“Maude’s,” Ares said, grinning at them and turning off the engine. Every time he flashed her that grin, something hot glanced through her, something she hadn’t allowed herself to feel in a long time.
But he was a very attractive man. It was normal to feel that way about someone being kind who also happened to be built like a Greek god.
And have the name of one.
On any other night, the thought would have made her laugh. Tonight, she was too tired.
“And we’re going in?” she asked, eyeing the house. A light was on behind the curtains, giving it a warm, inviting glow. “Don’t you need to call first?”
Ares gave her a cocky wink. “I never need to call Maude.”
She frowned as he came around and opened the door, swinging it wide and reaching out a hand to help them out.
Mac gave him a stubborn look and climbed down on his own, much to Ares’s surprise.
Kat intended to do the same, but her foot slipped on the metal bar just below the truck and she pitched forward, straight into Ares’s waiting arms.
She felt his firm chest against her hands, his strong arms wrapping around her, and looked up into amused, evergreen eyes.
She pushed back, and he set her on her feet, giving her a wide grin before turning to lead the way into the house.
She took off her jacket, wrapped Mac in it, and carried him toward the house. Ares raised an eyebrow and moved as if to take him, but she shook her head.
Mac was hers to take care of as long as she could.
Ares seemed to understand at least that, and he turned to knock on the door.
After a moment, they heard footsteps and then the door swung wide open and a short, curvaceous older woman looked up at them, blue eyes widening as she stepped out of the way, gesturing for them to come in out of the rain.
As they did, Kat still feeling shy about going into a stranger’s home, the woman tsked and looked them over.
“What were you thinking? Letting this child get soaked in the rain,” Maude asked Ares, putting her hands on her wide hips and glaring him down.
Ares laughed and hid behind Kat and Mac, looking at Maude over the tops of their heads. “Come on, Maude, you know me better than that. They were broken down on the side of the road. Saw them while I was out driving.”
“Never do understand why you like to go driving at night,” she said, shaking her head, gray curls falling loose from her white floral nightcap. She turned on the hall light and led the way into the living room. She pointed to the couch, and Kat sat hesitantly, looking up at Ares for guidance as to what to do next.
She was worried what the woman would say about them wanting to stay for free. But this was a stop she hadn’t planned, didn’t have money for. She needed to keep everything they had so they could get where they were going and settle someplace safe. A hotel or motel would eat that up rapidly.
When this had all started, she’d had plenty of money. But she’d never known it would drag on this long.
Maude stared at them for a moment, folding her arms and pursing her wrinkled lips. Then she turned to Ares. “Where are their things?”
Ares bit his lip, looking slightly adorable. Now that they were out of the dark, his height wasn’t quite so intimidating. She could tell, although he was indeed large, he wasn’t someone who liked using that size against anyone. He had an easy manner about him, like he was trying to make everyone else feel comfortable.
It was definitely working on her.
“I thought I’d bring them back so you could feed them and then I’d head back for the stuff. They were already soaked and I wanted them out of the rain.”
“Humph,” she said. “So you can do something right.” Then she grinned and got on her tiptoes, and he leaned down so she could give him a kiss on the cheek. “All right, you rascal. Get out there and get it done, then come back so we can talk about arrangements.”
“I’m sorry,” Kat said. “I don’t—” Embarrassment flooded her. “How much is it per night?”
Maude gave Ares a narrowed glance and turned back to her. “Not like my boy here to not tell a lady that in Bearstone Village, we don’t take advantage of people in a fix. We take care of them.”
Ares just rolled his eyes but looked at Kat over the top of Maude’s head. She could sense he was trying to make sure she was comfortable, and with the warmth in those stunning green eyes, she was beginning to feel more than comfortable. And he was in construction. He wasn’t like the dangerous or indigent men she’d met before.
She shook her head. Don’t be dumb, Katrina. Don’t let yourself hope again. All we can be right now is careful. There isn’t time for hope.
Ares seemed to sense the change in her mood, and he took a half step forward that had her looking up in alarm. He stopped, and Maude glanced between them, quickly assessing the situation.
“All right, you big brute, get out. You’re scaring them.” Kat stifled a laugh as Ares grumbled and Maude pushed him to the front door. “You come back with her things, and I’ll get them all settled. We’ll talk business tomorrow, because I can tell that little one needs to get to bed.”
“Do not,” Mac said, yawning, just the top of his blond head sticking out from the jacket she’d wrapped him in.
Maude gave him a fond look and then shoved Ares the rest of the way out the door. “You come back when you’ve done what a man should do and taken care of business.”
Ares muttered something about how he was being pushed out a door he himself had repaired, but Maude wasn’t having it. A moment later, the front door was shut, and Ares’s truck rumbled away.
She was left alone with Maude, who winked at her before going into the kitchen.
She rested back in the couch, grateful for the comfort and quiet. A moment off the road where they were safe. For now. Perhaps the car breaking down hadn’t been the worst thing. They were at least a few days ahead of Ben, and even if he knew they broke down, he wouldn’t know where they were.
