Susan Mallery - Tempting Faith

“On the other side, we have the wilder cats.” She turned and pointed across the compound. “We try to have as little contact with them as possible. Sometimes we get an injured animal that we treat, then release back into the wild.”

She started across the open area, keeping her stride slow enough that he could keep up. He felt the cats watching him and knew they knew he was injured.

“Lunch,” he muttered under his breath. They passed the wading pool and stack of bowling balls. “What is all this for?”

“Recreation. When the weather’s good, we let the friendly cats out to play.”

“They bowl?”

She laughed. Again the sound caught him off guard. Sweet and happy. Innocent of the evil in the world. “The balls are donated by the bowling alley in town. They play with them.”

“Play?”

She looked up at him. “They bat them around, jump on them, throw them in the air.”

“Bowling balls?”

“The big cats can weigh several hundred pounds.”

He shook his head. Who would have thought? He inhaled deeply. The musty smell didn’t seem so intense. In another day or so, he wouldn’t even be able to notice it. But he could smell Faith’s perfume. The sultry French essence teased at him as he still tried to remember the name. He studied the woman walking beside him. Work boots, straight hair, big cats and French perfume. An intriguing combination.

When they reached the other side of the compound, he saw waist-high poles had been set in the ground, about two feet in front of the enclosures. A chain ran from pole to pole.

“This fence is to remind us not to get too close,” she said, pointing at the barrier. “These cats will lash out and scratch you.” A powerful spotted cat with huge shoulders and a wide face paced menacingly at the front of the cage. The animal didn’t look directly at them, but Cort sensed it knew exactly where they were standing.

“These jaguars,” she said, pointing at the two cages on the far end, “are only here for another few weeks. They’re a breeding pair.”

He stared at the separate cages. “Wouldn’t it work better if they were in the same enclosure. I don’t know that much about cats, but—”

“I know.” She reached up and brushed a loose strand of hair out of her face. “We tried that. They nearly killed each other. You need to know about these cages.” She pointed to the corners. There was a gated opening in the front and the back of the steelenforced cage. “The hinges by the gates are wide. We’d planned to house two Siberian tigers here. They get to be seven hundred pounds. They aren’t here yet, and when the mating couple took an instant dislike to each other, we had to separate them. Unfortunately, the jaguars can stick their paws out at the front and back hinges. Just don’t try walking between the cages.” She smiled up at him. “They’d probably just scratch you up a bit, but if one stood at the front of its cage and the other stood at the back of the other one, you’d be trapped between them.”

He eyed the pacing animal. Rage radiated with each step. “I’m not planning to walk between any cages, but thanks for the warning.”

He heard footsteps behind them and turned to see one of Faith’s employees approaching. The young woman stared from him to her boss and back.

“Faith, the food’s all unloaded. We’re leaving.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow. Don’t forget to lock the gate behind you.”

“I won’t.” The young woman looked Cort up and down, glanced at Faith questioningly, then blushed suddenly. She spun on her heel and jogged to the main building.

“Damn,” Faith muttered.

He glanced at her and saw matching spots of color staining her cheeks.

“I should have introduced you,” she said. “I forgot to tell them about the extra security. They don’t know who you are.” She sighed. “I’ll explain tomorrow.”

The same woman who patted live tigers and didn’t bat an eye when a stranger practically strangled her in her own truck got embarrassed because one of her employees thought she’d brought a man to spend the night? There had to be a piece missing. He suddenly realized what it was.

“You married?” he asked.

She looked shocked. “No, why?”

He shrugged, as well as he could, supported by the crutches. “You seemed upset. I thought maybe you were afraid your husband or significant other would get the wrong idea.”

“No husband,” she said shortly. “I live here alone. We’d better get your leg bandaged.”

“Good idea.” The mention of his wound made it ache more.

He followed her toward the main building. They passed the narrow road. “What’s down there?” he asked.

“The Big House.” She reached the glass door and held it open. “I don’t live there anymore. There’s an apartment in this building, at the end of the hall. It’s easier to stay here. I use the Big House for fund-raising parties and that sort of thing.” She closed the glass door behind them.

He turned and looked at it. “No lock?”

“Just on the side facing the parking lot. The scent of the cats keep four-legged intruders away. I need to be able to get out of here quickly, in case something happens.”

He swung the crutches forward and moved to the front door. Cheap lock. He shook the door. It rattled. He shook it again. “Some security. Anyone over a hundred and forty pounds could break through this just by running up and hitting it with his shoulder.” He glanced around at the foyer. A couple of chairs and a vinyl sofa stood on either side of the front door. Long hallways stretched out toward both ends of the building. He looked at the low ceiling, then at the wide windows on either side of the front door. “Alarm? Video?”

She shook her head.

“But you have special cameras to watch the cats?”

“They get priority.”

“Not anymore. I’m going to call Jeff with a supply list. You need new locks and a decent gate. Some kind of security system. How often you get up in the night?”

“Depends. Why?”

“Motion detectors.”

“Wouldn’t work. Sparky usually has the run of the place. Come on, that bandage needs changing.”

He followed her down the left hall. The linoleum had seen better days, and the walls needed painting, but everything was clean. Prints of big cats hung on both walls. Sparky?

“Who did you say named him?”

“Edwina. He was her favorite.”

He should ask exactly what kind of cat—or lion or tiger— Sparky was, but he didn’t want to know. Faith led him into an examining room. From the placement of the metal table and the size of the cage in the corner, he knew she treated her cats here.

“Have a seat,” she said, patting the metal table.

He set the crutches against the wall and swung himself up. “You know what you’re doing?”

She opened a metal cupboard door and rummaged around inside. “Does it matter? I’m the only one here.”

“I could change it myself.”

She glanced at him over her shoulder. “I know enough not to kill you.”

“Great.”

He shifted his weight and scooted back on the table until he rested against the wall. The throbbing in his leg increased. “I assume the ‘package’ Jeff wants me to protect is really a three-hundred-pound feline.”

“Nope. Closer to twenty pounds. I’ll introduce you to them in the morning.”

“Them?”

She looked amused. “Twins.”

Twins? Cort fought back a sigh. Jeff was going to owe him big-time for this one, he thought, then turned his attention back to Faith.

She placed scissors beside him, along with clean bandages, antiseptic and a damp cloth. Her long light brown hair fell over her shoulders. She reached in her front jeans pocket and pulled out a rubber band, then drew her hair back and secured it. After washing her hands, she looked at the bandage.