A Butler To Love ~A Christian Romance

Chapter 16 ~ Rats and Baseball Bats

    Shivering against cold that had crept into her bones, Leah knew night had fallen. Being Spring, the days were warm and inviting, but the nights turned chilly. Dread clawed at her as she stared into the blackness around her. It would be her luck that the light bulb would go out, and against her fervent wishes, the natural light of day had disappeared. Not that wishes would halt days passing anyway. Place the cold and darkness aside, her bladder felt about to burst!

   A small scratching noise sounded in a corner farthest from her, and for the first time, a real twinge of fear spiraled in her belly. Oh, no. Anything but rats. Please, please. Not rats. Yet, the noise sounded again, and she bit her lip as the definite sound of scampering little feet became clearer. Alyssa Breyner is going to pay for this! she raged, inwardly, all the while trying to keep an ear out for the hidden rodent.

    Suddenly, a loud banging from somewhere in the gym sounded, and Leah leap from her curled up position with a shriek. She thought she heard a man's grunt then the sound of feet slapping the waxed, basketball court. Her first instinct was to call for help, to alert the person of her whereabouts. She even opened her mouth to do just that but then snapped her jaw shut. Had this person just crawled through the window she had yet to close? Fear once again struck her, building on her other jumbled emotions. The sound of footsteps could clearly be heard now. Leah waved her hands, felt through the darkness for something to protect herself with. Surely, if it was a teacher coming to look for her, they would have just come through the doors.

Scampering rodent feet pattered behind her and once more, she froze. She closed her eyes, wished for help, this time not even caring if it was that aggravatingly handsome butler of hers. Wren! Wren, please come! Her heart's cry became louder as the footsteps drew closer to her door.

She reach out and fumbled her hand on a shelf she knew held baseball bats. Instead of her fingers closing around thick cold metal as was intended, they closed around something soft and furry and...

Leah's fear of thieves couldn't compare to the horror she felt as her fingers clamped around one large rat. Her scream reverberated through the small room, and she hurled the creature into the darkness. It squeaked as it slapped what sounded like the floor. Leah rushed to the door just as it opened and threw herself into the tall figure blocking her escape. The intruder grunted as their limbs tangled. Then, they were falling, and arms--rather, strong ones--wrapped around Leah moments before impact was made with the hard floor.

"Princess!" Her name was more of a grunted whoosh of air, but Leah blinked as she recognized the voice.

"Wren? Butler Wren?" She pushed herself up from the hard chest she laid on and stared into the face of the man beneath her. The light of the moon flooding through the window gave her just enough of a glimpse to see it was truly him. Relief flooded her, and she ducked her head to hide the tears that sprang to her eyes. Traitorous tears.

Wren shifted beneath her, and she didn't yank away when he touched her shoulder. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Don't cry! Don't cry! Yet, despite her best efforts, a tear slid down her cheek, and she sniffed. "What - took you so long?" She had intended to sound harsh, but even her voice disobeyed her.

Wren sighed and his hand dropped from her shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Princess. I think I might be the worst butler ever."

Startled at his admission, she jerked her head up to look him in the eye. The moonlight must have glinted off an escaped tear because before she knew what was happening, he was wiping it away with one calloused finger.

"You ready to get out of here?" He asked, softly. 

"Yes, please. But..."

Wren shifted again, and she slid from his chest, legs curled beneath her. When Wren climbed to his feet and offered his hand, she haltingly accepted it. "But what?" he asked.

She flushed in the darkness, but the situation really could not be helped. "I have to use the Ladies room first."

Silence. Then, Wren laughed, loudly. It was a deep, rumbling sound and proved to be contagious. Leah giggled. 

"Well, by all means, let's get that taken care of. I'll wait here and text Fiona."

A few minutes later, Leah left the restroom and stepped into a lighted gymnasium. After being in the dark, the brightness was comforting, but her relief disappeared when she spotted a stocky, ebony-haired young man standing next to Wren.

"What are you doing here, Dean?" Her words were clipped, and she glared hard at him. "I suppose you were in on this little prank with Alyssa."

Dean shifted, uncomfortable, but it was Wren who spoke. "Actually, he helped me find you. I wouldn't have figured out where you were without him."

Skeptical, Leah raised an eyebrow.

"The truth is... I knew you were locked in there for a while." Dean hung his head. Even though it was she who was the victim, he looked so pathetic in this moment, pity stirred in her heart. "I'm real sorry, and if there's a way I can make it up to you, I'll do it."

Leah glanced at her butler and scowled when he gave her a slight nod as if encouraging her to forgive him. Dean had never been mean to her, but he also had never been exactly nice to her either. Now, her new butler was just wanting her to forgive him? Just like that?

"Well..." She hesitated then grinned. Now that she was no longer trapped in a dark room with rats, she could feel her strength of will returning. "I think a week of carrying my books and bringing me my lunches would definitely help the forgiving process, " she said,coyly.

Wren scoffed and rolled his eyes, but Dean looked relieved. "Deal!"

"Good." Smiling now, Leah looked at her butler. "Let's go home. Shall we, Butler Wren?"

"Butler Wren?" Dean's comical expression and sideways glance caused Wren to flush this time. "I thought you were a body guard?"

"Well, I am.."

"He's a body guard and a maid," Leah quipped, grinning cheekily when her butler shot her a death glare.

When Dean snickered, the death glare rotated to him, and Dean instantly sobered. Yet, as they left the gym, Leah realized that for the first time, she was glad Wren was her guard/manny. Perhaps, he wasn't so bad after all. 

Woohoo! Wren found Leah, and I think he is cracking her shell;) And Dean! An entirely new character, but I thought he would be fun. Thanks so much for reading everyone! 

~ Ariel ~