Seeking Shelter

by Angel Smits

  Amy frowned. “Reminding me of my screw ups won’t help.”

  “That wasn’t a screw up! You were just shy. Aim, you have a lot to offer a man, both as a friend and a lover. Give yourself a break.”

  “I don’t know.” Amy didn’t agree. She didn’t have anything to offer, as far as she could see. She grabbed the empty box and stood. Caryn stood as well, disgustingly easily in those shoes. When she started to speak again, Amy cut her off. “If I agree to think about it, will you let it drop?”

  “Only if you’re serious.”

  Amy sighed. “I’m serious.” She resisted the urge to cross her fingers behind her back the way they had as kids, to negate the promise.

  * * *

  THE DINER WAS PACKED, with the lunch rush in full swing. Jace tried to ignore the glances and stares, but knew he was still the new guy in town.

  Caryn walked up to the table nearly as soon as he sat down. “Hey, handsome.” She’d taken to greeting him that way since he’d first come in, as if she were an actress in a really bad movie. “How come you didn’t volunteer to work on my kitchen?” She winked as she pulled out her notepad.

  “I’m thinking that big industrial kitchen of yours works just fine.” He opened the menu and looked at the same selection he’d looked at over the past few days. There were several things he hadn’t tried, but he’d already found some favorites. “Biscuits and gravy from your fancy kitchen, please.” He smiled up at her. So, Amy had told her friend. Did that mean she was considering his offer?

  Caryn nodded, turned away, then turned back. “For the record, I told her she should let you do it.”

  “But?”

  “But Amy doesn’t do anything I say. Not since high school, when I convinced her to drive to Phoenix with me.”

  “How’d that work out?”

  “Hank grounded her for a month. I haven’t been able to get her to shake loose and have any fun since.”

  “Remodeling a kitchen isn’t fun.”

  “Yeah, but watching you do it might be.” Caryn laughed when Jace tried to hide his shocked reaction.

  “Uh-oh,” a man said behind him. Jace turned to find two older gentlemen sitting there enjoying their coffee. “Don’t let that one get her hooks in you,” the heavier of the two said with a laugh.

  “I heard that, Earl,” Caryn called from behind the counter. “You might have to wait for that next refill.”

  “Just remember I didn’t say anything,” the man across the table from Earl interjected.

  “You probably encouraged him.” Caryn smiled as she came over and topped up both their cups. Jace turned back to his own table with a shake of his head.

  There was a camaraderie here that he’d forgotten existed in small towns. It brought back memories of his mother, going to the grocery or the drugstore and doing more than just shopping. She’d talked to people. Asked about their kids, their holidays, their lives.

  After his father had died in the mine, she’d stopped going out. Jace had gone instead and they’d all asked about her. At fifteen, he hadn’t known what to say. How did you explain that your mother wasn’t the same person she used to be? He didn’t know then, and he still didn’t know now.

  He’d found some of that friendship with Mac, and even with some of the other people he’d met in L.A. The shelters where he’d ended up had had their regulars.

  He didn’t miss those people, though. Except Mac. Yeah, he missed Mac. And his mom.

  * * *

  GAVIN SELDOM DARKENED Amy’s doorstep, so when he walked into her store, she paused and looked up. What did he want? she wondered. “Good afternoon, Gavin,” she said, and stepped out from behind the counter, wiping her hands on the edge of her apron.

  “Amy.” He strode inside, lifting his Stetson and letting it drop back down to his shaved head. She figured he considered that to be a tip of his hat.

  “How can I help you?”

  “Well.” He stopped at the counter and leaned against it. “I’ve started making rounds in town. With so many strangers about, I’m thinking I need to keep a closer eye on things.”

  “Strangers?” As far as she knew the only new person in town in the last month was Jace. She wondered what kind of threat Gavin thought he was.

  “Yeah. Can’t be too careful. You had any trouble?”

