SHELTER

Chapter 2

"No way. Don't even think about it. I have a request; saying yes to it will make us even." She eyed him warily but not overly so. "Trust me, I'm not that guy. I owe Dustin big and I really want to do right by his friend. I've got a spare room at my house. It's on the complete other side of the house so it'll be like you are on your own. Let me lend it to you."

She continued to search his face with those hazel eyes as the wheels turned in her head. With a heavy sigh she turned her eyes back to the road ahead. "Do you have a bathtub?"

"Yup, a big deep one." A wistful smile graced her lips.

"Ok, deal." She agreed.

"Great. Now before Dustin called I was trying to decide whether beer and tacos or beer and steak sounded best for dinner. Which one sounds good to you?"

"Are you any good at grilling?" The cab was warm now and she carefully shrugged out of her heavy leather coat. She had a long sleeve thermal on underneath and light bloody discoloration marred her left shoulder.

"I'm a grill pro! Looks like you got it a little on the shoulder there."She gave it a tentative poke and sneer of disdain.

"Ya, I'm finding little surprises everywhere. Steak sounds amazing honestly. I don't want to put you out but I missed lunch and lost my breakfast so I'm starving."

They pulled into his driveway and waited for the garage door to finish its ascent. Warren pulled the pickup inside and ran around quickly to grab her bags before she could.

"Got em!" he smiled at her confused look. "My momma raised me right."

She smiled slight before a ghost of pain fluttered across her features. Before he could question it she was already distracted by his own Heritage Softail Harley parked in the second bay of the garage beside an old Jeep.

"I see you've met Maddy. She's my girl. So you see, I'm not gonna look crosswise and anyone patting their bike when parting." He gave her a wink. "This way." He motioned her to a door and at the back of the garage.

"Welcome to casa Maier." He made a sweeping gesture. "This is the living room; the kitchen as you can see is attached. Down this hall is the laundry room, your very own bathroom and this will be your room."

She surveyed the room as he placed her bags on the floor. It was medium sized and plain like most guest rooms but clean.

She remembered her old home and how they'd tended to use the guest room as a storage area in between guests. Whenever someone game to visit she'd always gone into a tizzy trying to get it in order and he'd always just sat back and laughed.

The memory hurt and she locked it away again before she did something embarrassing like cry. This day had been way too emotional.

"Thanks" She gave a grateful smile. The bed looked super inviting.

"Awesome. Towels are in the bathroom. You are welcome to the laundry room, soap, any of that stuff. Just yell if you need anything, otherwise there should be delicious food awaiting you after your shower."

He backed out and closed the door behind him leaving her alone. Wearily she unzipped her damaged chaps and laid them over the back of a wooden chair and did the same with her coat. Next her heavy boots thumped to the ground and her cold feet were freed from their confines. She rubbed them appreciatively in the soft rug covering the oak floor.

She dug her shower things, a pair of flannel pajama pants and a clean shirt from her pack before heading down the hallway to the bathroom.

The bathtub called to her but more than anything she wanted to be warm and clean so she turned on the shower on full hot.