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He nearly knocked his glasses off he roared up out of his chair so quickly That horrible loling sound was louder this tihan, her small face flushed, strained with fear He had to touch her, no choice

He shook her shoulder "Wake up, sweetheart Co

"Oh no" He didn’t think, just sat down and pulled her onto his lap "I’ht now" He held her close, gently pressing her head against his chest, pulling the afghan around her to keep her war off her left foot He pulled it back up and tucked her in tighter against hiht noon’t let anyone hurt you I swear it to you No one will ever hurt you again"

He realized that she was frozen against hiood But he didn’t let her go If ever she needed another person, it was now, and he was the only one available He kept whispering to her, telling her over and over that she was safe, that he’d never let anyone hurt her again He spoke on and on until he finally felt her begin to loosen Finally, he heard her give a huge sigh, then, ain

It was early afternoon He was getting hungry, but it could wait He wasn’t about to disturb her She was nestled against hied her just a bit, then picked up his book She whimpered in her sleep He pulled her closer She smelled sweet, that unique child sweet His eyes feral, he said loard the , "You come anywhere close, you bastard, and I’ll blow your head off"

3

THE MORNING RAIN sla westerly wind Ramsey sat beside her on the sofa, one of the ht with hi quietly to her as he’d done for the past three days She was gettingaway from him anymore if he happened to startle her

The two of theood foot between them, his voice quiet and deep as he read to her He said, "Mr Phipps didn’t knohat he was going to do He could go back to his wife and deal with her, or he could give up and leave her to all the ive her what she wanted But then, he’d never given up in his life" He paused What was coood for a child No, thinking about killing his ouldn’t be cool for her to hear He should never have begun this one He cleared his throat

The words blurred as he said quietly, pretending still to read, "But he realized that he had another choice His little girl aiting at home for him He loved herIn fact, he loved his little girlor anyone in his life"

She was sitting very quietly beside him That foot was still between the to hi one of his undershirts, a gray one with a V-neck, a cardigan sweater over it that nearly touched the floor, and the afghan pulled to her chin against the chill of the incessant rain and wind He was getting better at braiding her hair If she weren’t so very silent, perhaps with a small s next to her dad, while he read her a story

But she wasn’t like any kid Slowly, he looked back down at the book He said with a feeling that was suddenly crystal clear and true inside hiirl to know that she would always be safe with hi as he lived She eet and gentle and he knew she loved him But she was scared and he understood that She’d been through so irl to have to bear But she’d coirl he’d ever known Yes, she’d survived it, and now she would be with hiht of the little htly bloo columbine and Indian paintbrush He knew she’d like it there She’d be free and he’d hear her laugh again It had been a long tih He walked into the house, saw her standing there by the kitchen door, holding a small stuffed monkey She smiled at him and held out her arhtly, touched his fingertips to her ear "Do you have a stuffed aniht ahead out the cabin s, at the gray rain he wondered would ever stop Then she nodded "Is it a monkey?" She shook her head