remember doing it.
But could she honestly recall putting in the disk and clicking on save? She glared at the clock. Twelve-seventeen. She knew she wouldn’t go to sleep until she checked. At any rate, she wasn’t sleepy, so she crept out of bed and slipped into her terry robe. Once out in the living room of the suite she shared with Gram, she peeked in on her, pleased to see that the excitement of the new season hadn’t kept her grandmother awake.
Hanna grabbed the key off the hook and closed the door softly behind her. She pulled her collar tight, feeling awkward about traipsing around the hallway in her nightclothes. There were only two guests for the night, though, and they’d turned in before Hanna.
Night sounds seeped through the log walls, reminding Hanna she was alone. The hall shone dimly with the Exit sign at the end of the corridor, but she turned into the main room of the lodge and headedtoward her office. The Exit light by the main door was burned out, leaving the room in darkness. Her heart rate automatically accelerated, and she pushed back the terror that clung to her like a wet cloth.
Thwack!
Her thigh bumped what she assumed was the end table, causing the lamp to teeter. She reached out and managed to grab the shade before the whole thing toppled over, then rubbed the spot just over her knee.
when she rounded the counter, she saw a dim light sweeping across the office. She stopped short. Then she breathed a laugh of relief. Of course. It was only the light of the screen saver flashing on the shadowed walls.
She flipped the light switch, grateful for the overhead light that flickered on. She took a seat behind the desk and clicked on the pro gram’s icon. The gentle hum of the computer, unnoticed during the busier daytime hours, seemed unnaturally loud in the quiet of the night. She heard a car pass on the road outside and wondered what someone was doing out at this hour on a weeknight. Finally, she retrieved the information she’d typed in and slipped a disk into the drive to save it.
A thump sounded in the main room, and her hand stilled on the mouse. What was that? A shuffling sound sent her heart into wild palpitations. It was probably just a guest getting up for a snack or getting something from his car.
At this hour?
her thoughts demanded.
Her mind flashed back to the previous night when she“d checked in Mr. Humphry, a middle-aged man whose flirting wink and lingering touches had made her shudder. His overt behavior would have been offensive enough even if he hadn’t been wearing a wedding band.
Her ears tuned in sharply. Even the crickets outside had hushed, and only the hum of the computer filled the night air. She could almost hear the beating of her own heart. What if Mr. Humphry had seen her leave her room and followed her? What if he meant to attack her? She’d worried about it before. After all, she and Gram knew nothing about their guests except their names and addresses. How many criminals had theyunknowingly harbored under their roof in the past? A psycho could check in, and they wouldn’t know it.
Her eyes scanned the room for a possible weapon. A stapler, a stack of disks, and a paperweight. She reached for the latter and stood, letting the chair roll back silently on the floor.
Should she go out and investigate or stay here and wait? Her body, too scared to move, made the decision for her. She was at a severe disadvantage, here in the brightly lit room with only darkness beyond the doorframe. Even if she did go out there, her eyes would need time to adjust. And she would be visible to whomever was there.
She stared at the doorway. A creak sounded. There was definitely someone there, and he was just to the left of the register where the floor board was squeaky. She raised the granite weight over her head as a shadowed figure loomed in the doorway. She froze. Her breathing came in shallow rasps.
“Hanna?”
There was no mistaking the deep voice. “Micah.” She
But could she honestly recall putting in the disk and clicking on save? She glared at the clock. Twelve-seventeen. She knew she wouldn’t go to sleep until she checked. At any rate, she wasn’t sleepy, so she crept out of bed and slipped into her terry robe. Once out in the living room of the suite she shared with Gram, she peeked in on her, pleased to see that the excitement of the new season hadn’t kept her grandmother awake.
Hanna grabbed the key off the hook and closed the door softly behind her. She pulled her collar tight, feeling awkward about traipsing around the hallway in her nightclothes. There were only two guests for the night, though, and they’d turned in before Hanna.
Night sounds seeped through the log walls, reminding Hanna she was alone. The hall shone dimly with the Exit sign at the end of the corridor, but she turned into the main room of the lodge and headedtoward her office. The Exit light by the main door was burned out, leaving the room in darkness. Her heart rate automatically accelerated, and she pushed back the terror that clung to her like a wet cloth.
Thwack!
Her thigh bumped what she assumed was the end table, causing the lamp to teeter. She reached out and managed to grab the shade before the whole thing toppled over, then rubbed the spot just over her knee.
when she rounded the counter, she saw a dim light sweeping across the office. She stopped short. Then she breathed a laugh of relief. Of course. It was only the light of the screen saver flashing on the shadowed walls.
She flipped the light switch, grateful for the overhead light that flickered on. She took a seat behind the desk and clicked on the pro gram’s icon. The gentle hum of the computer, unnoticed during the busier daytime hours, seemed unnaturally loud in the quiet of the night. She heard a car pass on the road outside and wondered what someone was doing out at this hour on a weeknight. Finally, she retrieved the information she’d typed in and slipped a disk into the drive to save it.
A thump sounded in the main room, and her hand stilled on the mouse. What was that? A shuffling sound sent her heart into wild palpitations. It was probably just a guest getting up for a snack or getting something from his car.
At this hour?
her thoughts demanded.
Her mind flashed back to the previous night when she“d checked in Mr. Humphry, a middle-aged man whose flirting wink and lingering touches had made her shudder. His overt behavior would have been offensive enough even if he hadn’t been wearing a wedding band.
Her ears tuned in sharply. Even the crickets outside had hushed, and only the hum of the computer filled the night air. She could almost hear the beating of her own heart. What if Mr. Humphry had seen her leave her room and followed her? What if he meant to attack her? She’d worried about it before. After all, she and Gram knew nothing about their guests except their names and addresses. How many criminals had theyunknowingly harbored under their roof in the past? A psycho could check in, and they wouldn’t know it.
Her eyes scanned the room for a possible weapon. A stapler, a stack of disks, and a paperweight. She reached for the latter and stood, letting the chair roll back silently on the floor.
Should she go out and investigate or stay here and wait? Her body, too scared to move, made the decision for her. She was at a severe disadvantage, here in the brightly lit room with only darkness beyond the doorframe. Even if she did go out there, her eyes would need time to adjust. And she would be visible to whomever was there.
She stared at the doorway. A creak sounded. There was definitely someone there, and he was just to the left of the register where the floor board was squeaky. She raised the granite weight over her head as a shadowed figure loomed in the doorway. She froze. Her breathing came in shallow rasps.
“Hanna?”
There was no mistaking the deep voice. “Micah.” She
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