Cooper looked at his phone.

He huffed. “I don’t have much time before I gotta go.”

“I know.”

He stood there for a second. “Is that a sword? What the hell is a guy with a sword doing in our woods?”

I directed the beam of light at the handle, it was leather-wrapped and there was a green stone on the hilt.

“I have no idea. And what’s this thing?” I picked up a metal device that was close in size and shape to a Red Bull can. In the flashlight’s beam I could see it had small markings on the sides. “Weird.”

“I have no idea, never seen anything like it.”

“Me neither.”

He looked at his phone again and exhaled.

I said, “You know, we don’tbothhave to wait for the ambulance, I mean, neither of us do, really. I’m just being nice. He’s a trespasser, you know, so you can go back to bed, grab a last bit of sleep before you go.”

He narrowed his eyes. “You honestly think I’m going to leave you alone out here with a guy with a sword?”

“I guess not, but you’ve got a plane to catch. You need to be rested. You’re irritated.”

He said, “Yeah, of course I am, but it’s not your fault, Lexi, you didn’t magically conjure up a strange guy on your lawn. You didn’t draw him here. Let me huff. I’m not leaving you alone, he’s probably drugged out or something.”

“Yeah, I agree.”

He grew quiet.

I asked, “Did you just fall asleep standing up?”

“Little bit, might fall over.” He dropped down on his ass beside me, sat crosslegged, and put his chin on his hand. He yawned, then said, sleepily, “Should I go get my gun?”

“I don’t think it’s necessary, he’s unconscious.”

“If he wakes up, nudge me.”

“Of course.”

We sat in the darkness, waiting for the ambulance to arrive. Cooper dozing in and out.

It was a long time to be sitting vigil with a stranger, my mind worked through all the scenarios: stalker, trespasser, villain, friend? I checked out his clothes, checked his pulse now and again.

The ambulance droveup with no siren because it was about 4 am. I nudged Coop and whispered, “Ambulance is here.”

He looked around bleary eyed and stood up, brushing off his pants. “Guy hasn’t moved?”

“Nope, still out.”

Cooper looked at his watch.

I said, “You can go in, I’ll talk to them, you gotta get ready to go.”

He kissed my cheek and headed up to the house.

I was exhausted, but also my nerves were jangled and there would be no more sleeping. Cooper would be leaving in an hour and I had planned to see him off.

I needed coffee.