I know I have a million stories going at once right now, but this idea would not leave me alone. Let me know if you guys think I should continue it, make it into a real story or if I should just scrap it.

I was tilling earth in my small front yard when I first saw him. I had been here two months, and I thought the house across the street was foreclosed or something. But I was wrong. He pulled up on a custom chopper, making a lot of noise and driving my dog insane.

I sat back on my knees, giving my back a break. I wasn't the best judge, but he looked to be of average height, dark hair, and with some serious arms. After silently observing him for a few moments, I went back to my little slice of heaven.

30 minutes later

I had just thrown out another grub and was putting in my first daisy when I heard the voice.

"You must be the new neighbor."

It startled me and I whipped around falling on my butt.

"I didn't mean to scare you."

I looked up and saw chopper man from next door.

"It's alright. I must have zoned out there for a couple of minutes," I said as I got up and wiped dirt from the seat of my pants.

"Barney Ross. I'm there," he said pointing to the house directly across the small street from me.

"Avolene Hart," I replied, pulling off a pink gardening glove and holding out my hand for him to shake. His lips curved up a bit and he reached out and took it. He had rather large hands, rough with callouses.

"You really spruced the place up. How long ago did you move in?" he asked as he looked behind me to my adorable two story 1875 Victorian home.

"June 1st."

He whistled and shook his head.

"You got a lot done in two months. New roof?"

"Nope, roof was good. Had to re-shingle it, which was fine because I hated the color of the old ones. Had to run all new electric, place was running knob and tube wiring, most of the problems were cosmetic after that."

He nodded his head. I couldn't tell what he was looking at, because of the dark shades covering his eyes. I took a second to study him. He was average height, maybe 5'10, 5'11. He was in really good shape, his muscles apparent through his dark t-shirt. What I could see of his arms were covered in tattoos.

"Well Avolene Hart, welcome to the neighborhood."

"Thank you Mr. Ross."

He was walking away when he yelled out,

"Mr. Ross was my father. Just call me Barney."

He was to far away for my to respond, and I wasn't going to yell.

Garage POV

"So how's home treating you?" Tool asked as he sketched out a new piece for Barney's growing collection of body art.

"Got a new neighbor."

Tool nodded his head, his long hair occasionally touching the paper as he went along.

"That a good thing?"

"Seems like a good kid."
"Kid?"

"Young woman."

Tool stopped drawing, pulling his glasses off before turning to face him.

"What she look like?"

"Young. Brown hair, hazely, green eyes."

"That it?"

Barney looked at him for a moment and then nodded his head.

"5'8, 38C-26-38."

Tool whistled.

"You got some body next living next door. Face to go with it?"

Barney nodded remembering the girls high cheekbones, plush lips and dark lashed eyes.

"Yeah."

"You gonna do something about that?"

Barney shook his head no. "I don't shit where I eat."

Tool opened his mouth to say more, but a look from Barney ended it. He slipped his glasses back on and went back to work drawing.

Avolene's POV

"Should I invite my neighbor?"

Sarah looked up at me from her list.

"The tattooed guy?"

I nodded my head. I watched as she stared into her coffee, thinking it over. She tucked some of her natural blonde hair behind her ear and filled her cheeks with air before letting them out.

"Yeah, I mean, you don't want him to feel like your leaving him out or anything."

I nodded, taking a sip of my chia tea. Sarah stood up and went to the sink, to rinse her cup. I watched her figure in envy. She was tall, and slim. I had worked out endless hours in the gym for that shape and had come up very short. My body just wouldn't give up my thighs, ass and tit fat.

"Stop it."

"Stop what?" I asked.

"Criticizing your body. Don't compare it to mine." I smiled. Sarah was a professional fitness trainer and dietician.

"Can't help it."

She turned back around and looked at me.

"Your healthy, your body is in great shape."

"I could still lose another 10 pounds."

"Every woman wants to lose that last 10 pounds. Now shut up, I don't want to talk about this shit anymore. I'm on vacation remember?"

I grinned at my Swedish friend.

"Alright, topic changed. I just need a few more pieces for the living room and I think I'm done. Then I can set a date for the house warming party."

She rolled her blue eyes at me.

"My house is my calling card. If I do a half ass job on it, or get lazy and throw things in that don't fit, who would want to hire me?"'

"I guess."

