The crazy old lady made up her spare rooms for us.

“I’ll not have no hanky panky keepin’ me up all night!” She admonished as she made two beds. I caught Wendy’s eye, she grinned devilishly behind the old lady’s back. I snickered.

“What’s so funny?!” The ol’ coot spun around with speed defying her joints.

“Uh, I sneezed?”

“You look so much like your brother! Mr. Cooper is sweet! You could learn a lot from him.” She turned up her nose at me and turned back around.

That night I laid in the foreign bed. Thoughts of home plagued me. I tried to focus on a plan for tomorrow. But until Marcus came back, all the planning was useless.

A creak sounded and a shadow crossed my door.
“Wendy!” I whispered “What are you doing?!”
“The old lady’s snoring loudly downstairs. I couldn’t sleep. I was thinking of you.”
“Me?”
“Yeah!” She walked to my bedside. “The way your eyes shine in the light of a fire!” She smiled and leaned over seductively. “The way you rescued me. You’re my hero, Charlie Cooper.”

I caught my breath.