She rushed back and grabbed her reticule then returned to the window, carefully sliding it upward far enough to allow her to slip out onto the staircase lining the side of the building. A fire had ravaged the town years before she was born, destroying most of the buildings and killing several left trapped inside on the upper floors. Since then, the town council deemed it necessary that each building over two stories have outer staircases for escape. Likely this wasn’t the kind of escape the council had in mind, but Meredith was thankful for it nonetheless. She closed the window behind her and slipped out into the snowy night.
Fat snowflakes littered the air and blanketed the ground in white. She kept close to the buildings and hoped the shadows hid her. The wind tugged at the ruffle of her nightdress and cold air nipped at her bare legs.
She bolted across the street to the jailhouse but ignored the front door. Given her state of dress, she could hardly burst in through the doors seeking protection. Anyone could be in there—drunks from the saloon, the bounty hunter, Jenkins. She veered off and slid along the side of the building to the back staircase and quickly climbed the steps.
Her heart pounded with each step. What if whoever had tried to gain access to her room witnessed her escape? Would they see her footsteps in the snow and follow her here? For a brief moment, she hesitated.
She took a deep breath and reached for the knob. She didn’t bother knocking, afraid in the few heartbeats it would take for him to answer she would come to her senses and realize seeking shelter with Hunter was anything but safe.
She opened the door wide enough to slip through, cringing as the latch hitched behind her. The snow from outside created an eerie light that spilled through the small window and chased the darkness to the four corners of the room where it collected in heavy pools. The small, sparsely furnished room looked exactly as she remembered it. The walls sloped upward on either side reaching a high peak in the middle. A small table on the other side of the room held a porcelain washbasin and ewer.
She took several quiet breaths, her eyes skirting the room. She didn’t know why she felt the need for stealth. She did not come here to sneak about. But the room was still and silent. She feared moving. Feared stirring up the memories hiding unbidden in secret places.
She turned her gaze to her right. The narrow bed was placed against the wall, tucked under the slope of the ceiling where it had always been. A pair of boots rested near its head, a hat hung off the simple post. A dark form lay beneath the thin blanket. Her hands shook.
She opened her mouth to whisper his name into the darkness, but never got the chance.
“You lost?”
Meredith jumped swallowing a gasp. “Don’t scare me like that!” Her fingers tangled in the cape still wrapped around her shoulders. “And no, I’m not lost.”
How long had he been awake? From the moment she walked into the room? But yes, he would have been, wouldn’t he? He’d always been a light sleeper, his senses on high alert even as he dozed.
Her heart picked up speed as he pulled the blanket around his hips and swung his bare legs over the edge of the bed. He was naked. Dear Lord, the man was naked. Could this night get any worse?
He reached for the lamp by his bed and turned up the wick allowing a weak light to penetrate the room. She tried to keep her focus elsewhere, to save herself the embarrassment of staring at his bare torso, but she couldn’t resist a shameful peek.
He’d filled out significantly from when she’d seen him in such a state seven years ago. Hard muscle stretched sinewy lines across his chest and down his ribs. Broad shoulders flexed as he rolled them and stood. Her body responded immediately and she quickly looked away.
He tossed her a brief glance as he walked past her to the table and the washbasin. “You want to tell me what you’re doing here? Or did you wake up in the middle of the night and think it would be a great idea to ruin your reputation by being seen coming to my room.”
“The whole town is asleep and besides, I was careful.” At least as careful as one could be when they were making a mad dash to safety. She didn’t appreciate the highhanded tone. “Besides, I don’t recall you being overly concerned about my reputation the last time I was here.”
Her accusation stopped him cold, the water he scooped into his hands from the basin slowly draining between his fingers. For a moment, he didn’t move. She waited for him to mount a defense, but he didn’t. Instead he left her harsh words hanging in the air between them until she wished she could take them back.
He reached for the towel and wiped the water from his face, then turned to face her. “You still didn’t answer my question. What are you doing here?”