"You don't have to come to the flea market with me. I can take the truck, you can drive my car."

Her eyes lit up at the idea of driving my newly leased Chevy Camero. Then her eyes fell.

"I don't know how to drive a stick."

I sighed.

"Why did you have to move so far away?" She burst out.

"What?"

"Why couldn't you have had a mental break down like everyone else, gotten really drunk, got arrested, gone to rehab and get out and then be normal? Why did you have to move all the way to New Orleans?"

"Sarah, you know why."

"Everyone in your profession loses a patient at some point. They get over it."

"I know, but I'm just so sick of it. Of the death, the pain. All of it."

"So become a humanitarian nurse or something."

"No thank you. I am happy with what I am doing now."

"Living way the fuck out here in the middle of nowhere? With alligators and snakes and bugs and shit?"

I laughed at my friend. I was born up north in Michigan. Bugs and animals didn't bother me. Even the heat was tolerable on a good day, thanks to air conditioning.

"Okay. Okay. As long as your happy, I'll leave you alone."

"Good. I was getting sick and tired of hearing you complain."

"What's the business like?"

She changed the subject and I was immensely grateful. I told her about the store I had opened up, Old World Charm, décor and design. It was really taking off. So much so that I had enough to put down a large down payment on this house.

"Wow. Who knew you had any design scents?"

I smiled at my friend and was about to retort back when we heard the loud roar of multiple engines. She grinned and ran to the window to get a look. I was used to the obnoxious noise now. Mr. Ross had friends, and they all rode bikes.

"Ooh, look at all the man candy. This is the real reason you bought the house, isn't it?"

I laughed and went to the sink, ignoring her. I washed up the few dishes we had from breakfast and grabbed my truck keys.

"Come on, I want to get to their before the crowds."

"Alright," she sighed.

I grabbed my sunglasses and was at the front door when Sarah spoke.

"Your going out in that?"

I looked down. I was wearing jean shorts with calf high brown biker boots and a loose white peasant top. My chocolate colored hair was hanging in a braid. I was makeup free.

"We're going to a flea market, not a night club."

"Well at least throw on some mascara."

I sighed and trudged upstairs to do as she asked. I wasn't in the mood to fight about it. I quickly lined my lashes with dark, inky black mascara and just to please her, threw on some matte red lipstick. I quickly undid my braid, and redid it loosely. I put in a pair of little lace covered pearl studs and called it good. I stomped back down the stairs.

"Wow. Very romantic country chic!"
I just rolled my eyes at her and slipped on my sunglasses before heading out the door. I could hear the neighbors all talking loudly outside, but ignored them as I walked around the house to the side, where my dads old red and white ford was sitting. Not a drop of rust on her, and she still runs like a beauty. I opened the door, hearing the familiar creek and got on the seat.

I started it and waited. Where the hell was Sarah? I craned my neck around to see her across the street. I sighed and backed out of the driveway. I shifted it into drive and drove up next to her and the gaggle of men she was flirting with. I had to put it in park and lean over to unroll the window.

"You coming with me, or staying here?"

She walked up to the window, shaking her hips a little as she went.

"You little slut!"

"What?!"

"You didn't tell me they were all single!"

"How on earth was I supposed to know that? If I'm not working on the house then I'm at the store, or a flea market, or a client's house."
"I think I'm gonna stay here."

I sighed and took my house key off the ring and handed it to her.

"DO NOT fuck up my house."

She grinned and snatched it out of my hand. I shook my head as I rolled the window back up and sped off.

Boys POV

The blonde was turning out to be damn interesting.

"Where in Sweden are you from?" Gunner was immediately all over his fellow countrymen.

"I was born in Stockholm, but moved to Los Angeles when I was five."

"Your friend from Los Angeles as well?" Toll asked, taking a sip from his beer.

"Avolene? Hell no. That girl is as country as it gets. She was born in a little logging town in Upper Michigan."

"Whats her story? How'd she end up here?" Lee asked, feigning interest. He couldn't care less really, but he was asking the questions on Barney's behalf.

Sarah pursed her lips in thought, like she wasn't sure she wanted to tell these men about her best friend.

"You guys aren't some creepy cult or anything are you?"

The guys burst out laughing.

"No sweetheart, we ain't a cult. Just some liked minded brothers trying to make a livin' in this shitty world," Tool responded, easing the girls fears.

