Chapter Nineteen #3
“Snake,” Alexandra whispered, not wanting to anger the serpent further.
“Don’t move,” Aidan ordered her with great authority.
“I wasn’t planning on it,” she shot back through her teeth.
In front of her, the snake pulled back on itself further, the end of its tail shaking and vibrating.
Aidan came up beside her. She could see him from the corner of her eye, his step surprisingly light for someone of his size.
“I’m here,” he said. Gently, he took her by the arm, his other arm coming around her waist before she quite registered it. He anchored her to him. Her heart, already pounding with fear, began to flutter in an entirely new way.
Alexandra swallowed and looked up at Aidan.
From this angle she could see the sharp line of his jaw.
His dark eyes, intense at the best of times, seemed to smolder in the low light, narrowed like a hawk’s.
She was suddenly very aware that she was plastered right up against him, tight enough that she could feel his own breathing.
It was soothing, and her body naturally adjusted to match his steady breaths.
He peered down at the snake, and suddenly Alexandra could feel rather than hear him chuckling.
“What on Earth is so funny?” she demanded in a whisper.
“It’s okay,” he said. “It’s not a rattler.”
“What?”
“A rattlesnake,” Aidan clarified. “It’s just a gopher snake.
Does an awfully good job mimicking one though, doesn’t it?
” He released her long enough to pull a stick from one of the shrubs along the creek bed.
“See that?” he said, pointing to the snake’s back.
“It’s got those splotches on it instead of diamonds.
Rattlesnakes have a distinct pattern, can’t miss it. ”
“Are you sure?” Alexandra said, relaxing about three hairs.
“Positive,” Aidan reassured her. “Also, our friend here is missing one key feature.” Without any warning, he scooped the snake up with the stick and swung it in Alexandra’s direction.
Alexandra squeaked in alarm and leaped backward. She wasn’t sure who was more surprised, herself or the snake, who was wriggling indignantly on the stick.
“Look closely,” Aidan said, oblivious to her panic. “What’s it missing?”
Alexandra stared at him in disbelief.
“Oh, go on,” he said, thrusting it in her direction again. “You’re supposed to be so smart—why can’t this be a rattlesnake?”
Alexandra gave Aidan a dirty look. He was completely unfazed. Cautiously, Alexandra peered at the snake. It attempted to raise its head to look at her in return, its tongue sliding out of its mouth. She curled her lip in response.
“Well?” Aidan prompted.
The snake, for all its distress, had gone silent. Alexandra blinked, then looked closer. “It doesn’t have a rattle,” she said. She stepped closer despite herself.
“That’s right,” Aidan said approvingly. “This fella just shakes his tail on the ground and hopes everyone’s fooled.”
“Sly devil,” Alexandra murmured.
“Come and visit us sometime,” Aidan said to the snake, putting it back on the ground. It promptly curled into a defensive coil again, glaring at Aidan and his stick.
Alexandra gave him a distressed look, which made him look at her blankly.
“What?”
“You can’t possibly want that thing hanging around the ranch,” she protested.
“Sure I do. It’s not venomous, and it’ll eat the rats. You can’t object to that,” he told her, tossing the stick away.
“It’s a snake,” she answered. “I don’t want any of them around.”
“Would you rather have rats?” Aidan retorted.
“I’m from Philadelphia—I’m used to rats,” she said.
“What, you’ve never seen a snake before?” Aidan asked, brushing his hands off.
Alexandra shook her head and turned back toward the ranch. “I’ve never really left the city before.”
“Huh.” Aidan fell into step beside her. “Well. I did warn you.”
“I wasn’t sure how serious you were,” Alexandra replied. “It seems you delight in tormenting me.”
“You think that?” Aidan asked.
If Alexandra hadn’t known better, she would have sworn that he sounded hurt. That was clearly impossible, since he felt nothing for her but annoyance, so she merely shrugged. “Why else would you want to walk me up here just to needle me about the past?”
Aidan opened his mouth, then closed it again.
Alexandra didn’t say anything, just nodded in triumph, though it was a hollow victory.
She didn’t wait for him, storming back down to the ranch with as much of her dignity intact as could be.
Her stately bearing was diminished somewhat when she stepped in a gopher hole, her leg nearly giving out under her.
She glanced back, hoping that Aidan didn’t see in the waning light.
He was still watching her, a bemused expression on his face.
Harrumphing, she brushed her skirt back into place and resumed her march to the house.
She certainly didn’t need him mocking her, and she very certainly didn’t want him to offer her an arm to help her.
She could manage just fine on her own, no matter how strong and steady he had been when he’d thought her in danger and pulled her against him.