Page 11 of Desert Angel

Dylan stood and held his hand out to help her up. “Yeah, he doesn’t have any romantic interest in you.”

He liberally covered the remains with water and then found a rake and started to spread the embers, getting at the still-smoking ground. Nikki joined him and they worked for another hour ensuring there wouldn’t be a flare-up or that the wind could carry more embers to the nearby dry brush. Finally exhausted, they turned toward the house. Nikki looked at the lighter gray in the east and sighed, “It’s going to be a long day.”

“Maybe you can get a quick nap in.” He walked beside her to the front door and then stopped. Nikki turned to him and smiled. “Come on in. I’ll make coffee and we’ll figure this out.”

He shook his head and gestured toward his damp jeans and shirt. “I’ll bring in dirt.” She laughed and waved a hand over her own clothes. “I’m as bad. Come on in. And you need a nap too.”

“Your religion doesn’t prohibit a man staying in your house?” He joked as he stepped inside behind her.

“Religion isn’t what my faith is about. It’s about following the teachings of Christ, not about the rules of man.” She went into the kitchen and started the coffee machine then turned to look at him. “Do you have any other clothes?” At his head shake she bit her lip then nodded her head. “I have some stuff of Grandad’s that I hadn’t gotten rid of. Hang on a second.”

She disappeared and Dylan went to the kitchen sink and washed his hands before retrieving coffee mugs. As he did, he thought about her comment. Not the rules of man. That might explain a lot about her practices.

When Nikki reappeared, she had a bundle in her arms, held away from her body. “They aren’t top of the line, but they might get you to the store in Lordsburg, where you can get some clothes to fit you.”

Dylan gestured at the table, “You might want to put them there. If I handle them, they’ll be dirty before I can put them on.” After she’d done that, she gestured toward the coffee. “Coffee or shower?”

“I think I’m going to do the coffee first,” he said. “You shower first.”

She nodded and headed out of the room, saying over her shoulder, “You might want to see if the pants will fit you. Grandad had a bit of a paunch.”

By the time they’d both showered and Dylan had fashioned a crude belt to keep the loose jeans up, they were both starving. Dylan found himself falling into an easy routine with her, buttering toast and finding plates and utensils in the cabinets while she cooked. They’d sat down at the table to eat the food when the knock came on the front door.

Dylan indicated for Nikki to stay in her seat. “I’ll see who it is,” though he knew who’d be at the door.

Sure enough, Wayne was at the door, neat and clean, but with a slightly reddened face from the heat of the fire the night before. A state police officer stood behind him, his expression bored.

“Nikki?” Wayne raised his voice and ignored Dylan. He tried to enter the house but Dylan filled the doorway and even braced his hand against the doorway. “Wayne, officer.”

“Nikki!” Wayne yelled and Dylan felt Nikki’s hand on his back, indicating that he could step out of the way. When he did, she advanced to stand slightly in front of him. “Good morning, Wayne. You left earlier before I could thank you for helping put out the fire.”

He nodded abruptly, but his expression softened a bit before he turned to the police officer. “Told you we had some trouble here last night.”

The officer turned his attention to Nikki. “Mr. French said you had a fire last night?”

“Early this morning, actually, between midnight and about three, I’d guess.” She calmly responded, much to Wayne’s irritation, by his expression.

“You didn’t see the intruder? Were you asleep?”

“No, I was out on my land.” She said and Wayne shot a look at Dylan then.

“Where was he? Wasn’t he supposed to be staying in the hand house?”

“I was with Nikki,” Dylan said and put his hand on her shoulder, taking pleasure in the soft curve beneath his hand and in the jealousy that crossed Wayne’s features. He tightened his hold slightly before letting his hand drop to his side.

“So, neither of you were around to see anything?” the police officer had a small notepad out now, taking notes.

“No,” they said in unison.

“When did you see the fire?”

“We were in the truck about a half mile away I guess,” Nikki answered and then finished with a description of their speeding to the house and finding the hut in flames. As she explained the process of putting the fire out and of Wayne’s arrival Dylan was aware of both the officer’s and Wayne’s observations of him.

The police officer turned his attention to Dylan. “And you are?”

Dylan produced his ID, both civilian and BP, and then continued. “I’m a friend of Niki’s and was concerned when I heard of the window getting shot out. I’ve got some experience in security and wanted to lend a hand.”

The police officer jotted down his details then nodded. “Good thing you were here last night.”

---