to wake snakes in five counties at six sharp in the morning. Time for rest now, no matter how exciting the evening had been.
She forced herself to go still. Why had counting sheep never worked for her? Instead she conjured up little palominos and sexy cowboys as she drifted off to dream-land, smiling happily, halfway convinced that Santa Claus truly did exist, after all.
Sometime later, she jerked awake. A noise? Mandy had been on her own for so long that she seldom got night terrors, but her sleep-fogged brain was being assailed by them now. She jerked upright in bed, heart slamming as she strained to listen. Oh, God . She heard a muffled thump come from the kitchen. Luke never got up without yelling for her to come help him, not even to go to the bathroom.
An intruder was in the house.
Chapter Four
M andy inched out of bed. Please, God, don’t let the box spring squeak, and don’t let Luke wake up . Bypassing slippers, she forced her sleep-dazed brain to focus. She needed a weapon. She’d read about women confronting assailants with hair spray, but that was beyond dumb. Besides, there was only one bathroom, and in order to reach it, she’d have to pass through the kitchen, which was where the intruder seemed to be.
Icy sweat made her shiver. Clubbing someone with a nightstand drawer sounded less than optimal. She’d been at the receiving end of a man’s strength too many times to overestimate her own. She needed something smaller, but heavy, with a good handhold. Something that, combined with the element of surprise, would quickly disable a burglar before he had a chance to turn on her. She grabbed her bedside lamp, jerked the plug from the socket, and wrapped the cord around her wrist. If worse came to worst, the intruder wouldn’t be able to wrest the weapon easily away from her.
Making sure to avoid the squeaky spot on the scarred wooden floor, Mandy crept to her door, which opened onto the kitchen. She’d need to take him unawares. She grasped the brass knob, held her breath to give it a turn, and eased the door open.
A man . He was silhouetted in front of her window, tall, broad-shouldered. Memories . Oh, how she wanted to ease the door closed and lock it. Nothing she owned was worth much. Why risk her life? Maybe she could call the police. They’d arrive in five minutes. In the meantime, she could hide in the closet. She was an expert at hiding. She had perfected the art when her father was on his drunken rampages.
Only— oh, God —Luke’s bedroom was even closer to the kitchen sink than hers. What if he heard the noise and got up? He might startle the burglar. He’d be totally helpless. Mandy had been protecting him all his life. She wasn’t about to leave him at the mercy of a possible killer just because her legs felt as if they’d turned to water.
She drew the door farther open and raised the lamp above her head. When she was two feet from the intruder, he made a choking sound and whirled around. Only moonlight illuminated the room, but, as terrified as Mandy was, there was no mistaking that profile.
“Luke?”
The choking sound came again. Her brother hunched over the sink. Mandy ran for the light switch. Luke had one hand clamped at his waist while the other gripped the counter. His face was crimson with faint splashes of chartreuse around his lips. He sucked for air, and again she heard the clogged sound.
Choking . Mandy tried to drop the lamp and couldn’t. So she raced to the sink with the cord still encircling her wrist, the lamp clunking on the linoleum behind her.
“Luke? For heaven’s sake, what on earth ?”
She whacked her brother on the back. He coughed and gagged. Mandy stared in incredulous shock as he puked up a half-chewed mass she identified as chocolate-chip cookie. The raspy sounds as he fought for air scared her.
Suddenly her brother caught his breath. “Sorry,” he managed. He gulped and gagged again. “You ... startled me ... choked ...”
Mandy gave his
She forced herself to go still. Why had counting sheep never worked for her? Instead she conjured up little palominos and sexy cowboys as she drifted off to dream-land, smiling happily, halfway convinced that Santa Claus truly did exist, after all.
Sometime later, she jerked awake. A noise? Mandy had been on her own for so long that she seldom got night terrors, but her sleep-fogged brain was being assailed by them now. She jerked upright in bed, heart slamming as she strained to listen. Oh, God . She heard a muffled thump come from the kitchen. Luke never got up without yelling for her to come help him, not even to go to the bathroom.
An intruder was in the house.
Chapter Four
M andy inched out of bed. Please, God, don’t let the box spring squeak, and don’t let Luke wake up . Bypassing slippers, she forced her sleep-dazed brain to focus. She needed a weapon. She’d read about women confronting assailants with hair spray, but that was beyond dumb. Besides, there was only one bathroom, and in order to reach it, she’d have to pass through the kitchen, which was where the intruder seemed to be.
Icy sweat made her shiver. Clubbing someone with a nightstand drawer sounded less than optimal. She’d been at the receiving end of a man’s strength too many times to overestimate her own. She needed something smaller, but heavy, with a good handhold. Something that, combined with the element of surprise, would quickly disable a burglar before he had a chance to turn on her. She grabbed her bedside lamp, jerked the plug from the socket, and wrapped the cord around her wrist. If worse came to worst, the intruder wouldn’t be able to wrest the weapon easily away from her.
Making sure to avoid the squeaky spot on the scarred wooden floor, Mandy crept to her door, which opened onto the kitchen. She’d need to take him unawares. She grasped the brass knob, held her breath to give it a turn, and eased the door open.
A man . He was silhouetted in front of her window, tall, broad-shouldered. Memories . Oh, how she wanted to ease the door closed and lock it. Nothing she owned was worth much. Why risk her life? Maybe she could call the police. They’d arrive in five minutes. In the meantime, she could hide in the closet. She was an expert at hiding. She had perfected the art when her father was on his drunken rampages.
Only— oh, God —Luke’s bedroom was even closer to the kitchen sink than hers. What if he heard the noise and got up? He might startle the burglar. He’d be totally helpless. Mandy had been protecting him all his life. She wasn’t about to leave him at the mercy of a possible killer just because her legs felt as if they’d turned to water.
She drew the door farther open and raised the lamp above her head. When she was two feet from the intruder, he made a choking sound and whirled around. Only moonlight illuminated the room, but, as terrified as Mandy was, there was no mistaking that profile.
“Luke?”
The choking sound came again. Her brother hunched over the sink. Mandy ran for the light switch. Luke had one hand clamped at his waist while the other gripped the counter. His face was crimson with faint splashes of chartreuse around his lips. He sucked for air, and again she heard the clogged sound.
Choking . Mandy tried to drop the lamp and couldn’t. So she raced to the sink with the cord still encircling her wrist, the lamp clunking on the linoleum behind her.
“Luke? For heaven’s sake, what on earth ?”
She whacked her brother on the back. He coughed and gagged. Mandy stared in incredulous shock as he puked up a half-chewed mass she identified as chocolate-chip cookie. The raspy sounds as he fought for air scared her.
Suddenly her brother caught his breath. “Sorry,” he managed. He gulped and gagged again. “You ... startled me ... choked ...”
Mandy gave his
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