  He tried, really tried, to sound intense and tough. It might have worked if she hadn’t known him since second grade, when she remembered him eating paste. She tried to shake that image, but it was burned pretty deeply into her brain. He might be two years older than her, but a small-town school, where every grade from preschool through high school was in the same building, meant everyone knew everyone.

  “No, Gavin. No trouble. You do realize we want new people to come to town, right?” She wasn’t sure how far to push him, but realized by the redness that crept up his neck that she’d hit a nerve.

  “I know everyone’s all fired up to increase business, Amy. But we need to be careful. Too much growth can hurt a town. We aren’t very big. I’ve only got one deputy to protect everyone.”

  “Protect us?” The image of Gavin and Maurice—who was over seventy-five—arresting anyone almost made her laugh. “What exactly are you protecting us from, Gavin? The tumbleweeds? I suppose we should worry about the rattlesnakes, right?” Amy, and everyone at school, knew about ten-year-old Gavin going out to hunt rattlesnakes...and getting nothing more than a nonvenomous bite and an expensive trip to the E.R. much to the displeasure of his grandmother Mazie and uncle Eustace.

  His father had been sheriff then, but hadn’t had time for his son, not between his law-enforcement responsibilities and running his own ranch. So Gavin had been raised by his grandmother more than his dad. Amy had always felt sorry for Gavin when they were kids, but he’d grown into a bit of a bully.

  She used to think he was protecting himself, and she wondered if he was doing that now. But from what? Jace? That didn’t make sense.

  Just then the front door opened and two of her regular customers came in. Amy greeted them, hoping that would end this conversation.

  Gavin strolled up and down the aisles, as if he expected to find someone.

  “Why are you here, Gavin?”

  “No reason. Just checking around.” He strolled back up to where she was working.

  “If I see anything out of the ordinary, I’ll give you a call, okay? I have customers.”

  “Good. Good.” He nodded at the women, who were putting items into a shopping cart. When they moved to the freezer section, he turned back to Amy.

  “I take my job seriously, too, you know. This is my town. Civilians have no idea of the risks in the world. I’ll do what I have to to protect it.”

  He actually believed that? His town? Yeah, thanks to his father and grandmother dying, he owned two of the bigger ranches in the area. Not that he worked either of them. No, he rented them out and collected the money. And he’d run for sheriff unopposed. Had it all gone to his head?

  “Word around town is you’re getting your kitchen remodeled.” Gavin had wandered to the rear of the store again.

  Amy stiffened. How had he found out? Caryn. Who else knew? Everyone now. “I’m thinking about it.” Sort of.

  “How seriously you thinking about it?”

  “I...I’m just getting started.” She looked at the women, hoping they’d come up front.

  “Well, you know there’s more to it than just moving furniture. There’s permits and—”

  “That’s all taken care of, Sheriff.”

  Startled, Amy spun around to see Jace leaning in the doorway. His stance was relaxed, but the intensity in his eyes was the exact opposite. He wasn’t looking at her, but followed Gavin’s progress to the front of the store.

  “Is it now?” the lawman asked, th
en looked at Amy. “I thought you were just thinking about it.”

  “I am.” Unfortunately, everyone else seemed to be thinking about it more than she was.

  With a sigh, Amy smiled at the customers, who’d thankfully moved to the checkout. Both women looked on with great interest. “Thanks for stopping by, Sheriff.” She tried to make her smile sincere. “Always good to see law enforcement on duty, isn’t it, ladies?”

  With their nods of approval, Gavin’s chest puffed up and he headed toward the door. For a short second Jace stood in his way. Amy held her breath, praying they wouldn’t go any further with all this male posturing.

  Jace nodded and stepped aside. “Afternoon, Sheriff.”

  “Holmes.” The screen slammed in Gavin’s wake.

  “Such a nice young man. He’s done well, taking over for his father,” one of the ladies said, and while Amy nodded politely, she wasn’t so sure.

  Moments later, the customers were gone, too. Jace, however, still lounged near the front door, slowly spinning the rack of postcards.

  “Did you need something?” she asked.

