She climbed stiffly from the bench and went from window to window, studying the area around the cabin. Finally she threw the knife on the counter. What ever had happened, no one was out there now. She went to the bedroom and stretched out on the bedroll.
She woke from a dream that a woman was pounding on her door and realized that someone actually was at the front door. She struggled up from the blankets and staggered through the living room. The house was hot and stuffy. She pulled the curtain back from the window on the door. It was Justin.
She dropped the curtain and ran trembling fingers through her hair as she opened the door.
"I didn't expect you."
His quick glance took her in from head to toe. "Obviously. Do you always sleep this late?"
She glowered at him. "What's it to you?"
He stepped through the door and smiled down at her. "Sleep late and wake up grouchy." He glanced around. "Why don't you ever have these windows open?"
It shouldn't have, but it rubbed her the wrong way. Who was he to march in and start criticizing? She gave the door a push and it slammed shut.
"Come right in. Have a seat anywhere you like." Her tone could have cut through a six-foot thick lead wall.
He swung around and stared at her, his amber gaze growing cool. "I'm sorry I bothered you." He reached for the door. "Obviously you're not in any mood for company."
The sharpness of his words cut through her thin armor of righteousness. She touched his arm, gazing up into his dark features. "Please don't go."
The warmth returned to his eyes, chasing a flood of heat up her throat. She stared down at her shirt and absently tried to straighten the wrinkles.
"I had a bad night and I didn't get to sleep until daylight."
She chanced a glance at him and caught him watching her intently. She bit her lower lip. Did he think she couldn't sleep because he wasn't there? "I heard a woman screaming."
"Where?" His voice was controlled.
"In the woods beside the house. I went out on the porch and turned the flashlight on the spot, but I didn't see anyone."
"You went outside?" His tone was incredulous. "Didn't that strike you as dangerous?"
What gave him the right to cross-examine her like a guardian? One...two...three.
She shrugged. "Maybe it was a little dangerous, but I couldn't just sit in the cabin and ignore her. It was awful. It sounded like she was in terrible pain."
Why was he looking at her like that? A cold fear clutched at her throat. He accepted the story about the woman as if it were common place - or maybe it was no surprise. What did he know about the screaming woman? Was he involved? Could he have been the cause of her screams? She swallowed a lump in her throat and took a step closer to the door. What did she know about Justin? What did Dad know about him?