She ran her hands through Mac’s hair and let her thoughts drift with the rain falling gently outside. For some reason, she already couldn’t wait to see Ares again. Perhaps because despite being a stranger, he was still the person she knew best in this town. But perhaps because of something more.
Maude came back with little sandwiches on plates for her and Mac, and Mac got down off her lap and ate them eagerly, smiling up at the kind older woman.
Kat allowed herself to relax.
At least for now, they really were safe.
“Now,” Maude said, sitting forward with a gleam in her eye as they ate. “Let me tell you about our man Ares and why you might think about staying in Bearstone Village.”
Kat nearly choked on her sandwich, and the woman threw her head back in a laugh.
“All right, maybe not tonight, based on that reaction,” she said, waiting for them to finish. “You want any more?”
She and Mac both shook their heads. Now that they’d eaten, sleep was forcing its way in. She didn’t think she could even wait for Ares to get back with their bags.
“We’ll just get you upstairs to your room. Only the best for friends of Ares,” Maude said, taking Kat’s arm gently as she tugged Mac behind her.
She hadn’t realized how tired she was. How much the adrenaline of needing to run had been keeping her awake when she should have been asleep long ago. Mac had luckily been able to take naps, but she’d never had that luxury. She’d always had to look over her shoulder.
Maude opened the door to a room at the top of the stairs, and Kat gasped as she walked in. It was perfect, with a small queen bed with a quilted coverlet and little crocheted blanket on the end. Sheets folded back with two fresh pillows in pillowcases all ready to sleep on. There was a small window that looked out on the quiet street, and Maude walked over to pull the curtains closed.
Privacy. Kat felt her throat go tight and had to work hard not to get emotional. When was the last time she’d been able to sleep without wonde
ring who would come upon them?
She turned to see Maude studying her with an expression that looked a lot like pity, and she fought the impulse to feel shame.
She’d done what was right in the world, taken on responsibility that others would have run from. She had nothing to feel bad about.
“You two sleep as long as you want. I’ll make sure Ares gets your car taken care of.” She walked to the door and put her hand on the handle. Then she looked over her shoulder, a slightly playful gleam in her eye. “But like I said before, if I were you and I’d caught that man’s attention, I’d think about Bearstone Village as a final destination, not just a stop.” With a wink and a quiet cackle, Maude was gone.
Kat tucked Mac into the covers, turned on the lamp, turned off the overhead light, and then got under the covers as well. Before long, Mac was quietly snoring, and Kat listened to the peaceful sound along with the rain.
She enjoyed the rhythmic sound for just a few moments before she let sleep claim her.
* * *
The next morning, Katrina panicked when she realized Mac was no longer beside her. She felt the bed next to her, calling his name in a panic. She glanced at the clock by the bed, nearly eleven a.m. How could she have slept so long?
Well, she knew the answer to that, but still, it felt like her heart had dropped into her shoes as she yanked the door to the bedroom open and fled down the stairs, desperate to see Mac and know he was okay, feeling like a bad guardian.
She skidded to a halt at the bottom of the stairs as an odd sight met her.
Ares, the huge man from the night before, was dressed more casually today in a worn blue tee and jeans and was currently on the ground playing trains with Mac.
Her heart let out a sigh of relief, and she managed not to slump to the ground as Maude came over and wrapped an arm around her waist.
“You look like you’re about to faint. You need breakfast,” she said, leading Katrina into the kitchen and seating her at a small, white, wooden table. “Lucky for you, your man hit up the bakery this morning.”
“My man?” she said blearily, still confused by waking up and panicking. “Huh?”
“Ares,” Maude said, winking and shoving a tray of donuts toward her.
Katrina sighed and took one, accepting a cup of coffee from Maude. “I really appreciate this. It’s been a long time since someone was so nice to us.”
Maude frowned. “Well, isn’t that a shame? I don’t know what the world’s coming to these days when a pretty girl like you is surprised by hospitality.”
Katrina shrugged. “It’s a mad world. That’s all.” She laughed at her own joke and bit into the donut, letting the sugar flow into her system and hopefully wake her up.
Ares peeked his head around the corner, green eyes flashing. His dark-blond hair was carefully tousled and his tanned, movie star-handsome face looked far more rested than hers. “You okay? I didn’t mean to scare you. Mac came down looking for something to eat, and I thought if we kept him busy, you could get some sleep.”
She gave him a shy nod. “You’re good with him. Thank you. I don’t know why I slept so long. I should have put an alarm on, but—”
“You were exhausted,” Maude said. “Ares, tell her the news though.” Maude’s hair was done in tight gray curls and her makeup was perfect. “You might get some extra time to relax after all.”
Katrina’s heart stuttered to a halt, just for a second, and she turned to face Ares, dread rising inside her. “What do you mean?” She set down the unfinished donut. She wasn’t that hungry after eating last night anyway. She wasn’t a big eater in general, despite being a curvy girl all her life. Exercise or diet didn’t matter. It was just in her genes.
Ares hesitated, running his hand through his hair nervously. Just what about her could make the big man nervous?
