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“Your ex?”
“Yeah. Hell, I managed to scare my whole family.”
“In my case it’s a little more complicated, but it comes down to the same thing.”
“Think you and Collier would still be together if it hadn’t been for that lost night in Lucent Springs?” Ambrose asked.
“Good question. I’ve thought about it a lot lately. The answer is no. It’s true we had our work in common. That is a huge bond. And we enjoyed a lot of the same things. Until the happy chickens and cows and pigs debacle, we got along quite well. But on some level I always knew he would walk away in a heartbeat if the going got tough or if something better came along.”
“I get the picture,” Ambrose said. “Commitment issues.”
“I also knew deep down that it would not be the end of the world if he left. We never moved in together. We used to joke that we had to live apart because we would never be able to achieve a design aesthetic in a shared residence that would satisfy both of us.”
“But that wasn’t the real reason,” Ambrose said.
“No. There was always something missing. We blamed it on the fact that, like a gazillion other people, we are both children of divorce. The therapists tell you that the experience can result in commitment and trust issues. But I prefer to think that’s just psych-speak for what amounts to being saddled with a realistic view of human nature at an early age.”
“Maybe. I’ve come to the same conclusion but I don’t have the same excuse. My family is close and I’m pretty sure my parents are still in love. But, yep, I’ve definitely got commitment and trust issues these days.”
“What happened with you and Maureen?”
“We were together for a few months but we never moved in together,” Ambrose said. “We told each other we needed our space, butas you said, there always seemed to be something missing. Our relationship was on shaky ground before San Diego. It would have ended sooner or later.”
“It’s us, not them, isn’t it? Do you think our psychic vibe makes us risk-averse?”
“Asks the woman who stepped over a trip wire that was connected to a small bomb,” Ambrose said.
“There are all kinds of risks. Some, like that booby trap, can be calculated, especially given our talents. Others, not so much.”
“True.” Ambrose gripped the sides of the big armchair, preparing to get to his feet. “It’s late. It’s been a hell of day. I’d better go back to my room and let you get some sleep.”
“I doubt if I’ll sleep much tonight.” She watched him. “What about you?”
“With luck it will be the usual—a string of short naps and the opening clips of some bad dreams. Don’t worry, I’ve taken steps to make sure I don’t wander the halls of the hotel. Wouldn’t want to frighten the locals.”
She hesitated, telling herself she would probably regret what she was about to do but knowing she was going to do it anyway.
“You don’t need to leave on account of me,” she said. “I wouldn’t mind having company for a while. When was the last time you had a decent night’s sleep?”
“Before San Diego.”
“What happens when you try to sleep?”
For a moment she thought he wasn’t going to answer, but after reflecting on the question he responded.
“I feel like I’m sliding into another dimension, a dreamscape,” he said. He watched the night on the other side of the hotel room window as he spoke. “It’s not just the sleepwalking that scares me,although that’s bad enough. What I’m really afraid of is that I’ll go into a dream and never come out of it.”
“Is it always the same dreamscape?”
“I think so,” he said. “But who knows? I don’t dare enter it. In addition to being afraid that I’ll get trapped in it, I’m worried I’ll sleepwalk again. I’ve somehow conditioned myself to wake up if I sense that I’m going too deep, but the result is that even on a good night I just nap for about twenty to thirty minutes at a time. I wake up, make myself sit on the side of the bed or get to my feet to break the spell, and then go back to sleep. If I can. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t.”
She studied him for a long moment, trying to make a decision.
Ambrose watched her. “What?”
“I think I can help you get a few hours of calm sleep,” she said.
“If you’re talking about sex, I appreciate the offer, but I don’t think—”
