The light from the single lamp that was still burning was dim, but the face in the doorway was unmistakable.
"Harry! What are you doing here? Are you on the run from the law? Did you break out of prison?" Lottie looked worriedly around outside, her eyes darting back and forth, searching for lawmen or bounty hunters.
Gentleman Harry gently placed his hands on Lottie's shoulders to calm her.
"My dear lady, I'm neither on the run, nor have I broken out of prison. What I AM is hungry, thirsty, and tired... And VERY happy to see your beautiful face again." He smiled warmly down at Lottie. His hands slowly moved from her shoulders to her face, gently tracing her jawline with his fingers, mentally verifying that she was real. As his eyes scanned her worried and confused face, his own face drew slowly nearer to hers until his lips softly brushed hers in a sweet kiss.
Lottie, still reeling from the surprise of Harry's reappearance, nonetheless recalled the kiss they had shared years ago when Harry was taken into custody and headed to prison. It had been a sorrow-filled yet passionate kiss that would have to last for the rest of their lives. Or so they thought.
Lottie surrendered to his kiss now, feeling an unexpected heat rising to her cheeks. A little surprised and embarrassed by her reaction to his kiss, she placed her hands on the lapels of his jacket and eased her way back a step and said in a voice that sounded strange to her own ears, "Come in, and have a seat. I'll bring you some food and you can tell me what's going on and why you're here.