Chapter 20: Lori's Story

As I talked, Jamie listened intently and only interrupted to occasionally comment in agreement. And when I finished, he remained silent a long time. I could tell he was thinking about what I'd told him.

Had I said too much or given him reason to distrust me? That notion frightened me.

Reliving the nightmare was exhausting. I had been through so many ups and downs, it was no wonder I felt tired.

We were now traveling in a waterway about a half-mile wide. When we started out, the river was well over a mile wide. I liked the smaller channel better. Jamie silently kept a close watch on the boat, and we stayed in the center of the river. As I wondered if he would ever speak to me again, he looked straight into my eyes and said, "It must have been so hard for you. I can't imagine going through what you did. My story is so boring compared to yours."

His expression softened and a smile formed at the edges of his mouth. "You are going to be amazed at my place when you see it tomorrow. I've got hot water, electricity from a generator, propane heat and a gas stove. The house is on a lake, and there's a fresh water spring in the yard that I've piped into the house. You'll love the way it is all set up. I promise.

"We'll go to the mall and get a brand new wardrobe for you before storm season ruins everything."

I nodded and forced myself to smile. As wonderful as it sounded, I wasn't sure I wanted to live in the same house with Jamie. After all, I hardly knew him — even if he and I were the only living beings on Earth.

He read my thought. "You need your privacy and it isn't going to work with us under the same roof. I think I have that figured out. You can live in the main house and I will move into the motor home which I can park in the driveway next door."

His voice cracked slightly as he continued. "Lori, you have no idea how grateful I am that you're here. Being with you gives me confidence that we can survive this." He ran his hand across his forehead and sighed. "Please don't disappear. I couldn't bear to be alone again."

I gently touched his arm. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm not. I'm not and I mean it. We're going to survive this." I didn't attempt to hold back my tears that spilled onto my cheeks. "You saved me! I wouldn't have lasted much longer. I knew it, and then you showed up and saved me." I wasn't ashamed of my tears. Jamie made me feel safe ... like the worst was over.

The houseboat was a great way to travel. By sitting on the top, I could see far ahead of us. Jamie pointed to a large dock on our right and indicated we were arriving in downtown Palatka. He said that was our destination for today. I detected buildings, but we were still too far away to make out much.