LITMIR.BIZ

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to move past the man. But the guy just wouldn’t let him pass. Instead, he planted himself firmly in Seth’s path.

      “How dare you bring that little crook here? She and her brother cost me thousands of dollars. And a prize horse. Spreading tales about honest folk.” Fury oozed from him. Quivering, he took a step toward Seth, nostrils flaring. Seth had no idea what the man was talking about. “I’ll bet she’s here to spread her brother’s lies, isn’t she? Thinks good ole Ted Taylor will be on her side? Well, I won’t let her get the best of me again. She’d better watch who she messes with.”

      He probably expected Seth to back up. Seth wasn’t about to give in. Instead, he took a step closer to him.

      “You need to let me pass,” Seth stated, keeping his voice low. “Whatever happened, it had nothing to do with Jess. And from what I know, you don’t even have solid proof that it had anything to do with her brother, either.” He took another step forward. And another. Satisfaction filled him when the man’s eyes widened, confusion on his face. Seth managed to keep his expression and voice clear of all emotion. Years of dealing with his father had taught him that the best way to get a reaction was to show no emotion. “You don’t want to do this. Not in my family’s home.”

      The sneer returned to his opponent’s face, although Seth noted he did step aside to allow Seth to move past. Still, he managed to get out one last taunt before Seth could walk away.

      “I would be careful who I hung out with. She’s going down.” He swung around and stormed back toward the other guests. Seth watched him, filing away in his mind details about the man’s appearance and what he said. That was definitely someone to keep a close eye on.

      Carrying his cache of food, he returned back upstairs the same way he had come. He breathed easier when he arrived at Jess’s room without further incident. He rapped sharply on the door, then grimaced. Deaf girl. Could she hear the knock? Maybe he should slide something under the door...

      The door swung open, causing him to jump. Color flooded his face as she observed him, her eyebrows lifted, an amused expression on her face.

      “Didn’t you expect me to answer the door?” she queried.

      “I wasn’t sure if you could hear me knock.”

      Jess nodded, making her brown ponytail bounce. “It depends on how low the sound is.”

      A thought occurred to him. “We should have found a way to signal you, so you would know it was me.”

      When she shrugged and reached for the food, he recalled the meeting in the kitchen. Casually, trying not to seem too concerned so she wouldn’t worry, he mentioned the confrontation and described the man.

      A disturbed look came into her eyes. Lowering her chin, she sighed. He wished he could have waited before telling her something that so clearly upset her, but she needed to know. For her own protection.

      “It sounds like Bob Harvey. He and his wife Lisa are very involved in breeding racehorses. They have been the loudest voices against us.”

      A sharp, sizzling sound made Seth jerk his head up. It was followed by a pop. A transformer had been blown. The room was pitched into darkness.

      * * *

      Jess froze. Her entire body grew tense.

      She’d never told anyone, but she was afraid of the dark. And closed-in places. Had been ever since the incident in high school. A cold sweat covered her body as she remembered the feeling of cobwebs brushing against her skin. The musty smell of a wet mop sitting in a bucket of dirty water. The smell was so pungent, she could taste it on her tongue. Clenching her fists, she folded her arms across her chest and shoved her fists under them. She could still feel them shaking. The trembling spread to her legs.

      Breathe, Jess. Breathe. Spiders are NOT crawling over you. You are not locked in a room. And you are not alone. Stranded for hours and hours. Getting colder...

      No! She wouldn’t think about that! She was a grown woman now. Surely she could get past this irrational fear. The fear that even now was holding her paralyzed. After a few deep breaths, she baby-stepped her way in the direction of the window, grunting as her shin knocked into something. At the window, she felt around until she located the cord to the blinds. Tugging on it, she sighed in relief as light drifted into the room. It pooled in the center of the room, leaving the edges in shadow. She shivered. Creepy.

      Light? Where on Earth was light coming from? It was pouring outside. Glancing out the window, she saw a row of solar lights. The kind that only come on when it is dark outside. Ah. She hadn’t noticed them before, probably because there had been other sources of light.

      Seth stepped into the light, and she shivered again. For a very different reason.

      “Jess, are you okay?”

      She nodded. “Fine.”

      He folded his arms. Clearly she wasn’t convincing enough.

      “What do we do now?” she asked him. Focus, Jess. Yes, he’s handsome and being kind. And yes, she was enjoying his company. But there was a maniac in this house waiting to get her and this power outage—whether accidental or deliberate—might give her attacker an opportunity. She needed to deal with that possibility. Attraction to Seth was a complication she couldn’t afford.

      “I’m not leaving you alone to deal with this tonight.”

      She shook her head, frowning. “You can’t stay in my room. It wouldn’t be right.”

      Did he just roll his eyes? Was he mocking her convictions? Drawing herself up to defend her beliefs, she paused when he raised his hands.

      “I’m not suggesting that I stay in your room. But I do intend to camp outside your door.”

      Something soft and melty nudged her heart.

      “But you need to rest, too,” she argued. “Your room is just down the hall. You’d be close by if I needed you.” It was a token protest at best. The idea of him going so far away in this hostile environment made her feel vulnerable.

      Seth scoffed. “Like I’d rest in my own room? Sorry, Jess, but I’d be coming out to check on you every five minutes. There’s no way I’d be able to sleep not knowing if you were safe.”

      The tension which had locked onto her neck loosened and rolled off her shoulders. He wasn’t leaving her.

      Jess squinted and looked at him. Really looked at him. His jaw was clenched and he was glaring at her. Like he was daring her to argue. A smile tugged at her mouth. He had no idea how unappealing the idea of staying here alone was. Deciding to let him think he’d won, she nodded. He nodded back. And although he didn’t smile back at her, she sensed that her response had eased his belligerence.

      “Good. Now that that issue is settled, I suggest we eat.”

      Gingerly, she lowered herself to sit cross-legged on the floor. Seth followed her example, then handed her a sandwich and a bottle of water. The darkness surrounding them made the room feel oddly intimate. Her cheeks grew warm, and she became aware of the subtle scent of his aftershave.

      In complete silence they ate. The moment they were done, Seth excused himself to clean up. He made quick work of it, she was relieved to note. Then she scolded herself for being anxious just because he had left her side.

      “I will be right outside the door,” he promised. He used the flashlight app on his phone and pointed it so he could look around the room. What was he looking for? He strode to the desk and grabbed the plain wooden chair. Dragging it out into the hall, he placed it firmly in front of her door. She retreated back into the room. Even in the dim light, she could make out the bed. And if she remembered correctly...yes. There was an extra blanket on the end of it. Silently, she handed it to Seth. He smiled his thanks.

      “Lock the door.”

      “Seth...”

      She stopped when he shook his head. The weariness on

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