SHELTER

Chapter 6

Jolie woke up later than usual feeling less stiff and sore than before. Warren was gone when she wandered into the kitchen but coffee was out and there was a note on the counter again.

Jolie,

Left you the keys to the truck again. I have the Jeep so it's no big thing. Play the music as loud as you like.

Warren

She smiled and set to making the coffee. He really was one of the nicest guys she'd ever run into. His pickup was nice and she had no idea why he'd leave it to her and drive the older, less comfortable Jeep. He didn't have to leave her anything really, she was willing to walk.

Her plans for the day didn't amount to much. She needed to make a run to the shop and pay James and then visit a store for a few things one simply didn't buy second hand. She didn't hurry herself to get ready. She sat in the warm cozy kitchen and drank coffee in the peaceful quiet of the winter morning.

Glass paned French doors separated a large wooden deck from the kitchen. Beyond the deck she could see a good sized yard with a few well pruned fruit trees along the back fence and what looked like rose bushes and trellises along one of the walls.

The sky was a leaden gray and cast its drabness upon the Earth below.  While she sat sipping the hot, dark liquid she spied a few wispy white flakes drifting slowly on invisible eddies of air.

A thrill ran through her at the thought of a glistening blanket of white in the near future.

Jolie added a trip to the grocery store to her list of things to do. Thanksgiving was just around the corner. Warren would likely have some place to go, either family or friends. It had occurred to her she could make a couple of pies and he could take them with him. She'd enjoy the making and he could look good for his company. She smiled wide at the memory of him plowing  through the Boston creme pie and his request for fudge.

The leftover cake had been missing from the fridge this morning when she'd looked.

With a sigh she levered herself from the chair and rinsed out her cup before shuffling off to get ready for the day. She dressed in her freshly washed new jeans and sweater. She parted her hair and braided each side before placing her new knit hat on top of it. Jolie approved of the cozy, winter look it created in the mirror.

A quick scan of the fridge and pantry produced a list of items for her shopping pleasure. Jolie gathered her list, wallet and Warren's keys and headed out into the wintry day.

Small, ice pellet snow began to fall heavily in the short drive to the bike shop. Jolie took it easy, unsure if it would melt enough to be slick or not. James was pleased  to hear that she would be staying the winter and he wasn't under the gun to meet the three week deadline. With the holidays approaching he hadn't taken into account people taking time off when he'd quoted her the three weeks. She assured him she understood and would be patient.

They talked for a few minutes more about how long she'd been riding and the places she'd visited before parting ways.

Down the street she found a strip mall with a small clothing store and a grocery store anchoring the ends with a salon, pharmacy and shoe repair shop filling out the center.

Jolie located and purchased several pairs of brightly colored wool socks, 2 bras and several pairs of what she deemed "pretty panties". She was willing to admit that she didn't necessarily need the new under things but they did a lot for picking up her self esteem. Deciding to roll with it, she continued on down the sidewalk to the salon and went in.

A short discussion with the attractive middle aged stylist resulted in a trim and layering of her thick blonde locks.

"Wow, you look a lot like Kate Hudson with that hair of yours." The stylist exclaimed with a clap. Jolie had to admit the new style looked a lot more stylish and youthful. She was pleased with the stylist's suggestion and tipped her well.