“Nae—”

“Because it’s a gun, Torin, a very good, dangerous gun. And I practice with it all the time. I’m a really good shot.”

“Och, I dinna mean tae frighten ye, Mistress Lexi, I just wondered about it and now ye are unarmed. Ye ought tae carry it with?—”

“I left it up at the…” I took a step back and another and another, then turned and ran to the house.

My heart raced.

I slammed and locked the door and picked up the gun and stood, breathing heavily, watching him through the window.

He hadn’t followed, he was just staring up at the house, his head cocked, inquisitively. Not at all menacingly.

I built up my nerve.

Finally I went backout onto the porch and yelled down the lawn, “Why are you here, Torin, what do you want? I’ll have you know, I called the police!”

He stood up. “Mistress Lexi, my most earnest apologies tae ye, I mean ye nae harm! Ye hae fed me this fine meal and when ye came out I admired yer courage and wanted tae ken more about yer weapon. When ye dinna hae it, I wondered why… I traveled here by accident, now twice. I canna explain it, but I will be on my way, I winna bother ye anymore.”

I said, “Good, leave!”

I stood watching him.

He leaned over, picked up that strange metal object, and stuffed it into that round bag.

I waited, then yelled, “What are you doing? I said it was time to go!”

He said, “I am tryin’ tae, Mistress Lexi.” With another wince he pulled the cloak up and draped it over his arm and then lumbered up and glanced at the food, but looked like he was going to walk away from it.

I yelled, “Take the water, if you want the cookies you can have them. They’re open now, anyway.”

I saw him mumble, “Aye, Mistress Lexi,” though I couldn’t actually hear it.

He picked up the bottle, screwed the lid back on it, shoved it in his belt, picked up the bag of cookies, and placed them carefully in his bag.

He began walking and as he passed he bowed. “Thank ye, Mistress Lexi, my apologies for taking yer time.”

With his head high, he left my property.

Dude openedthe screen door to come out and meowed and rubbed against my calves. I said, “The handsome yet weird, hot guy in the kilt is finally gone, Dude, we got rid of him.”

I realized I was still holding my pistol, so I carried it back up and took in the wider view from the window at the top of the stairs. I could see him way down the road, trudging south.

I felt relief — he was headed out of town. The next town over was Rosman. There would be a store and a bus, he would be fine.

I put the pistol back in Coop’s drawer and returned downstairs to finish what I had been doing. Laundry?

Yeah, washing clothes.

Normally I might have clicked on the TV, but my nerves were jangled, so I kept watching the windows, trying to figure out what was going on.

It took hours to calm down.

8

LEXI

2004 - LAUREL RIDGE HOUSE