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waist. “Thanks.” It seemed silly, not to mention unwise, to reciprocate the compliment, so she left it at that. Still, she wondered what he’d meant by it. She wasn’t a scrawny kid anymore, but she wasn’t overly attractive, either. She waved toward the doorway. “I should probably get going, in case Ben calls or comes home. I don’t want to worry him.”
    He followed her down the steps. “I’ll walk you back.”
    “You don’t have—” She abruptly turned around, sending him crashing into her. For a moment their bodies connected, her breasts to his chest, thigh to thigh. He grabbed her arms to catch her balance. She laughed, because it was the only way to release the pressure building inside her. “Sorry about that. I didn’t realize you were so”—she took note of his hands on her arms—“close behind me.”
    He also seemed to realize he was still holding onto her and let go. 
    “You don’t have to walk me back. You’re busy, and I know the way. After all, I got here alone, didn’t I?”
    “I’d still feel better walking with you.”
    She could see the stubborn set of his jaw and gave in with a nod. She started walking into the bosom of the forest, and he walked with her.
    “You always wander around in the woods at night?” he asked a few minutes later.
    “Not at night. When I have time on the weekend, I go for walks.”
    “Be careful, Katie. You never know what’s out here.”
    Like you , she wanted to say. She was still caught up in his warning, the propriety of it. “I suppose that’s true.”
    As she neared her yard, she started worrying that Ben might be there. He got so funny when he couldn’t find her. He liked to keep tabs on her because he cared about her. She stopped just shy of the gazebo.
    She didn’t know what to say as she stood facing him. “I’d invite you in, but…”
    “I understand.”
    She started to say something else when he brushed his hand over her hair. Just a casual touch, the way a husband would touch a wife. As though she belonged to him. She shivered at the thought. “Silas…” The words died in her throat at hearing the pleading tone in that one word. She cleared her throat and her head. “It was good to see you again. Stop by the hospital sometime and say hello.”
    “Sure, I’ll do that,” he said in the way one does when they don’t mean it.
    This would probably be the last time she’d talk to him. She wanted to give him a hug, something to show him how much he’d meant to her all those years ago. Instead, she said, “I’m sorry about, well, about everything.” 
    He gently placed his hands on her shoulders, moving close enough to force her to look up at him. His touch, casual though it was, sent a peculiar warmth down her body, as though someone had poured warm molasses over her head. “Don’t blame yourself. I told you, what I did was my choice.” He looked away for a moment, then back at her. “You probably don’t even know what you gave me that day.”
    “Gave you? Trouble maybe.”
    He didn’t smile at her lame attempt at a joke. “You trusted me, Katie. You were the first person to ever trust me.” He brushed her chin with his knuckles and backed away. Then he disappeared into the night.
     
    Silas watched her touch her chin as she walked into the house. He saw her briefly in the door window as she searched for him. She was gone just as quickly. He made it back to his house in half the time. He didn’t want her to know how many times he’d made this trip, so he’d let her lead the way.
    She might have trusted him before, but she had no reason to trust him now. 
    He went back to trimming the wood so he could reset the front door. Was Katie still listening to the sound of the saw? He never imagined that she could hear him from this distance or especially that she’d walk over to check it out. She hadn’t lost her adventurousness, that was for sure.
    Sawdust coated his forearm as he finished the cut. He hoped she