Ill Take Forever

think he was? A crook who broke into people’s homes and scared them half to death. She drew a deep breath, trying to calm down. Was he coming back? What did he really want–to escape being found by Nate, or more? The minutes dragged by.
    Yawning, she crossed carefully, silently, to her window, drawing the curtains to one side, peering out. It looked as if it were still snowing, from the little she could see reflected in the light from her window. She turned back, anxious to get into bed and get to sleep, seek oblivion from the nightmare in which she found herself.
    She grimaced at her now cold chocolate; how she longed for her cup of warm cocoa, but she wouldn’t leave her room again tonight. The old adage was true—ignorance was bliss. Had she not left her room a little while ago, she'd still be blissfully unaware of the stranger's presence. Would he have stayed downstairs all night? Could she have avoided any knowledge of him except a broken window found in the morning?
    If it would stop snowing soon, maybe the stranger would leave before daylight to get as far away from Nate and Jim as he could. Go to wherever he was heading and leave her in peace. She sighed, unfastening her robe. She'd be better able to cope in the morning.
    The click of her door jerked her head around. The stranger, fully clothed once more, stood in the frame, his arms full of blankets and a pillow. Jenny recognized the yellow blanket and coverlet from the bed in her guest room.
    'What are you doing?' she asked, drawing the robe close again.
    'Just got some covers for the night. It's cool in here.'
    'What do you mean, in here?’ A touch of fear coursed through her.
    He paused, dumped the blankets on the floor and shut the door. 'I'm tired. I want to go to sleep,' he explained patiently, as if to a child. 'It's not warm enough to sleep without some covers, so I got these.'
    'Well, take them back where you found them. Sleep in there!'
    He shook his head. 'Can't do that. Have to make sure you don't try something in the night. I wouldn't hear you from the other room.'
    Jenny's surprise showed. 'Try something? Like what?' Had he read her mind earlier?
    'I couldn’t list all the options. Signal a neighbor, try to get out and go into town.'
    'On a night like this? You're nuts!'
    Shrugging his broad shoulders, he bent to smooth one blanket out, placing the pillow at one end. 'Nevertheless, I'll just sleep in here tonight.'
    Jenny watched in disbelief as he stretched out on the floor in front of the door and covered himself with the yellow blanket and patchwork coverlet.
    'I'm a light sleeper, by the way,' he said as he drew the cover over his jeans, across his chest and up against the pillow. 'Goodnight, Jenny,' he said softly.
    Jenny glanced frantically about, as if seeking something that would enable her to get rid of her unwanted roommate, but saw nothing remotely helpful. She glared at him, to no avail. He had his eyes closed already, his breathing was even. He couldn’t have fallen asleep that quickly.
    With an angry flounce, she turned off the lights, holding her breath to see if he moved. After a long moment of straining her ears, she relaxed, slowly eased off her bathrobe and climbed into bed. She lay back, straining to detect any movement, any sound indicating that he was moving. He had not touched her except for taking the phone. He had said he wouldn't harm her, but could she believe him? Could she take the lamp and smash it down on his head, rendering him unconscious? She doubted it. And if he were a light sleeper as he said, he’d hear her so there’d be no surprise attack.
    Dozens of scenarios played through her mind. All ending up in failure and an angry man to boot.
    She held her breath again, listening to his slow, even breath. If the rhythm was any indication, he was already asleep. Closing her eyes, Jenny was again reminded poignantly of her husband. On one or two nights after they had been married and she had not been able to sleep, she had found such comfort in lying in the dark listening to Johnny's steady breathing. How like, yet how different, the sound of the stranger. It was nice, sharing with someone else.
    Jenny's eyes flew open. What was she thinking of? She wanted him out of her house, out of her life! He'd leave in the morning. She'd see to it, somehow. Daylight would offer a way.
    On that hopeful note, she fell asleep.
    When morning came, Jenny almost thought she had dreamed the whole escapade. She rose at her