A/N: Wowie Wow Wow! Am I a dork!! An observant reviewer has informed me that there is no Montgomery, SC. Hello? Am I stupid? Don't answer that. I'm thinking that I need to pay a little more attention is History class. No but honestly, I asked my brother's friend, Justin, for a SC city and he told me Montgomery. Now, I am not saying it's not my fault because it is. I'm the dumb one who believed him and didn't know better! Wow! I just surprise myself sometimes. But thank you, to the one who told me. I really, truly, greatly appreciate it.

Thank you to all who reviewed! You give me great motivation!

P.S. Montgomery, Alabama!

**********

Feeling a little better after talking with Mort, Rae retreats to bed. Leaving her door slightly ajar behind her, she pulls down the covers and hops into bed.

At a force of habit she leans over to turn off her night lamp.

"On second thought, I'll leave it on."

Her eyes grow heavy and they begin to close. Finally, they are fully shut.

With her ears overly alert combined with the light from her lamp she cannot fall asleep.

Without warning, her door slowly creaks open. Rae holds her breath and shuts her eyes tighter. She listens for any movement.

She hears the sound of heavy breathing. She feels it hot on her face.

Suddenly, a wet, warm substance grazes her nose.

She jumps as her heart skips a beat. Slowly, Rae opens her eyes. She screams.

*********

"Was that Rae?" Joanne McClellan, Mort Rainey's fiancée, questions.

"Yes," Mort replies. He and Joanne were in bed sleeping when Rae called.

Mort turns on his side, away from Joanne, and annoyingly sighs. He knew what was coming next. Twenty questions and the third degree.

"Why is she still calling you?"

"What do you mean 'still'?" As sharp as his reply was, his turn to face her was sharper.

"I thought after you told her about the incident she broke off all connections?" Mort hated it when she brought up the 'incident'.

Mort returns to his position on his side. "Can we not talk about this right now?"

"No, we can't. I want to know what she wanted. And will you please look at me when I am speaking to you?"

Mort exaggeratedly turns to face her. "Listen Joanne, Rae is my best friend and what we talk about or what happens between us is not your business. Understand?"

"If we are to marry than what goes one between you and her is my business. Your life is my business, Sweetie. Hate to break it to you."

"No, that's where you are wrong. After we marry my life is your business. Until then, stay out of it."

Mort throws the covers off of him and leaves the room.

"Where are you going?" Joanne calls after him.

"Getting a head start on what Rae wants," Mort replies as he enters the study of their New York apartment.

"What do you mean?"

Mort grabs a suitcase from the closet and heads back to the bedroom.

"What do you need that for?" Joanne steps in front of him, blocking his way.

Mort does not answer. He steps aside and continues his quest to pack his suitcase.

"Mort, will you please answer me?!"

He quickly turns around to face the red-faced Joanne. "I am going to Rae's house! Okay? She asked me to come down to see her! There is something going on in those woods and she needs me."

"Fine, but I am going with you." Joanne attempts to turn around and grab a suitcase from their prior location. Mort grasps her shoulder before she can.

"She asked for you not to come."

"What?! Why?"

"I don't know. She didn't say." Mort walks into their bedroom with Joanne hot on his heels. He begins to pack his suitcase.

"No! No way, Mort. I don't trust her!"

"Too bad. I am going and you are not. I won't be gone for long. Besides, your case starts tomorrow."

"I don't care! I will get an extension."

"Your client cannot afford another extension, Joanne! You already requested one when you wanted to come to my mother's house with me!"

"Please, Mort! I really don't trust her."

"No! And that's final, Joanne. I don't want to hear another word!" Mort closes his packed suitcase and heads for the exit.

Joanne steps in front of him. "Make love to me before you go?" She asks innocently.

"Joanne, I am not falling for that again. Now, will you please move out of my way?"

With a puss on her face, she obeys.

"I love you," Mort calls while descending down the stairs.

"I love you, too!" Joanne sighs and sits down on the edge of their bed. She crosses her arms and ponders what to do. She glances at the telephone beside their bed. An idea strikes her mind. "If you won't make love to me, I know someone who will!"

*********

Rae laughs at herself. "Peanut! You scared the crap out of me!" Rae blushes at her pathetic scream.

The wet, warm substance was her dog's tongue. He had given her a kiss to get her attention.

She pets the top of his head and he gives her another kiss. This time his tongue grazed her chin. "Up, Peanut." Rae motions for Peanut to climb up on the open area beside her. On any normal night Peanut would be sleeping in his bed on the floor. But under the circumstances, Rae will feel safer with his fluffy form beside her.

