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nervous around people so I drink.”
    “Well, you have no reason to be nervous around me.”
     
    They arrived home just before sunset. Mason had folded and tucked the knife back into his pocket. She didn’t know how she managed to survive the afternoon without falling apart, but somehow she did. Her inner strength surprised her, especially amidst a group of strangers. She simply could not bring herself to let them take this sweet man away without trying to talk him down.
    Her feelings toward him had deepened tremendously and it scared the hell out of her. Even so, she now felt compelled to see this through and see where it led, if anywhere.
    He made cheese popcorn for them to snack on while watching TV and, to her surprise, he enjoyed a wide variety of movie genres, including chick flicks. They lay on the nicely cushioned sofa and watched movies all evening. His mood shifted back to the calm, easygoing manner she found irresistible. When sober, he was a true delight and entertained her with more stories of his past. She loved his carefree attitude and his wacky sense of humor. As the night grew late, her eyes felt heavy and she began to nod off.
    “Come here, baby,” he coaxed softly. “You can sleep in my arms.”
    With a relenting smile, she snuggled into the curve of his shoulder. “This feels nice.” She half watched the movie and half dozed in his secure embrace.
    “You wanna know something?” he asked out of the blue.
    “Sure,” she gave her sleepy reply.
    “Sometimes I worry…”
    “About what?”
    “Not all the time…but sometimes I…I worry…” His voice trailed off, then in a sudden loud rush of words, he hollered at the top of his voice, “I worry about zombies!”
    She sprung off the couch, eyes wide, heart racing, and panting for breath with one hand over her chest. Popcorn flew into the air and landed everywhere. The plastic bowl hit the floor.
    Mason burst into hysterical laughter. “I’m sorry I just couldn’t resist.” He reached for her while still laughing.
    Pointing a finger at him, she tilted her head and smiled once the shock wore off. “You do that again, I’m going home,” she teased.
    He was still chuckling when she lay back down. “I do that to my kids all the time. Nicole’s boy used to cry, but mine would say, do it again, Dad .”
    “You are crazy.” She laughed. “You’re lucky I have a sense of humor and a strong heart. I was all nice and relaxed.”
    “That’s the best time to get ya.” He gave her a playful wink.
    And yet another intriguing aspect to this handsome man revealed itself. He grew on her more with each passing moment, even in his darkest hours. Something about the pain in those pleading eyes lured her in. Everything in her rational mind screamed run ! However, her heart longed to stay.
     
     

Chapter Four
     
     
    In the early hours of the morning, Sydnie returned home to sleep in her own bed. Mason had returned to a stable state of mind and another stirring kiss left them wanting more. Both agreed to stick with the plan of no sex for the night and retreat to their own beds.
    She woke to someone pounding on her front door. Geez, who the hell can that be? Glancing at the clock on her dresser, she noticed she’d slept well into the afternoon. Since meeting Mason, her schedule had gone into complete chaos. She stuffed her bare feet into fuzzy slippers, grabbed a robe from the hook on the door, and shuffled out to the living room. Peeking through the living room blinds, she saw her ex standing on the porch. What the hell? Why is he here?
    “What are you doing here, Ben?” she asked with a sigh after opening the door.
    “I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d stop by and see how you’re doing.”
    “Really…like you’ve cared all these years, um, let’s see, it’s been at least five years since I’ve seen your face. And I’m pretty sure the last time you stopped by was to ask for the silver that your grandmother left you. So don’t