"Alright. But I swear, if you guys are a cult and you hurt her, I'll hunt each and every one of you down and make you pay."

Smug smiles met her threat but she ignored them and began to talk.

"Avie, I mean Avolene grew up in the most humble, small town you can imagine. I'm talking 1500 residents, including the surrounding farms and shit. So little they had a vet as the local doctor."

A few of the guys shook there heads, trying to imagine such a place.

"We get it, little. How'd she end up in New Orleans?" Lee asked again.

"Well, when she was fourteen, she saved a girls life by performing CPR on her after she fell out of a canoe. The next day her daddy sent her to the regional hospital for First Responder training. Her and the vet were all the town had for a couple of years, so she got pretty damn good at it. But then they finally wised up and put in a clinic. Avolene was 17 then, and decided she wanted to be a nurse. Her daddy was retired by then, too disabled from working in the woods his whole life to help her. But her brothers had a logging company going, and it was doing well. So they sent her off to Lansing."

"She get culture shock?" Toll asked, as he was the only one really paying an attention. Well, besides Barney that is.

"Don't get me wrong. Avolene is not some dumb, back woods hick. They had indoor plumbing and computers and the works. But she was not prepared for Lansing. The school she went to was connected right to the hospital, and from day one they were on the floor, hands on learning. She got overwhelmed quick."

"Why?" Hale asked.

"She had never seen things like that. Hate crimes, gang violence, rape. Her uncle was the local sheriff, and besides him there was only three other deputies. The most they dealt with was the occasional domestic violence, bar brawls, kids being kids. Shit like that."

"Okay, so she wasn't well versed in the matters of the world. What happened next?" Toll once again asked, keeping the conversation going.

"She bounced back, began improving until she was at the very top of her class. She was placed in an accelerated program and had her bachelors degree in nursing science in 14 months. She worked the emergency room there for a few months before being scouted by Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. It was a once in a lifetime offer. Good pay, great benefits. She took it and moved to Los Angeles."

"How'd you meet her?"

"In the emergency room. I had been with a guy who had gotten violent with me. Broke my nose, fractured my cheek bone. I wouldn't tell any of the staff what happened, and then she just walked in and pulled me into a hug. She promised me it would be okay, she would make sure I would be safe. I broke down crying, told her everything. She sat with me while I made my report to the police, encouraging me. And later, when he showed up..."

"He went to the hospital?" Now Sarah had everyone's attention. A man putting his hands on a woman was something none of them tolerated.

"Yeah. I don't know how he found me. But when she pulled back the curtain, he was there."

"What happened?" Tool asked, his beer forgotten.

"She knew who he was. To this day I still don't know how, but she knew. When he moved toward me, she stepped in front of him. He moved like he was going to push her, but she moved quicker, grabbing the tray holding her procedure stuff and whacked him around the head with it. He was stunned for a few seconds, but it was long enough for her to hit her emergency button on her pager and get the security in there. We've been tight ever since."

"Why she move here then?"

Sarah shrugged her thin shoulders.

"She just got fed up with it. Everyday she was seeing more and more death and violence. She was sick and tired of patching up gang bangers just so they could go back out and shoot up a school, or a playground. She quit, moved out here and started a business."

Avolene's POV

I had scored some awesome stuff, both for my store and my home. An old, beautifully worn, wooded icebox, a huge trunk full of old china, two writing desks, a hutch, a dresser, and an old iron bed frame.

I stopped at my store, and unloaded some of the things. Then I looked through and took a few pieces for my house before getting back in and heading home. It was four thirty in the afternoon, and I had just pulled in when Sarah came bouncing over from next door.

"Where you there this whole time?"

"Well not the whole time! I came back here to change and go to the market. They're having a cook out tonight and we're invited."

"I'm really not in the mood Sarah, I've got all this to unload..."

"But I already promised you'd be there, and I may have said you'll make your famous rhubarb strudel." The pouty face she was giving me made my resolve fall.

"Alright! But you have to help me unload this stuff into my workshop. And then I have to go to the store."

"Nope, I got all the stuff for the strudel when I went to the marker earlier. I already diced it and everything."

I raised an eyebrow at her. Sarah hated cooking, so much so that she had her oven removed from her home.

