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seems to glow, I feel my heartbeat pick up.
    “Lucky you.”
    “Yeah, sure.  This is me complaining.  Can’t you hear all the whining?”
    “No,” I say, laughing.  “You’ll have to whine just a little louder.”
    He nods to the window.  “You should probably get home before the roads get nasty and your father goes nuts worrying about you.  Celia bagged your clothes and I’ll get one of my coats you can use.  The last thing you need is to go wandering around in this frigid weather without something warm on.”
    “Thanks.  I appreciate it.  But Jimmie isn’t my father.”
    “Oh.”  He looks away as if embarrassed.  “Sorry about that.”
    “It’s okay.”
    He peered down at my bare feet and I wiggled my toes in embarrassment.  “I’ll find you some boots, too.  Can’t guarantee they won’t swallow your feet, though”
    I stand and look around, searching for my purse as Celia approaches me with my bagged clothing and shoes.
    “I’ll get the coat back to you tomorrow when it’s dry, if that’s okay.”  She offers me the other stuff.
    “Did Lev put my purse somewhere?” I ask, knowing that without my keys I’m not going anywhere.
    “It’s probably in the bottom of the river, Elizabeth.” He hands me a coat.  “Truthfully I was more worried about getting you home and warm than seeing if you had everything that you came with, if you know what I mean.”
    “Yeah.”  I slip the coat on and then take the rain boots he offers, careful not to balk at the huge size. “Umm, I think this just got a little more complicated.”
    “How so?”
    Blushing, I shrug.  “I think my keys are probably at the bottom of that pond you fished me out of.”
    “Looks like I’ll need a coat, too, if I’m driving you home.  So just hold that thought.”  He walks back to the coat closet, pulls out a thick black leather coat, and slips his arms into it.”  Then he nods at me.  “Are you ready to go?”
    For a moment I find myself gazing into his blue eyes, breathless as he towers over me.  His arms dangle at his sides, and he stands perfectly still, seemingly as mesmerized by me as I am by him.
    “Shouldn’t you get her home?”  Celia asks, touching his arm.
    “Yeah, I guess I should.  Your guardian will be worried.”  His voice is rough-silk music, the ends unraveling.  Lev blinks and looks away.  He reaches into his jeans pockets and pulls the keys out.  Then his hand touches the small of my back, gently guiding me toward the door.  Though I try to walk as normally as possible, my feet constantly trip over each other while Lev and I walk outside and start toward his pick up.  My left foot tangles with the other and I start to fall.  As Lev’s arm remains wrapped around me, his hold tightens, anchoring me against him.  My head presses against his chest, and I inhale sharply from my own clumsiness.
    “You all right?” he whispers, his grip steady, unwilling to release me.
    “Yeah.  It’s just been a long day.”  I close my eyes, so tired.
    “All right.”  Without warning, he sweeps one arm under the bend of my knees and lifts me.  As he touches my hip, I flinch and a gasp of pain rattles through me.
    “What happened?”  His hands, once so sure, waver and his steps falter.
    “I hit the ice when I fell.  That’s all.”  Too tired to fight, I lean against his chest, savoring his body warmth.  “Why are you carrying me?” I murmur, feeling sleep reaching for me.
    “You fell off the bridge with your shoes on.  I don’t even want to take a chance with boots that are too big.  I need to get you home in one piece.”
    The fluid motion of his steps halted, and I realized he is opening the passenger door of an old brown truck.  Once it swings wide open, he carefully slides me onto the seat.  Already I feel myself in the twilight of unconsciousness, bordering on the place where dreams find me almost every night, but right now the exhaustion is so great, I don’t