“What is it?” she snapped, sounding more grumpy than she’d intended. But she needed to know. “Is it about the car?” Her heart pounded, and she hoped Maude and Ares couldn’t see just how affected she was.
“We figured out what’s wrong, and the good news is it’s fixable,” he said, leaning against the doorframe and folding his arms in a way that made his powerful chest muscles bunch forward. She swallowed and focused on his words. “The bad news is the part we need is going to take about a week to get here and install.”
She stood abruptly, making the table creak and groan. She gave it a guilty glance and then faced down Ares. “That’s not possible.” She shook her head. “I have to go. I don’t have a week.”
“You don’t have a choice,” Ares said, taking a step forward, making her pause.
But her anger at the situation made it impossible to back down. “I don’t care. I want to go somewhere else. I want a second opinion. I want—”
Ares was looking down at her with a hard expression she hadn’t expected, like he was angry.
Of course he was. She was acting like a petulant child. She knew she was, yet…
Maude gave them a hesitant look. “I’ll go make sure Mac is doing all right while you two talk.” Then she pushed past them and went into the other room.
Ares took another intimidating step toward her. “There’s no one else who could help you repair for miles. Bill is a good man. He does good work. If he says it takes a week, it does.”
“I know,” she said, fighting back the panic threatening to drown her. She didn’t need to show that to Ares. He didn’t need to know. “I just, I can’t stay here. We’ll find a bus… or something.”
Ares took another step forward, and she found herself backed against the front door. He braced his hands on either side of her head and looked down at her, and she could almost hear her heart thumping in her throat. She looked slowly up at him to see him studying her quietly.
“Let me go,” she said.
“Not until you tell me what’s bothering you,” he said. “I knew something was up when you were so reluctant to accept help or any kind of break from traveling. But if you want me to help you, you need to tell me.”
“What can you do?” She scoffed, trying to push past him but finding herself caged in his arms. “You’re just a construction worker in a small town.”
He sighed. “What kind of trouble are you in? I just want what’s best for you and Mac. If you tell me, maybe I can help you figure this out. Whatever it is, you shouldn’t be dealing with it alone.”
“And you shouldn’t be making it any of your business,” she said, pushing him back. He finally let go, letting her storm past him. She put a hand to her head as she strode quickly through the living room and out the sliding back door, telling Mac to be good as she went.
She didn’t need him following her and seeing her lose it. She never wanted him to see her weak. She ran to the other side of the house and leaned against the wall, facing the fence. The sun was high and the sky was beautiful and clear.
And she had a week for Ben to catch up to her and no way to run away from him and no one to protect her and Mac from him.
Unless you counted the nosy construction worker. But he was just a nice, albeit huge, guy from a small town. She couldn’t get him involved. It wouldn’t be fair. He and Maude didn’t deserve to deal with what was following them.
If it was only a few days… But a week?
She put a hand over her face and choked back a sob. She wouldn’t cry now. She’d gotten them through a lot of trouble. She’d pushed on and on through everything. To be stopped here would be too much.
No, she’d figure out something. She always did. But at least up until now, they’d always had the car.
Now they didn’t even have that. She sank back against the wall and closed her eyes, listening to the thrumming of her heart.
She just had to calm down. Then she’d think of the perfect plan to keep her and Mac safe.
3
Ares stared in shock at the door Katrina had run out of. He hadn’t meant to chase her or scare her. He folded his arms and stared at the door, uns
ure of what to do.
He’d always been good with the ladies. Young and old. People in general. He liked people, and for the most part, they liked him back. There were a few people he was great at annoying, like Zeus and Hades, his military buddies who’d served in the Special Forces with him, but for the most part, he was an easy guy to get along with.
So why was nothing easy with Katrina?
He scratched his head. An uncomfortable part of him knew. He’d never expected to feel anything like this before, but he was definitely feeling it.
This mysterious, stubborn woman who wanted nothing to do with him might just be his mate.
His bear kept saying so.
Then again, Ares had never been a man of instinct. He was the weapons expert on his Special Forces team, and he was good at calculations.
But he had an idea he didn’t know the equation to winning over Katrina and making her trust him.
“Don’t be sad,” Mac said, pushing a train along the ground until it bumped Ares’s feet. Ares looked down at him and forced a grin. The kid was sweet to be worrying about adults at a time like this.
“Is she going to be okay?” he asked. He knew it was a little ridiculous to ask a kid that, but Mac was at least five or six and, despite being small, was pretty serious for his age. Probably the result of whatever he and Katrina had been through.
He resisted the urge to crack his knuckles, thinking about anyone wanting to harm these two precious people.
He still had to tell Zeus a kid had threatened to body-slam him.
“She’s okay,” Mac said solemnly. “She’s just scared of the bad men that are chasing us.”
The soldier in Ares woke up. He felt the change come over him, a cold stillness. A need to attack. To protect. He crouched on the ground next to Mac. “What do you mean the men chasing you?”
Mac looked from him to Maude, and then his eyes filled with worry, like maybe he’d said too much. “I don’t know,” he said, picking up his train again and running it over Ares’s foot. “Choo-choo.”
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