"What's gotten into you?" I asked, a little strained as I lifted one end of the desk up. She grabbed the other and we carefully lowered it off the truck.

"Nothing."

"No. Not nothing. Which one is it?"

She grinned at me and I was momentarily blinded by the brightness of it.

"Now I know he's not really my type, but his name is Toll Road."

"Wait, his name is Toll Road, as in...seriously?"

"Yes! That's his name. He's very smart, reads a lot. I like him."

I just shrugged my shoulders.

"Whatever floats your boat Sarah."

She grinned. We set the desk down and where coming back up to get the rest of the pieces when I saw the guys from next store roughly pushing my hutch to the edge of the truck bed. I ran up and quickly hopped into the bed of the truck.

"Damn girl, you got a hop on you. Sure you ain't got some black in you somewhere?" this came from a tall, heavily muscled African American man who was standing on the ground behind my truck.

"Pretty sure, and isn't that a little racist? Assuming only African Americans can jump high?"

"Nah, it's the truth." The men around us laughed and I just shook my head. Alrighty then.

"We got this," a man with a British accent said.

"I'm sure you do, but seeing as how this thing is from the early 1800's, I am just a bit paranoid about the handling."

"We'll be gentle," he said sarcastically.

"Come on Avie, just let them do it," Sarah begged from the ground. I sighed and jumped down as the british guy, Barney and the racially inclinded muscles magoo got it out of my truck. I heard it bang once and groaned.

"If we brake it, I'll buy you another one," muscles magoo said.

"That thing was a family heirloom, it took me three weeks of negotiating and cost me $1200 to get them to sell it to me."

"It's important to you, got it," british man said. I gritted my teeth and decided to go inside. I was to much of a control freak and the brit was getting on my nerves.

I washed my hands in the kitchen, took one look at Sarah's horrible job dicing rhubarb and picked up my large knife and set about righting her wrong.

That's where Barney found me, silently fuming and chopping up rhubarb.

"He's not so bad." I jumped at the sound of his voice, nicking myself with the knife.

"Merde!"I exclaimed as I stuck my finger into my mouth and turned to look at Barney.

"You scared me."

He stepped forward, his presence filling up my kitchen.

"Let me see that," he spoke as he gently took my hand.

"It's deep."

"Yes, but nothing liquid stitch can't fix."

"You were a nurse."

I raised an eyebrow at him.

"How'd you know that?"

"Your friend Sarah is a real chatter box." I sighed as I slipped past him, my chest accidentally brushing against his large bicep.

"Excuse me," I said as I headed down the narrow hall toward my bathroom. I could feel him following behind me. It made me slightly nervous, as I didn't know him and he was easily twice my size. I pulled a small white metal box with a large red cross on it from out of a once upon a time entertainment center. I had taken the doors off, sanded it down, painted it white, distressed it to add an aged look and put on some fancy feet. I busied myself with y cut while he looked around. My house had a french farmhouse décor to it. Lots of white tones.

"This looks real nice, you do it all yourself?"

"Most," I replied, concentrating. Once I was done I put everything away and turned to face him. He wasn't wearing his sunglasses so I got to see his face more clearly. He was older than me, by a significant amount. He had brown eyes, set so he looked perpetually sad, deeply tanned skin, black hair and a neat, thin, well kept goatee. All and all, he was an attractive man.

"I mean, I did what I could on my own, painting, tile and grout, trim, that kind of thing. With the bigger stuff I have a contractor friend."

He nodded his head.

I heard voices and once again had to awkwardly slip by his unmoving frame.

"There you are!" came Sarah's voice as I entered the kitchen. "What happened? There's blood on the cutting board."

"I cut myself with the knife, nothing to write home about."

She nodded seriously, before breaking out into a wide smile.

"Hi Barney."

"Hey. Alright, I'll leave you two ladies to it. See you at the barbeque later." And with that he walked out. Soon as he was out of ear shot, Sarah was all over me.

"What was that all about?"

"What what was all about?"

"Don't be coy, what did he say?"

I looked at her like she was crazy.

"Nothing much. I was chopping up the rhubarb when he came in and startled me. I cut my finger and went to the bathroom to clean it up. He followed to make sure I was alright."
"I think he likes you."
"I think your crazy."

"Probably. Doesn't change the facts. He likes you, or at least likes to look at you."

"Go away woman, I'm trying to bake."

