It seemed so far from them, this danger. Thinking about it hurt her brain. She looked at the sleeping child, felt the heat of the fire, the sensation of floating on the river, the occasional pull of the ropes in the mooring when the wind took them.

“You’re not listening. Ruby? What did I just say?”

She jolted back to the conversation.

“Sorry, Sam. I guess I’m too tired.”

“We both need to get some rest if we’re going to stay one step ahead of them.”

Sam went into the tiny bathroom. She heard him brushing his teeth. When he came out, she said, “Why are you helping me?”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Why wouldn’t I help you? I’m your friend. Why do you even need to ask?”

“Only because it must look really bad. I’m here with someone else’s kid, being chased by the police after a man has been attacked. And you, without even really asking many questions, you just accept it.”

“Yes. Because I trust you.”

“You could get into trouble.”

“I don’t care. Anyway, where else are you going to go?”

“I just don’t know if I’d be able to do the same. If the tables were turned.”

He narrowed his eyes in the dim light. Then he sighed. “I suppose it’s a good job that you won’t have to, then, because I’m never going to get into the kind of trouble you can create. Not anymore. And when I needed you, you were there. This is payback.”

“Payback?”

“For saving my life.”

They held each other’s gaze. “It was nothing.”

“No,” said Sam. “I know we joke about it, but in all seriousness, if you hadn’t picked me up off the street that night, I would have died.”

“Someone else would have come along.”

“No, they wouldn’t,” said Sam. “I don’t know if I would have done that myself either.”

Ruby considered for a minute. Then she nodded. “Okay. But then we’re square. We don’t owe each other anything.”

Sam’s expression changed, as if he had more to say. But then he tilted his head, smiled slightly, and went through into the cabin.

Wednesday, December 26