Free Dear to Me by Wanda E. Brunstetter Page A

across the sky,” Gabe commented with a sweep of his hand.
     “I’ve always been afraid of the dunner ,” Susie put in.
     “It’s not the thunder that can hurt you,” Aaron asserted. “It’s those bolts of dangerous lightning you’ve got to worry about.”
     Melinda shivered and rubbed her hands briskly over her arms.
     “Are you cold?” Gabe asked in a tone of concern.
     “A little. Guess I should have grabbed a sweater before coming outside.”
     “Want me to get it for you?”
     Melinda raised her voice to be heard over the thud of more thunder. “I’ll be okay.” She glanced nervously into the yard. “I hope all my critters are doing okay. Most animals don’t like storms.”
     “At least we know Snow’s all right,” Susie put in. “She’s probably curled up in someone’s lap by now.”
     Aaron turned around. “I’m tired of watching the rain. Think I’ll head back inside and see what the kinner are doing.”
     “Maybe I should, too,” Susie said with a nod.
     Melinda smiled. She figured their friends had decided to give her and Gabe some time alone. Gabe must have known also, for he reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.
     As soon as Aaron and Susie entered the house, Gabe led Melinda over to the porch swing. Once they were seated, he pulled her close to his side. “Happy birthday, Melinda.” He lowered his head and brushed his lips against hers.
     Melinda melted into his embrace. Their first kiss was even sweeter than she had expected.
     Suddenly the front door opened, and Isaiah stuck his head out. “Oh, yuck! I’ll never kiss any girl ’cept Mama.”
     Melinda’s cheeks burned hot as she shook her finger. “You say one word about what you saw here, and I’ll tell Papa Noah that your dog ate out of a pie pan the other day.”
     “Aw, Jericho didn’t hurt a thing.” Isaiah wrinkled his nose. “Besides, the plate got washed.”
     Melinda jumped up, ready to tell her little brother what she thought of his juvenile antics, but a flash of fur darted over her foot, raced across the porch, and dove inside the open doorway.
     “Cinnamon!” she shouted. “How did you get out of your cage?”

Chapter 8
    M elinda dashed into the house after the runaway squirrel, and Gabe followed right on her heels. He couldn’t believe the way things were going tonight. First, the rain had put a damper on their plans to take a walk. Then Melinda’s younger brother had interrupted them when Gabe was on the verge of proposing. Now a silly critter had come along and ruined things.
     Pandemonium broke out as soon as they entered the living room. Not only was the squirrel skittering all over the place, but Melinda’s new kitten seemed to be the squirrel’s prey. The two animals circled the room, darting under chairs, banging into walls, and sliding across the hardwood floor. When Snow crawled under the braided oval throw rug, Cinnamon pounced on her. The kitten sailed out and zipped to the other side of the room.
     “You get the cat, and I’ll corner the squirrel,” Gabe shouted to Melinda as he waved his hands.
     Aaron, Susie, and the children, who’d been playing games in the adjoining room, came on the scene and became part of the chase, but no one had any luck catching either animal.
     “Have you got any paper sacks?” Gabe called to Isaiah.
     “I think there’s some in the kitchen.”
     “Get four of the biggest ones you can find!”
     When Isaiah returned a few minutes later, the older folks were with him.
     “What’s going on here?” Noah asked with a look of concern. “Isaiah said something about a squirrel.”
     “Cinnamon got out of his cage and ended up in the house,” Melinda panted. “Now he’s after Snow.”
     “The squirrel’s gonna eat the cat,” five-year-old Emma hollered. When Cinnamon whizzed past the child, she jumped, squealed, and ran for cover behind her mother’s long green dress.
     “Settle down,” Barbara said,