I could hear her laughing as she walked up the stairs. I heard the shower start a few minutes later and sighed. I sighed and got to work making strudel.

Boys POV

"Thought you didn't shit where you ate?" Tool asked as Barney walked out of the girls house.

"I don't."

"Mm-hmm. Then what you doing sniffing around in there?" Tool was grinning like a fool. He knew that look. Barney found something he wanted.

"Saying hi to my neighbor."

Tool fell in step next to his long time friend as they crossed the road and headed into his back yard.

"You aren't fooling me Barn. You want that girl, and I can't say I blame you. She's beautiful. But it's more than that isn't it?"

Barney remained stoic as he got the charcoal out and filled his grill.

"Jesus Christ man, you been watching her since day one haven't you?"

Barney ignored his nosy friend, but couldn't help but think back to the day she first came by the house. She'd been wearing a white cotton summer dress and a pair of red spike heels. Her hair was up in a high neat bun. He remembered just standing in his front window, watching her inspect the property.

Tools laughing brought him out of his memory daze.

"Oh brother, you got it bad."

He knew he did, but he didn't know what to do about it.

Avolene's POV

An hour later, my two rhubarb strudel's were done, and Sarah was dressed to kill in a short, tight blue summer dress that made her eyes pop and her body sing. She had put rollers in her shoulder length sandy blonde tresses to give it a sultry curl. I felt bad for this Toll Road man. He didn't stand a chance.

"Your not wearing that are you?" I had a flashback to this morning and sighed.

"It's just a cook out. And I'm not after anyone over there. Why do I have to dress up?"

"Because if you don't then I just look silly."

"You don't look silly. Your beautiful."

She smiled at me.

"Flattery won't work. Go up and change now." I moaned and groaned but eventually did as I was told. But I wasn't going all out like her. I worked my hair out of the braid it had been in all day, leaving it to hang over my shoulders and down onto my breasts. It had picked up a wave from the braid, so I didn't have to do anything. I slipped out of my boots, shorts and top. Sarah was wearing a dress, so I looked for one as well. I figured a sundress would be fine. Nothing fancy.

I threw the dress on the bed and went back into my en suite bathroom. I pulled out a charcoal pencil and lightly lined my eyes. I curled my lashes, touched up my lipstick and called it good. I came back out to find Sarah holding a dress in her hands.

"This one."

"I already picked one out."

"I know, but that one is all frumpy and old ladyish."

"It's my favorite."

She made a face at me.

"Fine."

I grabbed the pale mint green dress and pulled it on over my head. It was form fitting, but not so tight that I couldn't have a beer or two. Bloating is a bitch.

"Wow. I was wrong."

I smiled. The dress wasn't exactly sexy. It was more sweet, but it made my hazel green eyes really stand out. And the empire waist and decently low neck line drew attention to my waist and away from my problem areas.

"Can you pull that..." Sarah was tugging on my dress, trying to lower the neckline. I slapped at her hands.

"Stop. It's perfect the way it is."

"If I had tits like yours I would be showing them off way more."

"So go buy some."

"Maybe I will."

"Nag."

"Mule."

We laughed as I slipped on a pair of white heels, which in comparison to Sarah's sky high stilettos looked low.

"Your going to break your neck trying to impress this guy."

"I could run in these things."

"Just don't drink to much."

"Amen to that."

I smelled charcoal and meat, and it made my stomach rumble with hunger. I hadn't eaten since this morning before I left to the flea market. Sarah had handed me the second dish of rhubarb strudel as soon as her eyes landed on who I assumed was Toll Road. His eyes went wide as she sashayed her way over to him.

"Let me help you with that." and I felt a dish taken out of my hand. I looked over...and down to an asian man. He smiled and I smiled back.

"Avolene Hart."

"Yin Yang."

"Pleasure to meet you."

"Pleasure is mine." His english was a little broken, but I had no trouble understanding him. He motioned toward a picnic table and followed him over and set down the desserts.

"This smells delicious. What is it?"

"Rhubarb strudel."

"I don't think I've ever had it."

"Then Mr. Yang you are in for a very pleasant surprise."
He nodded and sat down, I followed suit, having been abandoned by Sarah.

"I don't think I have all the names straight. Your Yin, that's Barney, and by him is Tool, right?"

"Yes."

"Sarah is talking Toll."

