“Just a lantern some careless idiot threw together. Let’s not get carried away, okay? We could’ve just had a stray camper who decided to crash on this land.”
Yes, I’m playing up the mundane possibilities.
I don’t want them worried sick.
I’m also reasonably confident any imminent danger has passed. The average burglar or rural squatter is more skittish than a deer.
There’s no good reason to come back now that they know this place isn’t vacant, or an easy target.
“So… we’re not in danger?” Sophie asks softly.
“No,” I say emphatically. “And if we were, they’d have to get past me first. Bad day for any clown who tries.”
Sophie smiles as I wink at her and ruffle her hair.
Margot gives a whisper of a smile too. I hate that it feels like a weight off my shoulders.
“You’re lucky you guys have a scary dad,” she tells the kids, still watching me intently.
“Sure are.” I flex my guns like a bombastic wrestler until they laugh.
The corner of her mouth dimples. “And if there was someone creeping around out there, I guess they can’t see much now. Not without the lantern. It’s so dark tonight.”
Sophie pushes her glasses up her nose and looks at Margot with clear relief.
“Why don’t you guys go watch TV? Just to be on the safe side, I think we’ll stay in tonight. It’s too cloudy for much stargazing anyway,” I say.
Dan already has the remote in his hand. I wait until he’s bickering with Sophie about what to watch.
Then I wave Margot closer.
“Hey, you mind heading upstairs with me for a minute?”
Her expression freezes over, but she nods, threading her fingers through her hair. Her phone stays in her hand as she follows me up to my bedroom.
After everything that happened between us earlier, this feels like another mistake in the making, but I force away the thoughtas I push the door shut, leaving it open a crack to hear what’s going on downstairs.
“Tell me if you’re good. For real,” I growl.
“I’m… yeah, I’ve calmed down a bit.” She clears her throat, glancing at the wall I caught her tapping on before. “I’m really sorry if I freaked you guys out.”
“You didn’t scare me. And Dan’s always desperate to prove he’s just as tough as his old man, so you didn’t scare him, either.” I fold my arms. “Soph, she’s stronger than she looks. But we’ll file a police report in the morning.”
A line forms between her brows.
“A police report? Really?”
“Better to have something on record in case it happens again.”
“Hmm. Doesn’t that seem…” She shrugs. “Just a little like overkill? I dunno, what if it was just a drunk camper who strayed too far or some local kids screwing around?”
“Then the cops will know it’s a camper or some little hellraisers. If it is, they probably came stomping around other people’s properties, so we’d be doing a community service.” I hold up the lantern again. “Hate to say it, but this doesn’t strike me as a wandering drunk. Somebody made this thing carefully so they could prowl around without being seen. The glass really dims the light.”
“Butwho?”
I shake my head slowly. “Your guess is as good as mine. But I damn sure intend to find out.”
She sighs and her shoulders slump as she sits on the edge of the bed.
