Ill Take Forever

served as the local community for the residents of this portion of Alpine County. It was more a village than a town, only a handful of residents lived in the town proper. Its store and post office serviced a large area of ranches, lumber camps, and quiet residences of the local populace. Summer time brought weekenders who had cabins to use in fair weather.
    'We were on our way upstairs, I believe.' He motioned her forward.
    The tight knot of fear filled her throat, almost choking her. Glancing around desperately, she sought some means of escape, some place to hide. There was none.
    Jenny started up the steps, still balancing her now cold cocoa. Would everything have been different if she hadn’t gone for the drink? She could have just switched off her lamp and gone to sleep. By morning, he would have left and she’d only have the broken glass to alert her to his presence.
    As she moved, she could feel him follow her, close on her heels. She took a shaky breath and paused at the top, turned to face him.
    'Please don't rip the phone from this wall. It's a modular one and can unplug,' she said, pausing as she frantically tried to find some way to delay him, to get away.
    He shrugged. 'Whatever. I'll unplug it and throw it in the snow.'
    Her fear gave way to anger as she flared up. 'Then just who is going to pay for it, and for the one downstairs? You can't just break into someone's home and wreck it and expect to get away with it, you know. You have to assume some responsibility for your actions!'
    He smiled again, and Jenny looked away, trying to hold on to her anger. His smile had the strangest effect on her. His teeth were white against his brown skin, his eyes deep brown and intriguing.
    Intriguing! She wanted to groan in frustration. She was not going to be beguiled by the good looks of the man, the charisma and magnetism of him. One minute she feared for her safety, the next minute for her sanity!
    'Where's the phone?' he asked.
    Jenny led the way to her room, pausing at the door as he moved past her and went straight to the telephone. Listening to it for a moment, he then unplugged it from the wall, and unplugged the wire from the receiver. Coiling the wire, he stuffed it into a pocket of his jacket.
    'No problem, still dead, but no chances,' he said, turning to look at her, then surveyed the room, assessing it. 'When I leave, I'll give you back the cord.'
    Jenny caught his measured look, and rushed into speech. 'Now you're safe for tonight. Can you leave my room, so I can go to bed?'
    He looked back, arching one eyebrow.
    'Alone?'
    She frowned fiercely at him, 'Yes, alone!' Just what was he implying? What other thoughts did he have? She swallowed again as a small tickle of fear traced down her back. God, he wasn't suggesting ... She stepped back.
    'My, my, I thought your husband was returning any moment.'
    She was flustered, she'd forgotten. 'I mean alone now, of course. He'll be along. As you saw, Nate and Jim made it through, and so will Johnny.'
    Could she get away with it? Would he leave if he thought her husband was coming? It was one thing to terrorize a young woman on her own, something else again to have to deal with another man. Not, she decided, looking at him, that he'd have much trouble with whomever it was. If Johnny was coming home, she’d fear for his life. She had no doubt the stranger would shoot anyone who got in his way.
    He moved back to the door. 'I'm cold. Do you have a drier? My clothes are wet and it’ll take for ever for them to dry in this cold weather.'
    She smiled sweetly. 'Good, maybe you'll get pneumonia and leave me alone.'
    'If I get pneumonia, you'll have to nurse me.'
    'I wouldn't!'
    He leaned closer, looking deep into her eyes, his going warm and soft. Jenny thought she would lose herself in the power of his gaze. She swallowed hard, resisting the urge to step back again.
    'My guess is that you would,' he said softly. His dark eyes lit with amusement as he towered over her, his broad shoulders and height dwarfing Jenny, his eyes doing strange things to her emotions.
    She stepped back, not wanting to be so close to him, turning to break the spell.
    'There's a drier downstairs, off the kitchen. It's in a laundry room. Just get out, go away!’
    'How big’s your husband?'
    The question took her off guard. 'Huh?'
    'Can I wear something of his while these things dry?'
    Jenny knew a moment of panic. 'I—er—he's small. Not much bigger than I am.' She was trying to think of