"Do you think he'll try to break in? " Graham didn't answer her

question directly.

He gave her the only assurance he could.

"I'll be staying here with you."

It was a no-win situation.

One threatened her life, the other her peace of mind.

"For how long?"

He sat on the sofa.

"For however long it takes."

Despite the past, she had to admit that having him here made her feel

safer.

But she also knew that this wasn't an indefinite situation.

"Won't the police department have something to say about that?"

After today's attempt, he knew the two-week limit would be extended.

"Things can be arranged."

Graham glanced over his shoulder toward the rear of the house.

"Would have made things more comfortable if you hadn't turned the spare

bedroom into a den."

Caitlin laughed dryly, wishing the unsettling fluttering in her stomach

would stop.

"I wasn't expecting to be stalked."

He hated the sound of that.

Hated the thought of what it did to her.

She shouldn't have to be afraid like this.

No one should.

"Yeah, well, with any luck, that situation won't be for long."

She glanced toward the window.

Had that car been parked there before?

Get a grip, Cait, that's only the new van of the woman across the

street.

She turned toward Graham.

"I thought you didn't believe in luck."

"I don't. But you do. That evens things out."

Graham opened the paper sack he'd dropped on the coffee table and

spread out the contents.

There were two straws, but nothing to put them in.

He raised his eyes to her face.

"I forgot the sodas."

"I've got some in the refrigerator."

Caitlin started.

to leave the room, then looked at the two mounds that represented

their cheeseburgers and the limp fries peering out of the bright red containers.

"You can eat that stuff cold?"

"Food's food."

He unwrapped his cheeseburger, thin set it down on the table. "I learned a long time ago not to'be fussy." She remembered what he had told her about his childhood. How his father had abandoned his mother, taking with him what little money they'd had. His mother had returned to the reservation in shame, bringing her young son with her.

They had subsisted on the charity of her relatives and government handouts. It had been for only a short while, but it had left an indelible impression on him.

Caitlin returned with two small bottles of soda.

She placed one in front of Graham and held the other as she perched on the sofa next to him. She looked like a sparrow about to take flight at the faintest sight of a hawk on the horizon.

He wondered ho much of that was due to the threat of the killer and h much was due to him.

Graham pushed her cheeseburger toward her.

"Have some," he prodded.

"It'll take your mind off what's going on."7 That she sincerely doubted.

There was too much going on for her mind to be distracted by food.

Especially cold food But she picked the cheeseburger up, mechanically

unwrapping it.

What appetite she had had was gone.

She looked at Graham.

He was eating, looking as if h were unfazed by everything that had

happened.

If not for the tight line along his jaw and the way he had looked at

when he had helped her up in the alley, she would have completely fooled. He was good at that, keeping his emotions in check, no letting things get to him.

Unlike her, she thought.

Two bites later Caitlin put the cheeseburger back down o its colorful

wrapper.

Graham stopped eating and raised quizzical brow.

"I'm not hungry."

Caitlin let out another long, shaky breath as she loo around the

room.

This was her home, her haven when the world got a little too crazy.

She was supposed to feel safe here.

Why didn't she?

Her eyes shifted to Graham.