September 3rd
After hearing that, I waited for the punch line, but there was none. We parted awkwardly, and I asked if I would see him again.
"Most definitely."
I have no doubt I will see him again. If not in person, then in dreams apparently.
When I got back to the house Sherry was waiting for me. She let out a visible sigh of relief upon seeing me walk through the door.
"I thought you'd finally gotten lost," she scolded, "Or worse."
I smiled at her motherly worry until I saw the clock. It was well past seven in the evening and an hour past Sherry's normal quitting time. I felt terrible and offered to pay her extra on top of the overtime for her inconvenience. I also said she could come in an hour late the next day, but she was hearing none of it.
"I'm just glad you're alright," she said, giving me a hard look.
I tried to explain that I had had no cell reception or I would have happily called for help, but she waved me off as she left for the day. She paused on the porch and gave me that hard look again.
"You might call Danny and let him know you're alive," she told me then turned and continued walking down the stairs, "Poor boy's got a crush on you, I think. He was about to form a search party," she called over her shoulder with a laugh.
I sighed and called the cook, explaining I had had no cell reception and apologized for worrying him. He said he was just glad I was okay, thanked me for the call, and we hung up.
It's nice and a bit strange to have people that worry about me. At least I know if something were to happen to me on one of my walks the cavalry wouldn't be far behind!
I thought about Robert as I ate dinner in the quiet dining room. For a change, every room was empty until the weekend. Summer is winding down, I thought to myself and took another bite of my sandwich.
September 5th
Having a week all to myself was odd, to say the least. I've gotten so used to the house being busy and full of people that at first the footsteps upstairs barely registered.
I sat in the living room reading a book I had downloaded, enjoying the peace and quiet, but above all I was enjoying the privacy. As potentially bad for business as it was to have no guests, I was enjoying the temporary emptiness and already looked forward to the slow months of winter.
Shifters by Jaime Johnesee
The footfalls above me walking around in Rose's room were background noise at first. I was engrossed in my book,, and something as commonplace as footsteps didn't register until I realized I had no guests this week.
The footsteps moved back and forth, back and forth above my head, and the thing that finally pulled me away from my book was the nagging thought that a guest shouldn't be in Rose's room, and that I must have left the door unlocked.
I went upstairs and turned the knob on the door to Rose's room only to find it was still locked. I pressed my ear to the door, but the room was silent.
When I finally remembered that there were no guests until Friday, I was already halfway down the stairs again. Shrugging it off as the house settling, I went back downstairs to close up for the night.
Later on, in bed, I heard the noises from Rose's room again, but I know the door is locked and there's no one else in the house, so I once again chalked it up to a settling house. I assumed because the house had been pretty much noisy since I'd moved in that it was just the city girl in me now jumpy at noises that had always been there.
