm before. Well, before she moved to the country. There were moments when she wondered if perhaps she should take a class so she could fend off coyotes that she’d heard could make their way out of the mountains.
“Fine,” she conceded. “I’ve never shot a gun before.”
He lifted the rifle. “This one might seem old, but it’s still very much in working order. The ammunition goes in here, and…” He pulled back on part of the gun and tilted it toward her. “As you can see, this one is loaded. You were one trigger pull away from putting a hole right through me.”
Agatha’s stomach dropped. “Who in their right mind leaves a loaded weapon lying around?”
Mr. Callahan tilted his head, a ghost of a smile touching his lips. “You’re staying in a hunting cabin. As such, there will be various hunting tools at your disposal.”
“Don’t you have a safe or something you can put it in?” She was deflecting and she knew it. This wasn’t her home. This was his. And she had no right to tell him how to care for it.
He moved the rifle from one hand to the other and nodded. “Of course. I’ll lock it up if that makes you feel more comfortable.”
“Thank you.” She crossed her arms, and her thoughts immediately shifted to why she was holding the weapon in the first place. “Were you the one who was lurking around the cabin?” Her voice dripped with accusation. “Are you spying on me?”
She didn’t know what she expected, but it wasn’t his laughter. Agatha stiffened, her eyes narrowing into slits. “Just because you let me stay here doesn’t mean you get to spy on me like that.”
He shook his head. “I’ve done nothing of the sort. I came out here to check on the property. There have been some reports of wolves and coyotes wandering the outskirts of the woods around here.”
Agatha’s gaze shifted to her surroundings. “Do you think I’ll be safe out here?”
“As long as you don’t take unnecessary walks out into the woods past dark, you should be just fine.”
“Well, it shouldn’t matter in a few days. I’m going to check with my boss and that motel to see if there are any other options for me.” When she brought her eyes back to Mr. Callahan, she was surprised to find his expression had darkened. She couldn’t possibly have offended him. That was silly.
Right?
“Is there something wrong?”
He worked his jaw, then brushed past her as he muttered, “Nope.”
She followed him inside. “Yes, there is. Don’t lie to me. I can tell when there’s something going on and you’re holding it back.”
“If you’re so sure, then why even ask?” He made his way into the house and headed straight for a door that she’d not explored yet. It opened up to a small bedroom. There was a twin bed, but that was where the description of a bedroom stopped. There was a worktable with stacked boxes of ammunition and gunsmithing tools. More hunting pictures hung on the walls and were displayed on the side table of the bed. There was even a display of antlers hanging over the head of the bed.
Mr. Callahan headed directly to a tall black safe and twisted a knob until something clicked. He pulled open the safe to reveal several more menacing-looking rifles, along with a few small ones. The smaller ones were in a variety of colors—pink, purple, and girly camo.
He placed the gun inside, then shut the safe and turned the dial. “There,” he muttered, “you’re safe.”
Her eyes lingered on the safe and she started to wonder if she shouldn’t have said anything. If there were coyotes and wolves wandering the premises, then she would be safer with a means to protect herself.
“If there’s nothing else you need, then I’ll be heading on my way.”
She glanced at him again, then shook her head. “That’s it.”
“Fine,” he grunted, then moved toward the doorway. Mr. Callahan disappeared into the hallway before she came to her senses.
“Actually, I do have something I need.” She chased after him, catching him before he exited the cabin altogether. He stood in the doorway, expectant. She pulled herself up sharply, keeping a reasonable distance between them. “I wanted to go to my place… see the damage.”
He shook his head. “That’s not a good idea.”
