Seeing the stranger startle like that made Maizie wince with sympathy. Until the moment she spoke, he must have thought he was alone. Which probably ruled out being part of a raiding party. Capitol spy wasn’t off the table yet, but she was putting her money on wanderer.
For one thing, ‘tired’ was an understatement. He looked like maybe he hadn’t been able to rest for weeks, like even standing upright was a chore. There was something else too, though, that struck her about him. It reminded her, suddenly, of a look she’d seen briefly on Dad’s face when he’d been bit, that same kind of hopelessness. The memory was needle-sharp and Maizie glanced away for a moment, biting her lip.
“You could come inside,” she suggested. Shifting to find a more comfortable position, she leaned her forearms against the window sill. “I mean, we have a mandatory quarantine for newcomers, but at least it’s safe and quiet.”
Maizie hadn’t even finished her offer before getting the sense that it would be refused. “If you’re worried about being turned away, don’t be. I’m the --” daughter of the guy in charge, she’d almost said. Except that wasn’t true anymore. “I can put in a good word for you.”