  “Yeah.” He grabbed two cards and threw them on the counter. “These.” He took a deep breath. “And to apologize.”

  “A-apologize?” Automatically, Amy rang up the purchase. Her fingers stilled as she stared at him.

  “Yeah. I’m not used to having to think about other people. I’ve been on my own since I was sixteen. I have to remind myself that others don’t think like I do.” He tossed a couple of dollars on the counter.

  “Really?” She took the money and shoved it into the cash drawer without looking.

  “Let’s try this again.” He smiled. “Here’s my offer.” He shoved his hands into his jean pockets. “I have the money to get the materials. Cabinets, flooring, new appliances. The labor is free. For now, this is my job. Consider it a gift to Katie from Mac.” He didn’t add Amy’s name, and she felt a twinge of sadness.

  “How do I know you even know how to do this?”

  “You want a copy of my résumé?” His smile was downright indulgent now. He winked and she could only stare.

  He took pity on her confusion and turned serious. “Though most of my jobs have been in mechanics, I’ve worked plenty of construction and carpentry. Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.” His grin returned and something warm settled in her belly. She bit back the groan it inspired.

  For the first time, she wanted to accept his offer. She felt her resolve slipping. Besides, he couldn’t make the kitchen any worse.

  “Here.” Jace flattened a piece of paper that had been folded half a dozen times. “This is what I have planned. I’m flexible as to what you prefer. It’s your place, but I thought this might do.”

  Amy stared at his scarred, work-roughened hands. The sun had darkened his skin, and the paper with his simple ink drawing looked bright in contrast.

  “It’ll still be small, I won’t kid you, but it’ll work better. You’ll have more storage here.” His finger trailed over the line of a wall he planned to put up between the kitchen and the living area.

  Amy wanted to stay angry with him, but every time she tried, he went and did something nice. Like apologizing.

  Still, the idea of leaving him in her home made her stomach cramp. With...what? Fear? Distrust? No. Anticipation? And something else she couldn’t figure out. She looked at the drawing instead of his face, trying to find some fault, some reason to say no, some reason other than her own stubbornness.

  Glancing at his hands again as they refolded the paper, she realized what she’d come up with weren’t reasons, but excuses.

  “Look.” He stepped close and smiled at her once more. “I know you have to work upstairs, and I also know you don’t like me being down there with or without you.”

  “No...no, I’m fine,” she protested.

  He actually laughed. “You can’t lie worth shit, you know, so don’t try it. I promise I won’t go snooping in your stuff, or take anything. You’ll be right upstairs and can come down at any time. And you can frisk me when I leave if you like.”

  Silence.

  He was kidding, wasn’t he? The idea of putting her hands on that body...

  This was for Katie, she reminded herself. Katie was her world. That should appease the mother part of her. She looked back up at Jace, daring to meet his eyes. But she was more than just a mom. She was a woman.

  A lonely woman.

  Disappointment cut into her, but she pushed it away. “Okay.” She nodded, then watched him head to the door.

  “So I’ll see you in the morning.” He looked back, meeting her gaze before stepping outside.

  She went back behind the meat counter, hiding from anyone who came in, and let herself wilt.

  CHAPTER NINE

  IT WAS MIDAFTERNOON when Jace walked into the garage. He still had some work to do on the bike and wanted to get it done before he started on Amy’s kitchen tomorrow.

  “She gonna let you do it?” Rick barely looked up from the truck engine where he’d buried his head.

  Jace shrugged and went over to see what he was working on. Didn’t these people have anything else to do but worry about each other’s business? Jace watched a tumbleweed drift by the open garage door. Guess not.

  “I have no clue if she’ll actually open the door tomorrow morning. But she agreed.” The two-by-fours and drywall were sitting over in the lumberyard’s back lot, bundled and ready. He’d ordered it earlier this week, on the chance she’d eventually give in.

  Rick pulled back from the engine. “I’ll be damned. You’re a regular miracle worker, you know that?”

