Denise paused. For months after Randy’s death, she’d thought every shadow was something sinister waiting to pounce on her. Even over a year later, she still hadn’t totally managed to shake that feeling. Now her aunt and her cousin had died within a month of each other, and Paul also seemed to think death loomed right behind him. Was that a normal part of the grieving process? To feel that when death took someone close to you, it was coming after you next?

“Do you want to stay at my house for a few days?” she asked. “I could use the company.”

Actually Denise preferred being alone, but Paul didn’t know that. The careful investing Randy had done disappeared in the stock market crash, leaving her with just enough to bury him and to put a down payment on a new home, away from most of her family. Her parents meant well, but in their concern, they’d tried to take over her life. At work, Denise kept herself distant from her co-workers, and the seclusion had helped this past long, hard year as she dealt with Randy’s death.

Still, if staying with her helped Paul through the initial shock of his double loss, she’d gladly give up her solitude.

Her cousin looked relieved. “Yeah. If that’s okay.”

Denise signaled for the bartender. “Of course. Let’s head to my house before I have any more drinks. You’ve already had too many, so we’ll take my car and pick up yours in the morning.”

“I can drive,” Paul argued.

Denise glared at him. “Not tonight.”

Paul shrugged. Denise was glad he didn’t fight it. She’d hate herself if Paul got in an accident after going out drinking with her. Aside from her parents, he was the closest family she had left.

She took care of the check over Paul’s objections and they went out into the parking lot. After that incident three months ago, Denise made sure to park in a well-lit area as close to the bar’s entrance as possible. As a further precaution, even though Paul walked with her, she kept her hand on the repellent spray dangling from her key chain. She had two of those; one filled with pepper spray, the other with silver nitrate. Humans weren’t the only ones who liked to attack at night.