"Yes."

"And the big blonde guy is Mr. Jensen."

Yin began laughing really hard. I felt everyone's eyes land on me for a moment.

"What's so funny little man?" Mr. Jensen said as he walked over. The man was a giant. He sat down roughly next to me, and I could smell the alcohol coming off of him.

"She called you Mr. Jensen."

It was silent for a few moments before he began cracking up too. Big loud, rowdy laughs that made the seat beneath me vibrate.

"Names Gunner sweetheart. Remember it, because your gonna be screaming it later."
My eyes went wide at the ridiculous pick up line. Thank god the brit came to my rescue.

"How much you had to drink big guy?" he said as he walked up behind him and put his hands on his shoulders.

"Enough. Why?"

"Tone it down some, your scaring the shit out of Avolene."

Scared shitless I was not. Worried, yes.

"Am I scaring you baby doll?" He was looking at me with red, blurry, bloodshot eyes.

"Not at all. I am however worried at the amount of alcohol you've consumed. I think you should eat, before you get sick."

It went deathly silent for a few moments. Maybe this was a sore subject for him? I was really starting to worry when Gunner burst out laughing. He roughly threw an arm around me and pulled me next to him. He planted a sloppy kiss on the top of my head before exclaiming,

"Little mother hen! I think we should keep her!"

I grinned despite myself. Gunner reminded me of some of the men back home.

"Well c'mon. You heard the nurse! Feed me before I get sick." British guy, who turned out to be Lee just laughed and smiled.

"Alright, first steak goes to Gunner." Tool came over and flopped down a dinner plate sized steak in front of him. I watched Gunner struggle for a few seconds with his utensils before I intervened.

"Here, let me help you." I gently took the knife and fork from him and cut up his steak. When I was done he gave me a goofy grin.

"Thank you."

"Your welcome."

I looked up to see everybody look quickly away. Sarah smiled at me front her seat down the table and next to Toll Road. They were giving each other goo goo eyes. I sighed and looked away. Shortly after everybody had food and was in deep conversation with one another. I ate slowly, keeping an eye on the swooning drunk giant next to me. Every now and then he would start to lean a little to far in either direction and I would grab a hold of his shirt and pull him upright again.

Barney, who took a seat across from me was talking to Tool, who was on my right. Gunner's eyes rolled back into his head and I had milliseconds to realize he was passing out. I quickly slid everything out from in front of him and gently laid his head down on the table. He was snoring before his head touched the wood.

"Jesus H. Christ. How the hell did you move so fast?" Tool exclaimed from next to me.

"He was starting to swoon, I figured he would be passing out any minute now. So I watched for a change in his respiration's, and when his eyes rolled back into his head..."

"That's scary, you know that right?" Toll said from down at the other end.

"Umm."

"She's a nurse, remember? She needs to be able to read people."

I smiled and listened as they discussed the various tells they knew. I felt eyes on me and turned my head to see Barney quickly averting his eyes. I heard a small chuckle and turned more to look at Tool. I raised an eyebrow at him and he followed suit. Gunner let out a loud snore that made me jump in my seat.

"Avolene, I want some of your strudel."

I looked down the table to Yin.

"By all means Yin, have some." He smiled and cut out a large piece. Soon everyone had some and I was getting compliments by the dozen. Even Lee, whom I thought had a problem with me, liked it.

"This is excellent."

"Thank you."

"Where'd you learn to cook like this?" Hale asked.

"In the town where I grew up, there were no fast food restaurants and only one diner. It would have cost my mother and father a small fortune to feed me and my four older brothers on store bought meals. So we learned to cook."

I once again got the feeling that I was being watched. This time I ignored it. I heard Barney get up and turned to quickly to look at Tool.

"Do I have something on my face, or in my teeth?" I whispered to him. He let his glasses slip down his face as he studied me.

"No, why?"

"Just self conscious I guess." Tool studied me some more before barking out a laugh and getting up to follow the same path Barney had. I let out a yawn and looked down at my phone for the time. It was 9:30pm, and I was exhausted. I stood up, excusing myself from the party. I was given a round of goodbyes and I headed across the street to my house. I once again got the feeling of eyes upon me, but I shook it off as I quickly crossed the street and climbed the three short steps to my porch. I stepped under the porch light to check the mail, and then quickly went inside for the night.