The Hermit Read Online Free PDF Page B

slipped into sleep pants and
got in bed.  He found he missed sleeping closer to her but thought she’d sleep
better without being forced to remain alert to his presence all night.  It felt
strange not to be able to see her when he opened his eyes.  He left his door
open and watched the shadows on the ceiling from the living room fire. 
Clearing his mind, he slowly found sleep.
     
     
    In the
middle of the night, Ryan opened his eyes.  He didn’t know what had pulled him
out of a peaceful dream state.  A sound, a feeling in the room.  Moving to get
up, intending to check the house, he found Daphne curled up asleep on the braided
rug beside his bed.  The quilt pulled around her frail form.  Shock held him
immobile for several minutes but finally he knew he couldn’t leave her where
she was.  Her health was still too fragile. 
     
    Crouching,
he woke her carefully, a hand touching her shoulder.  Her eyes opened and she
instantly focused on him.  He didn’t see any fear in her eyes and he refused to
consider how happy that made him.  “Daphne, why are you on the floor?  You must
be freezing.” 
     
    She
swallowed hard, holding the quilt a bit tighter.  “You…you weren’t in the
living room.  I woke up…got scared.  I needed to…to be in here.  You won’t let
anything happen to me.”  He stared at her for a long time, feeling unsure of
what to do or say to this woman he never wanted to feel fear again.  “I won’t
be any trouble.  I’m used to much worse.  Please can I stay here?”  Ryan
started to shake his head until he saw the single tear track into Daphne’s
hair.  That tear hit him hard.
     
    “I
didn’t mean you couldn’t sleep in here, I meant you can’t stay on the floor.  I
don’t want to see you sick.  Your system is still trying to recover.”  Pausing
and taking a deep breath, he added, “Daphne, I’ll put you on the bed if you
want but I don’t want to frighten you.  I won’t hurt you.  You can trust me to
never hurt you.” 
     
    Nodding,
she whispered, “I know, Ryan.  I know I can trust you.”  Hearing those words
from the mouth of a woman who had been through what this woman had was like a
punch to his heart.
     
    He
lifted her gently and put her on the other side of his big bed, pulling her
socks back up before covering her with the quilt.  Walking into the living
room, he pulled another heavy quilt from the back of the chair and stoked the
fire. 
     
    Back
in the bedroom, Daphne had curled on her side.  He dropped the second blanket
over her, tucking it around her feet and up to her chin.  He climbed under his
blankets, thankful he’d gone to bed in a t-shirt and sleep pants.  For a long
time, he watched her watch him.  Closing his eyes and pretending to sleep
allowed her to eventually drift to sleep. 
     
    Ryan considered
the knowledge that a woman was sleeping in bed with him for the first time in many
years.  He didn’t want to think about how much he enjoyed having her there. 
Watching her breathing, her lips slightly parted, the steady rise and fall of
the blankets covering her soothed him as nothing had for so long. 
     
    When he
slipped under hard, a slight rumbling snore filling the snug space, Daphne
watched him until the sky began to lighten.
     
     
    The
next morning, Ryan opened his eyes and Daphne was gone.  Before he could stop
himself, he reached out and touched the indentation on the pillow where she’d
slept. 
     
    He
smelled coffee and bacon.  Getting up, he pulled on socks and went to the
kitchen.  Daphne stood at the stove wearing long john pants and a t-shirt of
his that fell almost to her knees.  She stood with her hand on her hip while
she cooked. 
     
    She
looked like she belonged where she was.  Right here, in his cabin, sharing
space with him.  He realized her hair was finally getting some of its shine
back and it fell heavily down her back in a thick braid.  He wondered if it was
losing the coarseness