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Bridger sped to Mrs Carpenter’s house and screeched to a stop in her driveway I unhooked er, I can walk myself to the door" He looked at me with haunted eyes I opened er’s door slammed and in half a second he was on my side of the car, his arms open, and then wrapped warainst the soft cotton of his T-shirt, and tried not to cry My arth

"How can you stand it?" he asked after a long silence

I loosened h to look at his face, shadowed by the newly risen sickle o of hi would turn out all right

"How can I stand what?" I asked

"This fear! It’s es of Mrs Carpenter’s property "You don’t get it, Maggie I felt your fear when I was at ho it is"

I put my head back on his chest, closedin and out of his lungs If I could stop time …

"Maggie, I won’t leave until I knohat’s wrong I’ll stand guard at your bedroohtened

"Would you really?"

"Unless I can talk you into staying at reat security systeuest bedrooe, eI would never be able to sleep cos and chickens, and check on Mrs Carpenter "No It’s not so bad, really" It wasn’t! The man, the poacher, was locked away in jail Seriously, what could happen?

"What’s not so bad?" he asked, linking his hands behind my back so I could lean into theuy has been looking for me"

"I reed "No clue But he knows … stuff … about me And he’s in jail, so I don’t knohy I’h of the truth that he could fatho?" He moved a stray piece of hair out of my eyes

I nodded Very nonco my head over his heart "I have never felt this scared in my life," he whispered His cheek pressed down on top of ainst his Crickets chirped and a cool breeze stirred the warhed and tried to reer’s, the thump of his heart beneath my ear One day he’d leave ood er said, pushing o to bed But please lock your door"

"I always do," I assured him His arer," I said, trying to force hly disappointed not to be leaning against his chest any longer I craved his touchin the s with your dad?"

Bridger was silent for a long ot hoht"

"Me, too"

" ’Night"

"I’ll see you in the "

I watched him pull out of the driveway and then went into Mrs Carpenter’s dark house

"Did I see right?" I ju on the love seat in the dark "Did that boy give you a long good-night hug?" I didn’t need to turn on the light to know she was s I could hear it in her voice

I tucked invisible hair behind my ears before I re? Or help you to bed, Mrs Carpenter?"

A light flashed on, the new lamp beside the love seat "No, I think I’ll sit up and read for a bit I can e" Mrs Carpenter winked at me and then opened her book A book with a half-clothed white wo embraced from behind by a shirtless Native A to the door