"Good doggy," Rae coos while kissing him on the top of his head.

With her companion beside her, Rae attempts to achieve a good night's sleep.

********

Frustrated, Mort throws his suitcase into the backseat of his gray Jeep Grand Cherokee. He hops behind the wheel and reaches into his coat pocket for his keys.

Feeling nothing but the cloth of his cloak, he grumbles. "Great start, Rainey."

He jumps out of the car and slams the door behind him. Feeling a tad more frustrated, he storms back into the house. While reaching for his keys nigh the staircase, he hears the giggle of his fiancée.

"What in the devil?" He asks himself in regards to Joanne's peculiar behavior.

As quiet as possible her climbs the marble stairs leading to the hallway of the second floor. He reaches their bedroom door and listens carefully to what his fiancée is doing.

"Mort just left. Yes, he left for the night." By the sounds of it, Joanne is on the phone. "Actually, he left for a few days. So, you know what that means don't you?" Mort was beginning to become suspicious of Joanne's conversation. "Yes, of course. But only if you bring the handcuffs." Again she giggles. "See you at midnight, Sweetie. Bye."

Mort hears the sound of her hanging up the receiver. He debates on whether or not he should confront her. He decides against it. "Another time," he whispers.

Mort cannot bring himself to be angry. One would think that he would be angry beyond belief. But despite his love for Joanne, he feels nothing but relief.

"Strange," he says while walking down the driveway towards his Jeep. "My mind is elsewhere," he reassures himself. Deep down, he knows that is not the answer. A greater feeling is submerging in him; a feeling that has not been touched since his days in the cabin; a feeling that was created when he met Rae.

* Mort is painting his cabin when he spots her; medium height, slender, long light brown hair, a gorgeous build. She's wearing tight, black jeans and a pink top. "Wow," he says to himself. She is standing in his driveway with his realtor. He had forgotten about his open house today.

His realtor, Mrs. White, is an old, kind woman. She is on the brink of retirement. She has been such a help with finding a buyer for him.

"Hello? Mr. Rainey? Are you home?" She calls.

Mort struggles to descend down the ladder. "C-coming!" He nervously yells. He is praying in his own mind that this knock-out is a buyer.

Mort stumbles around the corner, paintbrush in hand. "Mr. Rainey this is Rae Barone. She is very interested in your cabin."

"You are?" Rae nods. "Great!" Mort exclaims.

"I love how peaceful the terrain is. And I always wanted to live by a lake."

"I insisted that she come down. I overheard her talking with Michelle at the shop." Mrs. White refers to their waitress/friend down at the coffee shop in town. "I just had to get her down here!"

"Well, I have to say, Mrs. White, I'm glad you did," Rae says.

"I as well." Mort was more than glad, he was ecstatic. If he could sell his cabin within the week, than he could move in with his fiancée, Joanne.

"Well, we should be getting on with it then," Mrs. White interrupts Rae's gaze upon the house.

"Right. And if I want to be done painting by nightfall, I should be getting back to my task." Mort turns towards Rae. "It was a pleasure meeting you. I hope I will see you again." Mort holds out his hand in a kind gesture. Without hesitation, Rae accepts.

"The pleasure is all mine," she replies. *

That was not the last time they saw each other. With the intentions of purchasing Mort's cabin, Rae had helped him touch up a few things. Of course, it was at the expense of Mort. But within the period of three weeks, the cabin looked great. On top of that, Mort and Rae became very good friends. Although Mort held deeper feelings, he knew it could never be.

In the eyes of Joanne, they became too close. But Mort insisted that it was all innocent. And it was.

Within a year of their friendship, Mort confided in Rae; telling her of Amy, Teddy, and Shooter. He told her the story of his menacing past. Rae was so overwhelmed with the story that she didn't call him for months. Mort was devastated.

After a harmful period of three months, Rae finally phoned him; telling him that she needed that time to gain her bearings and priorities. She told him that she realized that that was his past and not his present. She said that she couldn't judge him based upon his mistakes, as horrible as they were. She confessed that she was scared for her own life and that maybe Shooter was not gone for good. Joanne had convinced Mort that he was as did Mort convince Rae. Their friendship went on from that moment because of Mort's understanding of how Rae felt towards it all.

Although they live hundreds of miles away, their bond is strongly held.

Mort smiles as he thinks of the past events between he and Rae. He starts his car, and heads to the airport. He prays that there is a ticket and a flight waiting for him.

A/N: That's all for now folks! I hope you enjoyed it. Please review. Thanks a bunches to those who already did. I am very, very grateful!