The Stranger In Room 205 (Hot off the Press! 1)

She tried to speak with the same nonchalant tone he’d used. “At least you’re conscious this time. What are you doing?”

“I couldn’t sleep. Came out for some fresh air. You?”

“Same thing,” she admitted.

He scooted to one side of the swing and patted the seat next to him. “There’s room for two.” When she hesitated, he murmured, “Scared?”

To prove how ridiculous that was, she sank onto the swing beside him, carefully balancing her cup of tea. Sam steadied the swing, letting it sway gently again only when he was sure she was settled. “It’s nice out here. The roses smell good.”

“My mother takes care of the roses. They’re sort of her hobby.” The rich scents from the blooms surrounded the swing like a fragrant cloud—not overpowering, just pleasant. Stars sparkled brilliantly in the blue-black sky, and a half moon floated serenely among them. As the old saying went, it was a night made for romance—or in this case, Serena corrected herself quickly, a midnight chat with a stranger.

“What about you, Serena? Do you have any hobbies?”

“I haven’t really had time for hobbies lately, though I like to read when I have a few spare minutes. And you?”

He shrugged. “I’ve done a little mountain climbing. Race car driving. Sky diving. Gold mining. Rodeo.”

She’d bet the cup of tea in her hand that he was making those answers up as he went along. He must really enjoy putting her on, since he did it so often. “Rodeo?” she repeated, blandly playing along. “I thought I detected a hint of Texas in your accent.”

He seemed to find that comment intriguing. “You think I have a Texas accent?”

“Yes, at least a slight one. Have you spent a lot of time there?”

“Uh—yeah. Sure. That’s where I spent the last few years.”

“I thought you said you came here from Oklahoma.”

“I said I was most recently in Tulsa,” he corrected her after a momentary pause. “I wasn’t there very long.”

He seemed determined to be as vague as possible about his background—which, of course, only renewed her uneasiness about him. “You got restless there?”

“I suppose so.”

She sipped her tea, then glanced sideways at him ag

ain. “How are you feeling?”

“Okay. Why?”

“I thought you would surely collapse from working a full shift at the diner so soon after leaving the hospital. But here you are, still wide awake and doing fine.”

“Honestly?” His tone was suddenly rueful. “I did collapse—the minute I walked into the guest house after work. Fell facedown in bed and zonked out. I didn’t stir until your mom brought dinner out to me—which she didn’t have to do, by the way. I’m not as tired now, but every inch of my body aches.”

Serena nodded in satisfaction—not because he was in pain, but because she’d been right about him trying to do too much too soon. “I assume you’ll be taking tomorrow off to rest?”

“Your assumption is incorrect. I made it through today, and it will be easier tomorrow.”

“Why do you need to push yourself so hard?”

“Because I need the money,” he answered simply. “I’ve only been in this town a few days and it seems like I owe everyone here. Before I move on, I’d like to rectify that.”

The man was obsessed with paying off his debts. Admirable, she conceded, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of his health. Knowing she would be wasting her breath to argue with him yet again, she let it go.

“So what’s keeping you awake tonight?” As Sam spoke, he shifted slightly on the swing, causing his leg to brush lightly against hers. He moved it immediately away, but the sensation remained—and Serena suspected the memory of that contact could keep her awake for the rest of the night, if she allowed herself to dwell on her wholly unexpected, almost electrified reaction.

She made an effort to answer him coherently. “I had to have a talk with a longtime employee this afternoon. It was a…difficult scene.”

“Let me guess. You were tough and hard-nosed because you had to be, but now you’re tearing yourself up about it because you’re really softer inside than you pretend to be most of the time.”