shook his head mumbling, ‘women.’
He began to walk back towards his own place thinking about what had just happened and about those two men. If they were private investigators he was The Dalai Lama. But having said that, they both screamed feeb and that worried him, ex- feebs or not. They might look dumb and act thick, but they knew what they were doing, they had tracked that girl here hadn’t they?
The girl. He could smell trouble a mile away and that girl stank of it. Well, what business was it of is? None. If that crazy English woman wanted to get involved in whatever that girl was tied into then that was her problem. He had diverted the two guys from taking the path to her cabin, he had warned her and that was more than he should have done, that was tantamount to throwing himself into the middle of it in his view.
He opened the door to his cabin and was almost thrown backwards by a huge bundle of fur. Dante, the black lab he’d found in the woods abandoned and injured almost four years ago, was annoyed at being kept waiting so long for his walk. He had been gone longer than he intended, what with throwing strangers off his property and scrapping with females, he couldn’t blame Dante for getting impatient. He didn’t like to take Dante with him when he went out hunting or searching, he got in the way and scared off the other animals. He said, ‘hey, boy, sorry about that, got caught up in something, but I’m here now so go and do what you have to do, then we’ll get something to eat, huh?’
Dante barked in approval and ran past Lando but stayed near the house. He never went too far from home; he got nervous and agitated, maybe recalling when he had been taken into the woods and abandoned. Lando stood on the porch of his cabin and looked around scanning the immediate area and the periphery of the trees, he didn’t think those men would come back any time soon, but he would be on his guard.
Unbidden and against his will thoughts of the English woman came to him. He thought about the first time he’d seen her, four days ago. He had been walking through the woods minding his own business…as usual, when he saw her; she was in the middle of the stream jumping from one stone to another to get to the other side. She had been concentrating so intently on what she was doing, and obviously trying not to fall into the stream, that she had not seen him until she was almost across when she glanced up and saw him. He had heard that there was an English woman staying at old Cartwright’s cabin for a week or so, he had wondered what kind of woman would rent a cabin in the middle of the woods all alone. Well, as he was so fond of saying, it was none of his business, as long as she kept out of his way he didn’t give a rat’s why she did what she did.
He watched her now looking at him. Her initial expression was surprise but he could see the moment she suddenly realised that she was here alone in the middle of the woods and there was a strange man looking at her. She looked to her right then to her left searching for a means of escape. Then she looked back at him and he saw the realisation of who he was dawn on her, he expected to see panic commingle with the fear, but as he watched, to his surprise, she looked relieved. Then his surprise changed to amazement as she smiled then waved. He had not returned her smile nor her wave but stood looking at her for a few more moments before turning abruptly and walking away.
The next time he had seen her she had been strolling through the woods as though taking a walk in a country park. Seemingly oblivious to the dangers that lurked out here, she was obviously nuts. But at least she wasn’t nuts enough to stray from the path, so maybe there was some hope for her.
He could not avoid her so he walked by her as though he had not seen her, but once again she had taken him by surprise when she smiled and said, “ good morning, Mr. Lando.” So, she knew his name, she knew who
He began to walk back towards his own place thinking about what had just happened and about those two men. If they were private investigators he was The Dalai Lama. But having said that, they both screamed feeb and that worried him, ex- feebs or not. They might look dumb and act thick, but they knew what they were doing, they had tracked that girl here hadn’t they?
The girl. He could smell trouble a mile away and that girl stank of it. Well, what business was it of is? None. If that crazy English woman wanted to get involved in whatever that girl was tied into then that was her problem. He had diverted the two guys from taking the path to her cabin, he had warned her and that was more than he should have done, that was tantamount to throwing himself into the middle of it in his view.
He opened the door to his cabin and was almost thrown backwards by a huge bundle of fur. Dante, the black lab he’d found in the woods abandoned and injured almost four years ago, was annoyed at being kept waiting so long for his walk. He had been gone longer than he intended, what with throwing strangers off his property and scrapping with females, he couldn’t blame Dante for getting impatient. He didn’t like to take Dante with him when he went out hunting or searching, he got in the way and scared off the other animals. He said, ‘hey, boy, sorry about that, got caught up in something, but I’m here now so go and do what you have to do, then we’ll get something to eat, huh?’
Dante barked in approval and ran past Lando but stayed near the house. He never went too far from home; he got nervous and agitated, maybe recalling when he had been taken into the woods and abandoned. Lando stood on the porch of his cabin and looked around scanning the immediate area and the periphery of the trees, he didn’t think those men would come back any time soon, but he would be on his guard.
Unbidden and against his will thoughts of the English woman came to him. He thought about the first time he’d seen her, four days ago. He had been walking through the woods minding his own business…as usual, when he saw her; she was in the middle of the stream jumping from one stone to another to get to the other side. She had been concentrating so intently on what she was doing, and obviously trying not to fall into the stream, that she had not seen him until she was almost across when she glanced up and saw him. He had heard that there was an English woman staying at old Cartwright’s cabin for a week or so, he had wondered what kind of woman would rent a cabin in the middle of the woods all alone. Well, as he was so fond of saying, it was none of his business, as long as she kept out of his way he didn’t give a rat’s why she did what she did.
He watched her now looking at him. Her initial expression was surprise but he could see the moment she suddenly realised that she was here alone in the middle of the woods and there was a strange man looking at her. She looked to her right then to her left searching for a means of escape. Then she looked back at him and he saw the realisation of who he was dawn on her, he expected to see panic commingle with the fear, but as he watched, to his surprise, she looked relieved. Then his surprise changed to amazement as she smiled then waved. He had not returned her smile nor her wave but stood looking at her for a few more moments before turning abruptly and walking away.
The next time he had seen her she had been strolling through the woods as though taking a walk in a country park. Seemingly oblivious to the dangers that lurked out here, she was obviously nuts. But at least she wasn’t nuts enough to stray from the path, so maybe there was some hope for her.
He could not avoid her so he walked by her as though he had not seen her, but once again she had taken him by surprise when she smiled and said, “ good morning, Mr. Lando.” So, she knew his name, she knew who
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