“Sure. I like to feel useful.”
Rev grabbed a bunch of greens and fresh veggies from the fridge and set them on the island. “The large bowls are in that cabinet. The strainer and cutting board are over there, and the knives are right here.”
“Perfect.” Once she located all the items she needed, she got to work, chopping up the lettuce and veggies while Rev fried the steaks in a cast-iron skillet. The kitchen filled with amazing smells that had her mouth watering. “Is there anything else I can do?” she asked when she finished preparing the salad.
“Nope. How do you like your steak?”
“Medium,” she replied.
“Perfect. Dinner is done.”
He slid each steak onto a plate, along with a baked potato from the microwave. “I have soda, iced tea, water, or milk. What would you like to drink?”
“Tea would be great. Thanks.” Hallie set the bowl with the salad on the table.
He set the plates and came back to grab drinks and silverware.
“What else can I get?” she asked.
He pulled the salad dressing from the fridge, along with tongs from the drawer. “Some help carrying stuff would be great.”
“I can do that.” She grabbed the things he had set out and carried them to the table.
“So, tell me about you. Like what you’re doing out here in the bayou,” Rev said, taking a bite of his steak.
“I’m a zoologist. I’ve been tracking a few sightings of rare animals in this area.” She might as well be truthful with him. There was no reason to hide what her job was.
“That’s kind of cool. What type of animals are you looking for out here?”
“Honestly, I’m not even sure. To say it sounds silly, but local folklore and legends say there are big cats that have been spotted around here. I was pretty skeptical until I found tracks nearby.”
“Big cats. How ’bout that.”
The man didn’t even so much as bat an eyelash at her confession of having big cats in the area. “Have you heard anything about it?” Who better to ask than a man who lived in the area?
“The locals here are … superstitious. If they see a strange light in the sky, they automatically assume it’s aliens. If the wind howls, they think it’s a wendigo. It’s similar to what you’ll find in the Quarter with all the voodoo, witch, and vampire folklore. I don’t put much stock in any of it.”
“Huh. I never thought about it like that. So, you think it’s all a hoax?” she asked.
“Could be. It might be. Or it might be real. Who knows? What would you do if you came face to face with a big cat?” he asked with a grin on his face.
“I’d probably die,” she said.
“From fear? Like scared to death?” he asked with a look of concern on his face.
“Nope. From trying to pet the damn thing!”
“So, you like big cats?” he asked.
“I love big cats! They are my favorite animals to work with and study. I don’t know why, but I feel a connection to them.”
“Well, that’s good to know. But truthfully, you probably shouldn’t try to pet a big cat that you don’t know.”
“What do you meanone that I don’t know? Should I wait until I’m on a first-name basis with one?”
“Something like that,” he teased.
“Thanks for the advice. I’ll make sure I keep that in mind for future reference.” She took a sip of her tea. “So, what about you? Are you a local or an import from somewhere else?”