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Authors: Elizabeth Munro
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all in my head.”
“Hear who Anna? Who were you talking to?”
“The woman in the mirror,” I whispered.
The light came on and I had to blink in the brightness that had made me blind in the dark. Paul put out his hand.
“You sounded angry,” he said softly. “I thought you were mad with me for going out. You got a concussion not that long ago. Ray said to watch for any odd behaviour from you for the next little bit … just in case.”
My hand shook as I took his and I stepped out of my corner. I was still naked and Paul towering over me in his boots with his gun was intimidating and reassuring at the same time.
My voice shook. “You really startled me good.”
“Come on, you’re shivering. I came back for another layer and I heard you. It sounded like you were fighting with someone. You can tell me about it in the morning when you warm up. I’m running late,” he said. “Sorry for startling you.”
Then he kissed me again and disappeared out the door.
Tension rolled down my body leaving me momentarily numb. I woke disoriented. I had fallen asleep on my sore ribs and pain quickly had me wide awake. Paul was facing me, eyes closed, so after carefully making it over to my good side I backed myself into his lap and tried to go back to sleep. His arm curled around me and he relaxed with a big sigh. He was cold from the outside.
“I woke you up.”
“No,” I said. “I did that to myself. I fell asleep on my sore side. It’s better now.”
“Ray’s worried your concussion was worse than we thought. I’m worried too.”
I was surprised. “Why?”
“You were arguing with someone in the mirror last night,” he said. “Not normal.”
I sighed. “Is there anything about me being here that has been normal? Anyway that woman has been around for years, not just last night. She tries to keep me out of trouble … I put up with her … she can be sort of mean sometimes.”
“How?”
“Well, the night we met she wanted me to run the other way. She thought I would be some sort of prize for you, that you would ruin things for me.”
He thought a moment. “Like Kenny?”
“Ray …” I muttered. “Yes, like Kenny. What did he tell you?”
“Everything,” he said. “I guess it helps me understand you more.”
I didn’t say anything. Fresh humiliation filled me. I put a hand on my face to try and hide from it.
“Short fuse?” he asked. “Do girls really talk like that?”
“I guess I picked it up from Alina and her friends.” I told him. “I finished high school and left home at sixteen to ride around the southern States alone. She seemed to know when I was headed for trouble. The last time I saw her I told her to beat it and went back to join you for dinner. I hadn’t seen her since.”
“Mm, what did she want last night?” he asked.
I thought about it.
“She said that just because everything is working from the waist down again doesn’t mean we can dodge any decisions we have to make.”
“Wise woman,” he said.
If you only knew half of what she said, I thought.
“I suppose, but anyone who is going to demand to know if your parts are working right is crossing the line.”
Paul laughed then he yawned.
“Breakfast is in a couple of hours, let’s get some sleep.”
I could smell cigar smoke on my pillow and closed my eyes. Slowly Paul warmed up against me. Maybe he was doing the same thing … lying awake thinking that I was asleep or lying awake knowing that I was pretending.
Chapter 10
I’d found the only quiet place in Paul’s house was the far end of the kitchen table when all the hustle of dinner was gone. With the light out and a warm mug of something I could put my feet up on the sill of the big window and look down the road that led past the cabins to the gate or on nights like this watch snow fall in the porch
“Hear who Anna? Who were you talking to?”
“The woman in the mirror,” I whispered.
The light came on and I had to blink in the brightness that had made me blind in the dark. Paul put out his hand.
“You sounded angry,” he said softly. “I thought you were mad with me for going out. You got a concussion not that long ago. Ray said to watch for any odd behaviour from you for the next little bit … just in case.”
My hand shook as I took his and I stepped out of my corner. I was still naked and Paul towering over me in his boots with his gun was intimidating and reassuring at the same time.
My voice shook. “You really startled me good.”
“Come on, you’re shivering. I came back for another layer and I heard you. It sounded like you were fighting with someone. You can tell me about it in the morning when you warm up. I’m running late,” he said. “Sorry for startling you.”
Then he kissed me again and disappeared out the door.
Tension rolled down my body leaving me momentarily numb. I woke disoriented. I had fallen asleep on my sore ribs and pain quickly had me wide awake. Paul was facing me, eyes closed, so after carefully making it over to my good side I backed myself into his lap and tried to go back to sleep. His arm curled around me and he relaxed with a big sigh. He was cold from the outside.
“I woke you up.”
“No,” I said. “I did that to myself. I fell asleep on my sore side. It’s better now.”
“Ray’s worried your concussion was worse than we thought. I’m worried too.”
I was surprised. “Why?”
“You were arguing with someone in the mirror last night,” he said. “Not normal.”
I sighed. “Is there anything about me being here that has been normal? Anyway that woman has been around for years, not just last night. She tries to keep me out of trouble … I put up with her … she can be sort of mean sometimes.”
“How?”
“Well, the night we met she wanted me to run the other way. She thought I would be some sort of prize for you, that you would ruin things for me.”
He thought a moment. “Like Kenny?”
“Ray …” I muttered. “Yes, like Kenny. What did he tell you?”
“Everything,” he said. “I guess it helps me understand you more.”
I didn’t say anything. Fresh humiliation filled me. I put a hand on my face to try and hide from it.
“Short fuse?” he asked. “Do girls really talk like that?”
“I guess I picked it up from Alina and her friends.” I told him. “I finished high school and left home at sixteen to ride around the southern States alone. She seemed to know when I was headed for trouble. The last time I saw her I told her to beat it and went back to join you for dinner. I hadn’t seen her since.”
“Mm, what did she want last night?” he asked.
I thought about it.
“She said that just because everything is working from the waist down again doesn’t mean we can dodge any decisions we have to make.”
“Wise woman,” he said.
If you only knew half of what she said, I thought.
“I suppose, but anyone who is going to demand to know if your parts are working right is crossing the line.”
Paul laughed then he yawned.
“Breakfast is in a couple of hours, let’s get some sleep.”
I could smell cigar smoke on my pillow and closed my eyes. Slowly Paul warmed up against me. Maybe he was doing the same thing … lying awake thinking that I was asleep or lying awake knowing that I was pretending.
Chapter 10
I’d found the only quiet place in Paul’s house was the far end of the kitchen table when all the hustle of dinner was gone. With the light out and a warm mug of something I could put my feet up on the sill of the big window and look down the road that led past the cabins to the gate or on nights like this watch snow fall in the porch
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