Page 35 of All Yours

“How do you know? You just assume that it has to do with the book and not the woman who has federal agents wanting to question her.” It seemed like if she were innocent, she’d come forward to clear that up and put it behind her.

“She says she knows nothing,” Sloane said. The longer Eden avoided the cops, the more that seemed unlikely. She was here in Hart Valley on the run from something. But I kept that to myself. Sloane had bags under her eyes and getting into an argument with her was the last thing I wanted to do right now.

I stood.

“Where are you going?” Sloane’s gaze followed me.

“To get my gun out of the truck. I won’t leave it out there with the possibility of someone roaming around.”

“I hate guns,” she muttered.

“Who would you rather have it, me or the intruder?”

“You, obviously.”

I glanced around the porch and off in the distance as I opened the door. There weren’t any police officers near the house any longer.

“Will they tell you when they leave?” I called back into the house.

“No. But the gate will close when they clear out.”

I glanced around before grabbing my 12 gauge from behind the seat. The woods were dark and quiet. Was someone out there? The cloudless sky shone the speckled twinkles of a crisp, clear autumn night. Away from the lights of town, the stars were spectacular. My breath blew out in a cloud in front of me. It was too cold to dawdle.

“Why don’t you try to get some more sleep,” I said, leaning my gun against the doorframe and pulling my boots off. “I’ll take the couch.”

“I don’t wanna be alone,” she whined from her spot curled up on the sofa.

“You’re not alone. I’m still gonna be here.” I wandered around the room, switching the lights off. The police had turned every light in the house on.

“I can’t go back to sleep in that bed all by myself,” she complained.

“It’s far more comfortable than the couch,” I reasoned. “I’ll keep watch from out here.”

“Ok,” she said, getting up, dropping the blanket onto the sofa, and she trudged off to her bedroom.

Once all the lights were off, I settled back onto the couch with the blanket, but I wouldn’t be able to sleep like this.

“Jonah,” Sloane called after a while.

“Yeah.”

“I can’t sleep.”

“Count sheep?” I offered.

“No. Don’t leave me alone in here.”

I took the blanket to her room and stood in the darkened doorway. “I guess I can sit in the chair.”

“Just get in the bed with me,” she huffed.

“I’m wearing jeans.”

“You can strip to your boxers and undershirt,” she replied, sitting. “I trust you. And promise I won’t laugh if they’re cartoon character undies.”

I laughed it off. She’s killing me. I finally get invited into her bed, and she views me as an asexual friend. I might as well be a Ken Doll from the waist down as far as she’s concerned.

“What if they’re heart undies?” I asked.

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