  “What do you mean?”

  He laughed. “You’re getting into that fortress. She doesn’t let anyone that close. She’s never liked change.”

  “Really?” Jace moved over to the bike and crouched down to start working. He didn’t ask or say anything more, not sure he wanted to discuss Amy.

  Rick rummaged around in the toolbox. “Yeah, I guess she had enough of that as a kid. What exactly you got planned?”

  This time Jace laughed. “Is that a roundabout way of asking my intentions?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “Pretty much replacing everything. Floor, cabinets, appliances.”

  “How long you think it’ll take?” Rick nodded as he wiped his grease-covered hands on a rag.

  “A week. Maybe. It’s not a huge job.”

  “I ain’t much of a carpenter, but putting in cabinets can be a pain. I can be an extra pair of hands.”

  “I appreciate the offer. I’ll probably take you up on it. Can you hand me those pliers?” Jace asked, hoping that would end the conversation.

  The metal felt cool against Jace’s palm as he focused on the task at hand. Rick went back to his own job and they worked in silence for a while.

  “Mr. Jace.” Katie’s voice shattered the quiet.

  Jace turned to see her standing in the doorway with Butcher beside her. “What are you doing here?” He smiled to soften his words.

  “Mama said I could take Butcher for a walk. He wanted to come see you.”

  “Really?” Jace heard Rick chuckle from his perch on the truck’s bumper. It might have been more believable if the dog had even been paying attention. He was sniffing the ground as if he were on a trail. “Did you need something?”

  “Nope. Just visiting. Whatcha doing?” She didn’t wait for an answer but moved closer to the truck. “Hi, Mr. Rick.”

  “Hey. Howdy, Butcher,” he answered.

  “Can Butch have a biscuit?” Katie asked.

  “Yep, you know where they are.”

  “Can I have a sucker?”

  “Go for it.”

  Jace watched Katie skip into the office. She came back out a few seconds later, a
white candy stick between her lips. Butcher was licking his lips.

  “Thanks, Mr. Rick. See you later, Mr. Jace.” The girl and her dog left without another word.

  “What was that all about?” Jace stared at the now-empty doorway.

  “Hey, I keep the kids and animals happy. That way I don’t get bit or thrown up on, and their moms come back as customers.”

  “That’s your marketing plan?”

  “Yep. Works like a charm.”

  “Really?” Jace laughed as he turned back to the bike. What a place. Oddly enough, he was starting to like it, but with a shake of his head he shoved that thought away. He wasn’t a small-town guy anymore.

  * * *

  THE NEXT MORNING, Jace watched Butcher sit at the back screen door, staring down the lane. Without Katie, the dog’s world was apparently empty.

  Such devotion. Jace doubted anyone had ever felt that way about him, but he hadn’t exactly let anyone get that close in years. He was a little envious.

  Watching Amy with Katie the other night at dinner had reminded him of his mom when he’d been a kid. She’d loved him at one time. Before Dad died, before she’d fallen apart...before he’d run away. He would never know how she’d felt, but that didn’t stop him from wondering. He could ask his brother, Linc, if she’d ever mentioned him, but he was half-afraid of what he’d hear.

  Footsteps on the sidewalk made him look up. He sighed, not at all in the mood to deal with the obnoxious sheriff today. Rather than deal with Gavin, Jace focused on measuring the boards he planned to cut. He marked three of the two-by-fours before he looked up again. Gavin was still there, a few yards away, his beefy arms crossed over his chest.

  “Is there a problem?” Jace snapped the tape measure back into its casing.

  “Maybe.” The lawman took a step forward. “I didn’t want to say anything in front of Amy yesterday, but I was under the impression you’d be leaving town fairly soon.”

  Jace took his time answering. He put the tape measure back into Hank’s old toolbox. “Plans changed.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. I got a job, so I’ll be here a bit longer.” He knew he didn’t owe the man any explanation, but he had to give him something, some bone to gnaw on instead of focusing on how to make Jace’s life miserable.